My wishlist for N Scale Santa Fe engines this year

[thomasjmdavis]

For things I would actually run on my "in progress" (which is to say, I have swept out a big room in the basement and laid some cork sheet on a module for the terminal) layout, I would like to see one of the big Hudsons (preferably NOT 3460 itself but 3461+) and maybe an RSD-7 (I would have to look up the differences between that and a high nose RSD-15) with the RSD in zebra stripes.  While it would not be historically accurate to run both at the same time, it is my railroad....

More realistically, I would like to see Kato release its NW2 in zebra stripes.  Surprised they did not do this first time around, given their success with 1950s ATSF passenger trains and 40s-50s F units.

But you might get me to go for a 3800 or 3751 (in rebuilt form with big drivers) if on the day of the announcement I have the cash to afford one that I am willing to keep in the bank for the decade between announcement and delivery.

I think the zebra NW2 is probably the most likely...

[randgust]

You'll never get an explanation from Kato on why they do what they do, or miss some of the obvious opportunities they do.   Until you fully appreciate how much the US market is the tail on the Japanese market dog, it's a mystery.

Given that N scale seems to love the 'big stuff' disproportionately (DD40's, U50's, Centipedes, Schnabel cars, Big Boys) I've always wondered if anybody took a serious look at those epic 2-10-10-2's that they had as helpers in Arizona and elsewhere.      Just in case you have no clue what I'm referring to....
http://loco.skyrocket.de/img/atsf__3000__3000__1.jpg

Geez, they've even been done by Lionel:  http://www.lionel.com/products/santa-fe-legacy-2-10-10-2-steam-locomotive-3000-6-11155/

And, you could hack them up and make a pair of 2-10-2's out of them like ATSF finally did, what's not to love?

Or for those guys with tighter curves, one of the hinged-boiler 2-6-6-2's......https://pictures.insulators.info/pictures/30/365043910.jpg

[coosvalley]

Add me to the list of those who want a mass produced CF7

[thomasjmdavis]

You'll never get an explanation from Kato on why they do what they do, or miss some of the obvious opportunities they do.   Until you fully appreciate how much the US market is the tail on the Japanese market dog, it's a mystery.

Given that N scale seems to love the 'big stuff' disproportionately (DD40's, U50's, Centipedes, Schnabel cars, Big Boys) I've always wondered if anybody took a serious look at those epic 2-10-10-2's that they had as helpers in Arizona and elsewhere.      Just in case you have no clue what I'm referring to....
http://loco.skyrocket.de/img/atsf__3000__3000__1.jpg

Geez, they've even been done by Lionel:  http://www.lionel.com/products/santa-fe-legacy-2-10-10-2-steam-locomotive-3000-6-11155/

And, you could hack them up and make a pair of 2-10-2's out of them like ATSF finally did, what's not to love?

Or for those guys with tighter curves, one of the hinged-boiler 2-6-6-2's......https://pictures.insulators.info/pictures/30/365043910.jpg

I figure that Kato has it right often enough that thousands of dollars of my income of the last 30 years have ended up in their company- so they are doing something right. Given that they produced the El Cap and the modified F-3s, if they never do a zebra NW2, I won't hold it against them.  And they have been known to occasionally do new paint schemes in second or third runs.... so there is hope.

Now, if someone can come up with a creative solution that will allow you to easily split a 2-10-10-2 in half, and sell a parts kit with extra tender and cab and trailing trucks (and other bits and pieces)- I'm in.  As I recollect, in the rebuild of each 2-10-10-2, one half got the whaleback tender and the other half got one that was more conventional, so the 2nd tenders would need to be different tooling.

My own guess is that a lot of the "BIG" in N scale was driven early on by the fact that they could not fit motors and gearing in the small, not to mention that in the early days, anything without a 3" wheelbase would stall at every turnout.  (I was the first person in my neighborhood to install Shinohara turnouts and jaws dropped when I ran an 0-4-0 through them without so much as a flicker).  We also hear that N scalers only want modern equipment, which leads one to wonder who is buying all those MT 1920s-30s heavyweights- or before that, who bought all the thousands upon thousands of Rivarossi heavyweights or where all those K-4s have gone to.

[up1950s]

I want a Bachmann or Kato USRA 2-8-2 light . Grinding that Model Power metal boiler is a grind .

[Cajonpassfan]

I want a Bachmann or Kato USRA 2-8-2 light . Grinding that Model Power metal boiler is a grind .

I see what you did there Richie, a pun for fun...
But I agree. It's not just the kryptonite boiler (Max's apropos term I believe, not mine) it's the stuff packed inside it that makes it a nightmare to take apart and reassemble. I've given up on mine...for now.
Otto K.

[up1950s]

I have since looked up and I see that SF did not have any USRA's but it has been mentioned that the USRA's may have had SF designs from the inception . Looking at SF mikes makes me agree . So the chances of getting a SF mike may be slimmer than a USRA mike which has some place with which to start .

[johnb]

[Ike the BN Freak]

I'd like a SF30C, but not sure any of those ever ended up in pool power

[transitionalman]

Fox Valley GP50
Intermountain SD45
CF7
Cleburne Cab GP7/9s
SD39

[jagged ben]

I'd like a SF30C, but not sure any of those ever ended up in pool power

ooh, forgot about that one.  Years ago I saw a custom one on eBay before I knew what I was looking at.  Wish I'd have bid to win it.

[Ike the BN Freak]

You'll never get an explanation from Kato on why they do what they do, or miss some of the obvious opportunities they do.   Until you fully appreciate how much the US market is the tail on the Japanese market dog, it's a mystery.

Having been to the store in Tokyo, you really get a sense of how little the US market is, but the thing with Kato, is what will sell in Japan.

[randgust]

Exactly.   

Even the simple logic of not selling passenger cars separately - but in entire train sets and 'add on packs' is a Japanese policy.    But once you get a hang of it, there's opportunities - I bought an El Cap set when they first came out and simply broke it up and sold them on the auction site.  I essentially got the two (and only two) cars I wanted for free.     

I've also been told that their cost accounting system is such that they simply don't have a way of doing short paint runs like Atlas does.   You'll never see the small quantities of oddball paint schemes like Atlas can do, as the minimum run size is just too high.   So hoping for a particular paint scheme out from Kato is really a long shot.   The "Kobo" approach is a reaction to that.

When they came out with the NW2, I was absolutely stunned by the reaction when I pointed out to my contacts how easy it would be to do an SW1 with some relatively minor additional tooling.  Not interested, so I had a good three-year run of resin SW1 shells on their NW2 mechs.  Then Hornby, and now Bachmann, jumped on it.  So even if an SF30C would be a piece of cake, I'd bet against it.

There are a couple manufacturers out there rerunning some long-lost stuff, but the number of truly new models is distressingly low.   I think the pricing and tooling model of the Chinese approach has completely changed.    For the first time I'm seeing signs of some Chinese component suppliers simply disappearing without a trace.   We're somewhat accustomed to specialty lines being 'acquired' when the original owner or manufacturer looses interest but that doesn't necessarily seem to happen in China.

Early in my professional career I got involved with manufacturing aftermarket automotive parts in Mexico, relocating a US product line there.   It not only failed due to chronic quality issues, it destroyed the entire brand name of the product and you can't even find it on Google now despite the fact they once had 60% of aftermarket sales market in the late 80's-early 90's.  Assuming the world runs by our rules is one of the worst mistakes you can make.

[Ike the BN Freak]

I get the SF30C would probably never be available commercially, but trying to find a good article anywhere to kitbash one seems harder than it needs to be.

But again, not sure if they ever ended up in pool service

[atsf3751]

I know that engines cost more than cars to produce, but never say never. Athearn produced the ATSF 50' ice reefer in N Scale. The railroad only made 100 cars inhouse and they were used only on the ATSF for their entire life. So far they have produced 33 road numbers, so anything is possible. Look at BLI, they made the centipede, another low production loco. Engines lettered Santa Fe will sell, so it could happen.