Didn't plan on it, BUT!!! another FREEBIE.

I really didn’t plan on another rolling stock download, but I wanted to gauge how much interest there would be for individual downloadable files of rolling stock.  This flatcar is pretty much the basis for all of our cars.  It’s incorporated, in one form or another, in out tank car, hopper cars, gons and boxcars.  As with all our cars, in HO it uses re-gauged Blackstone trucks or in O a modified Bachman chassis.  If I can find the reference, earlier in the blog, I’ll point you to a Shapeways frame for the HOn30 version.  If we do bring these out as individual downloads, I’m thinking of about $3.00 each.  What do you think?

Comments

[marc]

Dave i think thats a fair price,for the flatcar,try it you have nothing to lose,as they say.Marc

[John]

A fair price to be sure. Even a little more if regauged for standard HO. :))

[Roger]

Seems very reasonable price for file.
However as I have already purchased the disk, would like to see something new, perhaps a coach or two?

[Dave]

There you go Roger. You've hit my biggest issue, squarely on the head. You've already purchased the DVD. Is it fair for me to now make the kits available individually, when faithful customers, like yourself, have made the big commitment. We usually wait, at least a year, but it just "bothers" me. I know, "this is business". It's just one of those things that will probably ALWAYS bother me.
Having said that, we also have to plan ahead for the day when "physical" media will cease to exist. That day is rapidly approaching, so I guess I should just get with the program.
I know that Thom has been experimenting with passenger cars, as have I, and you cam make some really good looking equipment, so that will be coming, but not till we get some of our other promises kept. It would be great to devote more time to the business, but we gotta eat too.
Dave

[Dave]

That was Dave this is Thom. On the cost issue. the disks are still a better value so there is some reward to those who make the bigger commitment. I'm not feeling great about making those freebies. not because I want to be stingy but because people have bought those models. Actually a lot of people bought them. the year we released it it was one of our best sellers. I don't think $3 is too much to ask people to risk.

On future pieces all I can say is, I have a lot of half finished designs. Decisions like which is the best way to do a clerestory roof or how much interior detail. After all we we're not out to make great "paper" models but great models.
The popularity of the card stock train cars was a complete surprise. It made me wish I had put more effort into them. I really just made most of them for my own use and as something fun. But since people are taking them seriously I have to up my game. There will be more rolling stock including coaches and trollies. they are coming I promise.
Dave might be right about future disks. maybe its time to go strictly download. I like having a physical product but at some point it won't be cost effective and we are trying to build a successful business. The difficulty is I have literally dozens of new kits in the works but I have to split my time to do things like make a living. I hope someday I will be able to just design models. I could happen but not yet.

[Giulio Massobrio]

A good idea!

[Peter Wehrhahn]

Hy Thom,

I´d love to get my hands on that nice model series via download. It is a very convenient way for us from overseas (Germany) to get that stuff. Maybe that line could be expanded in the future? I think it looks much better to place a car model of a loco or car beneath a cardmodel of a nice building instead of something made of plastic or brass. Because I don´t have any modelrailroad equipment anymore, I can build some really nice dioramas with that stuff - all from card and paper. The price is o.k. for me.

Sincerely
Peter

[Dave]

Peter, in the future we want everything to be online but it does take a while. We are making some big changes to the Models section that should make it easier to add new (and old) kits for download. We are heading for a time when downloads will be the main way to get kits with disk collections being an option and for selling at shows.