NOT FRISCO RELATED, BUT, IS THE ECONOMY KILLING OUR HOBBY?

You know, I haven't been able to get any serious time in on the railroad for about a week. I won't be able to really get down there until Tuesday evening. I'm sweatty and jittery. The withdrawals are painful.

 

“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me discounted trains or give me death!”

 

I remember back when I was 13 and laid my eyes on a BRASS model for the first time, I was hooked on them at that point and dont think that will change. I have a Bachmann 4-8-2 Mountain that I bought off ebay, and although it is PLASTIC, the seller sold it because his child sent it for a nose dive to a concrete floor. Now the front of it is mostly BRASS and looks GREAT. I remember saving and saving for those Brass models and because of the constant PRICE INCREASE....By time I got the money I needed, the model I wanted cost more. The nail was hit on the head here many ties and I certainly appreciate every ones input. This was more of a Rant because of a political ad I seen, and then followed by reading that ATHEARN, is closing their RTR plant in China. BRING THE WORK BACK HOME I say......It would be the logical, ethical, and moral thing to do. for EVERYONE!

 

Keith, is there a reason for as to why the Chinese manufacturer closed down the plant? I was told by a model railroad, exclusively, retailer, that there were financial litigations involved!

 

George is absolutely correct. To cite an example closer to home, if it were necessary to pay union scale plus benefits (at least in our part of the world) to everyone drawing a paycheck from a bona-fide business, there would be no landscapers, no fresh fruit or vegetables, no residential construction, no roofers, etc., because no one could afford to hire people to work there.

GS

 

How does Kadee manage to keep the price of their cars down? They don't cost $75 each... maybe half of that, much less if you shop around.

 

As one who has been both a member of a labor organization and also an obscenely paid executive (though it didn't seem obscene at the time), be assured that my sympathies lie squarely with the working man. Also, as a retired history teacher, I am well aware of the role of organized labor in helping to create the American middle class. That said, I still think it is fair to say that all or us are willing to pay for certain things because they are priced as they are. For example, I happily pay someone $30 to come and plow my driveway when it snows. I would not be willing to pay $130 for that same service. The point is, everything has a price where it becomes "too much." I wonder, if we were able to resurrect the technology of the old Athearn shake-the-box kits, how much we would have to charge for them in order to make a profit. I would guess $12-15, tops. Would anyone buy them?

GS

 

I know when my brother did his layout back in the '80's he was able to do it for not a lot of cash. Now although I have the interest I can't afford the cost. Too many other priorities.

 

I do not know how many times I have driven Highway 24 to Kansas City, MO following the You PEE all the way, and see trains stopped at every signal from Topeka, KS to Yard limits Kansas City, MO going dead on the law because You PEE can not run trains. I agree, BNSF is the best run RR in the USA.

 

I have read with great interest all of your questions and comments. I have visited some other railroad historical and general information sites and I must say that all of you Frisco Folks can be proud to belong to the best organized society going! Of course, the Frisco was a great railroad itself and the dedication of all members who belong to Frisco.org carry on this tradition with pride.

In 1961 I decided to convert from Lionel O27 to HO. I found an Athearn Hustler freight set on sale at a Carrollton, Texas, department store for $7.98 if memory serves me well as I turn 66 this coming Fourth of July. MRC had a low priced hand held power pack in their line for around $5.95 or so. For less than $20.00 I was in HO. The set had two freight cars and an oval of Atlas brass curved track. Nothing great or prototypical but it was affordable to a 15 year old teenager at the time. My step-father's take home pay put us in the poverty level and delivering the afternoon paper financed my hobby.

I learned from another HO modeler (a big Katy fan) that Revell produced a Frisco 50 ft. flat car, Ulrich had a Frisco hopper car, and Varney a Frisco 40 ft. double door boxcar in their product lines. Again, nothing prototypical but the Athearn starter set, the power pack, three Frisco freight cars and a $1.00 Atlas layout book helped me construct the 4X6 Simplicity & Great Plains Railroad that was in that layout book. Like the AT&N and QA&P, the S&GP became a Frisco sudsidiary thanks to a Trains Magazine artical titled "Quanah Means Quick". So the S&GP became a dusty West Texas railroad that interchanged with the QA&P!

A lot of Americans work for the minimum wage and hold down more than one job just to make ends meet. There just isn't any money left over to engage in model railroading much less any other hobby. I don't want to get involved in politics but Irv Athearn was able to manufacture his extensive line of HO trains in the USA at an affordable price. There are still several manufacturers in America turning out quality model railroad products at a 2012 affordable price which include much better detail than the models that Athearn produced in the 50s and 60s and on into the Blue Box era.

Perhaps Athearn and other manufacturers should consider bringing back the business to the USA and surely can provide jobs at the minimum wage and stilll turn a profit on their products as well.

They could fly the Stars & Stripes with pride and I would be willing to pay a few dollars more for the same models that have been produced in China to help my fellow Americans find employment at home. Lionel laid off a bunch of workers in Michigan too when they moved production to China and this is why I will not purchase any Lionel trains lettered for the Frisco regardless of how neat they are. Picking up a vintage model and having it professionally painted gets the job done for me too!

Joe Toth
The Trinity River Bottoms Boomer