Ed, Bill, and anybody interested
What we have here is a sort of evolution of our scale with some
hick-ups! SHS, AM and DesPlains (PRS) put out lots of variety of
RTR/kits during a better time economically. I don't know of anybody who
had a few extra dollars (remember those?) who didn't buy some diesels
and perhaps dozens of cars. Some of those items are running on
railroads but I bet the greater majority only run on modular layouts or
never get out of the closet instead are waiting for "someday when I have
time, retire etc...! Since it takes time for the layout to mature it
and we will go through different phases of spending money or deciding
not to!
I would also bet that someday 1/3 of those stored items will find their
way to a permanent layout that would have the need for BTS structures or
some of the more unique kits offered, not to mention scenery, wiring and
the benchwork itself. That leaves 2/3 of those items in limbo
indefinitely. So that might be some of the reason an interlocking
tower isn't in high demand.
I purchased the urethane tower put out by Trainstuff. It was a very
poor kit of a neat structure but its set half finished for years. The
other day I bumped it and the roof went to the floor and chipped a
corner. I just then decided to save a little chunk of it, scratch-build
the little adjacent shed and dig out a old Plasticville tower, highly
modify it and make due. If I ignore the cost of the Trainstuff kit, I
would put the price of the tower I have now, at about $4 because I
bought the plasticville tower when it was $.99.
Since I can only spend what I make in doing photography for model RR
firms, it's the best I can do right now. So I guess I'm a 'someday' guy
now-days. But I do have your Cabin Creek mine, the Milwaukee engine
house, somebody's cabin, the post office, and an 0-6-0 purchased second
hand.
Bob Werre
BobWphoto.com
> Ed wrote...
> (snip)
>
> >Now for the other side of the coin. Considering the current state of
> >affairs in S scale, if someone asked what could they actually
> purchase these
> >days from in-stock inventory, I think the answer would be somewhat
> >disappointing.
> >
>
> Here at B.T.S., we currently have hundreds of S Scale items... in stock!
>
>
> Some manufactures have stopped producing S, others are being careful of
> expansion in a weak economy, and some importers are having issues with
> their manufacturers, so yes, the variety has dwindled a wee bit.
>
>
> But what has really been dwindling down over the last 5-10 years has
> been paying customers for S products. S should stand for 'someday' as
> that is the most common comment we received at the various shows and
> conventions... as in 'Nice model - I gotta get me one of those someday'
> as the modeler walks away empty handed. Naturally, there are several
> good reasons for some of the dwindling customers.... economy for the
> last three years, saturation point on many layouts of the older folks
>
> We recently announced we would make an interlocking tower in S... if we
> got 30 orders. Out of the 950-plus folks on this list, one would think
> that about 3% would want the kit. Nope... less than 0.5% ordered one,
> three people, so we canceled that project.
>
>
> Take care
> Bill
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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