Trains.com Insider Interview | Jason Shron, the ever-enthusiastic founder and CEO of Rapido Trains Inc., returns to chat with David Popp about the shifting landscape of the model railroad industry. Jason provides a candid look at how tariffs are impacting preorders and production planning, and why the company is currently “swallowing” a portion of those costs to keep modelers on track.
The conversation goes full steam ahead with updates on Rapido’s Buffalo, N.Y., warehouse expansion, including plans for a local model train club. Then, get an exclusive look at the insane detailing on the new product offerings, including ALCO/MLW C-424 and C-425 units, GE U33C with its unique louvers, and the “uncirculated” surprise tucked into VIA Rail Canada F40PH-2D boxes. Stick around for a whirlwind warehouse tour featuring real bus engines, vintage train seats, and locomotive horns galore!
This may not be a popular suggestion. It’s my understanding that the tariffs’ intention is to encourage manufacturers to bring manufacturing back to the United States and at least reduce the outflow of money to China (“the pre-orders are down”, seems to indicate this may be happening, which has it’s own set of problems).
I also understand the lead time and logstics of something like this is not small. Thus, waiting it out may be the right strategy. However, I’d really like to hear one or more of these manufacturers at least discuss the possibility of bringing manufacturing to the US. I’m not interested in the financial reasons they can’t, won’t or other, but I’d like to hear some actually discuss what they have investigated as possibilities.
When I see the videos of design, prototyping, and even manufacturing of RR items in China, I can’t help but wonder about some of the cost savings. If it’s a scale of operations problem, could multiple manufacturers get together and create a similar “shared” manufacturing service here?
I’m not trying to be critical, just wondering.
Am I correct that very models in the small scale like HO or On30 lack crew members? Can’t anyone make an engineer in HO or On30. I realize Z and N scale often have the cabs blocked off as the motor takes up that space. Jason’s passenger car is beautiful, but anyone’s railroad running the car isn’t making any money as there are no passengers. At least in large scale, we have crews. Now if Rapido would just come out with some G scale pieces.
Cheers,
Jeff Damerst