IMRC Milk cars - price TBA for N but not HO?

[3rdrail]

Wonder what the deal is here? InterMountain announced milk cars in both HO and N scale due next February or March, with orders due by August 31. The HO cars are $32.95 each, but the N cars are "TBA". I might order a Baker's Chocolate car, but not if they're $32.95 in N scale!

If they can price the HO cars, why can't they price the N ones??  ???

[jlong]

Wonder what the deal is here? InterMountain announced milk cars in both HO and N scale due next February or March, with orders due by August 31. The HO cars are $32.95 each, but the N cars are "TBA". I might order a Baker's Chocolate car, but not if they're $32.95 in N scale!

If they can price the HO cars, why can't they price the N ones??  ???

$18.95 MSRP sounds more reasonable.

[CVSNE]

The HO cars are into the second or third run -- the price of the N scale cars may have to wait to get details on the cost of assembly and painting --

From the shots I saw of the display models at the show, looks like these have body mounted couplers -- wonder if the trucks are M-T used as stand ins or if IRC tooled the correct truck in N.

Marty

[Chulvis]

The HO cars are into the second or third run -- the price of the N scale cars may have to wait to get details on the cost of assembly and painting --

From the shots I saw of the display models at the show, looks like these have body mounted couplers -- wonder if the trucks are M-T used as stand ins or if IRC tooled the correct truck in N.

Marty

I hope they will tool the correct ones. Seems like a waste otherwise. Close enough works for some things but a truck is a truck is a truck.

[CVSNE]

I agree, except the trucks used under these cars were truly oddballs and could not be found on any other car.

Marty

[FrankCampagna]

In the picture ads, the lettering style (font) on the cars appears the same, regardless of the owner. Is this correct. I would think the different owners might have their own style of lettering. Frank

[CVSNE]

Frank,

When in milk service all these bulk tank cars were owned by General American - Pfaudler Corporation (Reporting marks GPEX). The various dairies leased the cars, which accounts for the "Hood" Bordens" "Whiting" sublettering etc . . .

Adding to the potential confusion, the same car number would sometimes go from one leasee to another. So car 545 might be Hoods one year, and Hegemann the next.

The cars were pretty regional, and even railroad specific. For instance, you would never see a "Bordens" car on the CV -- although they were common on the Rutland because the Rutland served the New York milkshed (via its connection with the NYC) and the Central Vermont served the Boston/Providence milkshed via its connection with the B&M.  Most every town along the Northern Division of the CV had a Whiting dairy, so Whiting was by far the most commonly seen leasee.

Long answer to a short question. Short answer is yes, the lettering is prototypical (far more so than Athearn's billboard schemes). I don't mind the Athearn car mind you, I have three of them all painted and letted for the CV since they are far more like a CV can car than a bulk tank car.

Marty

[FrankCampagna]

Thanks for the information. I really should know more about the milk business. I grew up in the Catskills, dairy country. Both my grandfathers worked or Sheffield Farms. My mother's dad was at one time the head of their butter division. But both died when I was young.

It is good to see a variety of milk cars coming out. I haven't decided to backdate my railroad yet. If I do, I'll need some milk cars. Even if I don't they'd make good second hand head end/work cars.

Frank

[Chulvis]

I agree, except the trucks used under these cars were truly oddballs and could not be found on any other car.

Marty

I understand...but where do we go from here? It just seems to me that if you are going to do it than do it right, even if it is N Scale. Maybe my point of view is a bit skewed as I am a dealer, but having dealt with more than my share of dissatisfied customers with a number of InterMountain releases in the past few years I hope they will just bite the bullet and get it right the first time.

It is frustrating for everyone when a manufacturer takes a short cut and hopes for the best. In todays world, N Scalers expect and deserve a product delivered that is as true to the prototype as possible. I think most of us are willing to accept some things as passable due to the fact that a given model may have been used on many different railroads each of which may have made changes to the prototype to suite their own needs. However when it comes to a car like this that was used in a very small geographical area it has to be right. Something as telltale as a truck should be correct or the essence of the model is lost.

Considering that InterMountain runs four to six road numbers for their rolling stock you can bet that a lot of guys are ordering all of the numbers and many will do the same for the next run. To me it is money in the bank to do it right and lock up those future sales now rather than having to backtrack, tool up the correct truck when everyone gets PO'd and returns or refuses their order because it wasn't right to begin with. That just does not make sense to me.

InterMountain rolling stock commands a justifiable premium in price compared to some other companies out there. They owe it to their customers to do this one right. The pre-orders for these cars have been wonderful which means modelers are once again putting their faith in InterMountain to do it right.

[CVSNE]

First of all, I don't know if Intermountain is tooling the trucks for the N scale car -- they were tooled for the HO car. Their chief "spotting" features are the wheelbase  -- they are longer than most other trucks-- and the shape of the sideframe. I'm not sure you can capture the look of the car without them, however, Intermountain's N scale trucks have never performed particularly well in my experience.

It's a tough call -- raise the cost of development by a new four-slide mold, or try to find an existing truck that's close enough.

Marty
 

[Chulvis]

It's a tough call -- raise the cost of development by a new four-slide mold, or try to find an existing truck that's close enough.

Marty
 

I hear you and I don't entirely disagree. We have however gotten to a place where close enough is just not good enough anymore. N Scalers have become more and more demanding. This of course begs the question...Will modelers pay for that extra cost? That however is a different thread. 

[Walkercolt]

Chuck, I'm of the opinon that if you're gonna spend the money to cut a new die, why not do it right??? Hence, my disregard for many things Bachmann. Now correct trucks are a little trickier. Can you REALLY tell the differnce from three feet? From one foot? Under a 3X power magnifier? If like an express truck, you can clearly see the difference from several feet away in a moving train, then it would be worthwhile to have correct trucks too. Understand my feelings?

[Chris333]

These are the trucks they should have:
http://www.tlacanada.com/TLA/TLA%20JPEG/RTR/Intermtn%20Hood%20Milk%20car%20B.jpg
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/gpex1057.jpg

They don't look like anything else to me.