A friend in my train club is married to a Chinese lady, and visits there regularly. He visits many Chinese hobby shops and collects Chinese prototypes, mainly in HO and N scale, there is a big range. Chinese steam locos are also produced in O gauge and Gauge 1 live steam. My friend also collects Chinese railway uniforms, when he has put on a Chinese display on club open days, he will dress in a driver's uniform, or as platform staff. Their railways, with so many new very high speed trains, are amongst the most modern in the world. This will feed the growing middle class's interest in the train hobby, it will be enormous.
Originally Posted by Dave Allen:
A friend in my train club is married to a Chinese lady, and visits there regularly. He visits many Chinese hobby shops and collects Chinese prototypes, mainly in HO and N scale, there is a big range. Chinese steam locos are also produced in O gauge and Gauge 1 live steam. My friend also collects Chinese railway uniforms, when he has put on a Chinese display on club open days, he will dress in a driver's uniform, or as platform staff. Their railways, with so many new very high speed trains, are amongst the most modern in the world. This will feed the growing middle class's interest in the train hobby, it will be enormous.
I still amazed that China in such a short period was able to build all of that High Speed Rail. I remember reading an article in a train magazine back in the late 90's and early 2000's and there was steam locomotives still being used in many parts of China. I know some Chinese steam locomotives have been imported to the US. I have road on the Essex Steam Train in Connecticut I know the locomotive that pulled the train was modern Chinese steam locomotive. It would be cool if MTH made some Chinese steam locomotives in O-gauge.
Other than some Canadian and Mexican chooch...Chinese is ALL the furrinerz I want ! C'mon Mike, tool up and fork over that big Jeng Peng QJ, with bay window cabin !
Bachman produce a pretty extensive range of Chinese prototypes in G, HO and N. This link shows more details. 
WOW ! look at all that Bachmann HO stuff ! Whew, I never even made it to the major steam section..but did find a monographic QJ with four axle tender.....holy B&O Big Six !
Space, or Real estate is at an Extreme premium in Asia, more so than in Europe or the USA and I think that would be a major deterrent to buy model rains.
In Hong Kong, they love RC model planes and cars, especially cars and its extreme upgrade parts in all beautiful anodized and colorful machined aluminum and they have tons of it.
Originally Posted by baltimoretrainworks:
. . . the possibility still exists for the formation of clubs and modular set ups
Jerry
Yes! Both my experience and a Chinese history and culture class I took taught me that the Chinese are raised and more prone to think and act in collaborative ways: as part of groups and for the "collective" good of the group/team/all. I think modular layouts and clubs would be very popular there.
Jerry,
How long ago was that culture class. I hope Mr Mao wasn't teaching.
A large part of Chinese society does not have the expendable income available to be wasting their money on a toy train that goes round and round.
Asians in general are savers. To this day Japan still has one of the highest personal savings rates.
Originally Posted by Lee Willis:
Originally Posted by baltimoretrainworks:
. . . the possibility still exists for the formation of clubs and modular set ups
Jerry
Yes! Both my experience and a Chinese history and culture class I took taught me that the Chinese are raised and more prone to think and act in collaborative ways: as part of groups and for the "collective" good of the group/team/all. I think modular layouts and clubs would be very popular there.
You folks do realize that if the Chinese train manufacturers crank out more products for their domestic market, it will likey cut in to production schedules for their overseas markets.
Rusty
China's high days in mass manufacterer are coming to a close. Next stop Indonesia.
Originally Posted by Rusty Traque:
You folks do realize that if the Chinese train manufacturers crank out more products for their domestic market, it will likey cut in to production schedules for their overseas markets.
Rusty
From right in the middle of page 1 of the Business section of yesterday's New York Times, in the caption of the photo for the article China's Embrace of Foreign Cars:
"Chinese consumers are attracted to American brands for quality and safety."
The irony is the cars are built in US-owned and managed plants, in China.
A new market for Lionel and MTH!
