Sd45-2'

[wm3798]

Maybe they adopted Athearn's painting method...


Lee

[Mark5]

personally I'd wait to see production models. :

while I love to give sh*t to manufacturers for obvious goofs, I understand the need for compromise. as has been previously stated some of these "odd ball" locos might not have come to market at all. the implication (unverified) being that the market for these models is smaller, hence the pricing reflects this. the pricing could also reflect the capitalization of IM as compared to some of their competitors.

on the other hand, the f units are more reasonably priced, and I have a handful which I am very satisfied with (I'll be even more happy when they supply my corrected F7B shell ...).

I now return you to the feeding frenzy - already in progress.

[Robbman]

Message deleted

[John]

The photos on Atlas are odd: it almost looks like a hand-built and painted prototype.  The handrails look like they are melting, the paint looks far too thick (especially the yellow and blue), but the shell itself looks crisp.  The engine doors look like you can open them.

The guy that posted the pics claims they are in his "shop" which implies he is a dealer ..so that would make that a production piece .. I will wait on an additional set of pictures from someone else ..

[CVSNE]

The photos on Atlas are odd: it almost looks like a hand-built and painted prototype.  The handrails look like they are melting, the paint looks far too thick (especially the yellow and blue), but the shell itself looks crisp.  The engine doors look like you can open them.

The guy that posted the pics claims they are in his "shop" which implies he is a dealer ..so that would make that a production piece .. I will wait on an additional set of pictures from someone else ..

The model in the pictures on the Atlas forum are most certainly of a production model.

Why they chose to use the large fuel tank is beyond me (other than my guess that someone at IRC thinks "big fuel tank" = SD45-2). I blame Erik W . .  . come on out and take your medicine like a man Erik.

Marty

[Mark5]

if these shadows remain unchanged I guess someone deserves a flogging then.

[wm3798]

Get an X-acto knife and a paint brush and fix yours the way you like it.  Unfortunately, the great unwashed masses really don't give a hoot and a holler, and the manufacturers know this.

Sheesh, we just had a 6 page thread ridiculing the RTR mentality of Model Railroaders, yet here we are, demanding the silver spoon be held to our lips so we may enjoy the warm broth of store bought perfection.

Get over yourselves, and be a perfectionist on your own dime.

Lee

[Mark5]

Sheesh, we just had a 6 page thread ridiculing the RTR mentality of Model Railroaders, yet here we are, demanding the silver spoon be held to our lips so we may enjoy the warm broth of store bought perfection.

Ouch. 

[Robbman]

Message deleted

[wm3798]

I don't have deep pockets, and one of these engines is not even on my radar screen.  And I confess, I gleefully run F units with incorrect numbers (no decals available to fix them) and a GP 40 that in some people's minds might as well be a Briggs and Stratton lawn mower.  They look good pulling trains around my layout, which is where I like to concentrate my detailing efforts.

To me value comes from what I can do with a model, not what's done for me half a world away.  If I needed and SD45-2, I'd wait until the street market determined the "real" price, and buy it then.  I agree that pre-ordering from some manufacturers is never a good idea, but when you pre order, typically you're paying top dollar, aren't you?

I think it's valid that glaring errors be pointed out, but I remember a time when instead of beating our chests and wailing, we would write an article about how to fix it.

Surely there is enough skill on this board to address all of the supposed flaws of this model.

Lee

[Ryan87]

Sheesh, we just had a 6 page thread ridiculing the RTR mentality of Model Railroaders, yet here we are, demanding the silver spoon be held to our lips so we may enjoy the warm broth of store bought perfection.

Surely there is enough skill on this board to address all of the supposed flaws of this model.

Lee, Why did you buy the Intermountain F units? you could of just fixed up the Bachman ones, (I'm sure you have enough skill to fix the supposed flaws of that model )

All Kidding aside, the problem I'm having with this model is the tooling it's self. (paint can be fixed) It is a major step backwards, the cab and short hood look like something Life Like would have tooled in the 1980's (not to mention the "Skating Rink Walkways")

Now I understand that Intermountain is trying to do "Prototype Specific" models but when the detail is done so poorly what's the point.

[Robbman]

Message deleted

[wm3798]

For the record, I had a half dozen of the Bachmann Spectrum F's.  They got sold off as soon as the Intermountains were announced.  I pushed them as far as they could go visually, but operationally I couldn't get them to agree with any decoders.  Pulled way too many amps with their iffy motor and way too tight drive train.

The photos can be misleading.  I would withhold judgement (and money) until I could see it personally.  At that point I can decide what I can and can't live without.  Another fact that gets lost in all this powlabbering is that when placed at a typical viewing distance on a layout, are the problems still offensive?  I'll grant you that the EL style fuel tank is a no brainer, but can you really see tread plate detail when viewed from anywhere but through a Macro lense?  And if it is difficult to see, doesn't it stand to reason that the one set of photos we've seen may not have picked it up?

I think some of you guys spend too much time laying on the floor with your engines right next to your faces, probably pushing them back and forth and making "vroom vroom" sounds...

Lee

[John]

So .. start with an Atlas SD50 frame, and throw the rest away?

[3rdrail]

I think some of you guys spend too much time laying on the floor with your engines right next to your faces, probably pushing them back and forth and making "vroom vroom" sounds...

Lee

Us old timers prefer to go "choo-choo, choo-choo".  ;D ;D ;D