Intermountain SD45-2s???

[Kuchler10]

So I just dropped the Chessie System and am committing to modeling the Clinchfield RR, and I saw that there were open advance reservations for four numbers of CRR SD45-2s from IM. I wasn't overjoyed with my B&O SD40-2 with sound, so went DC for these. Little did I know that they have been advertising this run since 2014? There has to be a story here. Did they advertise DCC/sound capability and couldn't deliver? I know all of N scale had the big manufacturing disruption, but that was October 2018. I emailed them and they refused to give out any hints, citing their policy of never quoting a month saying that there is no ETA. I would settle for a quarter year projection. I am prepared to be patient, but I hope I don't have to wait five years to get some road power for my hoppers like some people have. I felt a like an when I looked back and saw the announcement was 2014...

[mu26aeh]

A lot of this goes back to the whole chassis changeover for the new direct install LokSounds.  There was a lot of back and forth between the various manufacturers and ESU regarding design changes and such.  Pile on the Chinese factory shutting down has extended it even longer.  I imagine we'll get an update soon from IMRC on new release dates hopefully after factories come back online from Chinese New Year.

[Kuchler10]

That makes the most sense. I was also told in the email to reference their "Modelers' Club" newsletter and here is what they said for February:

[daniel_leavitt2000]

The SD40-2 was itself delayed years as ESU changed their decoder designs. The new SD45-2 will use the same chassis as the SD40-2.

[jagged ben]

If you set up the right eBay alerts, or otherwise watch it like a hawk, you might be able to score one from a past run.

[unittrain]

IM is maybe a tad faster then the glaciers, then again I'm not sure Basically IM has released very little in the last several years and unfortunatley all we can do is wait and hope the releases we want are in our lifetime.

[Englewood]

I've got a fear that everything I've ordered from IM will arrive in the same month.
But I really doubt it.

[nkalanaga]

Most of what I've ordered in the past few years ended up being cancelled by IM.

[OldEastRR]

IM is maybe a tad faster then the glaciers, then again I'm not sure Basically IM has released very little in the last several years and unfortunatley all we can do is wait and hope the releases we want are in our lifetime.

I don't know; with global warming those glaciers are speeding up quite a bit.

[Doug W]

So I just dropped the Chessie System and am committing to modeling the Clinchfield RR, and I saw that there were open advance reservations for four numbers of CRR SD45-2s from IM. I wasn't overjoyed with my B&O SD40-2 with sound, so went DC for these. Little did I know that they have been advertising this run since 2014? There has to be a story here. Did they advertise DCC/sound capability and couldn't deliver? I know all of N scale had the big manufacturing disruption, but that was October 2018. I emailed them and they refused to give out any hints, citing their policy of never quoting a month saying that there is no ETA. I would settle for a quarter year projection. I am prepared to be patient, but I hope I don't have to wait five years to get some road power for my hoppers like some people have. I felt a like an when I looked back and saw the announcement was 2014...

Don't hold your breath!

I also model the Clinchfield and have been waiting for these for years. I'm sure it's much longer than 5 years - probably closer to a decade. In fact, I think the second run of the 45-2s were first announced in 2010, 2011 or 2012, so 2014 was probably a re-announcement! The 40-2s came later and essentially jumped the queue.

I don't understand Intermountain's business philosophy. Whatever it is, it is not customer-focused.

Cheers
Doug

[unittrain]

The first and only run of the SD45-2s was announced in spring or summer 2003! One release in over 15 years..