Raleigh/John & all, First off John, the cars that Jim King and others make can be used on hi-rail layouts with the big claw couplers if someone wants to! I have done some simple conversions for a hi-rail friend and it's not a big deal at all.
Next, all the discussion over the costs of a coupler, vs the numbers, costs etc. is pretty much a mute point because just like in politics anyone can make the numbers do what you want. However, SHS did put the money into a coupler already. I don't know what the tooling costs were but the coupler is as unique as the two principle versions we're talking about from Kadee--in other words the SHS coupler isn't simply a clone. this proves it can be done and with our smaller numbers. Since the coupler was designed for their F units it might be hard to actually find a break even point when it comes to the individuals sold for freight cars. In the case of Jim Kings' models, I hope he is happy with the results of his efforts. Here is where the difference occurs. Once Jim satisfies his initial market, sales will certainly taper off greatly. With the case of a Kadee coupler, they will be sold on a more or less continual basis as long as cars and engines are sold. Compare it to a can of some regional soft drink that you might consume everyday vs a nice bottle of vintage wine that you buy twice a year. I think the profit structure can work in both cases. Raleigh, there are many years where I have acquired twenty cars in one year, so the numbers you mention below are certainly within reach. Again, the point I have been trying to make is having a coupler that you don't have to fool with the trip pin, you don't have to use different springs in the box, you don't have the accordion effect over magnets, were the delay works well and where you don't have to double up on the magnets. In the last several days we've had all kinds of solutions to problems we really shouldn't have in the first place! Bob Werre BobWphoto.com raleigh wrote: > and he notes - > > Maybe it's my thirty years experience as a Purchasing Manager in the > high tech aerospace and defense industry, or maybe it's my forty > years experience as an S Gauger watching companies come and go that > makes me a bit skeptical. > > But we're comparing apples to onions. Smokey Mountain can maintain > production of kits without shelving high amounts of inventory, > though there is still a break even point, and they sell for 60-70 > dollars. Kadee would have to sell twenty times as much product > (without distributor discounts) to obtain the same revenue (based on > outfitting two cars with each package). Considering the fact that > Kadee's couplers are injection molded, much higher production runs > would be necessary and that means inventory and that gets expensive. > Again, how many would they have to sell to meet the ROI. > > But regardless of whether a 3/16ths scale coupler would sell, it is > obvious that Kadee feels that they already have one and why compete > with themselves for a product that has already been tooled, > manufactured and sold well enough for them to continue production. > The fact that it was originally designed as an 0n3 coupler is moot > inasmuch as the dimensions are within a tolerance to work for both > scales. I don't think Kadee will bite on this one and I can't see why > they would, especially with so many 802s already sold. > > Yes perhaps it's a little smoke and mirrors to re-label an 0n3 > coupler as S, but what would the 0 Gaugers say if it were the other > way around? Nyuk, nyuk!... > > Raleigh in Maine awaiting the rain... > > BTW - here is a site that gives info on more than you want t' know > about couplers: > > http://www.greatlakesrailcar.com/couplers.htm > <http://www.greatlakesrailcar.com/couplers.htm> > > At 06:19 AM 9/4/2008, you wrote: > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "raleigh" <<mailto:raleigh%40ttlc.net>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > <mailto:raleigh%40ttlc.net>> > >Subject: RE: [S-Trains] Re: {S-Scale List} Brass S Kadee couplers > > > > > >If there is one thing that is an unquestionable FACT in S, it is that > NOBODY > >knows "for sure"... "without doubt"... "for a fact"... what they are > talking > >about! It is all just pure guess work! What I mean is this... you do not > >"know for a fact" that your projected sales speculations (quoted > above) are > >all that would actually sell. Take for instance the facts I just posted > >about last night concerning the sales figures of the Smoky Mountain Model > >Works model kits... someone out there prophecied before Jim King ever > >produced his first model that he'd NEVER sell more than 50 of > anything in S > >that was... 1. a KIT, 2. based on a southeastern road, and 3. not > compatible > >with AF in any way, shape, fashion or form. Well, this prophet has been > >proved dead wrong, since, to date, more than 180 of this mode have sold. > > > >What's the moral of the story? Never count your S scale chickens before > >they hatch. I have faith (based on past evidence) that many more of a > new, > >better coupler would sell than what you suspect. > > > >John Degnan > ><mailto:Scaler164%40comcast.net>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > <mailto:Scaler164%40comcast.net> > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! 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