Are any Manufature reps on here?

[C855B]

No they have to make new trucks, the U50C has two 3 axle trucks

ST would use the existing trucks from their GTEL8500. That's where GE got theirs for the 1:1 U50C.

As to the U50 and C855... and the Veranda turbine as well... that's where ST screwed up by doing a full-width chassis. I suspect somebody in Tennessee is kicking themselves over that decision.

[kiwi_bnsf]

I’m not hopeful that any other manufacturer will make an SD45-2 in N scale with the threat of Intermountain eventually shipping some hanging over them.

I resigned myself to acquiring donor IMRC shells / locos on eBay and then converting them to Kato chassis…

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=55139.0

I’d be happy if Scale Trains wanted to obsolete these though!

[lock4244]

I’m not hopeful that any other manufacturer will make an SD45-2 in N scale with the threat of Intermountain eventually shipping some hanging over them.

I resigned myself to acquiring donor IMRC shells / locos on eBay and the converting them to Kato chassis…

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=55139.0

I’d be happy if Scale Trains wanted to obsolete these though!

Kato’s chassis is too fat.

I should have read to the end of the thread, lol.

I discovered to my delight a week or two ago that we have a working bench grinder at work. I intend to grind a Kato mid-production chassis to fit inside the IM SD40-2W shell, as from what I can see while attempting to stuff it into the IM shell there's only a small area in the middle that's an issue. The ends of the chassis fit into the shell with no apparent problem. When I get around to do this, hopefully over Christmas when we're slow, I'll report back for those interested.

[CBQ Fan]

ST would use the existing trucks from their GTEL8500. That's where GE got theirs for the 1:1 U50C.

As to the U50 and C855... and the Veranda turbine as well... that's where ST screwed up by doing a full-width chassis. I suspect somebody in Tennessee is kicking themselves over that decision.

But wouldn’t that give you three models with a new chassis that would sell about the same as current offerings?

[nkalanaga]

A "future run" from Intermountain?  I'm not holding my breath...

[C855B]

I’m not hopeful that any other manufacturer will make an SD45-2 in N scale with the threat of Intermountain eventually shipping some hanging over them.

A "future run" from Intermountain?  I'm not holding my breath...

Yeah. I said this last month, and it still applies:

MRR manufacturing is a tight-knit community and (almost) everybody knows everybody’s reputation. I can picture a “future products” meeting at one of the active manufacturers where somebody says, “But Intermountain is doing that particular variant…” and the entire meeting comes to a halt as everyone tries to catch their breath from the belly laughs. A standing joke, IOW.

[CRR Chase]

A "future run" from Intermountain?  I'm not holding my breath...


Yeah. I said this last month, and it still applies:

Thus the reason for my plea to other manufacturers.. Its tough in N scale.. lol.. I wish that there were a steady release of N stuff with the HO stuff that is released. example being Athearn. they have a beautiful HO model of the SD45-2.. if there were a way for them to scale it down to N.. I would be ecstatic.

I dont see IM releasing these, as theyve been announced for 13 years.

[thomasjmdavis]

What we need is a time machine.
Then we could go back 20-25 years, when there were local hobby shops that had Intermountain on the shelves, and if they didn't have what you were looking for, they called their distributor who pulled it from inventory. Likewise with Atlas, Kato, etc. At the very least, anything made in ATSF, PRR, or other big selling roads seemed available on demand, and when they were out of stock, the manufacturer scheduled another run to keep them on the shelves. I know it wasn't really THAT good, but I didn't have any problem acquiring IMRC rolling stock by the dozen, and if IMRC locos were not available, there were always Kato's on the shelves. Granted, I was modeling/collecting mostly ATSF, but even there, in the modern day, the last time IMRC ran a pre-1960 boxcar was over 4 years ago, and that after (IIRC) a six year wait. And then those were ONLY run in ATSF and Canadian roads and sold out in a matter of months.

Granted, I would still want to be able to return to the present periodically to pick up some of the better quality stuff that is available for 2 weeks here and there in the modern day. But I would do most of my shopping, as I did in real life, in the early part of this century.

[mu26aeh]

Even if they were on here, most would limit or block your ability to comment on such topics like they do on the book of faces. 

Of course, there are some reps and owners on here that are very active and open with discussion of their products and for that we should all be grateful

[CRR Chase]

I am grateful.

I am also a consumer, voicing what i would like to see, that is all. I dont think it is unreasonable for the consumer to assume, the "announced" engines from 13 years ago, may not ever show up... infact, its bad business in my opinion. 

IF A MANUFACTURER IS LOOKINNG TO MAKE A MOVE TO A NEW MODEL (The SD45-2) and CAN DO IT >>>> well here's a shot..

[C855B]

… I dont think it is unreasonable for the consumer to assume, the “announced" engines from 13 years ago, may not ever show up... infact, its bad business in my opinion.

Were you aware of Broadway Limited's notoriously-long gestation with their M1a? We heard about it for years, even through a company name change (I can’t recall the former name). Bad business? You betcha. But look at where they are today.

[CRR Chase]

No, I haven't, It isn't something Ive looked for, so it wasn't relative too me.

[learmoia]

Were you aware of Broadway Limited's notoriously-long gestation with their M1a? We heard about it for years, even through a company name change (I can’t recall the former name). Bad business? You betcha. But look at where they are today.

Precision Scale Models?

[C855B]

Precision Scale Models?

Ah! Bingo! Memory is the second thing to go, right? 

[spookshow]

Precision Scale Models?

Precision Craft Models, actually 



-Mark