Good Grief!!! Really???

[Super]

I have always wanted one of these Iron Dynamite Wagons that were exclusive to the Trackmaster/Gullane/Mattel release of the Hidaway Luke train. To my knowledge there was no other release of this covered wagon in any form by any of the makers. I was always attracted by the shape of the wagon and those large, working doors on the end but attaining one has always eluded me for some reason until now. But Good Grief...Really??? This thing is strongly snapped together and would prove very difficult to get apart. Although overall this unit has quality plastic and solidly built they Struck Out for the final at bat.

First, I wanted to swap the white couplings for black. You would think that to be easy right? No way, the best I could do was to be able to pry, with much difficulty, the rear one open just a bit where I could have replaced the white coupling but whats the use if I can't get into the front hook easily to replace that....Good Grief!...Strike One!

Then I wanted to replace those cheap wheels with the holes in them with the better Tomy ones but......what the heck, I thought that in 2011 everything was still made the original way. This thing has one piece, plastic, wheel and axles built together so I can't replace them plus I don't think I could even if they had metal axles because I can't easily get it apart...Good Grief!...Strike Two!.

And finally....what the heck were they thinking @!^%&$* You only put an Explosive Placard Sticker on one side? ^$!#+@# You couldn't put one more lousy sticker on the other side? Would that have been so hard?....Good Grief!...Strike Three...You Are Out!

Its still a great looking car but they bumbled and lost the ball game in extra innings.

[ripley802]

I had one of these I recently sold off when downsizing.

Good grief, a lesson on where saving money is NOT a good idea, I mean a few screws, some metal axles and an extra sticker. How much would that add to the build cost of a mass produced model like this? 10 cents a unit maybe? Probably a lot less knowing Chinese production.

This is how a product line is ruined by stupid accountants who figure saving a couple of cents a unit is good business. Latest example is the 2017 mini-Thomas loco's, first thing I noticed when I got my first one out of a blind bag was just how light it was, can't be half of what the previous ones were which even still expensive at least because of the weight had a feel of quality about them. These new ones feel like something you get in a christmas cracker or something, closer examination you notice even the bodies don't always fit 100% - probably due to shrinkage or twisting of the bodywork I guess.

Shame as I think this will kill what was a very popular line which must have been making FP millions... Greedy whatsits

I thought I was a cheap person, buying the 20+ year old models at the hobby shop, running on little money… But FP is just acting like they're poor yet they're millionaires. Why?