Cadet57 wrote:Are you also going to pay the obscene cost required to have a custom model made too? Since you make it sound like its just as affordable as going down to my local hobby shop and picking up the latest Atlas release....
I don't know if custom services are obscene or not. Different folks charge different rates for their services. Some are quite affordable, depending on the work you want done.
Actually, here's what I said in relation to cost:
Listen, the "dream" models you want can be obtained from any custom-painter or professional model builder. You might pay a little more for what you want, but the upside is that you won't have to "dream" or wait around for a major manufacturer like Walthers or Atlas to make the models you want.
In short, you will PAY MORE for custom projects. But it's either PAY MORE and get what you want, PAY A LITTLE and try to build it yourself, or simply stand around and dream...
Let's go back to the original poster's thoughts.
Let's say you really want an HO scale model of CNJ's Jersey City Terminal (headhouse AND platforms). You have decided that building one yourself is too difficult for whatever reason. You can enlist the services of a professional model builder, and get what you want. You might pay between $500 and $800 depending on how complex and detailed the model is, and how much "selective compression" you employ.
Now, since you decided you need a model of CNJ's Jersey City Terminal, I'm going to assume you have the room to incorporate such a model into your railroad layout. At the very least, I assume you have the room to display the station scene by itself, even if its not incorporated into a layout. Let's say this scene is at least 8 feet long, even with selective compression. So if you're going through all that trouble to recreate a scene of Jersey City during the CNJ era, I'm going to assume that dropping $500-$800 on a custom-built structure is not going to affect you that much. Especially when you consider that the average list price for new diesels out of the box are anywhere from $100-$150. So essentially, for the price of six or seven locomotives, you have the cost of your custom-built model (and you'll need six or seven diesels if you are going to pose passenger train consists at the platforms, right? Never mind that heavyweight coaches in HO scale range anywhere from $30 to $60 each, depending on accuracy and detail).
My point about
custom painting is this... You're waiting for a major manufacturer like Walthers or Atlas or Proto200 to decide that a) They need to re-release their EMD E8 models in HO and b) modify them so they match the rebuilt units that were being used by NJDOT (and only NJDOT) and c) paint them in a unique scheme that only one railroad used. I can guarantee you this will not happen any time soon (and I will eat my hat if they prove me wrong). If they were to produce such a specific model for one specific road, even as a limited edition, those models would probably sell for an astronomical price in order to recoup their costs of producing something so specialized.
Now, you could easily buy a second-hand, new in the box E8 off eBay for probably less than $75. Take the model and do the slight modifications that will make the engine match an NJDOT unit (blank out the portholes, add a muffler for HEP). Then you can then do a search and find a custom painter to decorate this unit for you in NJDOT's paint scheme, and he might charge you $100 for the trouble, I don't know. In the end, for about $200 you can probably get the model you want if you don't want to do it yourself.
But never mind all that. My point is, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE INDUSTRY TO MAKE SOMETHING YOU WANT OR NEED. Try building it yourself! You want a model of Jersey City Terminal? Start laying out some drawings and build it out section by section. Join those subsections together over subsequent months, and you'll start to see the terminal take shape. You don't have to do it all at once, and you can probably construct it for way cheaper than a professional. and you might be surprised at how good you become at building models. Find that diesel you want to model, start cutting, hacking, splicing, and painting until you get what you want. It can be done if you take your time and use the right tools. And if doing it yourself is too much hassle, ask for help or hire someone. You have options! Don't dream it, just do it!
-otto-
----------------------------------------------
Moderator: New York State Railfan :: New York Central :: Toy Trains
NYW&B Fan Site ::
A Magazine I Read Often ::
A Museum I Volunteer At
