Hi,

I noticed the Rochester Chapter of the NRHS is selling a custom decorated model of their PRR hopper as a fundraiser to restore the actual car which is in their museum.

http://www.rochnrhs.org/store/

I have seen many museums/tourist roads sell "almost" models of their trains, but I am wondering how many groups have sold a prototypically-correct model of pieces in their collection and what the results have been? I know a few operations have been blessed with mass-produced models of their locomotives (GMRC #405 and NYS&W #142).

Of course, some museums have it easier than others (for example, the RRMofPA can be modeled rather easily in many scales, while the MOT less so). But it seems like many collections have at least one or two pieces that could be sold based on currently produced models.

Rob

Some examples of possibilities in HO scale plastic: the recently restored ore jenny at the RRMofPA, Naugy RS-3, IRM 2-10-0, Steamtown #759)

Even a small custom decorated run of a model could easily exceed 1000 pieces. We have sold sets of cars and some single models and it usually takes several seasons to deplete the inventory. Ever try to sell a 1996 commemorative limited run in 2002?

My feeling is that it is a fact that the fan base does not support preservation with gate admissions or purchases. And as demographics continually change the notalgia card can be played less and less. We have our best success structuring events to appeal to families with some entertaining and fun things done with trains.

Bob Kutella

I've often wondered about the dies for the old plastic NKP 2-8-4 produced in the 1950s by John English. These were unpowered models that sold for about $3 in their day, but a mechanism kit to power it was once available. To date, I've yet to find out where the dies ended up. Those and the Monogram Big Boy (whoever sells that now) are about the only relatively inexpensive, yet accurate models of steam locomotives that still exist. I don't know if selling them at museum gift shops would yield much profit or not, plus model kitbuilding has dropped off somewhat from when I was a teenager.

Rob,

Since you found our PRR model, I will give you some background and info on how the sales of our PRR H-21g model are going. First, the Rochester Chapter NRHS's museum, the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum, rosters one of the two remaining PRR H-21g hopper cars. Our car is in its original PRR paint that matches the model, but is in need of restoration work.

The other existing H-21 is Strasburg's wonderfully restored car.

As for the model, one of our Rochester Chapter NRHS members offered to work with Bowser to create our H-21g HO kit based on their existing H-21 model which has been available for several years. Yes, our car is a kit vs. a ready to run car which lowers the cost and selling price, but also requires someone willing to build it. Our car is also a derivative of a model that has been out for many years. This is both good and bad. Good that people know of the model and bad since many possible buyers may already own one of the earlier versions of the model and are not willing or able to add another model of the same car to their collection even if the paint and detailing are unique.

At this point, we are approximately two years into this fundraiser and so far we have sold just under half of the cars we have purchased as we continue to market them through train shows, our website store you mentioned, and via our Ebay store. The good news is that the fundraiser has helped us begin to raise funds for the restoration of PRR 747803 with the hope we will end up somewhere above $2000.00 in available restoration funds if we are successful in selling off of the rest of the kits, something we aim to do.

I hope this sheds some light on our experience. Selling models is not without its challenges and risks. In our case, the passion and assistance from one of our members made this fundraiser possible for us, and we continue to work to make it a complete success.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thanks!

Regards,
Chris Hauf
Corresponding Secretary
Rochester Chapter NRHS

Chris,

Thank you for the detailed account. Sounds like a great project.

Certainly, selling models will not get you $750K to restore a hulk, but for the relatively low-cost projects like your H-21g they seem like a nice fit.

Model railroad clubs regularly sell "custom" cars to raise a few thousand at a clip, and it seems like you have upped the ante on that to 1:1 scale. I know from my prior experience that wringing $2-4K off this kind of project can take a few years, but it gets the job done.

One custom run I was involved in was funded outside the treasury. We asked members who were able to pony up "shares" for the capital used to buy the cars. As they sold, each member would get their share plus 5% interest (flat) in return. Not only did enough members respond, not a single one kept the 5% - they donated back to the organization. It was a two year project, but we made north of $3K on it and it only took two guys an hour or two a week to handle mailing out the orders as they came in.

Some tourist railroads obviously do well with custom cars, as they keep coming back with new runs (the Strasburg's latest Athearn/Roundhouse cars come to mind). I have a one from the Conway Scenic, but these examples are not prototype cars with a direct connection to preservation.

Perhaps the H-21g project could be a "model" project for others with freight cars in need of a few grand worth of fund raising?

Rob Davis

Suggest you inquire of Lee English, head of Bowser Manufacturing and English's Model Railroad Supply. I suspect he still has the dies. You can contact him through http://www.bowser-trains.com

When I was in charge of the gift shop for a period of time last summer at the Steam Railroading insititute, I figured nice HO scale models would sell. We ordered a small test batch of various locomotives and rolling stock; cheap and expensive/detailed models.

I bought two of the Bachmann spectrum locomotives (shay and climax), but other than that, EVERYTHING is still on the shelf over a year later.

We did however get some HO scale models of our restored caboose, Pere Marquette A909, and while I am not positive, I do believe they are actually selling.



One thing that DOES sell is Emperor of the North DVD's. Every time I would order some, they would be off the shelf within a week.

Maybe TJ can chime in on what is selling these-day's. He has some talented ladies running the gift shop now, and from what I understand, it is doing decently well.



EDIT: ON A SIDE NOTE.... BOTH the Lionel sets we have had on sale since the day the visitor center opened, are still on the stinking shelf.

The market is just not there for model trains.

Unless you are selling model trains for at least 25 percent off the MSRP, they will not sell, unless they are unique to your museum. Why buy a generic trainset at your museum when you can get it on the internet for 35 percent less? The shipping is cancelled by the lack of sales tax in most cases, too. If you are selling a miniature of something that the public has viewed or ridden on, you'll do better. If you are the only point of sale, as a custom painted release, you will attract the model railroaders, some of whom might even visit to get the item.

I suspect Strasburg is a bit of a unique example.

First of all, they are one of the more heavily patronized operations, and the more customers you have, the better chance you have of selling the trains.

They also heavily promote their gift shop in magazines and online presumably do a lot of online and mail order sales. I frequently see ads for the gift shop, and they make it clear how much model railroad stuff they have, and that they carry unique items.

By advertising in magazines and online, they have a much larger potential customer base. That's great, but it may well be out of reach for smaller operations.

Chris,

If your group ever considers selling the 1-1 model of the H21g, that would be the one I would love to put on my shelf.

Scott Kwiatkowski
www.prrllc.com

Monogram made an HO-scale Big Boy and a (NYC) Hudson that were both fairly accurate and available in a variety of liveries.

Scott,

Thanks for the offer, but PRR 747803 is safe at the R&GVRRM and on the road to restoration. Just have to keep selling those models!

And please keep up your good work! We would certainly love to have your flat, boxcar, and ore jennie on our shelf. I really like those ore cars especially.

Next freight car up for us is actually a NYC PS-4 flat car, NYC 506102. We have a bunch of young guys who really want to work on it and I think they will do a nice job, seeing it through to completion. Plus, we already have some money in the bank to work on it. Once its done, hopefully we'll have raised the funds to tackle PRR 747803.

Regards,
Chris
R&GVRRM

Chris,

Thanks,

This model stuff is a real drag. The ore jenny is also my favorite and I can't seem to find a model company willing to take on producing one with the accuracy I would like.

I am learning that the model companies have there production schedule and that's it.

Scott

OK, it's time to launch into my pet peeve with the model companies-- when they make a model of something that's common enough, and there's one in your Museum's collection, why not do at least one road number to match the item that's preserved?

A couple of examples-- Atlas produced an absolutely gorgeous O scale GP9 not long ago. I'm not a modeler, but when I saw one in the B&M Bluebird scheme at the Amherst Show, I sure wanted one for the display shelf. It was numbered 1733--- we have 1732 at RMNE!!! It would have been just as easy for Atlas to stick 1732 on the cab side....so close!! And, no, I can't renumber the unit and screw up the great factory paint work!

Atlas (HO) brought out some NH RS-3s a couple of years ago, and over the objections of a "tech" society (the model apparently had a small difference), they were persuaded to do a limited number of them as NH 529 (RMNE's NH RS-3). RMNE members bought at least 70 of the 250 that were done, so there's a potential market for the model companies, too-- the volunteers and members of a group that has a particular piece.

I'd bet that it's just as easy to number an NKP S-2 model with 765, or 759, as it would to number them 760 or 758....

OK, stepping off the rant box now.

Howard P.
Numerology, CT

There are probably intellectual property issues doing an exact replica for commercial sales of a particular piece in a Museum Collection. Who owns the images used to create the model, are they credited, is a donation forthcoming from the mfr? If this was a series custom painted or numbered commisioned by the museum, I assume that would not be an issue.

We have worked with many model mfrs, some of whose names you would recognize, some very small limited run resin kits. Oddly enough we receive (as a generalization) the biggest cooperation and support from the smallest of the small. Some of you big guys are great - do not get me wrong.

Bob Kutella