Amen! A lot of truth to this.
Scott Myers
________________________________
From: CBQ@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CBQ@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of James Becker
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 2:53 PM
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [CBQ] RTR vs Kits
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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