MTL SW1500 test shots.

[JoeD]

Going rate for a Maxon 8mm motor is over $40.00 in quanties of thousands...Using those takes you, with up charges to a switcher in the $200 range like our Z GP's and Sd's were.  The motor that Bachmann/Dapol uses would be nice, but they don't OEM those to the competition and all the other smaller can motors we tested are not 8mm...generally 10mm and those are costly as well.  That 8mm motor, even with a huge flywheel won't have the torque or pull necessary.  Last year I weighted a GP chassis to match the SW and the same with z 60' flats...far from being scientific, but the motor got real warm real quick...

Joe

Being X inches too wide doesn't bother me, but the fact that the hood not being inline with the cab windows is unfortunate. 

How many cars are people expecting to pull with these?  What about a z scale motor/mechanism?  Wouldn't that be small and still powerful enough to pull a 1/2 dozen cars?

[wm3798]

Not something I expect to find in my fleet, but it's an interesting model.
Not discouraged or upset about the hood width...  I'm like Vollmer, reasonable engineering compromise gets it out and on the rails at a better price point, seems reasonable.

But.

... Joe mentions that a new "from the ground up" frame might be in the offing.
Would that beget a whole new shell with proto proportions?

Begs the question...

If you don't think you have time to do it right, what makes you think you have time to do it over?
Lee

[JoeD]

Initially these were intended for sets and special runs...a very big part of our business.  We lost the ability to do the FT due to shifting sands in China and found ourselves having to use other's motive power.  Plenty of discussion and distain...no plenty of distain on Railwire because of that.  So, what's the simple solution?...do something on a chassis that we could get in quantities that make it cost effective and have more flexability with the sets.  I took it a step further and made the case to offer it to the broader community knowing the feedback from the protocentrics.  Still, with the tens of thousands of chassis already on the market and the cost and time savings, going the route I fully supported, it made Strategic sense.  I figure sales of undec's will be brisk... And we were not disapointed by the sales response for the first two units...we under estimated BIG time and are ordering second and soon, third runs of chassis.  Those familiar with MOQ in china these days can get a handle on numbers we are talking.  My comment about doing our own chassis was subjective and given the engineering comprimise, I don't know what direction we would/may/might go in.   Who knows.

Joe

[Chris333]

but the motor got real warm real quick...

Joe

Slap a fan in that sucka!   

[tom mann]

wow...turbine...

[DKS]

As I've said, I don't have a dog in this fight. But, I must underscore the reality of the issue: manufacturers are in the business to make money, not friends. In spite of my remarks on 8" versus 10%, I think MTL has made sound business choices with this product, and has made an earnest effort to bring it closer to the mark--certainly more so than Life-Like. As Pud said, if you like 'em, buy 'em; if not, don't. I believe this will still sell well, and I seriously doubt MTL will be impacted much--if at all--by the groaning of a few protomodelers. Bachmann didn't appear to suffer much for their too-wide 44- and 70-tonners. FWIW, YMMV, IMO, etc...

[JoeD]

why didn't I think of that 

Slap a fan in that sucka!   

[cjjd6901]

Slap a fan in that sucka!   

I have a feeling that when operational fans are OEM on our locomotives, many will still grovel.

When Reading SW1500s are announced, I will buy them  .

Best,

 
  Chris

[Scottl]

I recall reading on TRW that with iconic locomotives, modelers deserve and should demand perfection.  We were further informed that if n scalers don't expect scale fidelity in their models, then they will continue to get whatever companies think is good enough, etc, etc.   Maybe I should do a search for that thread.  It's around here somewhere... 

I think the hood looks too wide, but I fully accept that to make a model at a decent price point, some compromises need to be made. If I had a reason to buy one, I would buy one of these.  Mind you, I thought we should wait to see the SD40-2 before we bash it, so what do I know. 

[DKS]

I think the hood looks too wide, but I fully accept that to make a model at a decent price point, some compromises need to be made.

Thank you. My point exactly.

[learmoia]

The only thing that 'looked' out of scale in that photo was the N scale track..

Yes.. it's a little wide.. but so are handrails, and steps and window gaskets are thick. (We are talking N scale here, and unless you want to spend $800 on a brass model.. theres going to have to be some give and take).

Still looks a heck of alot better than the Atlas version from 60! years ago.. (although that one had hood handrails..  )

Plus MT created a DDC Ready Frame for the SW8 & 1200..

Win-Win!

That could be just as hot of a seller as the Undec Shells.  ~Ian

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Joe, any idea on the pricing? If you are going to offer undec shells I assume they would be about the same price as Atlas parts?

[ednadolski]

We went as thin as we could go with the plastic and ended up 8" scale wider and .040" thinner than the Lifelike shell....I can see where that would be a deal breaker 

I don't have a dog in this either, since this does not fit my era or prototype.

So just FWIW as a perspective:  traditional 2-rail O-scale has had a gauge error of  3 1/2 scale inches too wide for just about forever,  yet Proto:48 is still a minority of a minority of a minority.    So modeling compromises will always be inevitable in every scale.  How many folks would be happy with a model that could only negotiate prototypical curve radii?

Ed

[JoeD]

I believe they will be under $120.00...but not sure.   As for undecs, I want to keep the price low on those to encourage some actual modeling out there 

Joe, any idea on the pricing? If you are going to offer undec shells I assume they would be about the same price as Atlas parts?

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Well I have a few SW1200 mechanisms with their name on it. I just want to make it clear that I'm not angry at the wide hood. I totally understand the reason behind it, I just wish the stars were aligned...