Intermountain New release with ESU

[CRR Chase]

I was at Amherst this weekend and saw where Intermountain is re-releasing their F units with ESU decoders. I assume this means sound and of course multifunction lights/sounds.. the gentleman said to look for tese by summer. I also asked him about the SD45-2's since my railroad uses them and he said they were going to be re-released within the year using the ESU boards also.. So this is exciting, just thought i would pass it along.   

[reinhardtjh]

I was at Amherst this weekend and saw where Intermountain is re-releasing their F units with ESU decoders. I assume this means sound and of course multifunction lights/sounds.. the gentleman said to look for tese by summer. I also asked him about the SD45-2's since my railroad uses them and he said they were going to be re-released within the year using the ESU boards also.. So this is exciting, just thought i would pass it along.   

I have had the IM F7's in PRR pre ordered since before 2015.  They were one of the first after the SD40-2 to be coming out with ESU LokSound (4) decoders.  They almost made it but the ESU decoder delayed them.  Then the factory closed and they have been "awaiting production" ever since.  Hopefully they will actually make it this time, but I have filled my F7 needs with Kato units since then.  Since the ESU boards they were originally re-designed for back in 2015 no longer exist it will be interesting to see what they use this time.

[djconway]

Wake me up if they ever get here.

[CRR Chase]

They are quite the TEASE when it comes to releasing engines.. This was from the reps mouth,, so we shall see.. I was impressed with the light board on the F unit.

[thomasjmdavis]

On their webpage, the F7s are marked as "queued for production", which is better than "confirmed for production", but not as good as "in production."  So, if they bump to "in production" sooner rather than later, they might show up by the end of the year?

[mu26aeh]

I'll believe anything coming from IMRC when it's actually sitting on the counter at Mainline and I'm ringing a customer up for it.  I can't even get an email response regarding availability of undecorated hoppers.  Nothing via their FB post about attending Amherst when I asked about the 3281 cement hoppers.  Many people blasting them in the comments on various 5-7 years projects with little to no updates

[GM50 4164]

Here are some photos of the Intermountain F7 chassis re-tooled for the ESU decoder. Separate headlight, Mars/Gryo light, number boards and ditch light functions. There is also a rear light!

[reinhardtjh]

Here are some photos of the Intermountain F7 chassis re-tooled for the ESU decoder. Separate headlight, Mars/Gryo light, number boards and ditch light functions. There is also a rear light!

@GM50 4164  Could you tell what kind of ESU decoder it was made for?  Nano?  Or Atlas/IM OEM?  Or something else?

[High Hood]

I'll believe anything coming from IMRC when it's actually sitting on the counter at Mainline and I'm ringing a customer up for it.  I can't even get an email response regarding availability of undecorated hoppers.  Nothing via their FB post about attending Amherst when I asked about the 3281 cement hoppers.  Many people blasting them in the comments on various 5-7 years projects with little to no updates

If only Intermountain would be more transparent as to what’s really going on. Maybe every year they could say “Okay guys here’s why X was delayed yet another year, and here’s what we are doing to try and get this produced.”

[C855B]

I've already composed (and deleted) two rants about how IM does things. I think they're crippling the hobby at this point by declaring a stake in certain models which in turn discourages other manufacturers from producing, and then delivering next to nothing, including cancelling offerings made while the market was interested. Supposed IM models I ordered five years ago are still "taking reservations". Bah. They'll never happen.

Helluva business model.

[mu26aeh]

I've already composed (and deleted) two rants about how IM does things. I think they're crippling the hobby at this point by declaring a stake in certain models which in turn discourages other manufacturers from producing, and then delivering next to nothing, including cancelling offerings made while the market was interested. Supposed IM models I ordered five years ago are still "taking reservations". Bah. They'll never happen.

Helluva business model.

I agree with this to a point, but perhaps this is starting to change.  Look at the SD45's coming from Atlas.  It seems to me that in N scale, the manufacturers stayed away from each other if someone else had a certain locomotive or freight (for the most part).  Kato had the SD40/-2/45 etc, everyone left them alone.  Then IMRC did the SD40-2, Bachmann did the 45.  Now Atlas stepping up with their own SD45 even after having the 50 and 60 already in their lineup.  ScaleTrains stepped in and did their lineup while other manufacturers had the same models.  I think the mindset is changing, if someone has the means to design and tool something up, and can make money on it, they're going to do it, hell with the other guys.

[GM50 4164]

@GM50 4164  Could you tell what kind of ESU decoder it was made for?  Nano?  Or Atlas/IM OEM?  Or something else?

John I believe that is a Next18 socket. I feel like the Micro would work here but unsure and the guys at Intermountain weren't very forthcoming with the info.

[C855B]

John I believe that is a Next18 socket. I feel like the Micro would work here but unsure and the guys at Intermountain weren't very forthcoming with the info.

Looks like a 21MTC to me - you wouldn't see the solder pads like that on a Next18. Those are ostensibly HO decoders that will fit within a full-width N scale cab unit. I have a handful of each in recent power on my layout.

[altohorn25]

I'll believe they're producing this locomotive when I have it in my hot little hand.......

Not holding my breath; I've been burned too many times by this company with pre-orders over the years........really pisses me off........

[Maletrain]

I agree with C855B that announcing things and then not producing them is detrimental to the industry and hobby as a whole.

Probably the worst offender in HO is Spring Mills, which has been advertising B&O cabooses forever, without delivering any.  At Springfield last weekend, they still had a banner display up on their booth that showed pictures of B&O I-1a, I-2, I-3 and I-5 cabooses, with "Arriving [something crossed-out/obliteratied] and "2017 written-in by hand"!!!

At this point, it seems to mean "If you want any of these, start scratch building them."

They have not only become a sore-point joke, they are used as the prime example of why we should be wary of pre-ordering anything from anybody else.  And InterMountain is the same sort of example in N scale, these days.