Thanks so much for those kind words, WizardOfOss. We really appreciate it! -Drayton

Love Kato N!

where potato?

We do too. Unfortunately, the economics do not make it feasible. Shane

yea I hear that its a shame Americans cant find good paying work anymore

@@Scaletrains Why not offer a premium line or limited run of domestically sourced locomotives? Let those who want to buy American be able to make that choice. If your business grows, this might become possible.

@@SteveWalden73 I was thinking the same. It would cost more but people might be ok with that. It would have beat the Chinese one by quite a bit though because I can't imagine explaining it to two differant machine shops is easy.

Steve: there are three major hurdles to be able to manufacturer model trains in the US. 1. there is no factory that currently produces super-detailed locomotives and freight cars. 2. there is no supply chain (raw material suppliers and subcontractors. and 3. the selling price would likely be 3x more. We do not have several million of dollars and the expertise to start a factory. We also do not believe most customers would be willing to pay upwards of $1,000 for an HO diesel locomotive. Shane

Thank you for those kind words. -Drayton

Kato developed many of the tooling practices used by ScaleTrains and other manufacturers but Kato has been sitting still while everyone else, even Bachmann, has passed them by. It's true; you're either moving forward or falling behind-there's no sitting still.

@Douglas Skaalrud agreed, Kato is not as detailed BUT they're smooth runners and affordable for those on a budget.

I just wish your factory was NOT made in communist China! Anywhere but there!

Is your factory on China ran and operated by American owners or China

Wow, thanks! We really appreciate that. -Drayton

I had the same thing when I bought my 'first' modeltrain something like 15 years ago after not having bought any for years and quit the hobby as a kid. As being a kid most trains were far too expensive to buy them new, I always bought them second hand. That usually worked out okay, but ofcourse you missed out on all the new possibilities offered. So when I bought my first train in 2007 I was scared... the 5-pole short-coupled trainset (and basically the whole two-car trainset) just felt so delicate... I'm still afraid to break it everytime I have to put it back in its box and thus have to separate the two cars again...

Thank you for watching, Chris! -Drayton

Thank you very much! We're glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for checking us out! -Drayton

Same here Wobblycogs. I also enjoyed the discussion about where (and why) and how they are created. The reality of what's economically possible is instructive. If a business can not offer a product that people will buy (cost is always key in most people's lives) then there will be no product.

@@mikeyoung9810: well said. Shane

This was filmed in November of 2019. We were thankful to have had the opportunity to produce such a video. Thanks for watching, friend. -Drayton

Actually, Eric, the cost for locos is really good. In the 90s I made custom Rail Power Products diesels. Shell, chassis, motor, drive train, paint, decal, all the little detail parts, etc. By the time I was done, a typical loco would run me around $200. And that doesn't include my labor hours. That was also without DCC/Sound. Add that cost in and you are around the $300 mark. For the same $300 (or less) in TODAY's dollars, you get what ScaleTrains is putting out. The end product is far more detailed and accurate than anything I used to make and it includes the wonders of DCC. I do think that rolling stock pricing is a joke these days, though. Yes, they look amazing, but there is a big hole in the market for the old school Athearn blue box type of rolling stock. Decent enough and priced accordingly. I refuse to pay $40, $50, or more for a box car. So, I just buy old stuff and swap the wheels and couplers. I can build out a nice car for around $15. It does mean I don't get to buy exactly what I want, but I'm OK with that.

Wow, thank you! That means a lot to us. Thanks for watching, Klaus. -Drayton

AC4400. PLEASE!!

@@traindad77 Athearn will.

What's amazing is for a brand ceo, you know a LOT about the production process down to even tiny details. That's always great for you and the customers. I can't count how many CEOs of companies see their product being made and don't even know what's being done...

@@largol33t1: thanks so much. I appreciate your recognition. I'm blessed to do what I do and love every moment. Shane

I'm late to commenting , but I did enjoy the video very much. I don't care that they are made in China. The factory does an amazing job and I am proud to see the success of Scaletrains.

Leonid, thank you so much for those kind remarks. -Drayton

I wouldn't say so looking at my last locomotive, unfortunately... :(

@@Scaletrains I have a question... Why so high? Tell me that

@@Need4Life: sorry for the late reply. If you ever have an issue with our models, please contact us at Support@ScaleTrains.com. While we strive to produce the best products possible, things happen. We'll be happy to work with you to find a solution. Shane

@@clevelandmaker386: does "Why so high" mean why do super-detailed model trains cost what they do? If so, have you watched this video? Shane

Thanks for watching, Aubrey. We appreciate your support! Have a great week. -Drayton

Thank you for those kind words. We really appreciate your viewership! -Drayton

Thank you so much for the kind words, Stuart. We really appreciate your support and continued business. I also like that suggestion! -Drayton

Thanks so much for your kind words, Joe. We really appreciate your support. -Drayton

Thank you so much for your kind words and enthusiastic support for ScaleTrains! It's truly heartening to hear your appreciation for the attention to detail and dedication that goes into creating our scale train models. I'm thrilled to learn that you recently purchased one of our engines. We take great pride in ensuring that our customers have a fantastic experience from the moment they open the box, and it's wonderful to hear that you had such a positive unboxing experience. It's incredibly heartwarming to hear about your plans to introduce your 20-month-old grandson to the world of trains on your HO layout. Those future moments spent together are bound to create lasting memories and a shared love for the hobby. Your thoughts on encouraging young people to explore careers in this field resonate deeply with us. We believe in leading by example and inspiring future generations to be passionate about trains and railroading. It's great to hear that you're actively researching educational opportunities related to Railroad Engineering Technology; this is a fantastic way to help nurture the next generation's interest in this rewarding path. At ScaleTrains, we are wholeheartedly committed to accuracy, precision, and quality. Your description of our products as "museum quality" is the highest compliment we could hope for. We're dedicated to elevating the hobby and capturing the essence of the full-scale engines we replicate. Thank you for being a part of the ScaleTrains community and for recognizing our efforts to provide the most detailed and accurate models possible. We're honored to have customers like you who share our passion, and we look forward to serving you in the future. Here's to many more enjoyable moments with your grandson on your layout! -Drayton

@@davidboyd4744 The only junk is your attitude!

Thank you so much for your viewership, Mike. We appreciate your support and are glad you learned more about the processes involved in making model trains. -Drayton

Thanks for watching, Carl. We're glad you enjoyed the video! -Drayton

Thanks for watching. -Drayton

Very cool, Sean. Thanks for sharing that family story with us. We hope your first model railroad products comes from ScaleTrains! -Drayton

Thanks so much for watching. We're glad you were able to learn more about How Model Trains Are Made by viewing the film. -Drayton

Thank you very much! We're glad you enjoyed the video. -Drayton

Thanks for your comment, Karl. We appreciate that. -Drayton

Athearn is.

@@kyleftw1679 Keyword, Athearn WAS.

@@DaaYay Scaletrains is shitting in their pants cause Athearn got the AC4400CW lol.

@@kyleftw1679 Nah, they will be fine on their own.

Wow, Ken, thank you for those kind remarks. Was our service department able to get you the parts you requested? We appreciate your business and are so happy to have you on board! -Drayton

@@Scaletrains Yes, Thanks. The gentleman I spoke with was very helpful and spoke as if we had been friends for some time. I received the replacement part a couple days later along with a couple spares. Thank you again for the outstanding products and service department. Ken

Thank you for watching, Tolga. We appreciate those kind words. -Drayton

Thanks for watching, Carroll. We appreciate your kind remarks and we're glad you enjoyed it. -Drayton

The process would be the same for tooling like MTH's. Thanks for watching. We're glad you enjoyed it. -Drayton

Thanks so much, Joe. We appreciate the kudos. Shane

Thanks for those kind words, Tang Fish. We appreciate you watching our video. -Drayton

Thank you so much for recognizing the commentary and kudos, Jim. I did not use a teleprompter or memorize lines. Other than the few voiceovers, the live segments were "off the cuff". As the leader of a small company, I work closely with our Product Development team and factory. I am truly blessed to do what I love and lead an incredibly talented team. Shane

We haven’t gotten that far yet, but be on the lookout for those products in the future. -Drayton

Thanks for watching, Rob! -Drayton

Thank you very much! We're glad you enjoyed it. -Drayton

Thank you for your support, Juri! -Drayton

Hey Robert, thanks so much for tuning in. -Drayton

Thanks for watching. We may offer models in the future that will fit your era, including steam. -Drayton

Thank you, Tuck! -Drayton

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Thanks for that, George. We're glad you enjoyed the video! -Drayton

You're welcome, Jeff. Thanks so much for recognizing our efforts to build the best model trains we possibly can. Shane

Thank you for those kind words, Theodore. We appreciate your support. -Drayton

Thank you! -Drayton

Thanks for watching, Scotabot!

Thanks so much for watching, Ron! We love your channel. Keep up the great work! -Drayton

Thanks for watching! -Drayton

Get Athearn lol

WHAT? The only issue with MTH was the electronics......their Steamers set a new industry standard.....which is Why ScaleTrains purchased the tooling.

@@Denniss7420 ScaleTrains can go out of business, trash company Shane should of stayed with Athearn

@@kyleftw1679 No Bud....there's a Reason why Employees jumped off the Athearn Ship as they were cutting far too many corners which allowed others to gain marketshare - Scaletrains, Rapido, Tangent etc.

Wow Kyle. That's a harsh comment. What have we done to make you feel so bitter about our company. Hopefully, we can address your concern. Shane

Right on! Thank you for those kind words. -Drayton

Thanks for watching. We appreciate your support. -Drayton

Thanks for watching, warcube91. We appreciate your viewership! -Drayton

It's called low wages.

We're glad you enjoyed the video. After we ship a few runs of DASH-9s, offering the AC4400CW would be a natural progression for the tooling. Shane

@@Scaletrains Please offer some Mexican Roads like FERROMEX and FERROSUR to your AC4400CW's and also ES44's Please! In Rivet Counter!

Glad you enjoyed it! -Drayton

Thanks so much for watching. -Drayton

Thanks for watching, Ed. Savannah is a great place. -Drayton

Thank you so much for those kind words, Greg. We really appreciate it. -Drayton

Thank you, Thomas. -Drayton

Thanks for watching! -Drayton

Thanks for watching. We're glad you enjoyed it. -Drayton

We meet a lot of interesting people on our social media, Lorenza. Hearing from someone who helped create Lionel Trains is special. Thanks for sharing. Shane

Glad you like them! Thanks so much for watching. -Drayton

@@Scaletrains your welcome :)

Thanks so much for watching and for those kind remarks. -Drayton

The tooling for a Rivet Counter HO freight car can approach $100K. Depending on the number of variations, an HO diesel is between $150K to $300K. When the next batch of SD40-2 is completed later this year, we'll have spent over $700K. This does not include research materials, travel to document a project, Design, Engineering, etc. Considering the low quantities produced, this is a sizeable spend and risk. Shane

@@Scaletrains Thank you. Impressive sums of money; your funders will recognise the commitment and competence at all levels, start to finish. I do love U.S. railroading; have a lot of good HO stuff myself. Travelled a little on a visit, 20 years ago . . . . gotta come back for more, much more!

We’re just south of Etowah. -Drayton

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching. -Drayton

Thank you! Cheers! -Drayton

Thank you for that. We appreciate your business! -Drayton

We would too James. Unfortunately, the economics do not make this feasible. Shane

Many thanks! -Drayton

@Dennis Wilson Truth. However. Seems these days Mom and Pop companies doing the CNC work could gradually bring elements of manufacturing home. We’re making some pretty complicated machined metal components to art related furniture we’re trying to market. We’re trying to build it entirely from US supplied material and manufactured here in the US. These guys seem to have quite an established and productive relationship with their partners in China. And that’s great. But the Chinese Communist government still benefits from what we buy from China and the work we have done there. We buy the weapons they menace the world with.

Manufacturing model trains in the U.S. is not economically possible for three reasons. 1. there is no factory producing super detailed locomotives and freight cars currently; 2. there is no supply chain (parts suppliers and subcontractors); and 3. products would cost as much as 3x more. We do not have several million dollars to spend for #1 and #2 and we do not think most American modelers would pay up to $1K for an HO Scale diesel locomotive. -Drayton

@@Scaletrains Thanks for the reply.

@@Scaletrains providing material support to the enemy. You realize you helped to materially support the development of the hypersonic missile system that's aimed at us now, right?

Thank you so much for that kind remark, Nicolas. -Drayton

Thanks so much! -Drayton

Thank you for that comment and your support, Mr. Lewis. That means a lot to us. -Drayton

Thank you so much for the compliment and for watching. -Drayton

Thanks so much for your viewership. -Drayton

Thanks so much for watching! -Drayton

Glad you think so! Thanks for watching. -Drayton

Thank you for the nice comment, LSV! Have a great day. -Drayton

There are three reasons we do not make model trains in the US. 1. There is no factory currently in the United States that produces super detailed locomotives and freight cars. 2. There is no supply chain. 3. The cost would increase up to 3x. We do not have several million dollars to spend on starting a new factory and supply chain plus we do not believe modelers would be willing spend up to 3x more than today's prices. Shane

Thanks so much for watching! -Drayton

Thanks so much. You're right... making model trains is a lot of work. Shane

I can't wait for their N D9's and especially their Multimax's, finally manufacturers have a legitimate competition! ST is awesome!!

@@AbelG8781 yeah ill be getting a few of their autoracks for sure. I need to get another NS d9 bc ive been getting way to many t4s lately. need to switch it up

@@neooooo6127 I'll wait for the T3's to come in N scale, something about those T4's doesnt appeal to me, at least the prototype not the model, I'm sure I'd end up buying one if I saw the model in person lol