What are we lacking in Z scale?

Need ideas...
Details! Steam! Smaller radii MTL track! Converts from other scales?

GE and Alco Diesels, Big Boy, "new F7", DDX40...

More cabooses & some variety. MTL-short pieces of straight, some crossings--I've thought of more but can't remember them now.

- german diesel railcars epoch IV (other than the railbus)
- generic german freight cars epoch IV not silly private owner cars that are hardly seen (large open cars, frigo cars, rongen cars etc)
- small angle switches/crossings
- a nice container crane
- more signals
- better smaller couplers

North American Light Rail
a RERAILER TRACK
American heavy lift crane car and assist flat car
Shayes
MOW truck
Budd liners
coil cars
modern tank cars
wooden Billboard reeffers A BEER SET
And to quote Rob Kluz --"And so much more!"

HI
I agree more German railcar types.. (for something in between the red railbusses and and the modern ones, a diesel locomotive latched up to a couple of the silver cars works great..find the car with the cab attached..I rode a million miles on those things)
I need some cars for my railhead to put army trucks on, besides the heavyweights and the out of date ones.
I wish there was more money invested in things real modelers want than the collectibles. I not picking on one company as they ALL do this, Germans too. We don't need any Easter bunny trains. We don't need John Deer or Coca Cola wagons. I was in the military for 27 years and still serve off and on, and I have a LOT of military stuff, but only Army train I ever saw in my career was a broken down crane and switch engine that was at Ft Sill for years. I have seen army stuff on trains in States and loaded LOTS of stuff in Germany, but me buying everything that is OD green or cammo ended at about age 14.
Pretty much if the big guys could build realistic affordable American steam of a standard type that there was more than only 4 built, and the cabooses that would go with them. (SELL AS A SET DUH) then I think they would sell like hotcakes. Throw in some number decals to boot.

P42DC's
Other modern passenger cars, from North America
Acela trainset
modern crossings, with ability to widen for mulitple tracks
PARR signal sets with mods for different lighting, like on the Northeast corridor
GE Engines, all lines that run them in the US & Canada
Switch engines, Lajos you make a good one but, we need more variety.
CSX & NS running gear, engines, cars, maybe a business train, NS has a good one.

That's all I can think of at this time.

Need ideas...

I really hate this kind of discussion. It's so obvious, other scales became big, beacause modelers made them big. What Z-scale require is less demanding loud mouths and more modelers, who build anything needed for their projects. Period...

Lajos:)

zthek wrote:

Need ideas...

I really hate this kind of discussion. It's so obvious, other scales became big, beacause modelers made them big. What Z-scale require is less demanding loud mouths and more modelers, who build anything needed for their projects. Period...

Lajos:)

Lajos, that maybe great for you, but not all of us have the talent to build everything. When I can't do it myself, I am very good at begging.

I agree with John here, I consider myself an average modeler with what I've seen during the years, so I can surely understand that not everyone can build or model their projects, but even so! and without being some great modelers, they can still love the tiny trains they love to look at, and also play with.

So for my part, it is the "loud mouths" that I like to read about, they give me ideas to model whatever is missing to our scale. So bring on the ideas!!!

Ben

Sorry if I struck a cord. Was just participating in the discussion. Lajos, you do make an awesome kit.

Lajos, I wanted to start this discussion in hopes to get ideas for ME to make things as well as to inspire others to help produce what is lacking. Selfish ambition on my part maybe. I currently am not making anything right now out of necessity for myself as I'm not working on any layouts at this time. So I am willing to make things for the guys that want stuff but can't get it unless you, others, or I make it for them. You are a master in scratch building and you have taught me much. I wish I could spend more time around you to glean even more! I thank you for all you contribute to us!

Karin

If we are talking wood kits.. Again I think a of a sawmill /lumberyard kind of thing..something that could be open in places to show off the insides of the models. somebody to start making midwest barns again, since it seems the ones in Z scale got dropped.
I want a coal mine but not a old west wooden type, but one from say the 1920s to 70s. I plan on doing it from scratch but the mine head and bracing for the tipple will be a bear to make out of styrene, but Ill have to do it. They guys that make the coal silos make a nice coal breaker in n scale.and they wrote back to me that they were thinking about producing it in Z..maybe if others wrote to them too that would nudge them enough to make one.
How about sheets of laser cut siding, roofing, doors, and windows, in different sizes..say enough for 2 or 3 buildings or more, in a "scratch builders pack". For those of you my age and older who remember model rockets, where you could order a set of tubes and nosecones and balsa ect, to build your own rockets. That sort of thing. This way the scratch builders can have their day, and not have to gather stuff from different sources. Don't need to design and write instructions like a kit. What a great compromise for those who scratchbuild and those who want a shake it out of the box type kit.
You could even have a contest to see who would make the nicest stuff out of what you got in a kit.

Great idea Kelley!!! But what if we did those kind of "instruction-less" kits my concern is that we'd get endless emails asking "Now how do I fit this?" or "How does this go?". I think that if we laser cutter folks could make parts without the consequences of a modeler ruining the parts we might more willing to do this. You, no problem. But what about a guy who hasn't the knack and gets nothing out of his attempt and then complains to the manufacturer after he has spent his money. I would LOVE to provide detail parts w/o instructions. So, what kind of demand is out there?

Thanks for the ideas,
Karin

Going back to the model rockets...they sold kits at different skill levels..They also sold separate parts for those who either lost or broke something ..and parts were standard so I need a number 5 tube for a number 5 nosecone.
But they knew people liked to experiment and build on their own, and they sold ..If I remember right, different sizes of these packs of parts. You could still build several different complete rockets but you had to have some knowledge of how they worked. There were books on rocketry too. so maybe this isn't a good example.
I will tell you this, there is a German company selling excess train parts on the sprue. I seen some the other day..a grab bag sort of thing..totally useless unless you seen a part in the bag that you are missing or want to build a junk yard not even good for that..at least when they do this with model cars and trucks their are useful parts in them.
I would say experiment with the parts kits and see what you could build using those parts and a hobby blade, and file, glue ect..something an average builder would have. Sell it as scratch builders special. Nothing else. If people cant measure and cut stuff and want their money back or complain because you don't build it for them, then they don't need to be trusted with a blade in their hands or chemicals. I am somewhere in between our friend Lajos, and those who want something built, painted, weathered and given away. A happy compromise.
I think customer complaints drove some guys out of this business, but I would ignore the terminally stupid, as they will show up no matter what the business.

Lacking in Z scale? A Z scale model of the Schweberbahn!

Seriously though the three things I'd like to see would be:
- The NS/SBB TEE diesel railcar set
- Signal gantries
- Era 2 electric railcar sets

Gary, sorry but my laser can't make your wish list

Kelley wrote:

... I think customer complaints drove some guys out of this business, but I would ignore the terminally stupid, as they will show up no matter what the business.

You made some valid points and have some great ideas. But it is for the very reason you mentioned above that makes us tend to shy away from the chance that the "terminally stupid" could make the business of providing parts to the rest of the sane Z folk risky business. But I will work on it and will begin ASAP, can you give me some specific needs within the realm of what a laser can do?. Lajos is so good about working with the most ignorant and making them just a little smarter, I know because he has taught me a lot! Wish I knew half of what he and the rest of you know!!!

Hey Ausiman,

A Schweberbahn you say ! ! !

Try this site, he manufacturers them in HO and N scale and may even consider Z scale.

www.hielscher-dampfmodelle.de/cms/index.php

Robert

I swore I seen a Schweberbahn in Z.. Seen one at a Z show anyway but not sure of the scale. My father in law opened a music shop in Wuppertal and I need to visit, so I am sure to ride it. The whole Ruhr area are full of Z scale makers and marketers.
Karin, I could use siding, roofing, window frames and doors and frames. Something to make sheds or a little house or too. What would others like to see in a scratchbuilders set?