Open Question to Manufacturers

[Missaberoad]

I won't even suggust that a manufacturer make a Soo Line caboose, it seems like every one was unique... 

[pjm20]

Arise proletariat!!! Take back from the Pennsy bourgeoisie!! 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Man, every time anyone talks about the Bowser N5c, it just makes me mad. It's bad, and it's bad in ways that aren't easy to fix (like the cupola height). It really feels like Bowser just phoned it in on them.

At least the straight N5s can be made to look nice with some work, but there's no easy fix for "the bunker" up top on the N5C.

[pjm20]

Man, every time anyone talks about the Bowser N5c, it just makes me mad. It's bad, and it's bad in ways that aren't easy to fix (like the cupola height). It really feels like Bowser just phoned it in on them.

At least the straight N5s can be made to look nice with some work, but there's no easy fix for "the bunker" up top on the N5C.

Could you explain more? I didn't know they were that bad.

[Rich_S]

Man, every time anyone talks about the Bowser N5c, it just makes me mad. It's bad, and it's bad in ways that aren't easy to fix (like the cupola height). It really feels like Bowser just phoned it in on them.

At least the straight N5s can be made to look nice with some work, but there's no easy fix for "the bunker" up top on the N5C.

Ed, I'm not singling you out but seriously, do you also get upset about your other pieces of rolling stock and engines? Do all of your boxcars have the correct doors, end sheets? Are the plows on your locomotives between 3 and 6 inches from the top of the rail heads? Correct vents and louvers? Is your track complete with tie plates correct number of spikes, fish bars with correct number of bolts? Seriously were do you draw the line? Maybe it's just me, but the Bowser N5c looks close enough to the prototype to be called a N5c. If all you have is a U25B and want to model a U28B what do you do? I don't know anyone at Bowser personally, but if corners were cut, it was probably to help cut costs. We all have to draw the line someplace, just like the Micro-Trains Penn Central bay window caboose that is actually a Southern Pacific prototype, it's good enough until a better model comes along.  I think the older I get the more I believe in the 10 foot rule 

 

At this point I'd settle for a 3d printed wabash style streamlined cupola that would fit the Atlas cupola caboose.

Jeff C

I second that motion. A person on another list was considering adding a Wabash style streamlined cupola to his Shapeways projects. To date I've not seen it yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. 

[sirenwerks]

IMO, this type of caboose is better suited for Shapeways production.  I would be up for a short handful of GN X1-30 series if someone goes that route, and a couple Burlington NE12.

[dougnelson]

At least the straight N5s can be made to look nice with some work, but there's no easy fix for "the bunker" up top on the N5C.

I agree with Ed.  At the risk of pissing off all others by complaining about the RTR that we have, the N5c was disaapointing - especially since their HO version looked quite good.  Porthole windows also appear to be a bit too large.  the N5 is better, and I trust that anyone doing new cars today would do a better job.

[Dave V]

I guess I never looked closely enough at the N5C to notice.





So please help me understand what I'm supposed to be offended by...  I did switch the location of the smoke jack relative to the cupola windows.

[sirenwerks]

Oh, here it goes, the SPFs take over another thread about a non-Pennsy topic... 

[Denver Road Doug]

Aaaand, we're seeing here why making a Pennsy model isn't fair...   ...to the manufacturers.   

Seriously, it's this way with every single Pennsy model.  As if *other* roads get PERFECT models of all of their fleet.     

[Dave V]

Aaaand, we're seeing here why making a Pennsy model isn't fair...   ...to the manufacturers.   

Seriously, it's this way with every single Pennsy model.  As if *other* roads get PERFECT models of all of their fleet.     

Oh, here it goes, the SPFs take over another thread about a non-Pennsy topic... 

Hi, welcome to the Railwire!  Have you been here before?   

Seriously, though, the Railwire has a disproportionately high number of Pennsy modelers relative to other forums.  It is what it is.  Obviously we're going to advocate for our road.  I can't argue equally for your roads because I have neither the knowledge nor the desire to do so.

[CodyO]

Never really noticed problems with the N5c  looks fine to me and ill still use the ones I have.
 5 foot rule is a great thing. Sure those highly detailed pieces of rolling stock are nice, but there easily lost in my 16'X30" staging yard and when they come up to roam the layout.
but different strokes for different folks.

[victor miranda]

Hi, welcome to the Railwire!  Have you been here before?   

is this thread long enough now that I can ask for the PRR E6?

[Dave V]

is this thread long enough now that I can ask for the PRR E6?

Yes, but it has not yet crossed the K4 threshold...   

[VonRyan]

Good thing my N5c is brass. 


In all honesty, some more prototypically accurate cabooses would be a good thing.

Even if you aren't a proto-modeler, the two things that generally stand out about a road are it's engines and it's cabooses, and you usually want models of both to be correct rather than just slapping paint on any ol' model.