Rapido annouces new run of N scale comet cars

[Narlie]

Cars mentioned at about 6:20 in video

[KSTXFLID]

Honest question, why not more Amtrak? Previous run sold out and is still fetching retail on the secondary market.

[peteski]

I checked the price (both MSRP and discounted at Hog's) and single car price is not something I'll be willing to pay. $98 MSRP ($83 discounted) for MBTA car? Those prices are what I would expect the ones from the first run to sell on eBay.  Yeah, yeah, tariffs shmariffs.

Even the 3-pack is priced around the same as one pays for a full passenger car set from Kato.
MBTA  3-pack has MSRP of $308 (discounted to $260). For example compare it to Kato Surfliner set with a loco and 3 cars for $160.

I also remember that the cars from the first  run needed quite a bit of "loving up", and the wheels looked really weird (with fairly deep flanges to boot).

[thomasjmdavis]

Yeah, yeah, tariffs shmariffs.

While I agree, these Comet cars are way out of my price range (and luckily, not something I "need" for my own modeling), the tariff is not insignificant.  I couldn't find a Canadian price on these cars, so I compared pricing on the recent SP dome cars.

US discount price US$ 69.75 (per Hogtrainz website) EDIT - for SP dome car

Canadian dealer discount price (for dome car)= C$ 89 at current exchange rate = US$ 63.15 (per Intercity website)- although their listed US price PRE-TARIFF is 64.36- probably different exchange rate when they set the price.

So, Canadian dealer is selling them for $ 5.40 to 6.60 less (9% +/-) than US dealer- so... there's the tariff.

The 9% difference applied to the more expensive Comet cars (how can those be more expensive than the domes?), the tariff is around $8 per car.  (Remember, the tariff and fees are charged to the importing wholesale company, so it may appear less than the listed tariff rate, since it is based on Rapido's price to the wholesaler, not what you pay at retail).

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I feel bad, as I was one of the biggest champions of Rapido making the Comet II cars. The last run was $59 street, so this is over a 30% increase in two years. Unfortunately, that's about the same as luxury goods this is almost the same exact amount that luxury watches have increased in the last few years.

With the fist run, I bought 4 full trains worth: 16 coaches, 4 cab cars in MBTA and three additional in other schemes to source parts from should the need arise.

If they made Kawasaki bi-levels or the MBB cars, I'd be in for at least a dozen. But I can't afford a new run of the same paint scheme for a car I have plenty of already.

Also, where are the RTS buses? We need these!

[bman]

for what it's worth one of our club members got his RDC's from Rapido recently. He said the tariff added around $20 per RDC. All that aside they were smooth running and there was no mistaking those in-line Detroits. Music to my ears.

[peteski]

US discount price US$ 69.75 (per Hogtrainz website)

It is $82.95 for the MBTA coach (RAP-528060) on the Hog's site. Still there for that price.  Not sure why it is more expensive than for example Metro North car as both seem to have a fairly simple paint scheme.  I also don't see any Comet cars there listed at $69.75

[thomasjmdavis]

It is $82.95 for the MBTA coach (RAP-528060) on the Hog's site. Still there for that price.  Not sure why it is more expensive than for example Metro North car as both seem to have a fairly simple paint scheme.  I also don't see any Comet cars there listed at $69.75

The prices I was comparing were for SP dome cars- since those were recent releases that appeared on both websites. Sorry, I did not make that clear enough.  My point on the 'Comet' cars was that if there was $6 in tariffs on the dome cars, the more expensive cars would have even higher tariff (since it is a percentage).  And it surprised me that the Comet cars would cost more than the dome cars.

I edited my earlier post to be more specific on which car I was talking about.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

It is $82.95 for the MBTA coach (RAP-528060) on the Hog's site. Still there for that price.  Not sure why it is more expensive than for example Metro North car as both seem to have a fairly simple paint scheme.  I also don't see any Comet cars there listed at $69.75

MBTA charges licensing fees. They also have to approve artwork, which resulted in incorrect sized logos in the past. Both Rapido and Iconic Replicas bypassed this fee by omitting the "T" logo on their "Boston" busses altogether. Iconic Replicas got pretty cheeky with it as they DID include the "T" logo license plate. Why was this allowed when the logos were not? The plates are state property, and public domain where the MBTA is a public company, but the logos trademarked.

[greenwizard88]

I'd prefer some Comet 4 or 5's, personally. I'll wait. Hopefully they will still be under $100/car by the time they get around to making them.