N scale 3D print of B&O steam loco cab with brakeman's seat

[Maletrain]

This was just posted on the B&O groups.io list, and I promised Mike I would announce it here on TRW.

Hello B&O Fans,
 
Steve Long has been patiently waiting for me to develop an N scale version of the Q-3 cab with the brakeman's seat to fit the BLI Light Mikado since he gave me a stock BLI cab at the Amherst Show in Springfield. That was over two years ago. The wait is finally over.
 
I sent Steve a cab last week. He said it looked good and took some photos he sent to me attached to this email.
 
I haven't updated the website yet. The N scale cabs have some differences from the HO versions. The roof vents are closed. I do not provide any roof grabs or pre-cut windows. If desired windows can be fashioned using Microscale Krystal Klear between the window frames. I do not provide any wire grabs for the roof of the cab. I did make a hole in the narrow frame behind the brakeman's window to accept 0.012 wire.
 
I am offering the N scale cabs for $35 each plus a flat $8 shipping by USPS Ground Advantage. Payment may be made by check, PayPal, or Venmo. If you'd like to use a credit card I can send you a Square invoice. I will add 3% to all credit card payments to cover the CC fees.
 
If you'd like to place an order please contact me at mlredden1@gmail.com .
 
 
Mike Redden
https://nemodelworks.com

I did not copy all 6 of the photos, but here is a photo of the cab seated on an N scale BLI USRA Light Mike:

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Note the fitting detail for attaching the grab on the cab side instead of the cab back.

If Mike doesn't get all 6 photos on his site, soon, I can post them here.

[John]

Maybe he should just join !!! I'm sure his contributions would be welcome

[Chris333]

$35 bucks for an N scale cab... I could retire now.

[Maletrain]

$35 bucks for an N scale cab... I could retire now.

Chris, If I remember correctly, that is what I paid BLI for their separate part, so I could give one to Mike for his initial print file design.  (I later checked the fit of his first print and provided some deltas for linear and angle dimensions.)

So, that seems to be the going price.

Why aren't you retired, yet?   

[peteski]

Why aren't you retired, yet?   

While I cannot speak for Chris, some of us not being independently wealthy or old, have to work for living. 

Also looking from Chris' angle of owning a 3D printer and designing his own parts how that price would seem a bit steep.  You said that you paid that much for the actual BLI part. Was that just for the cab or did you include shipping cost?  If just the plastic cab cost $35 I also find that outrageous! 

[Maletrain]

There is a receipt somewhere, but it is buried under more than 2 years of accumulated paper.  So, just going from memory, it was the price of the item, but that may have included shipping.

BLI doesn't want to sell parts to be used for kit-bashing.  They won't sell you a part for a loco unless you have that loco.

On the other hand, Bachmann has some parts that it seems to intend for kit bashers.  For instance, its 2-8-0 cabs are separate parts, and sell for about $11.  They have whole steam loco shells selling for $30-something.

The trouble is, I don't want any of the available BLI or Bachmann cabs, so comparing the prices isn't useful.

The issue is what somebody who is willing to design and print what I want will be willing to sell it for.  Most 3D printer owners are not even willing to design things for non-friends.

But, now that Chris has apparently volunteered to design and print items at lower cost, I will ask him first, next time.     (But I am not going to forget Lemosteam.)

[Chris333]

I would have printed it for somewhere between 0.15 and 0.25 cents and then felt silly charging for it. Then put up the file for free.

I guess they can charge whatever they want though.


Also at least the print looks good. The last time I bought a print it was a horrible waste of time and money: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GDGM1oAfRJyw5CyP7

[Maletrain]

Well, the printing of the final product is cheap - but still requires some time and effort.  There is a lot more time and effort that goes into designing the part and that includes making it fit the model like a glove as well as looking like the prototype, not to mention getting around any printing glitches like sagging or warping. 

I am sure you know all of that Chris.  It is one thing when the person doing the printing has designed the product for his/her own purposes and decides to print off another few for friends.  But, even then, most do not want to get into trying to market their product to the general public.  That takes more time and effort, too.

So, my point is that I am not going to begrudge a $35 dollar price on something that I want and somebody who doesn't know me is willing to make for me (and others).  If it was a mass market type product, then I would think about cost competition.

Anyway, I have a pretty long list of items that I will only ever be able to get from people with 3D printers and the willingness to make them, including the CAD files needed.  I can do the research, but buying the 3D printing equipment and developing the skills is not how I want to spend my remaining years in this hobby. 

Like others have done, I will ask here if there is anyone who would be willing to take on some of the specialty products I will be looking for.  Then we will see who really thinks it is worth their while, and for what price.

[John]

Most 3D printer owners are not even willing to design things for non-friends.

I do occasional projects for friends .., and the occasional RW member who I don't know personally .. a short list of things I've done for others

1) PRR Coaling Tower (probably 80 hours of design iterations) for Ed 
2) My first "shell" was a RI slug model to fit on a mechanism
3) Over 100 sets of windows for the TrainCat models he was working on (wonder where he is these days)
4) I water tower for a member in Canada
5) PRR Interlocking Tower
6) PRR station
7) A grain elevator load out

 and several others I can't remember anymore

Like Chris - I've posted files online, and I appreciate those that share because I can get something I need for the layout without a lot of extra effort, but I now limit sharing because someone keeps selling a crude container office design I did on ebay for $12 (20' Container Office N-Scale)

It's a lot of work especially if you have to design the part / structure / etc .. print it - fix it - print it again - fix some more ad nauseum .. so if someone wants to sell their work, more power to them ..

[mu26aeh]

The outstanding Glyndon station cannot be forgotten !

[Stolen Moment]

Regarding prices for prints, it's like computer chips: the first one off the line costs $thousands, the second one costs a nickel.  Amortize accordingly.

[Lemosteam]

On average, it takes me about 30 minutes to remove and clean the parts from the printer, to my satisfaction. Then packaging them for shipment and purchasing shipping. Time is money, PER PRINT, right?

I agree that the price may be a little high, but the buyer only has to pay if he/she wants them.

While some are willing to give away their IP and time to create the IP, I think it unfair to EXPECT free files, or "the value of the resin" prices for designs that would not exist otherwise.  The author deserves to earn something for their time and effort.  NOTHING should be a labor of love for anyone but themselves.  At least be willing to compensate them, especially for unobtanium.

Just my 2 cents.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

This is why it makes sense to do 3PL with someone like https://3dcentraltrains.com/. Designers don't have to worry about fulfillment. Everyone wins.

[Chris333]

I don't expect to get free files. The reason I "give" mine away is just because I don't want to print them and deal with selling. Also somehow giving them away doesn't wash my hands of it. I get plenty of emails about them (hey can you change this one little thing) to the point I really just started ignoring them.

And just the other day I saw MR's David Popp posting a photo of On30 shorty passenger cars he bought on Etsy. They were filament printed and looked like crap. Someone took my HOn30 files and scaled them up:
https://www.facebook.com/ModelRailroader/posts/pfbid0vbjq64SBzSXofh2m1B8xsZGivGndCAf8DbJrYkaAcz5fPFEQV5xVTAAnxjNUwgHzl
The seller "Steamgearshop" is the same guy who when he first posted them I asked if anything was changed to scale them up to O scale and if so could he share the files. His reply to me was "why would I spend all the time designing these just to give away the files". I just laughed and told him to look at my name and match it to where he got the files. Turns out he changed nothing just resized them to O scale.

So yeah the files are free and he owes me nothing, not even a mention. But since he tried to claim (to me) that he created them. I make sure to post my link to the free files every time I see a post about them.


About the price. The resin I use is $21.99 (Buy 3 pay 2) so if I buy 3 bottles it is only $14.66 a bottle. I can print thousands of N scale locomotive cabs with just one bottle. And that is why I said I could retire now... 

[Lemosteam]

I don't expect to get free files. The reason I "give" mine away is just because I don't want to print them and deal with selling. Also somehow giving them away doesn't wash my hands of it. I get plenty of emails about them (hey can you change this one little thing) to the point I really just started ignoring them.

And just the other day I saw MR's David Popp posting a photo of On30 shorty passenger cars he bought on Etsy. They were filament printed and looked like crap. Someone took my HOn30 files and scaled them up:
https://www.facebook.com/ModelRailroader/posts/pfbid0vbjq64SBzSXofh2m1B8xsZGivGndCAf8DbJrYkaAcz5fPFEQV5xVTAAnxjNUwgHzl
The seller "Steamgearshop" is the same guy who when he first posted them I asked if anything was changed to scale them up to O scale and if so could he share the files. His reply to me was "why would I spend all the time designing these just to give away the files". I just laughed and told him to look at my name and match it to where he got the files. Turns out he changed nothing just resized them to O scale.

So yeah the files are free and he owes me nothing, not even a mention. But since he tried to claim (to me) that he created them. I make sure to post my link to the free files every time I see a post about them.


About the price. The resin I use is $21.99 (Buy 3 pay 2) so if I buy 3 bottles it is only $14.66 a bottle. I can print thousands of N scale locomotive cabs with just one bottle. And that is why I said I could retire now... 

@Chris333 , my post was not directed at you or anyone in particular, and you certainly have every right to use your IP as you see fit, and I respect that and know you are a generous soul.

At the same time, his sales will bear out the price.