Richmond 4-4-0 with Micro-Tsunami

[richG]

Hello All

I just installed a SoundTraxx Micro-Tsunami decoder in my Richmond. I bought the engine Jan 2007 and had installed a SoundTraxx DSD-100LC decoder. The Micro is a much better decoder for speed control and sound.
Bachmann is getting ready to release the Rcihmond with sound for $400.00 retail.
The loco cost me $130.00 over a year ago. Now they are going for $60 to $100, new.
The Bachmann tenders only pickup one one side of the trucks. I added pickups and now all eight wheels have pickups.
I painted the wires with liquid black vinyl tape substitute to make them look like hoses.
Right now I have removed the ugly couplers from the loco and tender and I am going to install the Kadee #711 old time coupler.





Rich

[kevin2083]

You did a nice job on that, looks like a fun little engine once you put it back together.

[Yampa Bob]

Rich
I'm a bit puzzled.  The 2008 retail price for the Spectrum Richmond 4-4-0 with DCC is $275, up $35 from last year.

If you can find any for $60, I'll take a dozen.  I have also seen several mentions of $100 to $120.

Are we speaking of the same loco?

Bob

[Beatthe9ers]

Yampa, it's 100% true.  Well, I don't know about $60, but $75-$100 is about right.  The ebay store 'thefavoritespot' is selling them (all styles) in two ways, a 'Buy it now' option, which is $110 plus $12 shipping.  Just that price is the lowest I could find them at.  But they also are selling them auction style.  Those are going for above mentioned $75 to $100 dollars (including the $12 shipping).

I purchased one a few days ago that cost me, with shipping, $81.99.  The Russian ones seem to be going for the most.

I will get mine today or tomorrow and can't wait to get her set up and running.  If you are interested in purchasing one, I can't think of a better way to do it.

[richG]

Rich
I'm a bit puzzled.  The 2008 retail price for the Spectrum Richmond 4-4-0 with DCC is $275, up $35 from last year.

If you can find any for $60, I'll take a dozen.  I have also seen several mentions of $100 to $120.

Are we speaking of the same loco?

Bob

To get an idea of what something is selling for on ebay, I looked in the Completed Auctions section and saw between 60 to 80 dollars at the time. A few nearer to $100.
I search the HO Scale section for Spectrum 4-4-0 in Completed Listings.
You need an ebay I.D. to do this.
This was a few days ago.
I have noticed that when an item starts to sell, sellers start to bump up the price a little.

Rich

[Yampa Bob]

The marketing of these things is getting more weird every year.  Perhaps Sheldon can weigh in on this issue again.  Realistically I don't see how "The Spot" can let these locos go for $75 and make any profit.  Perhaps the lower overhead of internet selling allows a few bucks  compounded by sheer volume.

The best price my favorite source has is $180 including shipping. I have always paid the normal $10 to $15 above other discounters for the benefit of their 30 day no hassle guarantee.  My main concern has always been having to send a defective item to the factory instead of the dealer. 

I can't help but think there must be a tremendous mark up on trains. Recently I have seen increases on Bachmann locos as high as 40% above last year.

Bob

[richG]

Yes, there is quite a mark up.
Bachmann is going to be selling the HO Shay and Richmond with DCC & Sound for $400.00.
Micro Mark will sell them for $208.00
I wonder how many people will spend full price?
I wonder how many people will buy a Richmond with DCC of ebay and think they are getting sound with it?

Rich

[Mark Damien]

TrainWorld is selling Richmond 4-4-0's for $99.99 - so there's not much change from a C note.  .

But they have very good service, if you receive a faulty one.

[Pacific Northern]

TrainWorld is selling Richmond 4-4-0's for $99.99 - so there's not much change from a C note.  .

But they have very good service, if you receive a faulty one.

My LHS will not take an engine back if faulty. Their policy is to use the manufacturer's warranty.

I am impressed that Bachmann has such a good warranty. I have used their service department and had no problems.

I have had contact with Walthers and was not at all happy with their service department representative I dealt with.

[mattallen37]

thefavoritespot probably buys directly from the manufacture. the reason i think so is because someone in china was trying to sell bachmann 4-8-4s with dcc for a buy it now of only $9.99 but shipping was about $120 so overall it was not worth it. also as for thefavoritespot, i would highly recomend them (i bought about half my engines from them).

[Yampa Bob]

I think my usual source will drop their price from $180 to $110, after I reminded them that I spend about $2,000 a year with them.  In other words, I said either get competitive or Adios Amigos.

Anymore, when I want something, I decide what I am willing to pay, if they can't meet my price forget it.   If you hear of someone willing to pay $275 for one, I have some ocean front property in Colorado to sell them.   

Bob

[hminky]

Micromark is taking pre-orders for sound 4-4-0's for $208.

http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=84158

Harold

[Pacific Northern]

thefavoritespot probably buys directly from the manufacture. the reason i think so is because someone in china was trying to sell bachmann 4-8-4s with dcc for a buy it now of only $9.99 but shipping was about $120 so overall it was not worth it. also as for thefavoritespot, i would highly recomend them (i bought about half my engines from them).

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=120227035155&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=002

I doubt that the S&H charges are anyway near what the vendor was charging.
I have bought a few items from China and the postage was not much more than what it costs to ship between Canada and the US.

I also do not think the Spectrum engines are meant to be sold in China for resale as well.

[richG]

Here are three photos of the nearly comleted loco. I installed a box headlight and Kadee old time 711 couplers. The Micro decoder is a big change from the DSD-100LC installed a little over a year ago. I could not wait until Bachmann was going to put sound in it.







Rich

[hminky]

How did the DSD-100LC fit in the tender? I just ordered a 4-4-0 from Micromark and have a spare 100LC. Was there any excessive motor hum sometimes common with the 100LC's?

Harold