Bob,
You hit the nail on the head. I am a prototype modeler. So with that,
comes the need to take a stock model and modify it to suit the specific
model I wish to have on my layout. In the case of the Milwaukee Road
GP20 model I am doing, you are right and wrong with where it came from.
It actually did come from EMD originally. However, it was a GP9 when
born. The Milwaukee chopped the short hood at the Milwaukee, WI shops,
and also lowered the third door from the cab on the long hood to
accomodate an ox yoke air filter. So you are absolutely right when
saying that individual parts are a need of mine. However, I also
believe that there is a difference between having a model railroad and
being a model railroader. If out of the box is good enough for someone,
then that's fine. However it's not for me or for a lot of guys. I want
to be able to create specific models and I don't care how long it takes
to achieve that. My personal satisfaction in the hobby is being able to
take a plain block of clay and mold it into something great and
beautiful. In this case my block of clay is an AM GP9.
I don't know why when things like detail parts are brought up in this
scale it's almost always met with resistance. This makes no sense to
me. I don't know why a larger availability of products scares this
scale so much. It needs to evolve and I will not stop trying to get it
to do that.
Thanks
Michael Ostertag
On 8/17/2012 3:59 PM, Bob Werre wrote:
There is always the debate whether to cut into an engine (brass or
plastic) and how it will effect it's value later on. I think much of
this can be answered in the early HO brass market. Old brass with
their open frame motors, crude gearboxes, and cold solder joints are
all over the place. I'm sure they will get your money back but as an
investment--not likely! I'm sure there will be similar things
happening with what's coming out now--do I buy an older used OMI E-8,
or a more recent RR E-8 or one from American Models!
I bit the bullet way back when I added stantions on the hoods, a
different bell and large side number boards (all Milw changes) to my
original Alco Models RSD-4. That was pretty scary but now I wish I
would have gone further with it. And the same things that plagued
early brass also plagued most of those Alco Models engines--so I doubt
if they would bring original price unless they have been worked on__I
hear Bill Winans does a nice job in mixing things up!
In the case of Michael and his Milw GP-20. If I'm not mistaken, the
Milwaukee built their own creatures and were not from EMD. So it
might be that he might be one of three modelers wanting those engines
in any scale. This means that individual parts will suit him fairly
well while others might need a more complete model.
Bob Werre
>
That's a way to get a less common loco but for mainstream locos it
seems very inefficient. By the time one buys a loco, tears it apart ,
buys a replacement shell and paints and decals it the investment in
time and money is very high. For short run items brass makes more
sense to me at it has a collector value as well as a runner value.
The RR 44 tonners for example have held their value quite well.
.....DaveBranum
