New Trucks from Trainworx

[Denver Road Doug]

http://www.train-worx.com/15-7bullhauler.pdf

Can't believe how little fanfare this announcement is getting....this is AWESOME!   My only complaint is I cannot figure out which colors I want.   I don't need all of them but it's a tough choice to pare it down to 2 or 3.

I also need to explore a new pusher for my Trainworx stuff.   It's seriously about all I buy anymore.

[Bendtracker1]

   My only complaint is I cannot figure out which colors I want.   I don't need all of them but it's a touch choice to pare it down to 2 or 3.

I also need to explore a new pusher for my Trainworx stuff.   It's seriously about all I buy anymore.

You know Doug, if you had them all sitting in front of you on your desk, it would be much easier to decide.   

[James Costello]

All,

Railimages is still down, so I added some of the photos I took at the convention of the test shots (pre-production examples) of the Trainworx trucks and trailers to a Flickr account.

I hope this link works for everyone.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/134338745@N04/ 

Carter

Thanks for the photos @cfritschle Carter

[jimmo]

This was absolutely a market test, and what a way to start off. I have a feeling that this release will be the stuff of legends like the first Atlas Shay, or that Athearn Edmier Mack B dump truck that never sells under $100 on eBay.

I had a business plan at one time to make American made N scale vehicles in the say way MTL releases their trains monthly, The idea was to build up capital by selling resin and pewter kits to pay for the tooling, then farming that out to be painted (probably by MTL). Each month would be a different truck or paint scheme, made to specific quantities to ensure their collectability. The target price was $45.

Trucks would be decorated in real life logos, such as regional home heating companies or road crew contractors. I also wanted to do police and fire vehicles in state and city schemes that follow heavily modeled areas (Chicago, St Louis, Seattle etc).

I even had a way to beat the GM choke box ban: small vehicles would be made to be integrated into the display case. That is to say, you would have two cars in a standard sized (HO sized) display case, but the wheels and chassis would be molded into the case. Those that want to use the models could either saw them free, or pop the vehicle body free of the glue that holds them onto the chasses, and pop them onto chassis that would be available on Shapeways. Technically, the car would be part of the display case and not a choking hazard.

After several years, I'm still at the very beginning of the project. With so many models coming online with Shapeways, I don't think my business plan makes a lot of sense anymore. My attempts to learn 3D CAD have ended in failure.

So THAT'S what happened to your model trucking company. I thought you just lost interest (or switched to collecting watches).

[GaryHinshaw]

Gary,

Pat showed me the art work for a number of paint schemes for the 53-foot trailers, both reefers and dry vans.  They will have matching tractors, but the tractors and trailers will be sold separately. 

Note:  The next release (the Peterbilt 379 with a cattle trailer) will be tractor/trailer sets, but Pat recognizes that there are a lot of intermodal cars out there that just need the trailers.  I am sure the same will be true for the 28-foot pup trailers.

Carter

Thanks Carter - great to know.  I couldn't have asked for a better manufacturer to step up.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

So THAT'S what happened to your model trucking company. I thought you just lost interest (or switched to collecting watches).

I still have my masters sitting in a box. The problem is that the guys on Shapeways can do so much more, so fast it is mind boggling. Just look at that user Rapidpro. In under 6 months he has brought out 30 n scale models. And they are good. Really good. Good enough I worry about the future of companies like GHQ and Showcase. I think their saving grace is that they are in kit form - easier to pain and they have some etched detail parts. But for my business model? I was relying on very unique models that had pent up demand.

[peteski]

I still have my masters sitting in a box. The problem is that the guys on Shapeways can do so much more, so fast it is mind boggling. Just look at that user Rapidpro. In under 6 months he has brought out 30 n scale models. And they are good. Really good. Good enough I worry about the future of companies like GHQ and Showcase. I think their saving grace is that they are in kit form - easier to pain and they have some etched detail parts. But for my business model? I was relying on very unique models that had pent up demand.

Showcase has been using RP for producing masters for a while now.  If you look carefully ad the metal castings you can see the slight striations (especially on rounded or spherical parts like the rear axle of the trucks).  I also do no think that they have worry about loosing business - it is so much cheaper to only have the RP master then cast hundreds of pewter castings than having modelers buy directly-printed RP models. Plus it is easier to build pewter kits - no RP part cleanup required.

I also agree with you that if you want to go into this type of business, learning 3D CAD is pretty much mandatory.  After all, Walter at Showcase used to build masters by hand then graduated to RP masters.  It is so much easier to manipulate one design into multiple variations of a vehicle and also have a library of parts to assemble new designs just like you would Legos (except on the computer screen).

[nkalanaga]

The cattle truck looks good, but my wallet is safe.  No 50 ft trailers in 1974!

I'm saving up for the log trucks.  THOSE I'll need a bunch of.

[Wardie]

That 40' flatbed looks like just the ticket for the Quabog Transfer TOFC train on the Central Vermont. I need about 30 of them with wrapped and unwrapped lumber loads.m

[bradb]

Where are you going to find an N scale Trans-Am? 

Well how about http://www.shapeways.com/product/6QUVKA92R/1-160-2x-1977-pontiac-firebird-trans-am?li=shop-results&optionId=56334704?

Sorry to drag up such an old thread but these trucks are just so cool I couldn't resist.

Regards,

Brad.

[cfritschle]

I don't think I have posted this yet in this topic, but the five Trainworx tractor/trailers were the winner of the N Scale Vehicle Association's Excellence 'N' Innovation Award. 

I think it is a safe bet that future releases of these trucks will be in the running for the N Scale Vehicle of the Year Award for many years to come!

Carter

[basementcalling]

Very underproduced. If a great model is made and sold in the wilderness and out of stock before most modelers even know it was available what good does it do?  Expect to see them showing up on the eBayster for astronomical prices soon, if there were enough for anyone to get multiples.

Hoping the models prove as useful for other offerings as you experts suggest, just in larger production runs. Given how fast this run vaporized, a reissue would be quite welcome by many I suppose.

But then again, the N scale market has become a blow the wad style event where you have to spend immediately or miss out on the best new products, as they go out of stock before payday can even hint at coming or is lost at sea under a flood of Chinese red production delay tape until CC numbers used to reserve announced products have expired and pre orders canceled. Guess it makes modeing more like owning a cash strapped shortline.

[Smike]

Cattle trailers look nice, what has my full attention is the 3 in the upper right corner with the numbers 53'.  Hoping for that pre-order soon!


From http://nscalevehicles.org/news.php

[bnsfdash8]

I was able to snag up 2 before they were all sold out, boy are they nice.

[peteski]

My set of trucks arrived today.  When I took them out of the boxes my jaw dropped!  I have no words to describe these!  Words like amazing, awesome, incredible, superb, or magnificent barely scratch the surface of describing these models.  Yes, I'm gushing, and I am not easily impressed.

I would call these a revolution of vehicle models in N scale.  They have the fine molding quality of Wiking models but with lots of add-on  fine details. The decoration is of Micro-Trains or Kato quality.  Looks like the overall color is spray-painted, not a thin Tampo paint.  I would love to see how they mask the windows. The flush-fitting windows also make a huge difference in appearance. They look very realistic, at least like much larger scale models.  What I assume is Tampo printing of the trim is flawless!  Even the grille emblems are readable!

Then there is the detailed interior with seats and a photo-etched steering wheel.  Because the windows are molded very thin the interior is readily visible without distortion.

As I was looking over the models I forgot about the engine details until my finger accidentally tilted one of the hoods.  Under there was a tiny Diesel motor, completer with the intake air ducts, exhaust manifold and a turbocharger!

WOW!