....expectations have defintely been raised. Back when you could get an
Athearn loco for under $20, I was just glad they issued it in a PC
scheme. I remember when the first Atlas locos came out int the 70s,
and nobody cared that there was a big vertial slot in the fuel tank,
because they were ahead of anything else at the time. Their PC SD35 was
worth saving your pennies to get.
But when locos routinely run into the $200 range and other, more
complex schemes seem to be correct, it seems OK to be disappointed that
they can't get the PC lettering correct.
Yes, I could (and would) decal my own if the scheme is wrong, but it's
OK to mention that a manufacurer didn't get it right. And we should
inform the manufacturer in a responsible manner.
DECOOKIEMAN@aol.com wrote:
Well said Gene. I often wonder how many of the other road names
they also mess up. Since joining this group I have seen a lot of
complaints considering the art work that has come out. Of course me
personally I am not as fussy as some of you but I still want to see it
get done right. There are enough people here that will give them, help
if they just ask.
Darren J Ernst
In a message dated 2/17/2008 11:07:51 A.M. Atlantic Standard
Time, nh370@comcast.net writes: > Every time something new comes out comes out there's
always a pick it apart
> party.
Not always. Some manufacturers invest the time & effort to get it
right and are
rewarded for it.
However...
If a manufacturer screws it up, you bet we'll have a lynching. The
point is that there
is no reason to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on tooling and
then apply
sub-standard artwork. Especially when the information is out there for
the asking
and the manufacturer is capable of doing better.
This attitude that the manufacturers should be allowed to "wing it" and
then give
them a pass when they screw up a paint job is just wrong. Without
feedback, we
will continue to get incorrect models. If they are willing to do Penn
Central equipment,
those interested must provide the information to help them do it right,
and then call
them on it if they choose to go it alone or ignore the input.
> If you don't like the lettering, buy a bottle of black paint
& a pack of Microscale
> decals and change the lettering.
This is not an issue for those that can paint & decal and want to.
However, there is a
large segment of the hobby that "have a life" that prefers properly
decorated locos &
rolling stock.
Without feedback, a manufacturer can't tell if slow sales of a
particular road name
are due to a lack of interest, or if the modeling community has
rejected the execution
of that particular scheme. Slow sales for a road name can be the kiss
of death for
that road name when the next product release comes around.
Then we will all be back to painting & decaling for everything.
Gene Fusco
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