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

[EspeeGoldenState]

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.

I was kinda of perplexed by that as well, considering all UP units are SP repaints. I'm probably going to get a 9594 and debating on the 9646.

I wonder if they will do NS primer units, they ran around for a few years like that. Also the older and newer style OLI units for NS.

One could also hope for BNSF 4723 (MSTS logo) and BNSF 4449 to throw behind  their Kato SP 4449 for the 2000 BNSF Employee Special.

A plethora possibilities for this announcement.

Chris

[sundowner]

It looks like from the model description that they will be a standard cab for the NS fans.
Also the UP rivet counter has one small visible error, the door in front of the cab has a window and UP units do not have.

[Mark5]

It looks like from the model description that they will be a standard cab for the NS fans.

I would probably have to buy one if they do.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I think the spartan cab -9 was an HO only model.

[James Costello]

The Scaletrains website lists the following features for the N Rivet Counter range, including a spartan cab:

Rivet Counter DASH 9-44CW Locomotives Also Feature

Fully-assembled
Up to six (6) different road numbers
Printed and LED lighted number boards
Operating deck or pilot-mounted LED ditch lights
Five (5) cabs
“Gullwing” with three (3) side windows
“Gullwing” with four (4) side window
Standard safety cab with low headlight
Standard safety cab with high headlight
Spartan cab with high headlight (C40-9)
Four (4) step or five (5) step stepwells
Narrow or wide profile end handrails
Dayton Phoenix (DPG) Model 280620 or Motive Equipment (MEI) ME7000 HVAC Units
Early or late (“tri-fold” power assembly access doors) engine cab profile
Early flanged or late non-flanged exhaust stack housing
Low or high rear sand filler
GE “nub” pattern walkway tread
Accurately profiled frame with separately applied plumbing and cabling
Factory-applied detail parts: wire grab irons, snowplow, trainline hoses, 3-hose MU clusters, MU cable, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, mirrors, sunshades, air tanks, fuel tank mounted bell, brake wheel, exhaust stack, and more
Nose door with window
Detailed cab interior with floor, rear wall, seats, and controls
Tinted cab side windows
“Bathtub” exhaust silencer
5,000 gallon fuel tank
GE Hi-Ad trucks with separately applied brake cylinders and air plumbing
Semi-scale Type E knuckle couplers – Micro-Trains compatible
Body mounted coupler box – accepts Micro-Trains 1015/1016 type couplers
Motor with 5-pole skew wound armature
Dual flywheels
All-wheel drive
All-wheel electrical pick-up
Directional LED headlights
Printing and lettering legible under magnification
Operates on Code 55 and 80 rail
Durable packaging safely stores model
Minimum Radius: 9 ¾”
Recommended Radius: 11”

I do wonder whether the MTL compatible coupler box is another improvement....

[sundowner]

The thing about this loco anouncement is that it could be bad for my wallet. I am probably going to replaces my two UP Kato -9 with the four ST rivet counter locos. Now with this mech I could see ST also doing the AC44 and ES44 and that where it will get expensive for me since I also would replace all my Kato AC and ES specially if they do all the different flavors that UP has. At least Kato has decent resell value.

[ridinshotgun]

The Scaletrains website lists the following features for the N Rivet Counter range, including a spartan cab:

I do wonder whether the MTL compatible coupler box is another improvement....

I hope it is more compatible than their previously compatible box on the carbon black hoppers.

[tehachapifan]

That's quite the list of bells and whistles! Curious if the later BNSF 9-44CW's will also include the varying sized long hood door grills below the radiator section.

[Smike]

I might be missing something, but since they list the 5 cab styles, one being the 'spartan cab', is that coming out with the 1st run? I only see they mention it under the features, but nothing of cab styles listed in any of the road number specific detail sections.  @scaletrains

[Peter Amling]

At first I was excited, and then disappointed.

When I got the email fro ST, I only saw the rivet counter line and was disappointed they didn't do CNW in their first run. Then after reading this thread, I see they are doing it, but in the Operator line. Pass.

I'll wait and see what they do for a second run, and take another look at IM.

[drgw12]

This is great! I can't wait! Kato hardly ever runs theirs! Scaletrains in one run has matched the same number of BNSF Heratige 2 road numbers as Kato has done in the last 10+ years! Bnsf has around 1,000 Dash 9's in Heratige 2 and Kato has done 6.

Not to mention that for Norfolk Southern, who also has over 1,000 copies, Kato just won't run NS Dash 9's because of the cab headlight. I mean come on, Kato has how many hand rail, step, numberboard, window, cab configurations but won't do a cab headlight for NS.

I love how Kato's locomotives run but am very tired of being onsied twosied on road numbers all the freeking time. I am very glad to see multiple manufactures finally cracking the "N Scale only needs one" attitude. I know HO is more popular but look at how many manufactures have done the SD40-2 at different price points and detail levels. When Intermountain did their SD40-2 then BLI there was a lot of grumbling about it and how N Scale can't support it. But we need it to promote competition! Let Kato do their special paint schemes and fancy passenger sets, but for the guys that need more than 2 road numbers every 5 years, let's get anyone willing involved!

Thanks Scaletrains!

Ok off my soap box. Thanks for your time.

[kiwi_bnsf]

So I’ve been obsessing over the new ScaleTrains Super Toasters, and the pre-production photos look really good.

The only quibble I have is that they don't seem to have tooled the earlier style trucks that were used on ATSF 600-650 (and they've done these correctly in H0), but by my era of 1999 they were already randomly swapping trucks at overhaul.


Here is a comparison of the Scale Trains with Kato (obviously a different phase of Dash 9, but I'm being favourable to Kato as their 700-series models have the modern subframe and lighted numberboards)…



To me, the top photo looks like H0 (don't worry its not an H0 stand-in), and the lower one looks like N.

I never imagined that this level of detail would be available in mass produced N scale models. I think we have a great future of more prototypical models to look forward to if this is the new standard.

Scale Trains have also covered all the bases as their Operator series even caters to those who don't want to pay for this level of detail.

[wazzou]

The Scale Trains units do look amazing with the level of detail that previously you'd only expect in larger scales.
I don't think @ednadolski would even need to address the handrails on these.

[Mark5]

Yes, they even got the step variations.

[Smike]

The Scale Trains units do look amazing with the level of detail that previously you'd only expect in larger scales.
I don't think @ednadolski would even need to address the handrails on these.

Speaking of which,  I did a shot comparison between the ST handrails and a unit with custom handrails I did a while back (inspired by Ed  ) More or less equal.

I also installed the Next18 decoder, and it’s about the smoothest running engine I have in the fleet. Kato is no longer the leader in this category. 

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