Your Santa Wishlist to Manufacturers for 2018

[ryan_wilkerson]

The EMD demo GP60 cab and nose would be great!
I have a stock FVM GP60 (ATSF) shell and a GP60M mechanism with silver trucks set aside for this.
Serious light show too...beacon, cab light, full nose light package and class lights. Looks like it would take 5 functions just to light these.
Who can make this happen?

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.

[Rossford Yard]

Atlas 
U30B, U33B, U36B   one or all.Always wondered why these haven't been on the Atlas "knock off" list of using existing mechs and just tooling a new shell? Would have to be as easy as a GP-39 and probably more popular, no?

Intermountain 
U18B, 
GP16 that is ready and accurate for SBD Sytem/CSX.
An accurate late F3A (F7 with F3 dyn brake slots- they have all the mold parts- sometimes called an F5A, Pennsy, Clinchfield, SBD Sys and CSX all had them) and F7B painted for CSX in Bright Future, #116 and 117.

Kato
U33C, U36C Always wondered why these haven't been on the Kato "knock off" list of using existing mechs and just tooling a new shell? Would  probably be very popular, no? Although, I will say their C-30-7 was a big hit, and I would buy any unit with the flared radiators over one without. Not sure everyone is in the same boat.  We really need NSR, NS, or MR to do some kind of "era survey" for N scale to determine these things.

B&O Cincinattian set - Not a passenger fan, but having seen these run by my namesake Rossford Yard, would probably buy one for the shelves. Not sure these would be as popular as some of the B&O bigger name trains, though?

Little Joe  Passenger version (to pull the Olympian Hy) and freight.
CORRECT F40PH painted for CSX bright future (their Kobo guy chose the wrong road numbers  - I guess he doesn't know about F40PH phases)

Modern heavyweight cars with full roofs- for 50s- present.

Anybody make:
MP15AC (with the side grills) Agree, could be a relatively easy knock off, and would hope they would find a way to add weight or generally make it a better puller.

GP9 late with the big fans Actually, IM answered my Santa letter with the GP10, and I wouldn't want to get greedy.

A full an accurate CSX passenger train (hey, I can dream)


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.
GP15T shell to go with an Atlas GP15 walkway and chassis.  Agree, would be a relatively easy knock off, and popular, at least IMHO.

[thomasjmdavis]

....

Intermountain 
....
An accurate late F3A (F7 with F3 dyn brake slots- they have all the mold parts- sometimes called an F5A, Pennsy, Clinchfield, SBD Sys and CSX all had them) and F7B painted for CSX in Bright Future, #116 and 117.
.....

I thought they already had made one, just not necessarily in your preferred road names.  Apparently I was mistaken, but they did ANNOUNCE such years and years ago, at least in Erie, LV and Reading and perhaps a couple other roads. They have been "TBD" for a good part of the current millennium.
*I will admit that I am not absolutely sure where an F3 phase 3 leaves off becomes an "F5", but I figure if it has low fans, louvers, grills and slots in the roof instead of a fan for dynamics, it will be close enough for me because I can't see inside.
http://www.intermountain-railway.com/n/html/69147.htm
http://www.intermountain-railway.com/newsncomingsoon.html (scroll about 1/2 way down the page, toward the bottom of the F3 listings)

[u18b]

As for has IM ever announced or made a very late F3.... I could be wrong, but I don't think so.   If they did, I'd gladly by a Pennsy unit and strip it to make what I want.

As for CSX in general, your memory is partially correct.

What they announced a long time ago was a CSX pair- but it was the other pair (CSX had 2 pairs).
Intermontain announced the FP7A #118 and the F7B #119 in the old original blue and grey scheme.

This:  http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=604369

But they cancelled after low reservations. (they should have offered it in Bright Future scheme!)

And unless I'm mistaken, they've never offered a CSX pair since.

Here is a Pennsy example of the late  F3.  Notice the F3 dynamic brake slots (not an external fan):  https://i.pinimg.com/originals/81/70/d2/8170d27524073970a6e187c2c41a8e53.jpg

Roof shots are hard to come by, but here is one of the CSX #116.   The problem is the the Clinchfield unit was uprated in horsepower.  And so, on CSX rosters, it was always called an F7A.   But all CSX cared about was horsepower.  Railfans know the body is not an F7.

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/1/5/3/6153.1240720556.jpg

[jpwisc]

The EMD demo GP60 cab and nose would be great!
I have a stock FVM GP60 (ATSF) shell and a GP60M mechanism with silver trucks set aside for this.
Serious light show too...beacon, cab light, full nose light package and class lights. Looks like it would take 5 functions just to light these.
Who can make this happen?

I was thinking about building one of those just for the fun of it. I might be able to fit it in by fall of 2018.

[Bobster]

Greetings all,
As usual late to the party. 

I'll vote for the KATO 4 car Rock island Rocket, pulled by a TA.   Although I'm sure they already have the drawings I'd share mine from the May 1980 Model Railroader Magazine.  I'll bring it to the Charlotte NC show if they are there and present the drawings to them myself if it would help.

I too would like a Golden State.  I will try to hurry the process along and finish decal-ling and painting the hodgepodge of Atlas/Rivarossoi, Kato, and Centralia cars I already have to go with my Life Like Rock Island E-7's and E-8's.

Still hoping for a Wabash cars 650, 51, and 1601 to complete a Blue Bird.  Still hoping I won't have to buy a resin CBQ  dome and attack it with a dremel.   

I'm very slowly closing in on finishing a conversion of a Model Power Observation to a City of Wabash for my Cannon Ball.  I still think with PRR Queen Mary, NYC, Wabash, Conrail, and others still operating the cars they would actually sell.  Although not all have the open platform all 5 of the Wabash cars and the NYC/Conrail car still exist in various states of repair.  Although, if made, older Pullman "Queen names" decals might be more accurate than City of Wabash, just depends on if a 1920's or rebuilt to smooth sides version is made.

Then the likely hood of a Peoria and Eastern Bay window caboose is looking pretty hopeful.

Thank you for looking,
Bobster

[u18b]

The EMD demo GP60 cab and nose would be great!

Serious light show too...beacon, cab light, full nose light package and class lights. Looks like it would take 5 functions just to light these.
Who can make this happen?

You aren't kidding.
Here is my brass model.   It's one of my favorites.
I don't have the class lights lit, but this is still pretty good.
Have to admit, it was a bit scary drilling holes in an expensive brass model.

Oh wait.  Dang.  Wrong video.   

Here it is:

[Doug W]

Alco switchers: S-1, S-3 and  S-6,

Wolf

+1 for the S-1.

[Doug W]

Intermountain 

An accurate late F3A (F7 with F3 dyn brake slots- they have all the mold parts- sometimes called an F5A, Pennsy, Clinchfield, SBD Sys and CSX all had them)

Kato
U33C, U36C

+1 for the F5A. Its not that easy to kitbash, bit looks like a simple tooling change. Black-scheme CRR 800 would be a perfect match for a black FP7 200 on my 70s Clinchfield fan trips and Santa Train. 800 was Clinchfield's first F, is still around, has just been restored into the as-delivered grey scheme, and led this year's Santa Train. It's a star.

I'd support the U36C too, as previously noted. Also Clinchfield of course.

[coosvalley]

+1 for the F5A. Its not that easy to kitbash, bit looks like a simple tooling change.

Not even a tooling change is required, the dynamic brake hatch is a separate piece..I have kitbashed one from an F7 and the dynamic brake hatch from a spare F3 B-unit shell I had..

[Wardie]

Not even a tooling change is required, the dynamic brake hatch is a separate piece..I have kitbashed one from an F7 and the dynamic brake hatch from a spare F3 B-unit shell I had..

I also email IM yearly asking for this variation. The Maine Central had 6 of these A units, some of which got repainted green. I also thought the Boston and Maine had a few F5/phase IV F3’s.

[ryan_wilkerson]

Ron, I remember seeing one of these come up on Ebay and sold for a fraction of the original price. I don't recall if you got it from that auction but I'm glad you did as I wouldn't have figured out how to DCC it as well as you have.
I haven't seen many come up for sale since then but when they do, they are way expensive.
That first take video is hilarious. How did you hook your cat to the beacon function?!

I really like the FVM GP60 models...the looks, easy DCC conversion and smooth running mechanism.

You aren't kidding.
Here is my brass model.   It's one of my favorites.
I don't have the class lights lit, but this is still pretty good.
Have to admit, it was a bit scary drilling holes in an expensive brass model.

Oh wait.  Dang.  Wrong video.   
Here it is:

[coosvalley]

I also email IM yearly asking for this variation. The Maine Central had 6 of these A units, some of which got repainted green. I also thought the Boston and Maine had a few F5/phase IV F3’s.

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

[Bendtracker1]

Atlas 
U30B, U33B, U36B   one or all. Always wondered why these haven't been on the Atlas "knock off" list of using existing mechs and just tooling a new shell?

Especially since they now have them in HO?

http://www.atlasrr.com/HOLoco/hou3336.htm

[u18b]

Especially since they now have them in HO?

http://www.atlasrr.com/HOLoco/hou3336.htm

Yep.  When I saw Paul Graf in Orlando, he said the U36B was one of their most requested locos.
Don't remember if that was HO or N.

But I agree, now that the have done it in HO, I really hope that means they'll do it in N.
They were a big part of the SBD Sys and CSX fleets, not to mention SCL.