Modern train sets suck Part 2 Breakdown boogaloo
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ส.ค. 2024
- I made a second video on this as a lot of people brought up good points and I wanted to try and address/talk about them. thank you to everyone who informed me on there experiences!
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The lack of low cost entry level kits is a definite issue. The "cheap" kits are not scale trains, they are literal toys that are made all out of plastic and will quickly lose the interest of any child that plays with them. The scale models are too detailed and expensive to really be able to afford the expense to simply hand it to a child, knowing it will likely be broken in some regard or another within a few hours of play. That said, growing up, I had a model railroad. For MANY years I still had the pieces and working bits of tyco sets that I started with. Even more so from 2nd hand shops and rummage sales. Did they run well? No. Did they run? Yes. They ran and ran and ran until I ran them into the ground, and then they still ran years later after I had long since replaced them with actual scale models from Atlas, Walthers, and Athern. They were all beat up, but they were still runners. Were some of the cars too light and fell off the tracks easily? Sure, but nothing a bit of concealed weight couldn't fix. Were they noisy? Sure, but nothing some lubrication and service wouldn't solve. Now, I have none of it left as I found myself in a situation with nowhere to put a train set and they all moved along to other homes. A lack of anywhere to put things was always an issue, and in the modern day of increased renting, the hopes of establishing a fixed layout is very much becoming a thing of the past.
I agree with this you need to start them on something with toy like quality first that is ment to be cheep, but also tough so it could survive to a degree a child throwing it part way across a room. In saying that Mehano (Formerly Yugoslavian Company now Slovakia) do some sets aimed at kids like this, but it's also training your child to be responsible like them wanting to own a pet. While I wouldn't say the two are not exactly the same. It's still that idea of treating things with care and respect, but also finding the right age to start them off.
As for your part about renting and space for fixed model railways being the thing of the past. In Japan that is the reason why N-Scale is popular as it is with brands like KATO being the biggest there, you just need to have the imagination to shrink the layout to w reasonable size. There are lot of examples of compact and mobile layouts, but some people get the idea to make something grand and not be restricted. The truth I have found is you can focus a lot of detail and beauty into small or compact layouts of any gauge. Also with T-Scale becoming a thing now thanks to the motors that are the same ones in your phone to make it vibrate.
yup my exact situation. I have my HO model train equipment, but what I do is go to my local train club, which lucky for me, is only 15 mins away from me. And I end up using their tracks to run my trains since I cant even fit a tiny N scale layout under my desk. I guess the best thing to do is establish more of these train clubs in neighborhoods, and have people come over to run their trains. at the very least, it solves space issues, and still keeps the modeling hobby as well. for me, models will always be better. only because I love holding something and being able to know, that I myself made the layout or whatnot, its honestly an artform.
I think part of the issue is like you said, that trains have been in decline in the USA due to the m tearing up all of the tracks. In favor of more roads and highways, now all that is left is freight services, the occasional tour or museum railroad that probably only has a mile or a loop of track, and the horrid, constantly late, and overpriced abomination known as Amtrak.
Whereas in Japan, there are trains everywhere, and the model railroading hobby seems to be going strong over there, be it with actual models or with tomy plarail toy trains.
Also, as for cheap models, it doesn't even have to be Tyco trains; another brand that made cheap trains was Marx, which made tin trains for a fraction of the price of Lionel or American Flyer in the 1930s. They even made ho trains later on and continued to the 1970s before finally going bust.
Funny thing is there is a 14 billion dollar government policy that was approved to upgrade and expand the national rail lines, we have become more reliant on trains in the last 4 years. Everyone thought the modern age would snuff out trains for good, but the opposite happened in quick succession.
This actually might change. Increasingly a lot of people have been showing interest in mass transit, i.e. passenger rail, as opposed to cars and roads due to climate change and stuff, so it could be possible that this renewed interest in trains in the US will bring more people to the hobby.
@@Racist_Railfan_ProductionsThe question is, will the hobby actually adapt? You have a bunch of people who focus on prototypical detail over durability, something important when getting a kid into the hobby. I'm not gonna care if a locomotive lacks separately-applied grab irons and brake piping as long as the paint is sharp and it runs reliably.
Personally, one issue that kinda falls into the whole "lack of playability" matter you brought up in the first video... no one makes a starter set that has any switching potential. And this actually kinda applies to older starter sets as well to a lesser extent. It's all just "round and round", and once the buyer gets tired of that, they either immediately start working on an actual layout _or_ more likely they lose interest. Functional rolling stock and accessories help mitigate that but at the end of the day trains are supposed to go somewhere. So, what about this - a "Timesaver" switching puzzle starter set, with instructions for various games you can play by switching the cars around. Perhaps one might be figuring out how to get a car to the end of each siding on the layout, or another might be sorting cars into the correct sidings. The closest you can get to this is a KATO starter set plus variation sets 1, 3 and/or 4 in any combination, with a freight-focused starter set as the foundation.
My original 80's trains are simply in pieces, where I attempted to fix them but didn't have the capability. Nostalgia is the only reason why they're not in the dumpster. The 80's Bachmann trains, have left such a indelible impression on me that I scoff when I see them asking 400 and up, for any type of locomotive. The only surviving runner, is a little N scale 0-4-0 switcher. The first time I ran into an affordable and reliable loco, were Life-Like N scales. My F7, BL2's and GP40's, still run to this day, and impressively so. They could be had for a few weeks allowance, not a few weeks pay as discussed in the video. Affordability gets kids into the hobby, and reliability keeps them there. Thanks to Life-like, I'm still a model railroader, 40 years later.
The biggest issue I've found with toy grade model trains isn't the motors and other electronics in the locomotives, but the wheels of the traincars. Not only do the plastic wheels have much higher friction, but they leave residue on the track which starts to interfere with connectivity after only 15-20 minutes of running!
I disagree with the last point. We do still have the toy-like models, just not necessarily at prices that fairly reflect the quality. Walthers Trainline and Athearn Roundhouse models have very little in the way of detail parts, with even roof walks being molded onto the roof in the case of my Trainline boxcars, but the price isn't much lower than what it would cost to get a more detailed, if still not roadname-specific, model in the mainline or RTR lines from the respective companies.
Bachmann Thomas is a good example of this. Toy like quality with prices of £20 to £30 a Wagon.
You will never beat model railroading, great video by the way. Are we going to get a part 3???
I think the decline of readily available kits for cheap in favor of fully detailed and ready to run, but expensive, models is a big complaint I have. I recently picked up an Accurail boxcar for $20, and with very little work in the couplers and wheels, it's a great runner.
Meanwhile, even Roundhouse RTR models are getting expensive. Which is a shame, because Roundhouse rolling stock has been historically very good for the price. I love my old MDC kits.
I agree for there to be cheap trains it doesn't always have to be a ready-to-run model it could be a simpler model kit that you could buy for cheap put together and then have a nice train set with just a little bit of assembly required.
That's something I think the hobby needs more of. Yes you got buildings, the occasional vehicle and the very specific brands who do kits, but yet, if you look at tanks, ships, planes, etc. You'll see that not are kits the primary way to collect, but those models that are pre-built are usually higher detailed models often derived from the kits, and the ones that run are often options, or modifications. It also gives rivet counters a chance to do their models from the get go instead of taking a factory new engine, and doing modifications on RTR models.
Something I'd like to add on the simulator aspect - while it may be cheaper and "space efficient" ... The number of models available in physical compared to virtual is FAR lackluster compared to each other. As a Trainz user who does mainly 70s, I can safely say there's a WILD variety of prototypes we are missing that you can easily get as a physical scale model. No one in the community cares, has time, or other reasons to make them. I've already spent more trying to commission the models to be made than I would have buying a model of the dang thing. Freight cars are ESPECIALLY bad in this regard if it's not just a crappy reskin (including the ones I do) of a different existing model.
I'm not a rivet counter, but I'm sick of seeing the same JointedRail boxcar reused over and over and over again - the appeal for 70s freight trains (and freight trains overall) is the different shapes, sizes, and weird and wacky stuff all freight cars had. almost no two freight cars were alike in some way shape or forum, whether it be builder (FMC, Pullman-standard, Thrall, Evans, SIECO, etc etc etc...), doors, et cetera. I could go on for hours about this. Oh and also, The PS 4750 hopper is NOT a Trinity hopper, ugh.
One more thing, I found it funny you used DTG Train Simulator, the freaking microtransactions: the game. Personally (and this is a minor nitpick), I think that's a terrible example when comparing the cost of model trains to virtual trains, as DTG is known to have some pretty bad expensive stuff.
That's Trainz though. I played both, Trainz (still kinda do) and Train Simulator, and by far Train Simulator has MORE rolling stock than trainz. Yes most are reskins, but that's kinda how they all look in reality. A 40ft post-war steel boxcar will always look like a 40ft post-war boxcar no matter who made it. The differences are so small that it's like modern locomotives. Everyone has the exact same thing, just with settle changes.
@@BattleshipOrion I'd argue DTG Train Simulator actually has less compared to the way of TRAINZ, and that's just because of the user-friendly(?) UI of TRAINZ. Also a majority isn't $10-15 per freight car.
Also, which 40ft steel post-war boxcar? PS? ACF? I'm not talking about railroad-specific small details (like rivets or whatever). That was not my point, go look at a KCS PS-1 50' Boxcar and TELL ME it's the same (a hint, it's not. They were taller and had unique doors). Or an NADX Insulated Boxcar (the easiest one to find is HERX) and tell me that's a generic PS-1 boxcar. They have vast visible differences that a 4-year-old could point out. Again, the variety is something we're desperately lacking. And don't even get me started on tankers.
in the uk, it's always a loop of track one loco and either 2 to 3 coaches or 3 - 4 freight vehicles, which can be very good. hornby does have a track plan with expansion packs, but the entry-level locomotives are insanity £40 for a 040 shunting locomotive.
Actually if you look further back Hornby and Tri-ang where offering more than that in some sets. Even two locomotives as well with double the wagons. For example look up the old vintage Fraight sets and some Passenger sets you got more fright wagons. Although now days is more true and now they are commonly dropping to 3 wagons for fright sets now in some cases or two carrages on passenger sets to save money.
Dont forget the Locomotive Mold is Horribly outdated and is from the 50a
@@OddHunter5504 True that is the stupid thing now is most 0-4-0s still have models going way back to the 50s and new ones are being sold at extortionate costs.
Yeah, they have long since paid off the cost of the tolling for the mold, so that 040 should be dirt cheap by now, but they refuse to drop the price.@@REDARROW_A_Personal
I just went to a train show yesterday to sell off a bunch of model trains I have no issue in getting rid of
All my sales were older locomotives that were in various states of disrepair, while the brand new stuff didn't move at all.
I'm talking a $20 refurbished Bachmann 2-8-0 from the 80s vs a $40 Walthers kit from the 80s or 90s.
People are definitely happy to sacrifice the detail for something that just works
"3D Train Stuff"
"Now there's a name I haven't heard in a long time." I actually hit them up recently out of curiosity and they're still around selling their MSTS expansions!
Love the loaf of bread! LoL ole school Atlas, Atherns, Revell, Varney, and MARX Its all good 60 yes plus and counting and don't forget Mantua
Really glad I saw this before I popped off and made a similar video of my own. I mean I’m still going to but with a few notes of my own I would like to make out. That and expand upon my own solutions.
Happy to inspire!
I have around 25 HO locomotives, almost all trashy tycos, bachmans, life-likes and ahms that i got dirt cheap. They look like garbage but they are tanks. They aren't smooth and can't crawl or pull hardly anything, but they will just keep running.
2:14 where did you get this ad video from? If you have a link. I would love to see the full video of it.
To address your point about Train Simulators as someone who has brought a few Train Simulators such as MSTS (Microsoft Train Simulator) and Rolling Line (Which had a lot of good Steam Workshop contnent till they had Discord Drama with one of mods and him feeling like he was being harrased by the Mod Team casuing him to withdraw his content.) asides being gifted Railraods Online. I actually like the appeal of phsycial models more than them being on screen. Also while I like the Qulity of the New Train Simulator (Formerly Microsoft owned), I have never felt the need to want to get it as I dislike their practice of shoveling DLC out for new Locomotives all the time with the total price now matching a small second hand car with some Locos and Routes even running up higher than $25. Alternatively I managed to find a lot of good second hand model Railway Stuff on ebay and actually like it despite it being more aimed at being toy quality as its more uniqe. Their is one brand which you forget that was mostly UK, Canadian and Australian which was Tri-ang who also did cheap rolling stock that later merged with Hornby. It would be nice to see cheep at least decent quality stuff in the future.
This might be just me, but the main reason I don't care too much about virtual train simulators is because it just doesn't feel as fulfilling. Now I'm a guy who likes to work with his hands and build stuff, and physical model railroading involves not just running the trains themselves, but building the railroad on which they run. (If you really know what you're doing, you can even build the trains yourself.) I find that most simulators focus entirely on just the running trains part, and even the ones that do let you build your own railroad aren't that interesting to me, since it's only 3D modeling and at the end of the day I'm just staring at pixels on a screen, whereas physical models make me work with a whole bunch of tools to do stuff like woodworking, welding, electrical wiring, gluing, 3D printing, etc. to produce something that's real - something that I can touch with my own hand - and I find that a lot more fulfilling.
Even if simulators were to replace home layouts in the next few years it doesn’t necessarily mean physical models would be permanently relegated to the dustbin of history. Technology is evolving and in the not too distant future, it won’t just be rare freight car shells or subway station entrances that we’ll be able to take from a file on a computer to a 3D model using a home printer. Imagine having a simulated layout on a PC that covers hundreds of miles and then being able to pick your favorite section and just print a 3D version of it! Or even tying the two together! Your simulated Empire Builder could start off at a station simulated on your PC hundreds of miles away. If traverses miles and miles only to emerge in physical 3D on the portion of your layout you chose to print in 3D! Your PC could supply the incredible movie like sound for your scene. You could even mix practical effects with CGI on a physical home layout. The day will come when we could have birds flying over our miniature worlds and modeled water that actually looks realistic. Beaches with real surf. So, even if it appears the real miniature worlds we create are going out of style, don’t count them out completely. The future is anything, but predictable!
Value for money? Lionel recently offered a "super set" for $4500. That's more than a months salary for alot of people today. I agree with both of your videos. I grew up in the 70s and 80s and the sets were way better then. Since the 90s, lionel has had a bad habit of building for the collector, not the operator.....
The problem with newer train
set is lack of variety like take Lionel and the 0-8-0 train sets most of them consist of a box car a tank car and a caboose and the sets are just reskins of one another if they would include a extra car or a cheap building
Hornby, and and piko are the only 2 companies making an ultra cheap train set, but with Piko offering a better value for the money and more than one set under $150.00 before shipping. A "Mytrain" Diesel Starter set with the old Rubber band drive Athearn hustler clone, which comes with 3 cars, an $85.00 ICE bullet train that is actually a great runner, a $79.00 steam freight set with 3 wagons and an Opel truck, a $79.00 Polish steam passenger set , and an identical German one, and a $100.00 diesel passenger set with and a freight set with the wonderful $59.00 BR 218 diesel, that is better than any cheap bachmann or hornby locomotive.
I don’t know why but train simulators don’t satisfy me so I like physical models to hold
I definitely think the lack of having a company like TYCO making cheaper more toy like model trains has hurt the hobby a little bit.
I remember when I was younger companies like TYCO helped give model trains a bigger presence in stores other than just hobby shops but unfortunately that isn’t the case anymore, now days trains are hard to find in regular stores and what you do find is those new ugly Thomas toys.
Just imagine going to Walmart or Target and finding something like a toy like model of a BNSF SD70MAC or ES44AC, I think that would spark interest in the hobby because they would be affordable and they would actually look cool not like the ugly Thomas toys of today.
Speaking of Thomas Toys. Bachmann Thomas looks very much toy quality, but the prices don't at all reflect with them being £20 to £30 a Wagon. Also living in the UK means extortionate import costs. I wish they would sell the range in the UK. I know hornby used to have the licence to make them, but lost it.
What you talk about I would like to see that be a thing. However there was a point like that and the issue was prices went up so most model train isles languished till Christmas. Where a few layouts would fly off the shelf followed by a clearance sale. However of all new stuff doesn't sell well due to price. In saying that I found a model railway shop in Jersey, Channel Islands (Original Jersey and not New Jersey for you Americans.) Who only sold mainly second hand stuff with the odd new set and he makes decent money running it. This is something I have yet to find near me in the UK although some shops claim to have second hand stock. So I may pay them a visit.
@@REDARROW_A_Personal You make a lot of good points, I think there would be a problem to keep the prices down low for a budget model train line of products to be sold in department stores but it shouldn’t be impossible considering RC cars are sold in regular stores and even Lego has sets that go over $100 dollars USD and they still have a big hold on the toy market so I don’t see why model train companies can’t try and match Lego’s prices or even go lower.
As for 2nd hand model train shops they are a super good way to get into the hobby and they have helped me out a lot the only downside is they are not super common.
It's really amazing that most of these trains are so expensive but as soon as the shitty motors goes out or the wheels lock up they are then worth 5 bucks or nothing. And it funny cuz some are just a loose wire or just need a lil grease.
New viewer here. Love the content, but my only two cents were I found myself raising or quickly lowering the volume at some points in the video and its predecessor. Now I'm by no means hard of hearing, I'm 30 in good health. And I'm fine with making volume adjustments, but some of your audience might not be. Again just my thoughts on video editing in the future.
i had the EXACT same train set when i was a kid as the one shown at 2:04 lol. that thing was so much fun but way too small for HO scale trains lol
The best advice i can possibly give to anyone looking for a set is to "Piece Together" a train set, with trains from Athearns older Blue box locomotives and rolling stock from various makers works fine. Reason is because the locomotives are like tanks...they are beastly runners and are relatively easy to fix as parts are widely available/easy to come by still.
My first set was a brown box Bachmann from a Sears catalog. I still have the buildings and rolling stock that still run today. I had a life like set that was trash and a bunch of Tycos my friends gave me in Jr and high school as they aged out of trains. I have little of those left, but I hear the Tycos are prized collectibles now even though I thought they were junk.
That last point is a really hard argument, as someone who not only runs digital trains but builds them also it can be really hard to want to set up a entire layout which takes money and time and space when I could set up a virtual layout in Roblox and build any locomotive I want and put on it without costing me money or space, I really would love to set up a physical layout but rn I just don’t have the time or space or money
I know that feeling. Even in my living room I only got space for a 18x18, or a 18x46(?)oval if I wanna push limits. And that spot is the Christmas tree when it's up. I don't have room anywhere else in my living room because that's where friends & I hangout, watch movies, game, etc. and I don't wanna risk stuff being damaged where people frequent, or lord forbid, I rush out of to get to work.
Im absolutely not interested in trains or model rails at all.
Yet I watched part 1 and I shall watch part 2.
Starter sets for kids especially just shouldnt be circle of track.
At a minimum they should come with a set of turnouts and an uncoupling ramp.
Playability goes up instantly for very little money.
Honestly I feel its more of an oversees issue (NA) as in europe where you got still decent toy like sets to get started like piko or märklin. Which both have a good ammount of affordable 50 - 100 euro locos too to add to a starting collection. I started with a Piko br 182 which cost 50euro where i thought more than a 100 is redicoules for model train. Also ESU records sounds on real locos too and with their hifi sound its even closer now
I find it curious how it is that now that I feel a certain attraction to wanting to start with model railways, both videos have been released about the starter sets, to this day I have continued to doubt whether it is really worth it for me. Start this hobby since as you mentioned I can easily play on a simulator that probably doesn't need maintenance or space somewhere
Yer but the buy the time you brought all the DLC for Train Simulator. You may as well have brought a Second Hand Car for the value. I actually feel I get more value out of phsycial models, because I know they will be their even if my computer isn't and can also get them out any time I like. In saying that I tried Rolling Line and while I get some enjoyment in checking in after updates. I just have no incentive to do anything with the stuff, because I would rather wait till its in a more finished state and a new talented Workshop Author is making stuff for everyone and not hording it all due to drama. Also I am not looking for hobbies that will get me away from the PC, so it's better to have something that is not on computer as well.
@@REDARROW_A_Personal Yeah, the DLC for Trainz is absolutely insane. Also, with models, you get better customization and can make any train you want instead of being restricted to what was released for the game or a mod.
@@REDARROW_A_Personal I find it odd that for what is essentially toys, y'all treat this hobby as if it's the car market. Got a VIN, rusty frame, and engine/transmission issues for that second hand?
@@alexanderinsignares8784 What customization you get on models, if you have the skills, can also be done via making your own mods, with the option of making money later on selling it as unofficial DLC, or click amounts. There is no bigger examples, than American Truck Simulator, sister game Euro Truck Simulator 2, and Farming Simulator. Making the 3d model is simply Blender, then add in the coding, and the in-gaming process, usually, custom mods can take just as much time as actual models depending on the amount of effort put in.
@@BattleshipOrion I don't personally care much about rusty frames on rolling stock or in this case rusty coupling loops ans rods as that is easy to remove with rust cleaner. The people you talk about make up probably a very small percentage who want a perfectly mint wagon or are not willing to do the work for repair or adapt. I also don't mind modified or painted over wagons as long as they are cheap. This is because it makes it easy to me to modify them than taking something in mint and modifying it.
IHC is really reliable, out of all my bad running model trains the ihc steamer runs flawlessly
Märklin My World is for young kids, so has LEGO trains.
I see a part three coming out, and I wanna add to it:
I went and priced equipment to buy and repaint in the future to match a current interest and I found that for a oval of Bachmann EZ track, 18" x 46" I need roughly $120 for, a basic Bachmann controller, and power supply will run me $80 to $90, a cheap 0-6-0, GP40, or F7A will run from $90 to $120 depending on the variant (applies to 0-6-0's with tenders only), that and a caboose, boxcar, gondola, and coal hopper run $20 to $30 each. Keep in mind that yet I've not priced paints, primers, masking tape, the airbrush, the custom decals, glue to fix possible damage, and the tools to disassemble, and reassemble the engine. Total I'd be looking at $390 BEFORE the custom paint job. That's buying things separately from the same manufacture. On top of that where do I have space? I have shelves. My bed has nothing underneath except for Hot Wheels, a sword, and a certain three letter G word. I have a space above me, along the roof, but I cant drill holes without the landlords permission. Again I have shelves. Most of them are filled with ships, tanks, and planes. I have a headboard, but that has trucks, school graduation related items, ships, anime figures, and excavators. I can afford ships, tanks, planes, cars, trucks, excavators, and anime figures every pay check, and so can I afford trains. However, that's based solely on income. Tell me where I can RUN trains and enjoy them for more than a couple 4 or 5 weeks a year (roughly around Christmas). I'd rather have space for a PC and space ON said PC for a route, and a plethora of locomotives, and rolling stock, at 90% off the actual model than have a model train. Shoot, I even have a Lego train, a few actually if you count COBI, and the LEGO one runs more often due to it's durability, and sharp, unrealistic curves.
You can make a contact layout on a coffee table. It doesn’t have to be an oval either, but I get your point.
@REDARROW_A_Personal Compact layouts come in two forms usually, a simple, basic run-a-round operation based out of Europe, or a basic N scale loop. I got into an scale recently, worth the price difference, however, the trains fit in a drawer when I'm done. A full layout? I learned to much about geology to let a simple hill with no purpose other than to be there go, compact layouts for me start at 4ft by 8ft. Switching ops irritate me when I think of doing so. The simpler & shorter the ops, the better. The ships have priority, then the tanks, planes, construction equipment, trucks, cars, & trains. What space they're given & allready a luxury, So the space they can get, I spend good on. 4ft x 8ft has it's cost. Storage drawer underneath (capable of holding 2 mixed freight trains, a 6 car Amtrak, aswell and 6 car TOFC (no containers) excluding tenders, engines, or caboose'), power, modeling tools, and more space to put ships atop the "mountain".
If the makers of cheap toy trains would just only just stick to the standardized track guages.
1:10 what commercial is this where the train goes through a kitchen?
Letsgo part2
Games are cool but they aren't real, just ones and zeros on a screen plus they're basically just scenery watching simulators.
Yeah games and add-ons are cheap but you could also go watch real trains for free, seeing something irl is always better than on a screen especially when it's yours to keep.
There are some games like Rolling Line that let players build their own tracks(though it has simpler graphics). Trainspotting IRL could work however in some places, trains are infrequent or even non existent(such as the USA and some other places. It’s just not really an ideal situation on either side.
Nice videos, but I don’t see you explaining any A.H.M./Rivarossi sets.
Cant say ive seen sets from either company
The Europeans have it figured out their Piko my 1st train is cheap price but runs like a tank.
Call me old school but virtual is not at all the same as real models. Granted the network and/or system can be much larger in the virtual environment however the problem solving skills of keeping a train rolling on the rails have all been taken away by the microchip. And in my mind it is those real world problem solving skills that far too many in the gaming world severely lack. Ask a gamer to change a car tire and you will know what I mean.
I will never get a train simulator, they look so ugly in my opinion
It all depends on graphics. I think the newer train sim worlds have pretty realistic graphics; though some people find the content lackluster.
I mean i got a small 0.6.0 for 76$ that’s pretty cheep
And it was a bachman and the other 0,6,0’s are 122$ on bachman
I call it profit
Amtrak ruined the model railroad industry. In the 50's and 60's railroads took pride in their passenger car service. Brightly colored paint schemes, many different styles i of streamlined locos. Passenger cars were as unique as the paint schemes. Railroads offered genuine fine ding as well. The train trip itself was part of the vacation experience. Then came Amtrak. High ticket prices, ubiquitous equipment, never changing paint schemes (except for the thickness of the stripes) and food slightly better than that of the airlines. The public lost interest in trains and the hobby suffered for it.
I think Amtrak is not to blame, but rather the Interstate Defense Highway Act, and advances in passenger air travel. The same things that started (indirectly) Amtrak. What happened was Amtrak hasn't been privatized, and on the flip, you got Brightline making interest peak in those regions. And on top of that, WTH does Amtrak have to do with manufactures limited production runs, and having pre-oder times upwards of a year at times, and the steep increase in costs since Horizon Hobbies bought Roundhouse, and Athearn?
I am not saying that Amtrak is the SOLE cause of the problem. I never stated that Amtrak had anything to do with model manufacturing. I agree, the manufactures as well are responsible for the reasons you have stated. My point is that I believe model railroading begins with an interest in real life trains first. Amtrak just isn't that appealing to the public. @@BattleshipOrion
I'm going to tackle this in a different direction. In the US, passenger rail was never a major focus in model railroading. Fact of the matter is, even back when big named flagship trains were a thing, only the most prestigious got any attention from hobbyists or manufacturers, because freight was more appealing once you actually started getting into running things in a more prototypical fashion. Everyone knows about the 20th Century Limited, the Broadway Limited, the Super Chief, etc. but does anyone know of or care about the L&N's "Flamingo"? Well, besides me since I love obscure stuff like that.
Even today, look at what's actually available as far as passenger trains go - a few big-name roads, some Amtrak stuff, and _maybe_ the occasional iconic commuter equipment like METRA's bi-level gallery cars. Almost nothing exists for interurban lines, or lesser-known named trains, or even lesser-known equipment operated by big-names, unless it's identical to something more commonly known so the company can just slap a livery on it. Good luck getting ANYONE to make Nippon Sharyo Mc-class EMUs in a South Shore Line livery. But what is EXTENSIVELY available? Freight equipment. There are even companies the specialize in specialized industrial rolling stock, like the "bottle cars" used exclusively at steel mills to carry molten steel. Heck, even industrial narrow gauge lines that you'd never think would be even remotely appealing to hobbyists get modeled, because they have interesting operations that hobbyists want to run.
It's kinda hard for Amtrak to ruin an entire hobby when it only actually influences a very small subset of the hobby.
I think Amtrak was supposed to save the unprofitable passenger lines, however it didn’t really work.