I think that the surge in RTR versus kits can be blamed on today's lifestyle.
1950's: The "Father Knows Best" era
Dad got up at seven and went to the 9 to 5. Came home to dinner. Dispensed
advice, helped kids with homework, read paper went to bed. On Sunday's after
church they took their Sunday drive in the country.
Homes were generally much smaller and many families had one car with a one
car garage.
Time available for model railroading - about two to three hours an evening.
Much more on the weekends.
Today:
Dad get up at five a.m. to start the grind in traffic. Dad gets home after
driving through the grinder for the second time. Mom is not at home but driving
the kids around to their 25 different after school activities. Pop exhausted
from the drive and the day at the downsized office turns on the tube and falls
asleep. Mom and kids blow in and go in about a hundred different directions.
Dad is in bed by nine so he can get up at five.
Or Mom and Dad are both working long hours to afford the 3000 sq. ft.
suburban home, where everyone else is more or less doing the same thing.
Homes are much larger, three car garage is common, and every member of the
family has a car.
Weekends are used to make up the time and do the running that can't be done
during the long work week.
Time available to model railroading activities - about zero during the week.
Some time available on the weekends after all the chores and errands.
Take three to four hours out of your life to build a $14.95 Proto 2000
PS2-4427CD hopper car or drop $29.95 for one already built??????????? hmmmmmmmm
the choice isn't too hard to make.
Personally I don't think the skills, age, etc. is what is killing the kit.
Its just the world we live in and people's lack of free time. I still don't
know how this world got to be such a busy place. But it sure seems to be
getting worse.
Jim
Jim Becker
Mokena, IL
kohlj@bellsouth.net wrote:
I'll add my voice to this great discussion, although I think that most of it
has been said already...
You have to kind of look at the type of operations that are being modeled now
as well.
If you were modelling 50 years ago, you could get away with realistic way
freights and so on of 20-30 cars...thus allowing you more time to spend on each
car.
If you are modelling anything in the modern diesel era with through freights,
(and enough layout room), you're talking 3-4 times the number of cars.
I finally decided to settle on the K-line, 1975 (I originally was doing a dual
timeframe layout, 1955 & 1975). Yeah, it's out of the Q era, but it still
allows me to use a good amount of Q equipment. However, there were nothing but
through freights and no passenger traffic, so you're talking 80-100+ freight
cars per train. That's a LOT of kits...
Frankly, with a truck change and a little airbrushing, I can make a 6-pack of
hoppers look really nice running on the layout. It may not satisfy the rivet
counters, but that was never my intention in the first place...
Having said that, I've got a few kits that I plan to detail out, and I did keep
some of my 1955 era Q stuff just for nostalgia purposes, so I'm doing the best
of both worlds, I suppose.
Cheers!
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