Des Plains Hobbies sale this weekend 5/29-5/31

Just got back from there.  Picked up a trio of SSA cars for my "modern" collection.

 

Rusty

I was there and I saw a couple people buying S Gauge. Must have been you two.

 

I mean, how many S Gaugers are there?

 

I bought some SSA cars too. Can't have too many inter-modal well cars.

       
That's been my experience as well.  They adjust the webstore prices (which are normally MSRP) whenever they have these sales.  So it's a good chance to buy older items that have long ago sold out at dealers selling at regular street-price levels.  For example,if you're in the market for Lionel EM-1 steamers, they have a great selection at $1040 since they normally have them for $1300.  Not many places even have these anymore.

David

Rusty, Quick Casey,

I saw that they have both high rail and scale versions of the intermodal cars.  Do you know if the scale ones have couplers or just scale wheels?

 

Thanks, Mike 

edit: Never mind, I just called them and got some guy who was coughing into my ear the whole time I was trying to ask my question, but I managed to find out that the scale version comes without couplers - just scale wheels.

Did you buy any and check the box?  The guy at Des Plaines I just spoke with said no couplers included.

I guess I really do need new glasses. I could have sworn the scale car I was looking at had couplers. I know the box cars, etc. do not.

 

I bought the high-rail version since the rest of my intermodal equipment is high-rail. 

Quick Casey,

Thanks for checking!  I'll probably just get the high rail then for now.

 

Mike A.

I just left, picked up a few cars including my first husky stack car.  Someone looks to have picked up a lot of the BNSF coalpoarter cars.  There was only one other person I saw buying S while I was in there. 

Ben

Anyone know how often Des Plains hobbies changes up the road names on the cars they make?  I think I have been pretty much seeing the same road names in offerings for the past 3 or 4 years.  I would love to see their steel reefers in the Santa Fe map cars and some other road names for the grain hoppers.

This is in no way meant at a bash on DPH, love their stuff, I would just like to see more of it. 

Ben

Just a wild speculation, but the SSA cars on the shelves were assembled at Sanda Kan, or however you spell the factory's name that kicked all the little train companies. 

 

The latest cars are the X-29 boxcars that are flat kits. That may be SSA's future if they can't justify going back to China for assembly.

 

So, there just might not be any new roadnames. I truly hope I'm wrong.

 

There is a rumored SD-45 in the works from them. This may bring a working relationship with another builder in China, so we may see more RTR cars.

 

But what do I know? I just like making entries here.

Yes, unlike my imaginary scale coupler earlier, the High-rail cars come with an installed AF compatible coupler. I'm looking right at my purchases now.

QC

 

does that mean once the current on hand stock of the cars they have dries up that's it? At least for assembled RTR cars? 

 

Ben

Ben,

That's just my theory. What's in stock is what there is of the assembled, decorated cars.

A new relationship with a builder may be down the road. I hope so.

 

If I remember correctly the X-29s promised to be RTR and decorated. But after the China meltdown, no.

 

I have no inside information. Just second guessing manufacturers is a hobby of mine. So don't buy into anything that leaves my keyboard. 

Scalified my purchases this morning.  Two ACF Centerflows and a Pullman Standard flat roof 50' boxcar.

 

Rusty

You may not need new glasses!  On Saturday when I called, the person I spoke with told me no couplers, but something didn't seem right since he acted somewhat rude and distracted.  So I called back early Sunday and got a much nicer person and a better explanation.  So it seems that, for the ready to run car in either the high rail or scale version, they come with the correct wheels and couplers included for the version you bought.  So the scale one is supposed to have Kadee couplers.

 

I guess I'll find out for sure since I ordered some in scale and one car in high rail (that was sold out in the scale version)!

 

Mike A.