Showcase Miniatures New Fire Truck

[MK]

Any word on pricing?

[peteski]

Any word on pricing?

Fifty bucks! 
Unassembled unpainted kit.  Wow!  I can get a highly detailed 1:24 scale automotive  plastic kit (with 100+ parts) from Tamiya (one of the top kit manufacturers) for around the same price. 

https://www.showcaseminiatures.net/n_scale/n_scale_vehicles/136.html

[MK]

Damn, you have to paint it too???  Wow for that price is right!

[Chris333]

I counted 91 parts:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/ultracart/im/SCM/386DA6AFC3E4FB016A034CE736202800?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJH6LIXIEXUXBRCOA&Expires=1554855646&Signature=OsYs3D97HCxccb6caWiRagfREP4%3D

[peteski]

I counted 91 parts:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/ultracart/im/SCM/386DA6AFC3E4FB016A034CE736202800?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJH6LIXIEXUXBRCOA&Expires=1554855646&Signature=OsYs3D97HCxccb6caWiRagfREP4%3D

Ok, that makes it all better.  And the finished model easily fits on one's thumb (unless you have really small hands, like some politicians)!  How cool is that?     I'll likely get one to build someday (and put lights in it). But it will then sit in some display case (never to be put on any layout, or even touched by unwashed masses). 

[MK]

Make sure you don't drop and lose anything or the whole kit will be ruined!

[peteski]

Make sure you don't drop and lose anything or the whole kit will be ruined!

No worries - Deb and Walter are great when it comes to lost parts - they will take care of the problem.

I mentioned the overextended ladder in their model, and about an hour later Deb took care of that (and even updated their website photos)!

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[daniel_leavitt2000]

The price is in line with the line truck which also features a moving boom. And for a hands crafted American made kit, it's not outrageous. This is certainly a "front line" model that would be the focus of a scene. I can only hope that this will finally be the end of the Micro Machines fire trucks ruining scenes.

[peteski]

The price is in line with the line truck which also features a moving boom. And for a hands crafted American made kit, it's not outrageous. This is certainly a "front line" model that would be the focus of a scene. I can only hope that this will finally be the end of the Micro Machines fire trucks ruining scenes.

I wouldn't hold my breath Daniel - there are very few average N-scale modelers who not only will dish out $50 for a a very advanced kit, but will actually be able to do justice building it.  Micro-Machines are much, much easier to utilize, and cheaper too.  How about those fire engines from Ferrero eggs?  They seem more in scale than Micro-Machines. I remember you shoved what can be done with them. I bought bunch of them, but haven't gotten to that project yet.  That was probably 10 years ago or more. 

[wbvrail]

We really appreciate and respect all of the comments we have received for the latest addition to our line of N scale vehicle kits.  We are very grateful for any input into what we are doing.  We also hear the concern about the pricing of our products.  ALL Showcase Miniatures products are designed from conception to result in foreground display models.  I don't think very many modelers realize just how much time a manufacturer puts into any model brought into production -  research, design, test and re-design.  Time Spent = Expense too.   This Aerial Ladder Truck might be a good example.  After weeks of research and collection of as much technical information as practical, the first 3d part for this kit was created in October of 2017.  Design and development continued over the next several months (along with many other ongoing projects) and was put to the fore front in earnest in September of 2018 and completed just last week.  Much of the design - test - re-design process was spent creating a kit that would not be difficult to build or paint, require few tools to do so and be as detailed as practically possible.  Admittedly, I tend to push the envelope of that last feature with every new product.  We have been very blessed and encouraged to have had our products favorably received (for the greatest part) and will continue to develop products along those guidelines - but - none of our products will likely ever be considered "cheap".  We already have planned several kits to create and add to this expanding line of fire fighting equipment - both modern and vintage.  How soon they become available will depend largely on response to this new kit.  Many other ideas are on the workbench waiting to be brought to life so, stay tuned...

Walter
Showcase Miniatures

[jpwisc]

Thanks @wbvrail,
Price is what we talk about in the absence of value. Showcase Miniatures is a value and I’m looking forward to seeing how you expand this line, keep the great products coming! I have several SM trucks and trailers on my layout and every one of them was worth every penny!

[peteski]

Walter, thanks for chiming in.  I always find  the "inside info" about kit design and manufacturing very interesting.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

@wbvrail

I think you know you have a dedicated following for your models. I'm just finishing up a small fleet of Conrail Brigadier MoW trucks. I need to clear up a few projects on my work bench before I order the new Quints.

A few questions:

Are you going to have a modern pumper as well?

These are based on Seagrave prototypes, right?

[wbvrail]

Thanks again guys........  We really put a lot of time in these and appreciate all of our great customers..!

Daniel, the truck cab and body is designed pretty much directly from a Pierce drawing (28343AD).  I replaced the front grille and lights with a design from some Seagrave trucks.  Nearly every plan or photo I found showed some unique variation per the Fire Dept. that was purchasing it so, I claim a bit of artistic liberty with this kit.  The major deviation from the blueprint is that the ladder is only 3 staged instead of 4.  This was necessary  because of the way the photo-etched parts were designed to simplify assembly.  I wanted to keep the bottom stage of the ladder scaled correctly according to the blueprints and the 4th stage would have been abnormally narrow.

Thanks!