Next FVM Gevo's are here.

[flight2000]

I wasn't interested in GEVO's until the idea of a Rock Island heritage unit came up, so I don't know if this has been reported before, but do the grab irons come prepainted in the appropriate colors?

Yes, the BNSF versions had the appropriate yellow, orange, or black coloring.

Brian

[ednadolski]

I wasn't interested in GEVO's until the idea of a Rock Island heritage unit came up, so I don't know if this has been reported before, but do the grab irons come prepainted in the appropriate colors?

Yes, the BNSF versions had the appropriate yellow, orange, or black coloring.

Brian

Sunshades also match the cab, and the windshield wipers are unpainted stainless steel.

[asarge]

I will say that FVM's Gevo's have the smoothest walking creep I've seen in a loco. I also wish all loco's had the DCC install difficulty that these have, 0.0!!

[asarge]

My Iowa Interstate 511 has now run on the shop layout for about 24 hours total. We did dd a drop of lube and it has quited down quite a bit. Running quality is rock steady! Even some HO modellers are dropping their jaws. Kato may be hard pressed to match up.

[davidone]

All grabs, windshield wipers and cab shades are pre-painted in the locos colors. I have 3 BNSF units and love them. Now waiting on 2 UP and 2 BNSF swoosh units. I will install the cab shades and the windshied wipers but most likely i will not install the grabs, my hands are just not that steady anymore. Btw the plug in dcc should be the norm in N scale.

Dave

[ednadolski]

All grabs, windshield wipers and cab shades are pre-painted in the locos colors. I have 3 BNSF units and love them. Now waiting on 2 UP and 2 BNSF swoosh units. I will install the cab shades and the windshied wipers but most likely i will not install the grabs, my hands are just not that steady anymore. Btw the plug in dcc should be the norm in N scale.

Dave

I don't think the grabs should be any harder.  If you can drill for the shades/wipers, it's not any different to drill for the grabs.  Just take your time and use a light touch.

The FVM Gevos come with dimples to mark where the holes should be drilled.  These are a huge improvement over cast-on grabirons which have to be shaved off and touched up with paint.   I gently press a sharply pointed awl into the dimple, to make a dent that helps keep the drill bit from wandering off the mark.

When drilling with the pin vise, I try to brace my hands and the model as best I can, so steadiness is not too much of an issue.  I also recommend good lighting and magnification.  Still, a #80 bit is only 0.0135" diameter, so it's normal to break one from time to time.   If you've never done this before, it's a good idea to practice a bit on a scrap shell.

HTH,

Ed

[Hyperion]

I got my Ferromex unit from Chuck the other day, finally got around to really taking a look at it last night.  And this would perhaps be a bit of an overstatement, but I've got to say that I really think that this unit may be about the single most revolutionary (perhaps evolutionary might be better) locomotive model we've seen in N-Scale in a very long time.

The separate grabs and the dimples -- absolute genius. After seeing this unit no one should every put molded grabs onto a locomotive ever again.  The lack of grossly-oversized molded grabs makes all the other details appear so much finer and you truly don't even notice that they're not there.  Mal-proportioned grabs are so much more obvious than missing ones.  I'm not saying that every manufacturer should put the dimples (though I don't see why not) and don't expect seperately painted and bent grabs included (but it's welcome); but, without a doubt, there's no excuse for putting those grabs there any longer, it makes the unit simply look a million times better, whether you want to apply the grabs or not.  I think FVM has proved that quite well.

The fact that you can install a decoder without even removing the locomotive shell.  All you've got to do is pop off the top of the flared radiator (super easy) and you have access to the decoder plug (albeit a bit tight with the rear LED in the way) Have we ever seen that in any locomotive in N-scale?  Certainly not that I've seen.  Is that even prevalent in HO scale for that matter?  Now that is "plug-n-play".  It was literally easier and quicker to install a decoder in this unit than it is to change the AA batteries in a remote control.

The painting and printing is absolutely perfect.  Not "really good with caveats."  Opacity is spot on.  The printing carries over the panels perfectly.  The warning labels everywhere are amazing and really, along with the lack of oversized grabs, really make this unit transcend a lot of the N-scale barriers in regards to suspension of disbelief.  This is the first N-scale locomotive that I have ever wanted to run straight out of the box and felt good that I would not regret it one second.  The fact that there's all these separate details is just gravy.

I often get discouraged with what is, in my opinion, a much greater difficulty of making N-scale models appear as realistic as larger scale ones (no offense to the work of anyone here).  Or even the fact that something as simple as working ditchlights can be a total PIA to do in N-scale or even decoder installations that are never truly plug-n-play and can require a lot of time just simply getting a unit apart (and if the unit is detailed/weathered it absolutely sucks).  I get so turned off when I think about how much time I have to put into a single locomotive or car to make it look as good as I want (and have a fair % chance of screwing it up), I know I'll never be able to achieve the final results I want to achieve on a larger layout-sized scale and I don't do anything for months and months at least.  But when you are presented with a starting point like this FVM loco though, it's a whole new ball-game.  This really is very refreshing.

Maybe it's just me.  And, it's quite likely that, like I said, I'm overstating it.  But if more companies adopt FVM's strategy (and since they're virtually all using the same supplier, I don't see why not) I feel better about modeling in this scale than I have in a long time.

The only thing I'm not liking right now is that they did an EVO instead of an ACe.  I would buy a fleet of the things if they were EMDs, but instead we got Kato's version which was extremely underwhelming before, particularly in regards to the things that FVM did so superbly (Kato's ACe just looks wrong due to oversized details and the paint/printing is only okay).  All I can do is hold out hope that FVM does well enough against Kato's EVOs that they decide to take them on with an ACe too.  But FVM's desire to stay rather close to the prototype might scare them off as the ACes have more than a fair bit of variation.

[ljudice]

Whewww!!!! I'll have what he's having!!!   ;D


I'll have to wait to have my GEVO orgasm until the KCS units arrive. The ones I've seen are awfully nice, though not as smooth as anything from Kato - though a lot better than Atlas. I definitely agree on the grabs and the DCC plug - though I don't use DCC. BTW - a lot of Euro models have a similar plug system.

What I'd like to know is how on earth Matt gets such a masterpiece out of the same factory (really???) that produces the recent crappy Atlas C40-8W's????  Indeed, these GEVO's make me more nervous than ever about Atlas, who don't seem to be able to do anything on time or with the quality we used to expect from them.

But seriously, I'd put these in my list of acceptable locos - along with Kato six axles and most Atlas 4 axles....  What Matt needs to do next is NOT a SD70ACE - Kato's are fine - he needs to do SD40-2's before Intermountain goes and ruins this market segment for the next 10 years.

Lou

[asarge]

Not to dish Kato but I gotta disagree Lou, the FVM are as smooth and even smoother at low speed than Kato's. Don't think you'll have to worry about an FVM SD70ACE.

[Hyperion]

I'll have to wait to have my GEVO orgasm until the KCS units arrive. The ones I've seen are awfully nice, though not as smooth as anything from Kato - though a lot better than Atlas. I definitely agree on the grabs and the DCC plug - though I don't use DCC. BTW - a lot of Euro models have a similar plug system.

It's not just the DCC plug, it's the fact that the plug is fully-accessible even with the shell still on the thing.  With the complete pain that newer locomotives often have with getting the shells off (and this FVM is no different), the ability to toss in a decoder in literally less than 60 seconds is pretty damned impressive and MUCH needed.

As far as the smoothness goes, I'll have to disagree on that one.  My unit has not been broken in at all and straight out of the box it ran so smooth that on step 1 (of 128) it crawled along at a barely perceptible speed with no jerk at all.  It is, without a doubt, the slowest and smoothest locomotive I've got by a very wide margin and I own just about everything post-1970 (era) from Kato and Atlas.  Now if only I could get my MP15s, which need to run that well, to run that well.

[Atlanticflier]

But seriously, I'd put these in my list of acceptable locos - along with Kato six axles and most Atlas 4 axles....  What Matt needs to do next is NOT a SD70ACE - Kato's are fine - he needs to do SD40-2's before Intermountain goes and ruins this market segment for the next 10 years.

Lou

RIGHT ON! - I Hope that Matt reads this and that he is already ahead of us. SD-40-2's - hundreds of schemes, lots of variations = lots, lots, of sales....

[sundowner]

 But FVM's desire to stay rather close to the prototype might scare them off as the ACes have more than a fair bit of variation.

Its a nice unit but the Ferromex and IAS units are foobs. It missing the extra vent for the dynamic brakes among other thing. So FVM desire is to make as closed to proto as long as you model early UP, BNSF and CP GEVOS.

[Chulvis]

 But FVM's desire to stay rather close to the prototype might scare them off as the ACes have more than a fair bit of variation.

Its a nice unit but the Ferromex and IAS units are foobs. It missing the extra vent for the dynamic brakes among other thing. So FVM desire is to make as closed to proto as long as you model early UP, BNSF and CP GEVOS.

The definition of FOOB is Failure out of the Box. I hardly find that to be the case with these models. Bang on 100% prototype? No, but I give them a lot more credit than calling them a FOOB because that is just not the case. They exceed many peoples expectations in many ways, especially when you consider this is a new manufacturer to the locomotive market. If you are willing to call this model a failure than I have to assume that you have little or no power/rolling stock on your layout because 99% of everything being produced has some sort of flaw when compared to the actual prototype. Perfection is just about not possible when you are trying to appeal to the masses and that is true across the board with every single N Scale manufacturer out there.

Sometimes close enough is just fine for everyone. Most people are willing to forgive something as small as a vent if the paint scheme looks like the pictures they see. I don't know what road you model or if it even has GEVO's (probably not) but am just curious as to why you feel like you need to crap all over everyone's good time? People are happy with their purchases, why can't you just let it be?

[Kev1340]

But seriously, I'd put these in my list of acceptable locos - along with Kato six axles and most Atlas 4 axles....  What Matt needs to do next is NOT a SD70ACE - Kato's are fine - he needs to do SD40-2's before Intermountain goes and ruins this market segment for the next 10 years.

Lou

RIGHT ON! - I Hope that Matt reads this and that he is already ahead of us. SD-40-2's - hundreds of schemes, lots of variations = lots, lots, of sales....

Amen to that brothers - I'm ready to pre-order at least 6 paint schemes (and multiples of) right now - and damn the economy  ;D

[asarge]

Its a nice unit but the Ferromex and IAS units are foobs. It missing the extra vent for the dynamic brakes among other thing. So FVM desire is to make as closed to proto as long as you model early UP, BNSF and CP GEVOS

You can call it what you want, but it won;t affect the rest of the truth. These loco's run extremely well right out of the box. Have the easiest DCC conversion in the hobby, the printing is extremely well done and the overall detail is excellent. FVM hasa winner right out of the gate. Even if it isn;t 100& accurate to your liking, neither will the competition's. Nor will the loose use of the term affect sales at all.

The Iowa Interstate fans arer a pretty fanatical bunch with their own very active yahoo group and fan website. The N scalers there are very happy with their units.

I hope your Kato's are every bit as well received.