Is Aster actually "Made in Japan"? I cannont say, I've never seen one up close. As far as small production runs, seems that both Cheddar and Roundhouse are able to do it. There are a few more to be sure. Never say it's impossible..... a labor of love, perhaps but even that could get you somewhere. Food for thought, you just never know.......
>From: Jeffrey Williams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Re: Imported steam - can the US compete? >Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 20:15:32 -0700 > >Wasn't ASTER a manufacturer of mechanical calculators who switched >to live steam locos after electronic calculators took over their >market? In the US, Marchant Calculators Inc. couldn't figure out >what to do with their capability to manufacture lots of very small >precision moving parts and assemblies so made a different choice - >they went out of business. > >Ask Mike ("Cricket") O’Rourke about the trials and tribulations of >manufacturing locos in the US. This was a labor of love, not >profit, or even break-even. > >Several of us are building John Barrett coal-fired Atlantic kits >from the UK. Mr. Barrett is having production problems because one >of his employees passed away and another has health problems >associated with advanced age. This is not an indication of vigorous >capitalism at its finest. This is an example of some dedicated >craftsmen who do what they do for love, not money. > >When you spend your $4000 at Accucraft for a China-built D&RGW K-27 >locomotive, I'll guess that $3000 of that stays in the US, either in >import duties, taxes, salaries of American employees or profits. >When you spend $7000 for an ASTER locomotive I'll guess that a whole >lot less than $3000 stays in the US. Accucraft is US owned, their >locomotives are US designed, mostly US developed, mostly US >marketed, mostly US retailed and mostly US serviced. That probably >isn't true of ASTER. > >My Toyota was designed in Toyota's California design studio (Toyota >doesn't sell most US models in Japan), built in Lexington, Kentucky >by United Auto Workers from a mixture of US, Canadian and Japanese >manufactured parts. Did I buy an imported car? > >The only way to beat low-labor-cost manufacturers is to maximize >automation and minimize labor costs so that shipping costs and >delays from overseas negate the labor cost competitiveness of >imports. Check out the "imported" tires on your car. The "French" >Michelins on my "Japanese" Toyota are made in the US, just like the >car. The reason that this works is that tires and cars have a very >high production quantity, low profit per cubic foot and low profit >per pound and the manufacture of which can be significantly >automated. The problem with live steam locomotives in this context >is that they are inherently low production quantity and are high >cost per volume and high cost per pound, so the shipping cost >advantage is significantly reduced. > >So here's the dream/fantasy: Paperless CAD design, computer >simulation for development (see Mike Martin's www.panyo.com), 3-D >photolithography to check assembly, look, fit and feel, automatic >electronic translation of CAD drawings to tool paths on machine >tools: Numerically Controlled (NC) lathe, NC milling machine, NC >precision grinder, NC laser cutter, NC sheet metal punch and NC >sheet metal forming tools. Inert gas or vacuum furnace brazing, >instead of torch to make boilers. Capital investment of a couple >million bucks required. Then of course, you still need real (paid >in Dollars) people to paint, assemble, test, decal, package, ship >the product. Now the really difficult question: Can you do it with >200 unit-sized production runs and not go broke? Clearly ASTER is >able to do it. The Japanese worker makes pretty a large fraction of >the salary of a US worker. > >Is it possible for a US manufacturer to compete with foreign >manufacturers of live-steam locomotives? "Maybe" is my answer. I >applaud anyone with a lot of capital and nerve who will try it and >above all, anyone who will regard it as a labor of love, not profit. > >================ > > >Gary wrote: >>Speaking of buying American, I have Chevy and Dodge van, but since >>our kids >>have graduated from college we are looking over roadsters and most >>are >>imports that catch our eye. Trains, hmmm, let's see, I buy from >>American >>hobby shops, but most is made in Germany, Japan, China or >>Switzerland. This >>is a tough hobby to buy American unless we buy a custom made item. >>I don't >>think any track is made here other than Sunset Valley >>http://www.svrronline.com/ and Laagas Creek >>http://www.llagastrack.com/. I >>didn't want aluminum and I discovered Sunset Valley after I had >>laid my >>track. H & R Trains track is French I believe and far more >>expensive than >>Aristo Craft's China made rail. If LGB can manufacture in Germany >>and >>compete world wide, why can't we in the USA? >> >>If anyone has a list of actually made in good ol USA garden train >>products, >>I would be interested in keeping that list handy. >> >>Speaking of smoking . . . I don't, but club members have suggested >>when I >>move to have a trestle fire. Some want to watch the trestle burn >>and others >>want me to sell or give away bents. I expect a fire would require >>fire >>permits and a pumper truck with engine idling otherwise I would >>burn down >>two or more trees. >> >>Steaming & Sparking over Terror Trestle in Eugene, Oregon ~ Gary >>http://www.angelfire.com/or/trainguy >>http://community.webshots.com/user/raltzenthor >> >> > >
