Its got to be a question of supply and demand i think, a rtr 00 gauge loco will far outsell the same one in 0 gauge so therefore will be cheaper, the same is probably applicable the other way whereby N scale is the same if not slightly more expensive pricewise as 00. A gauge to be considered for lottery winners i suspect unless you want to run lima stuff which goes for peanuts second hand.
Price of O gauge RTR
3
OK there's limited production runs,
more detailing,
two motors,
But material costs wouldn't be vastly more, and labour costs depend on where it's made.
So.......double the cost of OO, triple the cost??
No it's between 5 and 10 times the cost of your average Hornby or Bachmann model!
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I'm surely missing something?
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more detailing,
two motors,
But material costs wouldn't be vastly more, and labour costs depend on where it's made.
So.......double the cost of OO, triple the cost??
No it's between 5 and 10 times the cost of your average Hornby or Bachmann model!
I'm surely missing something?
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All good stuff, I had hoped to open up this sort of discussion.
Obviously, economies of scale (forgive the pun
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) are the largest cost factor.
As for material cost, OO versus O, even if materials used were x4 or x8, this is still neglegible. The manufacturing costs and the development process (design, tooling etc), costs more than the plastic or metal itself.
I wouldn't know the figures but a guess would be, for eg. a typicall OO diesel retailing (discount) @ £ 54 ....materials £3 to £5 ??? or is that too high ?
4x £5 = £20 not a a lot in a £400 loco !
There are consumer products out there selling at £100 'ish where the materials cost £1 to £2 !!! But they sell tens of thousands of them.
Maybe someone in the industry could give a little help here ?
Best forget the material element then ?
Obviously, economies of scale (forgive the pun
As for material cost, OO versus O, even if materials used were x4 or x8, this is still neglegible. The manufacturing costs and the development process (design, tooling etc), costs more than the plastic or metal itself.
I wouldn't know the figures but a guess would be, for eg. a typicall OO diesel retailing (discount) @ £ 54 ....materials £3 to £5 ??? or is that too high ?
4x £5 = £20 not a a lot in a £400 loco !
There are consumer products out there selling at £100 'ish where the materials cost £1 to £2 !!! But they sell tens of thousands of them.
Maybe someone in the industry could give a little help here ?
Best forget the material element then ?
2
QUOTE My wife was drawn to a built up 0 gauge A4 that was for sale on Sunday "Ooh" she exclaimed "£190 that's not bad"
If my wife ever uttered those words in relation to anything even remotely related to a hobby of mine ... well I would have thought I had died and gone to heaven.
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Unfortunately for you Brits there's a large market for O in the United States. One of the leading manufacturers is MTH
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* Directionally Controlled Headlights
* Intricately Detailed Die-Cast Body
* Metal Wheels, Axles and Gears
* Remotely Controlled Operating Pantographs
* Enhanced Detail Die-Cast Truck Sides & Pilots
* (2) Remotely Controlled Proto-Couplers
* Authentic Paint Scheme
* Metal Chassis
* (2) Precision Flywheel Equipped Motors
* Lighted Cab Interior
* See-Through Metal Body Side Grills
* Opening Doors
* Opening Hatches
* Illuminated Number Boards
* Lighted Marker Lights
* Locomotive Speed Control
* (2) Engineer Cab Figures
* Operating Smoke Unit
* Proto-Sound 2.0 With The DCS Featuring: Passenger Station Proto-Effects
* Unit Measures:20" x 2 5/8" x 4"
* Operates On O-72 Curves
All for MSRP $699.95 (Steam locomotives run between $999 - 1200)
Note: Digital Command System (DCS) is an electronic control system for O scale 3-rail model trains and toy trains, developed by MTH Electric Trains as a rival to Lionel's Trainmaster Command Control. It is similar in concept to DCC, the open industry standard used by HO scale and other 2-rail direct current trains.
It permits operation of multiple trains on the same track without complex wiring, and also gives locomotives realistic digitized sounds.
If my wife ever uttered those words in relation to anything even remotely related to a hobby of mine ... well I would have thought I had died and gone to heaven.
Unfortunately for you Brits there's a large market for O in the United States. One of the leading manufacturers is MTH
* Directionally Controlled Headlights
* Intricately Detailed Die-Cast Body
* Metal Wheels, Axles and Gears
* Remotely Controlled Operating Pantographs
* Enhanced Detail Die-Cast Truck Sides & Pilots
* (2) Remotely Controlled Proto-Couplers
* Authentic Paint Scheme
* Metal Chassis
* (2) Precision Flywheel Equipped Motors
* Lighted Cab Interior
* See-Through Metal Body Side Grills
* Opening Doors
* Opening Hatches
* Illuminated Number Boards
* Lighted Marker Lights
* Locomotive Speed Control
* (2) Engineer Cab Figures
* Operating Smoke Unit
* Proto-Sound 2.0 With The DCS Featuring: Passenger Station Proto-Effects
* Unit Measures:20" x 2 5/8" x 4"
* Operates On O-72 Curves
All for MSRP $699.95 (Steam locomotives run between $999 - 1200)
Note: Digital Command System (DCS) is an electronic control system for O scale 3-rail model trains and toy trains, developed by MTH Electric Trains as a rival to Lionel's Trainmaster Command Control. It is similar in concept to DCC, the open industry standard used by HO scale and other 2-rail direct current trains.
It permits operation of multiple trains on the same track without complex wiring, and also gives locomotives realistic digitized sounds.
A typical UK outline O gauge production run might be as low as 500 models. Compare that with the typical minimum production run of 5000 for 00 and usually more for what is considered a popular model.
And you have to have a lot more detail on O gauge than OO as you can see the parts other gauges can't reach. So more production work required.
Happy modelling
Gary
PS on the other hand N gauge models are the same price as OO gauge. Surely they should be 1/8th of the price as they are 1/8th of the volume!
A typical Graham Farish should be £10 not £80. Yes, I know! However in late 1960's when the idea of ready to run N gauge was first discussed among retailers at that time that was the expectation. It was a massive shock when it was learnt that the price was to be no different to OO gauge!
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And you have to have a lot more detail on O gauge than OO as you can see the parts other gauges can't reach. So more production work required.
Happy modelling
Gary
PS on the other hand N gauge models are the same price as OO gauge. Surely they should be 1/8th of the price as they are 1/8th of the volume!
A typical Graham Farish should be £10 not £80. Yes, I know! However in late 1960's when the idea of ready to run N gauge was first discussed among retailers at that time that was the expectation. It was a massive shock when it was learnt that the price was to be no different to OO gauge!
You will often see a big price difference between 2 models of the same car.
Take the same "trim" level, and the same engine model, but available in 1.8L and 2.0L capacities. Price difference £800 to £1200 more. Everything else the same.
What do you get for your money ?
Less material (metal)....and some fresh air (less than a tin of beans).
![]()
Take the same "trim" level, and the same engine model, but available in 1.8L and 2.0L capacities. Price difference £800 to £1200 more. Everything else the same.
What do you get for your money ?
Less material (metal)....and some fresh air (less than a tin of beans).
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