List, I don't mean to throw cold water on your wonderful conversation of a
production run of the Hudson and Jubilee, but reality needs to be taken into
account.
In the mid eighties and nineties a friend and I imported some brass
locomotives and a caboose; this was not an easy thing to do as it took three
and a half years to get the first unit to review. Building a model engine is
not an easy thing to do; it is time consuming, difficult and full of changes
regardless of how well it is planed. Dies are not cheap though with the new
EDD machines it is easier; the manufacturing of parts is also expensive
whether it is for brass or plastic. Last but not least, you either make to
many units or not enough. The price has to be just right otherwise you will
not sell them and lose money, or if to low you lose money.
When you produce a model it has to be generic enough to sell and you can't
worry about the rivet counters as they don't buy enough to make it worth
while.
Last but not least, plunk down several thousand dollars for engineering,
dies and other incidentals and go three years with no income and see if you
think it is worth while.
Regardless of the models wanted by the few, manufactures will not accept
pre-payment for products that are not developed or in the pipeline, too many
things can happen that will bring the wrath of the Hobby Shops and modelers
down on your head if you can't make the delivery date, so it is not worth
the trouble.
I have talked to several of the manufactures, they have stuff in the
pipeline and are two to three years out with new locomotives, none of which
are the Hudson's or Jubilee's, and at my age I'm sure I won't live long
enough to see them.
Perhaps way down line a manufacture will find it profitable to make a
Hudson, Jubilee or even a Box Electric, but don't hold your breath.
Keith
====================
Keith Brownfield
http://www.26stmodelengineers.org/ ;<http://www.26stmodeleng.org/>
