> Dave wrote....
<snip> ...other than the Des plaines boxcars not much would appeal to a new
comer? I think they would be looking for modest priced ready to run stuff.
If they are looking at the scales and see an HO boxcar for $10 or $15
dollars then see that the cheapest S stuff is toy like flyer or kline and
that real scale S stuff costs $40 they don't stick around. We need the
cheaper stuff to be scale too,
Hi dave....Competing with HO on the basis of price is a no-win strategy for
new RTR S scale stuff. It simply cannot be done due to the mass production
volumes of HO and the resulting inherent cost advantages of high volume.
For cheap S stuff, I would suggest conversion kits for K-line or AF with
trucks, couplers and ACE adaptors. Nothing fancy -- just some basic stuff
that would be acceptable to kids -- but probably not acceptable to adults.
The used AF bodies are only a few bucks at train shows and the conversion
kits could be in the neighborhood of $10 or so. But would not this approach
be a "turn off" for the serious adult scale modeler?
> I've noticed a big migration of interest from 3 rail O to 2 rail O over
the last few years so I'm hoping S scale can do the same
Moving from 3-rail to 2-rail is a BIG improvement in realism for the O guys.
Since S only has 2-rail, I am not sure moving from one kind of 2-rail to
another kind of 2-rail represents the same degree of improvement in realism.
Why even bother for such a small increase in realism? Add more wood ties
and paint the rails and call it a day. Much easier.
> move the Flyer emphasis to the scale side.
I think if you look at the entrants to S scale model railroading, you will
find a lot of folks come from realistic modeling in other non-S scales. In
my humble opinion, converting those folks to S scale is a lot easier than
trying to convince the AF guys to change to what is essentially a new hobby
-- building, creating, etc. involving craftsmanship. Buying & running is a
lot different from building & detailing. Sort of like stamp collecting vs.
football -- not much in common. Some AF guys make the switch, but it is
darn few on a percentage basis.
> It will be a necessary condition for S to become a mainstream modelers
scale.
Why is that? "Necessary" for what purpose? How about just enjoying our
minority status?
> HO is just too easy for the new modeler to enter so S needs to get it's
act together to compete.
This is the crux of our different opinions. I see a steady stream of folks
exiting HO for a wide variety of reasons. I'd like to see a coordinated
effort to tap into this stream and divert them to S scale instead of merely
letting them move along toward O scale, narrow gauge, N scale, or wherever.
If S could attract just a reasonable percentage of this stream, S would
expand it's numbers considerably with little effort. I tend to think of
this stream as a bunch of guys more interested in modeling and less
interested in buying & running. Trying to attract newcomers to the model
railroading hobby to adopt S scale would be very difficult considering hobby
shops do not typically stock S scale. But I could be wrong.... It would be
interesting to hear from a hobby shop owner (Bill, Ron, Doug Peck?)
regarding the ease of attracting a non-model railroader to S scale as a
first scale compared to an "adopted" scale later after cutting his teeth on
Athearn HO boxcar kits.
> But the bottom line is it's really a manufacturers problem and they should
be manning the point, if they are not then maybe they are happy with the
status quo?
Interestingly, I have not heard of many complaints from the manufacturers.
Maybe they are happy enough with the status quo since they continue on with
their ways. I am sure they would all like more sales and that is probably
why they buy advertisements in most all of the mainstream publications as
well as the S-only magazines.
Just a few thoughts for contemplation. Not trying to be argumentative -- it
just looks that way. Cheers...Ed L.
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