New Atlas Master GP60

[samusi01]

I'm only counting two types... 1928 and 1934 have the early type, and 1902 the later type. They aren't symmetrical. I don't specifically recall, but to my knowledge there were only two styles offered (the initial demo units may be different?).

[jagged ben]

Three different styles of dynamic brake.

I think there are just two styles.  Neither style was symmetrical.

[nsbob]

     When I bought my used Walthers NS GP60, No. 7131, it came without a snow plow.  I checked the pictures of 7131 on the railroad pictures website to see what type of snow plow I would need to install.  Well guess what.  All of the pictures of NS 7131 of the front of the engine showed no snow plow was ever installed.  So if I install a snow plow, its not prototypical!   So no plow installed.  The other NS GP60s I have studied pictures of  have a large plow installed.
NSBob

[ncbqguy]

“Back in the Day” there were only two or three Quality N Scale importers.  Two of the now leading brands were trainset-level only and a bunch of boutique manufacturers turning out world class products didn’t exist.

Production minimums were in the thousands....per road name or road number.   During that period Pete at BLW famously had an ad showing a guy at the side of the road with a cardboard sign scrawled with ‘Will work for Kato SD40s”.

One production run totaled more than 36,000 locomotives!   There were LHS that would buy more product than the few remaining distributors do today.  Most of those shops are gone.

The change in the market Can be likened to a deep narrow dry channel that would every so often rage with a brief torrent to a wide, shallow lazy river that keeps rolling along.   Wide choice but limited availability and numbers of any one item....

Different times....and complicated in recent years by changes in factories and, now, global disruption of life.

Charlie Vlk

[Albert in N]

   Two more Geep 60 photos.  See how the reflective tape lights up on 2039 from the camera flash (taken 4-12-2009)!  Note the blocked out windows on 1968.  This was taken 9-19-2014 in Chickasha OK before Uncle Pete stored the older locomotives. 

[Spades]

I think there are just two styles.  Neither style was symmetrical.

https://www.pbase.com/dh30973/gp60details&page=all Shots of Phase 1 & 2 dynamic brake.  N Scale of Nevada released a GP60 shell to fit the Kato GP50.  Shapeways has a demo cab available not just this one https://www.shapeways.com/product/L4F6BY7ED/n-gp60-demo-cab-nose-csx-4-pack

[Rossford Yard]

“Back in the Day” there were only two or three Quality N Scale importers.  Two of the now leading brands were trainset-level only and a bunch of boutique manufacturers turning out world class products didn’t exist.

Production minimums were in the thousands....per road name or road number.   During that period Pete at BLW famously had an ad showing a guy at the side of the road with a cardboard sign scrawled with ‘Will work for Kato SD40s”.

One production run totaled more than 36,000 locomotives!   There were LHS that would buy more product than the few remaining distributors do today.  Most of those shops are gone.

The change in the market Can be likened to a deep narrow dry channel that would every so often rage with a brief torrent to a wide, shallow lazy river that keeps rolling along.   Wide choice but limited availability and numbers of any one item....

Different times....and complicated in recent years by changes in factories and, now, global disruption of life.

Charlie Vlk

Charlie,

I think we will have to band together if any government agency declares model railroading a "non essential" activity, although most of us are lone wolf modelers, with many practicing social distancing long before it became necessary.

As to production runs, I clearly recall a Bachmann ad for their SD40-2 (I bought one, not wanting a Kato SD40 as a stand in for an iconic loco with back porch.)  they clearly put their numbers in the ad.  I think it was, as you say, "3600 each piece" and they had 10 road names.  My only question is whether it was for each road number, which may have made it a run of 72,000.  You would know, and I guess that answers one of the burning questions of my life, LOL.

In the secretive world of MRR manufacturing, we rarely see production numbers. I do recall an early batch of Kato SD70 Macs had a paint flaw on their BNSF exec scheme, and they took 5000 undecs to use to repaint the messed up ones in a popular scheme.  That seemed to suggest runs of 5,000 each for BNSF, UP, NS and CSX (I think) or a run of 20,000.  However, in that time period (1990's) every Kato loco was a hard to get item, even if you pre-reserved it.  It's possible that undecs was a 5K run, and other road names actually had more.

I think the big sales drops took place in the recession of 2000, although they may have been gradually dropping, with a bigger spike associated with a downturn in the economy.  The HIA doesn't do their annual survey anymore, but last one I saw had MRR wholesale spending holding steady at about $425 Million a few years ago.  Of course, with inflation and more expensive prices, holding steady in total $$ volume may mean selling less product, either more expensive stuff to us old guys now wanting sound, etc., or possibly because newer low cost lines for beginners have eaten in to former revenues.

[ncbqguy]

I won’t get into more specifics other than relating that a decade and a half ago Tokyo treated Undecorated minimum production the same as fully painted and lettered ones.   
The demand for undecs doesn’t support production.   It used to drive me nuts....just use raw parts to assemble what the market wants...but a stock number was a stock number.   I can’t speak for what is going on today but I think it’s been a long time since undec diesels or passenger cars have been offered.
Charlie Vlk

[Rossford Yard]

China must be more flexible, since the product announcement for the GP 60 allows placing an order for undec.  Seems like all the recent Atlas locos have offered undecs?

But, your story, as applied to Kato, would explain why they just happened to have 5,000 undecs to cover the BNSF paint flub.  And now, I know the rest of the story!

[ncbqguy]

China must be more flexible, since the product announcement for the GP 60 allows placing an order for undec.  Seems like all the recent Atlas locos have offered undecs?

But, your story, as applied to Kato, would explain why they just happened to have 5,000 undecs to cover the BNSF paint flub.  And now, I know the rest of the story!

I can neither confirm or deny the story; it didn't happen on my watch and while I run into the Kato guys at the shows I don't ask about the Monday Morning Meetings where stuff like that would be handled.
Charlie Vlk

[sd75i]

  For that price, I would expect a plow.

[EspeeGoldenState]

  For that price, I would expect a plow.

Heck, anymore for that price, we expect more than just a plow. More like plow and separately applied details to name just one.

I'd be in the market for a couple more, but the unknowing of what exactly its coming with, I'm perfectly content to just stay with my 3 FVMs.

[sd75i]

  Love my FVM but would like some more SP speed lettering.  Dont see hardly any come up on that selling site!

[Albert in N]

Comparison of front Walthers Proto (LifeLike)GP60s with Kato SD45 and SD40 (Kato had factory-installed plows).  For kicks, Roundhouse 2-6-0 mogul actually came with SP speed lettering (but no road number) to match Kato SD45 speed lettering.  The speed lettering did not come to SP until they were acquired by Rio Grande in late 1980s.