Your Santa Wishlist to Manufacturers for 2018

[Nick Lorusso]

I’d like to see Kato come out with a mountain when when the release the Lark.

[dougnelson]

And....
Micro Trains Line Pullman heavyweight buffet lounge solarium.

[Doug W]

They did...

http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/67850/B&M%20SJ-1%204228A-1558-1572-1569-1514-4268A%20E.Dfld.%203'22'70.jpg
http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/46010/00%20RR%204228a.jpg

Clinchfield had 6 F5As and 4 F5Bs. One of the B units later became famous Haysi RR #1. Here are some photos of the two stars (800 and 1).....

800 as delivered (showing the vents): http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-11-15/3264.crr-800-marbleton-1971.jpg
800 in 70s fan trip service (and the scheme I want): http://www.railpictures.net/photo/10754/
800 on the Santa train last month (also showing the vents): http://www.railpictures.net/photo/639069/
Haysi #1: http://www.railpictures.net/photo/448295/
And again: http://www.railpictures.net/photo/452557/

[coosvalley]

Any Shapeways person:
GP60 phase 1 cab and nose in HD black acrylate to go on a Fox GP60.  So I can make both EMD demo GP60 and the CSX units.

Is FUD OK?..I have no affiliation, I just saw these while browsing..

https://www.shapeways.com/product/RWDFJXDWW/n-gp60-demo-cab-nose-asbuilt-4-pack?optionId=64078790&li=marketplace

https://www.shapeways.com/product/L4F6BY7ED/n-gp60-demo-cab-nose-csx-4-pack?optionId=64078793&li=marketplace

[u18b]

FUD might work, but it is pretty brittle.

I think the black acrylate might be better.

[Pathtimber]

My wish list is short

Trinity 57' spine cars (for double 28' trailers)
Any 53' well car that hasn't been made (think ribbed sided)
20 and 40' containers in brown schemes like Tex, Triton, Florens, Beacon etc
Auto racks with the modern enclosed ends and smooth small panels in place of the corrugated ones.

Chris

[soo]

RS27
MP15AC
Bulkhead flats like the HO mdc model, specially for earlier era modelers
C424/425
Modular SD 40-2 bodies so B units can be made.
Wyatt

[muktown128]

A little late, but I'd like to see..

More PRR steam...
BLI PRR I1s 2-10-0
BLI PRR J1 2-10-4
BLI PRR H9/H10 2-8-0

BLI PRR P70's

I have plenty of N5 and N5c cabin cars, but could use some...
Bowser PRR N8 cabin cars

Scott

[nkalanaga]

"Micro Trains Line Pullman heavyweight buffet lounge solarium. "

I don't need one, as Amtrak didn't use them in Montana, but it should sell well.  I'm sure there were a lot more of those during the steel heavyweight era than open platform obs...

[Chris333]

I wish manufacturers would stop putting factory DCC in locomotives.

[Point353]

I wish manufacturers would stop putting factory DCC in locomotives.

Same for the speaker, as in some of the latest (DC) releases from Atlas.

[Rossford Yard]

I wish manufacturers would stop putting factory DCC in locomotives.

Not to Grinch it all up here, but I doubt that is gonna happen.

The long term trend of MRR is ready to run, and too few prefer to switch out to some fancier decoder.
As to sound, even the Today Show had a bit about trains (yes, mostly Lionel around the Xmas tree) but noted that mfgs. are finding that high tech sells. 

Makes sense, if the general theory that the MRR community isn't growing, then selling to existing customers means upgrades.  And, selling even to youth means higher tech to keep trains somewhere close to video games in the Millennial and Millennial +1 minds.......In short, it seems high tech is the best cash cow they have, and they are gonna milk it.  Just MHO, no real stats to back it up.

[brokemoto]

I wish manufacturers would stop putting factory DCC in locomotives.

+1

[reinhardtjh]

I wish manufacturers would stop putting factory DCC in locomotives.

How about we amend this to "I wish manufacturers would stop putting only factory DCC in locomotives." and leave it possible for choices to be made.  I like IM's policy of DC, DCC and DCC sound.  It lets you choose the level you want.  It's probably more expensive in the long run since that means more options, more labor involved.

I would add that if you want the manufacturers to offer only non-DCC then that's not going to happen, as Jeff (Rossford Yard) says. 

[jmlaboda]

And....
Micro Trains Line Pullman heavyweight buffet lounge solarium.

I don't need one, as Amtrak didn't use them in Montana, but it should sell well.  I'm sure there were a lot more of those during the steel heavyweight era than open platform obs...

For Montana you would need something more like this... (the orange and green should be all that is needed to justify one... B ))



But, no, solarium cars did not outnumber the open-platform observation cars... in fact quite a few were rebuilt from open-platform cars (the Hill car is one of the rare examples of being built this way).

800 as delivered (showing the vents): http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-11-15/3264.crr-800-marbleton-1971.jpg

In "as delivered" paint but the altered side panels was purely CRR, done when they upgraded the unit to F9-specs.  Really love the idea that the 800 has been returned to its original paint... but I had my repaint first...