N Scale Gevo's Coming

[Chris333]

If this was an upcoming Hip Hop album it would already be leaked and showing up at the file sharing sites.  :

The surprising thing is no one spilling the beans yet.

[ljudice]

PWRS also flatly denies it is them. I am pretty sure it is not BLMA...

Not Kato's advertising style...

BLI - why would they do it in N before HO?

Which leaves Atlas...   

[TrainCat2]

Did anyone say that it is an injection plastic shell?

[POVC]

Well, since everyone else has chimed in with their 2-cents worth, I might as well add mine too...

First, this type of advertising just isn't Atlas or Kato's style, so I don't see it being them...

Intermountain is probably out too, they have too many locomotives in development already with the F-series (FP-9 announced, F-9 yet to do), the cab forward, and the SD40-2W (and likely follow-on SD40-2)...

I'd have said Athearn since they have the Tower 55 tooling, but TrainCat has ruled them out...

I just don't see Bachmann, MRC, or Model Power doing them...

Which leaves somebody new...

I can't see BLMA doing it as some have proposed; Craig's first freight car hasn't hit the street yet and this seems to be too much of a jump to me (although I will note that Craig hasn't commented in this thread yet...).

Some have proposed that it may be PWRS; do they even have the capability?  Have they even produced any cars from their own tooling?  I'm only aware of their special runs, most poduced for them by Intermountain.  I guess they'd be my 3rd choice...

I'd put BLI as my second choice; they have the capability, but it would be a change from their previous business model that focussed on pre-orders.

My "out of left field" guess for who I think might be doing these is Fox Valley Models; they seem to be doing very well in the N-scale freight car business, Matt indicated in when I talked to him at the various conventions that he'd like to eventually due locomotives if the freight cars did well and he certainly has the contacts from his time at Intermountain, and finally because Kirk Reddie (who publishes N-Scale Railroading) writes the N Horizons column in The N-Scale Collector magazine, and he his last column said "Matt says he's working on additional products and to stay tuned for the next big thing this summer.  Well, the GEVO would definately be a "big thing" and I think FVM could pull it off!

Tim

[ljudice]

Tim, interesting thoughts - btw - a PWRS rep has flatly stated it's not them...

I wouldn't have thought Atlas would do this but...

   - it's the same graphics style atlas has used before in magazine ads
   - they did not kill the discussion on their forum, despite breaking their rules
   - there has been a LOT of discussion over the past two years on the HO forum
      about Atlas doing a "GEVO" - far more than on the "N" forum. With Kato
      doing the only other modern platform (SD70ACE/M-2) why wouldn't Atlas
      do the other?
    - there is "groundbreaking" technology needed to do this in the sense
      of the MANY variations in this prototype.
   - Anyone close to the project is going to NOT be talking so Charlie Vlk
      must NOT be involved - strike BLI...

I would think the out of the blue possibility is BLMA, but I believe they said they were announcing a line of very sophisticated signals this year - didn't they. Could they do both?

I'm probably wrong, but I am nearly 100% sure it's Atlas.

[POVC]

It could be Atlas I guess...it is their 60th Anniversary and they HAVEN'T announced any new locomotive tooling yet this year....

As far as "ground breaking technology", could this be Atlas' first N-scale locomotive with sound?

Tim

[John]

PWRS did tool the Saskatchewan car under the NARC label ..

[ljudice]

Look, it's not going to be one of these one person companies... (and believe me, I have huge admiration for them for what they do).  Remember, FVM was on here recently talking about the decisions and thought process to do the ribs on the end of a boxcar. Are they going to have the bandwidth to do a locomotive of this complexity??

Remember, at the very least there needs to be a service capability - unless it's outsourced. You are going to need electrical designs - and for a high end model probably some sort of DCC or sound capability. I bet for locomotives there is some sort of UL or other safety issue and liability concerns.

And also remember money is tight - so it's going to be a big company.

Maybe BLI,  possibly Kato has a new ad agency and went with a crazy idea - or Atlas.

[POVC]

Look, it's not going to be one of these one person companies... (and believe me, I have huge admiration for them for what they do).  Remember, FVM was on here recently talking about the decisions and thought process to do the ribs on the end of a boxcar. Are they going to have the bandwidth to do a locomotive of this complexity??

Remember, at the very least there needs to be a service capability - unless it's outsourced. You are going to need electrical designs - and for a high end model probably some sort of DCC or sound capability. I bet for locomotives there is some sort of UL or other safety issue and liability concerns.

And also remember money is tight - so it's going to be a big company.

Maybe BLI,  possibly Kato has a new ad agency and went with a crazy idea - or Atlas.

Actually, I think FVM could do a locomotive of this complexity...although I would expect them to outsource the work to China (as they have with their freight cars).

But you do have a point about funding; I'm told tooling for a freight car can run $100K=$150K, depending on complexity, and locomotive tooling can run in excess of $250K; not exactly chump change in this tight credit market.

Well, in any case I'm guess we'll know in less than 36 hours, since the NSC Convention starts tomorrow and a lot of announcements are made at the Swap-O-Rama on Thursday (18th) (and if not then at the Manufacturers Breakfast on Sunday morning.

Tim

[ljudice]

Wouldn't it be a major laugh riot if it turned out to be Kato?

[nscalesteve]

Wouldn't it be a major laugh riot if it turned out to be Kato?

I'm going with Kato...


(the two AC4400CW are drawings from the Kato boxes)

...the more I compare the drawings (or what ever I can see on Chucks picture), look the couplers, my guess is Kato !

[Chris333]

What if a some guy with money to burn, just placed the ad for fun 

[Sokramiketes]

Wouldn't it be a major laugh riot if it turned out to be Kato?

I'm going with Kato...


(the two AC4400CW are drawings from the Kato boxes)

...the more I compare the drawings (or what ever I can see on Chucks picture), look the couplers, my guess is Kato !

Couplers don't match the ad...

This is like the best secret of the year!   

[nscalesteve]

Couplers don't match the ad...

do you have the ad in front of you ? could you post a proper scan ? I don't have my NSR yet...  :-\
(...but I do hope you're wrong)

[Robbman]

SKibbe knows who it is... as do I.