Looks like they finally pulled the plug on the AC forum. Later RJD
It looks like nothing is connected. We’ll have to wait to see if they are indeed gone, or just late paying the bill.
Greg
I received an email from Scott Polk announcing his having received one of two shipments of track and switches. While stock numbers were listed, no prices were noted. Might this email announcement method be a replacement for a web site?
Wendell
Not at all.
Scott has no connection (other than Lewis is his uncle) with Aristo, or what is left of it, Crest-Electronics… Lewis still owns Crest-Electronics, Navin still works for Lewis, Jonathan still maintains (maintained) the Aristo Craft forum.
Scott owns (at least partially) Polks GeneratioNext, and is dealing with the Chinese himself. Lewis has no part of it.
To Scott’s credit, he is suffering the wrath of the Chinese manufacturer by being forced to buy a ton of stuff that Lewis had manufactured and never paid for.
That’s the most salient parts of the story. The Aristo forum had many people asking about Scott, which must not have helped.
Scott has tradtiionally sent emails about product arrival, and he has a web site and he has a facebook page. His web site is NOT the Aristo forum nor the Crest-Electronics.com site.
Greg
Final death throws for Aristo Craft. Lets let that dead dog lie.
Wendell Hanks said:
I received an email from Scott Polk announcing his having received one of two shipments of track and switches. While stock numbers were listed, no prices were noted. Might this email announcement method be a replacement for a web site?
Wendell
Someone posted on the one of the G scale Facebook pages a list of the track part numbers and the prices. I don’t recall what the exact price was, but it seemed pretty steep, but than again I haven’t bought code 332 brass or SS in 10+ years.
I have the email announcement from Scott:
Hi Everyone,
Finally, 1 of 2 containers of track has shipped. This first container has track, ties and joiners on it. The next container will have all the switches and the rest of the SS track. The list is below and these items are on the website too. www.polksgenerationext.com
GXT11350
RERAILER TRACK
$29.00
GXT11900
JOINERS(12PACK)BRASS
$12.00
GXT20035
SS RAIL 8FT (12pcs)
$605.00
GXT20199
SS RAIL JOINERS (12)
$12.00
GXT20199B
SS RAIL JOINERS BULK (48pcs)
$39.00
GXT30030
USA 1’ BRASS STRAIGHT TRACK
$181.50
GXT30033B
USA 1FT STRAIGHT TRACK TIE(48)
$95.00
GXT30060
USA 2’ BRASS STRAIGHT TRACK
$361.00
GXT30090
USA 3’ STRAIGHT TRACK
$546.00
GXT30122
USA BRASS CURVE TRACK 12.5’ (16PCS)
$599.00
GXT30130
USA CURVE TRACK 16.5 DIAM
$798.00
GXT30195
USA 60" STRAIGHT TRACK
$870.00
Greg,
I would really like to support Scott, but at those prices it will be real hard to justify. His price on 60 inch straights is right at $14.50 per foot (assuming 60 feet in the box - I can’t remember if it was 50 or 60). And I just priced tie strip and got a price at close to half that. The club has almost exclusively Aristo track, but again it is hard to justify those prices.
Combine that with the reality that more folks are going to battery power and aluminum rail, eliminating the need for the more expensive brass or stainless steel rail. Less maintenance and cleaning, and no requirement for electrical conductivity, and it is not difficult to see where that path leads.
I hope in the future Scott will be able to get his pricing more in line with other folks.
Bob C.
They are awfully high. Get some AML track from Robby and save a lot. It seems that Scott is still being held hostage.
Bob, you are right 12 pieces per box / 60 foot on the 5’ straights.
Not really sure that more people are going battery though, I know when I started DCC was deemed “impossible” outside, and now there are a number of people doing it. The users that want more features, sounds, smoke, more lighted cars are going that way too.
In any case I wish Scott well, but I would have a hard time with those prices. I still have 4 boxes of 5’ stainless, maybe I should insure them ha ha!
Greg
Good Lord! When stainless first came out, back on 03 or 04, I bought 4 cases of 5 ft straight stainless for $600.00 and change, and got the fifth box for “free.” How times have changed. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-money-mouth.gif)(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)That works out to $158/case. (I found the record (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif))
Yep and those prices are for brass(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-yell.gif) Later RJD
Yea, maybe we should have our stainless steel track insured. I have some Aristo stainless track still in storage in my barn, if I ever decide to expand. I am glad I bought it when I did, because with the on and off availability of it, and the high price of it when it is available, I might have have to find a different hobby.
Greg,
I won’t argue the viability of, nor the growth in the DCC side of the hobby, but watching the progression of the R/C side of the hobby, why would anyone looking into long term life in the hobby not look to battery R/C. I am even seeing movement into battery R/C in O scale, and I am sure as the miniaturization of electronics continues it will trickle down to S and then HO. There are folks on another forum I haunt looking forward to the ability to go to battery R/C to eliminate the miles of wire and maintenance of track power.
I am by no means a battery fanatic, I only have one loco converter, but am looking in that direction for the future. The ability to take that loco to ANY location and run makes it very attractive to ME. And I don’t believe I am the only person with that mind set. Is battery perfect, certainly not. It has it’s flaws and drawbacks just like any other power source. Goes back to ‘givens’ and ‘druthers’.
I also believe the increased cost of all items in our scale is going to make folks, especially newcomers, to do a soul search and look much more at a long term decision for their circumstances. Personally, had I known ‘then’ what I know ‘now’, I would have gone battery in the beginning. Flexibility it offers is too great to ignore.
Opinions vary, this is mine…
I agree that people entering the hobby should consider battery R/C but they should also consider all the alternatives.
There’s pro’s and con’s for each method, but it depends on what the user wants.
While track is expensive, so are batteries and chargers. Each person has to determine their priorities.
So I save a few bucks on aluminum vs. ss track, but I spend more on batteries, chargers, and a system that does not do what I want.
Sure the increased cost of items makes people look at alternatives, right now the cheapest way is track power, and people have even done it successfully on aluminum.
Brass track can have jumpers soldered, and that’s probably the best and cheapest way for track power, and if you really look at costs, that will be the cheapest solution that I think is practical, although aluminum has been made to work on track power.
As soon as you leave the cost is everything and start talking “it’s too much work to do the electrical”, then you are setting personal priorities and everyone’s are different.
Greg
IMHO, the only people who should consider batter/RC ARE newbies. If you have more than a few locos, the cost of eqiupping them and then not running most of them, seems like a lot of expense for very little utility. Maybe I just have too much equipment, but I’d rather spend my RR money on couplers, metal wheels, additional buildings, more lights, die cast cars, etc.
Well, ya do what toot’s yer whistle. Whatever makes your putter flutter, as Johnny Carson said, once. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
Steve Featherkile said:
Well, ya do what toot’s yer whistle.
Steve said: toot’s !
I’m telling
Have to say we have the worlds fastest thread drift… RJ mentions the Aristo forum is down, we jump to Scott Polk and track and now we are embroiled in the good old track vs. battery power.
How 'bout those Mets?
Greg
Greg Elmassian said:
Have to say we have the worlds fastest thread drift… RJ mentions the Aristo forum is down, we jump to Scott Polk and track and now we are embroiled in the good old track vs. battery power.
How 'bout those Mets?
Greg
Wait’ll next year.(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)