Model Railroading > New Moloco Release...HO GN & SPS 50' boxcars

These models are for the 50' double sliding door boxcars built at Great Northern's St. Cloud Shops.

https://www.molocotrains.com/collections/freight-cars/St-Cloud

The combo door car looks interesting as well, most of the versions on the market have both doors the same size.

The webpage I'm looking at doesn't have a price, any ideas what the price will be? Same as last run of cars maybe?
thanks.

TCnR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The combo door car looks interesting as well, most
> of the versions on the market have both doors the
> same size.
>
> The webpage I'm looking at doesn't have a price,
> any ideas what the price will be? Same as last run
> of cars maybe?
> thanks.

The Moloco website says, "We are expecting a delivery window some time in late 2022 and the general price will be in line with current RTR prices."
 
I don't know many people who would be comfortable making reservations for a product without knowing the price.  I would be interested, but not under those terms.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/21 15:26 by mpe383.

mpe383 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TCnR Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The combo door car looks interesting as well,
> most
> > of the versions on the market have both doors
> the
> > same size.
> >
> > The webpage I'm looking at doesn't have a
> price,
> > any ideas what the price will be? Same as last
> run
> > of cars maybe?
> > thanks.
>
> The Moloco website says, "We are expecting a
> delivery window some time in late 2022 and the
> general price will be in line with current RTR
> prices."
>  
> I don't know many people who would be comfortable
> making reservations for a product without knowing
> the price.  I would be interested, but not under
> those terms.

They're being honest with you about the price. And you're going to burn him for that???

No they aren't. They are leaving it open so they can raise the price and blame it on shipping, china, covid or just raising it to keep up with Athearn prices. I have reserved the up coming WP cars, but i passed on these as I dont want to guess prices a year from now.

I'll not be passing. I plan on ordering one each of the main schemes. You can not pre order and order from a vendor who will stock them. These are nice models so choose accordingly.

Cheers Jim

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/21 04:01 by SPDRGWfan.

Rather odd way to answer a question, good to hear some discussion about it though. Don't want to burn them with a cancelled order, don't want to be burned with an out of line price either. Agree there's lots of reasons for the price to go up between now and any given date in the future, including those posted.

Had to check, what I have on order is listed as free, glad I went heavy on that one.

+ I'm not seeing any of this info on the website, maybe it's on a Newsletter or another media of some sort. Thanks for the explanation.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/21 17:37 by TCnR.

I got a confirmation of my "order", I guess it is really a reservation.
They have done so well in the past that they have earned my trust.
Anyone on planet Earth who wants certainty about 4th quarter 2022 prices is not living in the same world I observe.
I will just be pleased if both Moloco and I are here then.

Most, if not all, of the recent announcements by Moloco have been reservation announcements with the models shipping about 1 to 1 1/2 years later.  The reservation system was instituted to better estimate demand and avoid too much unsold inventory such as the yellow FGE boxcars, many still in stock.  The SP/SSW/WP/EL PC&F Plate B series were very nice and all sold out, so the production numbers must have been closer to the demand; they were a reservation item.  Everyone who preordered could buy what they pre-ordered and there was a small amount of stock which went to vendors, so those who didn't pre-order could buy some; but they needed to be fairly quick about it because vendor stock didn't last long. 

I believe also Nick states you do not have to buy everything you pre-order so if you do pre-order and don't like the price or whatever, you can pass.  Presently, the next batch due to ship, hopefully by end-of-year, are the Moloco red Santa Fe Topeka 50' XM Double Plug Fe-34 boxcar and more of the Topeka built Bx-94 50' XMLI as delivered boxcars (a re-run if I am not mistaken).  Next year there are the Brainerd built 50' XM double slider NP/BN boxcars, followed by 50' ACF hi-cube waffle side boxars in CEI, MP, BN and TO&E schemes.  Availability dates are not known at this time.

Cheers,
Jim

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I believe also Nick states you do not have to buy
> everything you pre-order so if you do pre-order
> and don't like the price or whatever, you can
> pass. 
>
> Cheers,
> Jim

Well that does make me feel better knowing if i just cant handle it I dont have to carry through with it. Problem is, if I reserve them then I feel I have made a commitment and have given my word that I will purchase them. While some may think that is stupid, I'm still a person that believes in a hand shake and how important it is when you give someone your word. I am starting to waiver and order a couple, dang it.

I have ordered cars from Moloco in the past and currently have a few on reservation. They are not cheap, but I find the details excellent. I am willing to risk a higher price for a better quality car. It is a small comapny and I like supporting them over the larger manufacturers, so I will pay extra. I know not everyone has that luxury, but if you can afford their cars, I feel it is worthwhile.

Where is this info coming from? Newsletters? Printed comments? FB? Maybe even previous TrainOrder posts?

Using a Firefox browser the moloco webpage doesn't have any of these insights on any of the pages. All very reasonable things to be said, but where is it said?

TCnR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Where is this info coming from? Newsletters?
> Printed comments? FB? Maybe even previous
> TrainOrder posts?
>
> Using a Firefox browser the moloco webpage doesn't
> have any of these insights on any of the pages.
> All very reasonable things to be said, but where
> is it said?

Its on their web site.
 

---

Tom,

I feel the same way.  If I preorder something, I like to follow though and I usually do.  I did have some pre-order items with one vender I hadn't done much business with and my wife lost her job last summer so I did cancel my orders with that vendor as I didn't know what our overall finances would be at the time.  Fortunately she found another job since.  That is the only case in memory I cancelled pre-orders and it seemed logical due to the circumstances.

TCnR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Where is this info coming from? Newsletters?
> Printed comments? FB? Maybe even previous
> TrainOrder posts?
>
> Using a Firefox browser the moloco webpage doesn't
> have any of these insights on any of the pages.
> All very reasonable things to be said, but where
> is it said?

If you are on Moloco's mailing list, you would get any announcements Nick has such as new models etc.  Nick also often announces new models on some forums too.  I'm not sure of what all avenues Moloco makes announcements.  He does do FB for followers there too.

Moloco models are on the pricier side, but they are also top shelf and excellent replicas of boxcars of the 1960's through 1980's (primerally) but a few reach back into the 50's such as this newest announcement.  Moloco is up there with Tangent but in some ways even up the ante a bit more such as some boxcars decorated for specific prototype examples, like the late 70's Santa Fe Bx-94 and some green General American Penn Central which even replicated minor differences between both sides of the boxcar.  Coolness factor high!

Nick usually posts prototype photo's similarly as Tangent so you can compare the models with the real thing.  He plans on posting photo's for the new St. Cloud boxcars in the coming days.

Cheers,
Jim

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/21 09:32 by SPDRGWfan.

Ok, looks like my bad. Had not drilled down to that page, had been looking at the more general pages. Thanks.

>The Moloco website says, "We are expecting a delivery window some time in late 2022 and the general price will be in line with current RTR prices." I don't know many people who would be comfortable making reservations for a product without knowing the price.  I would be interested, but not under those terms.

For those not familiar with Moloco's high quality products, you can expect the prices to be in the mid to high $50 range on these, depending on what the Chinese charge him at the time of production. As listed on his site, Nick's is a small family run business and the profit margin is probably low since his runs are smaller than what the big boys do and get. Since Nick's reservations are non-binding, cancellation is simple (there's no deposit required) and his stuff sells out fairly fast, so someone else will always buy it. You may have to wait a very long time for a new run or else buy it on the second hand market if you miss it the first time. 

Not affiliated with Moloco, just a very satisfied custormer with lots of their product on hand. Try it, you won't be disappointed. 

Again to me its it the pig in a poke part that I have trouble swallowing. A complete mystery price. Id rather see 60 bucks as a projection and then a price drop if possible so at least I had a number to budget for.  I reserved 4 WP cars after seeing the photos on the last run and see that they are fine looking cars. No doubt about it. 

So far, Nick has continued to price recent release models in conjunction whith his estimated/expected price, $56 IIRC.  Prices have been going up on Tangent and Genesis models so it's reasonable to expect Moloco to eventually follow, hopefully no more than a few dollars.  But if these aren't models you really need, and/or can't absorb the increase, you do not have to buy the pre-ordered models.  Choose accordingly.

Dang it, I just orded 4. Might be there are left over FGE cars as they skewed to more East Coast rather than a few Western versions.

TomG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dang it, I just orded 4. Might be there are left
> over FGE cars as they skewed to more East Coast
> rather than a few Western versions.

I don't know if western outsells eastern.  I did get a mix of the FGE cars including singles of NP, BN, PC, NW and even CofG and L&N, but no ACL or SBD.  When the SP/WP came out, I got mulitple numbers but SP and WP were very common on D&RGW freights.  I've preordered a couple each of the 1979 SP cars too, which are probably 12 months out yet.

My plans are to order one each of the offered schemes.  I'm waiting for Nick to post photo's which he should do well before the pre-order deadline.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/21 10:49 by SPDRGWfan.