4 All-New Locomotives; Live Feed From the Railroad Hobby Show

[ai5629]

Finally a correct NS crap 9.  Albeit only in the rivet version.

I am no expert when it comes to modern power, as my only interest is to know what is passing in front of me when I railfan the NS ex Conrail Pittsburgh Line.  But I thought NS never purchased a true Dash 9 44 CW (C44-9W).  All of NS’s current Dash 9 44 CW’s were built as Dash 9 40 CW’s (C40-9W).  I read in a Withers’ NS Locomotive Guide that the Dash 9 40 CW’s were upgraded to Dash 9 44 CW specifications and reclassified as such.  I do not have the book in front of me, but I believed it involved only internal tinkering.  Therefore, will this model truly be correct for NS?  I have no idea what the differences between a Dash 9 44 CW and a Dash 9 40 CW are, so it may or may not be significant.  I will say that the Dash 9 40 CW is the definative NS locomotive.  They own over 1000 of them, and it is impossible to watch NS and not see one.  I am curious what the diehard NS modelers think.  Thank you.

Jeff

[Mark5]

They are correct, but will run it by Robbman.

Mark

[sundowner]

NS -9 are true -9, the only difference is a switch that changes the HP from 4000 to 4400. Now CSX got some funky -9 in that they are -9 mechanically but in a -8 body and trucks.

[ai5629]

Is this the same model that Kato makes (C44-9W)?  I recall modelers complaining when they painted it NS since it was not correct for NS (C44-9W vs C40-9W).  Or maybe I am completely confused.  Again, I am no modern power expert, and I am recalling what I thought I read online somewhere.  Thanks.

Jeff

[ljudice]

Is this the same model that Kato makes (C44-9W)?  I recall modelers complaining when they painted it NS since it was not correct for NS (C44-9W vs C40-9W).  Or maybe I am completely confused.  Again, I am no modern power expert, and I am recalling what I thought I read online somewhere.  Thanks.

Jeff

NS's units initially had their fuel systems deigned to deliver only 4000 hp, overridden by  a road foreman with a key.  They are all C44's now.

I think Kato was bashed for not doing the cab mounted high headlight.

[jagged ben]

I think they are counting the Operator and Rivet Counter models as two separate items, even though they are the same prototype.

That's kinda lame and disappointing.

I'll have some decisions to make.  Like, whether to get H1 in operator or wait until the Rivet Counter version comes.

Why is the H1 walkway red? Pretty sure the protos were orange or green.

[Smike]

Dash 9's  would cost me and a lot of other people a lot of money. With IM on the sidelines with their future offering at the moment, this is still the biggest loco by volume missing in N scale at the moment.

Was I the only one?   Well this is going to cost me a lot....

[mu26aeh]

Was I the only one?   Well this is going to cost me a lot....

You can have mine, as this won't cost me a dime

[pedro]

Why is the H1 walkway red? Pretty sure the protos were orange or green.

The first H1 order had red walkways because someone forgot to change the spec from the last war bonnet order. Or so the story goes.

[pedro]

The first H1 order had red walkways because someone forgot to change the spec from the last war bonnet order. Or so the story goes.

*Should have said the first H1 deliveries. Not sure if it was the whole order or not.

[Smike]

They own over 1000 of them, and it is impossible to watch NS and not see one.  I am curious what the diehard NS modelers think.  Thank you.

Jeff

Welcome for sure, I wish they came out with the older NS paint scheme as there is still a ton of them that have yet to be repainted. (I'm sure that is going to be part of the next release)

I think the only difference between the 9 44 and 9 40's was the power output (body, trucks etc... all the same).  Here is the text from ST:

"NS was an important customer with over 1,000 Dash-9s on the roster.  They preferred customized models in the form of 100 spartan-cab equipped, 4,000hp C40-9s (nicknamed “Top Hats”) and numerous examples of safety cab-equipped versions rated at 4,000hp, and designated as C40-9Ws.  All C40-9/Ws would eventually be uprated to 4,400hp with their designations changed accordingly.  "

So I'm guessing when they do the second run of NS with the old paint scheme they will call it  C40-9/W

[SSW7771]

Too bad they did not release these in SP, I would have ordered atleast 3 today. Good thing I did not bite on the IM version.

[delamaize]

Well, My wallet is safe...

[Doug W]

Well, My wallet is safe...

And mine!

[kiwi_bnsf]

I'm in for some serious #WalletPain with this announcement. Dash 9s are a staple by my era of 1999.

One of the reasons I chose my era was that lots of new power was being introduced, but the BNSF Dash 9s and UP SD70Ms had not yet displaced all the interesting variety of SD40/SD40-2/SD40T-2/SD40M-2/SD45/GP50/GP60/GP60M/B30-7A/C30-7A from mainline trains. By 2005 things were looking a lot more boring, and today's even more uniform GEVO era is even less appealing to me.

I think this is a smart move from Scale Trains, and they will sell.

No doubt people will complain that this is unnecessary duplication of a model already available in N, but Kato has left the door open for this duplication to happen. I don't think it's a coincidence that Scale Trains have chosen the paint schemes for the initial run carefully relative to what Kato have done previously. The Kato NS model is completely wrong, and the Kato last did the 600 series Warbonnets in the late 90s with older tooling (solid number boards, no under frame detail, incorrect rear sand filler). The BNSF models are also a new number series, and the UP models include never done before paint schemes.

This announcement would also seem a smarter move than doing the N scale SD40-2, as the market is still flooded with the recent Intermountain releases, and they are easily going to beat the Intermountain Dash 9 to market.

Of course it is possible to achieve an accurate Dash 9 using the existing Kato models, but it requires a lot of work if you care about details like cab profiles, windows, porches, steps, handrails, ditch lights, rear sand fillers, long hood radiator grills, etc etc. Plus this release has a built-in Loksound option, which saves me a lot of money and effort converting Kato models.


The tooling gives them lots of options, and I would hope for Rivet Counter versions in BNSF Warbonnet, BNSF Heritage I, SP, SP Bandits, CNW and CNW bandits.

They also have a lot of the tooling work done for an AC4400CW, so I can continue to dream of an accurate SP AC4400CW in N…

Cheers