Boy, I'd give an arm and a leg...and half my retirement for an O scale Cannon and Company catalog!
As to 3D printing; I've seen some good stuff, but as of today most of the offerings are still lacking in the finish. The stratification issue is improving, but not enough for my cash. O scale is more susceptible to stratification (the lines or ridges visible on the surface due to the layering process of the printers) due to the mass of the parts. I believe the large smooth area of the fuel tank would be difficult to deal with the layering effect.
My personal model building preference is styrene, so I personally want compatible details. Injection molding produces the highest quality finished parts, but has the highest tooling costs for this level of quality. If it was my investment project injection molded styrene would be my path. I used to tell the local Snap-on dealer, "if I ever win the lottery, you would be a millionaire!" I'll tell the O scale world nearly the same thing, my win makes more O scale product!
In all honesty, I think O scale should pay more attention to how HO does things, and the secondary detail market from the late 80s and 90s not only solved a consumer need but ultimately drove todays super detailed offerings.
As to Alan's grief (I believe every one of them to be true!), funny thing is I find my joy in O scale solving these problems for myself. I find a lot of pleasure figuring out how to close the gaps in missing products I need to reach my end goal. And my most pressing constraint; cost! I spend substantially less on O scale than I did on HO! 4 times the mass equals half as much stuff to fill the same space. Be patient, have a defined need list, and hunt what you want. If it doesn't exist, learn how to make it! I don't have the talent is just an excuse! Until you have tried AND persevered you won't understand how cost effective scratch building is!
