The First Post Tariff Items Are Ariving!

 A while back, and that translates into, I have no real idea as to when, I pre-ordered some Rapido 1970's era repainted 40' PFE reefers. Well when all was said and done the price per car only went up about $5.00. Not nearly as bad as I'd been led to believe by some of the online reporting. Is this a rerun of Y2K?

 

Then I got an email from Lombard Hobbies saying a trailer and and a Ford stake bed had also arrived from Athearn. I guess when it rains it can really pour at times; even a little hail too. But again I'm glad this vendor offers 'no up front payment' reservations.

 

Both Ford truck and Cotton Belt trailer were not much more than originally quoted, so again, all is well, and so far, the hobby sky remains solidly intact. 

All this is just a quick update that perhaps may help some of us not fear the direction the hobby is going. Manufacturers are trying, at least so far, to keep pricing in the ball park of where it was, and that is a good thing. This bodes well for the future, or so I hope.

 

Thanks for reading this far, and as always, enjoy your trains!

John Huey

CEO Arizona Southern RR

 

A Brave New Hobby?

It's amazing the changes a few months can introduce.  A life long hobby can be thrown into chaos by current events; purchasing, special orders, and such go from a 'just in time' waiting game to a maybe never game with the writing on a piece of paper somewhere. Like most things in life, an average individual has little chance of influencing things that they are subject to. This is nothing new.

I've sent a couple letters to our betters, contacted a friend or two to perhaps do the same, and so far it's a wait and see game. 

I understand that the powers that be want more manufacturing to return to the USA, but honestly, MADE IN USA says two things to me: Overpriced and Lesser Quality. Sorry, but that observation comes from decades of personal retail experience. Not just in model trains either, this ugly situation seems all too common.

Destroying the previous "flow" of the model train hobby will only hurt the poorer members of society, both here and abroad, while perhaps increasing the profits of certain manufacturers and placing products out of reach for many.

I have some special orders out there, and I have no intent to cancel them as long as the pricing stays within reason. Hopefully calmer heads will prevail and things can return to something at least slightly recognizable.

We need to support our vendors, makers, and the hobby in general if we are to come through this mess together.

Thanks for reading this far, write back if the mood strikes you.

John Huey

CEO Arizona Southern RR