I have set up a business with a long term aim of doing a rapido but that is long term as costs per loco of molds are about £250,000 each.
I cannot see wagons being a whole lot cheaper.
Have you tried taking out a business loan lately?
Trust me it's something I've been looking at but it's not as easy as people seem to think to raise thousands of pounds just for one initial wagon.
Locomotives are easier as DJM would tell you but even that is hard work!
I don't think anyone looks on it as something that would support a family, more as a project to be self financing to produce more of the same and in time improve on the quality etc.
For me it's the unusual prototypes that I like to see, something different that no one else would have. To that extent I am drawn towards the 0-8-0 and jack shaft drive diesels.
Shane