I am always amazed that this is being considered in a Model. There have been many an importer who has brought in collector type models in cars or Cabooses. And some are not around any more, most of the time you hear the saying. My builder does not want to do the small items, they loose money on them--to much trouble--and the list goes on.
Opinion. I for one would not pay 500- 600 for any car such as being talked about, you would need several to really make it look right in a train.
PRB did husky stacks back in the 1980's in I think 6 car sets, now most trains ran out here in the west you will see 80-100 that make up the train. You can do the math.
BoB
Bob, Yes you're correct. Now that hybrid, plastic and diecast versions of the Gunderson TwinStack are available from Atlas and MTH version, the PRB Gunderson TwinStack sets are often selling for far less than the original purchase price. As Nick pointed out, most of the operators that own sets of eaither PRB model often sell off the containers , mostly to collectors or those that run smaller railroads which may only have one or two sets of containers in favor of plastic containers now available. Historically, this seems to be the trend especially with operators with brass models in most scales once a suitable plastic, hybrid kind of model is available.
IMO, reviewing the history of brass models, especially in HO scale, larger sample size, for the contemporary diesel era modeler, models were often available first, if at all, of the latest locomotives and equipment in brass because of the ability to offer these relatively fast back then with a high level of detail, at a significantly higher cost in most cases only providing even for the time very basic rudimentary electrical options, but often can motors for operation. As long as shorts didn't exist during operation, mainly from poor insulated sideframes hitting other brass details, sills, etc... things were good. Operation got better over time, but so did the plastic, hybrid models at a faster rate and with more innovation and more manufacturers. Similar patterns hold true for freight cars, but at a much different rate, because by the time the freight car explosion happened plastic hybrid models were advancing in the level of detail and accuracy so brass freight cars, unless they were very unique cars really dropped off, while high end passenger cars continued to be produced in brass for a while longer at a fairly good clip.
So referencing back to a comment from Nick earlier in the thread, in our lifetimes for those modelers who need this type of contemporary car, regardless if they need from 1 to 20 or more will seriously look at Erik's offering because that may be the only choice for this car, especially some of the other variations which weren't offered in plastic, that require a lot of upgrades to even look reasonable especially for those that want this level of detail, accuracy.
However, lets' take a look at Atlas for example, which we all hate to wait and would have expected this car to be produced already, what investments did Atlas make in completely new tooled cars over the last 8-10 years? Were they modern, contemporary cars or where they steam era cars or some of both? Realizing that they need money to invest in new tooling, etc.. Atlas has reran a lot of their existing models which I would assume is partially helping fund these new investments in tooling? I would contend Atlas is realizing that there is a larger gap in these modern, contemporary freight cars vs expanding the steam era freight cars and when they have chosen to invest in new tooling, etc.. it's been for filling these gaps for us modern contemporary modelers. Even doesn't matter if you look at other scales that they produce, primarily it's been for railroad equipment that we see on the rails today.
So I'm back to we are in the same pattern as we've been historically with filling a need with brass models first, until something suitable comes along mostly at a lower price point. The problem is, we will only invest in a few of the high brass offerings to tide us over, fill a partial need and then if we are still alive and kicking when the suitable plastic hybrid model arrives, we often try and sell off our brass equivalents that tided us over, the selling ice to eskimo comparison comes to mind, at a lower price because only a limited number of modelers are interested in those brass pieces.
Why not buck the system now? Let's change the game in O Scale now, such as Scaletrains, Exactail, FVM, Tangent, Moloco, BLMA (now Atlas), Athearn Genesis have done in HO and N. For this specific car, a NSC 73' Centerbeam Atlas has done a fantastic variation of the model in HO, completely done as a plastic hybrid model. I strongly contend this car can be done to our expectations in O Scale at a lower price point offering the same high end features if we ALL ask for it.
As said earlier in the thread, I'm for Erik's innovations especially the ones he's tantalized us with for modern, contemporary diesel locomotives but why go back to the same pattern that we know where it leads for freight cars. Why are there so many brass importers out of business, especially like PRB who went down this road before with offering contemporary commodity freight cars? Do you really want the blue pill again? I'm choosing the red pill!
).......aren't these 3RS guys upset about how many windows there are in those cabooses???? I thought that was their whole gig, as in accurate stuff on 3 rail track??? It's no more difficult to do 2 rail than 3. When you build stuff for tight radii you're precluding the accuracy you are professing to want and if you have 3 rail with radii comparable to 2 rail, you may as well go 2 rail. Just because you've been doing something all your life doesn't mean it's the best way to do it.