Hi duckdogger, well that may come true, however unless the local hobby shops have sales thay will close like so many have already. Believe me it is a hardship on a modeler when he has to obtain everything by postal delivery and at todays cost of mailing it cuts into the savings when buying online. I've bought on ebay got some real bargains and I've got a few duds in the bargain also. I figure with the moves by Athearn and LifeLike, that now there is an opening (niche) for someone to produce an acceptable model loco in kit form. Just an opinionWhen sales lag enough, maybe they will come down off the mountain to we real people