BLI announces 4 more highly saught after N scale models..

[learmoia]

Just checked the BLI website.. and they now list an F3, F7, ES44AC and SD70ACE in their N scale lineup...

http://www.broadway-limited.com/paragon3-4.aspx

 

Whatever...

~Ian

[peteski]

Just checked the BLI website.. and they now list an F3, F7, ES44AC and SD70ACE in their N scale lineup...

Wow! Those are highly sought after locos, never produced in N scale. Nice!

 

[ljudice]

Well the NS ES44AC have three vents on the conductor's side and correct handrails.

So that is something.......

[learmoia]

Well the NS ES44AC have three vents on the conductor's side and correct handrails.

So that is something.......

In HO it does...

In N it could have 2 speaker enclosures and make animal sounds..
~Ian

[wcfn100]

These were all announced last October. 

Jason

[cjm413]

[hegstad1]

SOMEBODY make a damn F9 already...

[brokemoto]

Manufacturers have done most of the road names listed for the F-units

Did IM do a NYC F-7?  Kato and IM did NYC F-3s.  Kato never did a NYC F-7 but I do not remember if IM did.  At once point, IM was going to do NYC Class DCA-1s (passenger F-3s), then changed it to the DFA-2s (freight F-3s, which were more numerous--there were only two A-B-A sets of passenger F-3s).  I do not remember if it ever did the DCA-1s subsequently.

IM offered PRR late phase F-3s, something that no other manufacturer has offered.  Kato did early phase F-3s in PRR, but (and perhaps the Resident SPFs can confirm or deny), I seem to recall reading somewhere that PRR had more late phase F-3s than earlier and that some of the Kato numbers are late phase as opposed to early phase F-3s.  If the Baldwin is at all instructive, I would suspect that BLI's PRR units will have the antennae.

Every manufacturer has done F-units in B&O Blue and Grey.  Kato did not do F-7s' only F-3s (and passenger F-3s, at that).  B-mann did F-7s (B-mann has not done an F-3 in N).  IM did passenger F-3s and freight F-7s.  B&O did not have FP-7s until after 1962.  Some time after 1962, it received C&O's FP-7s and its RS-1s (which were equipped for passenger work, but never have I seen a photograph of RS-1s' doing passenger work on the B&O).

Of course there is All Tramps Sent Free.

Still, like the BLI PAs, the question becomes "Why?".  We have all of these F-units out here.  You can not make the argument about various road names:  is there a road name that IM has not done on an F-unit?  The argument could be made for sound, but will the presence of sound, alone, set these apart from the others?  Will it compel modellers who already have F-units in their road name come across with this kind of money just for the sound?

I am still wondering why BLI never did P&LE PAs.  Every manufacturer that issues PAs does NYC lightning stripe, but none ever have done P&LEs.

There are not many mass produced cab units left undone.  There are some Baldwins that no one has issued, but other than that, what is there?

[Mark5]

Very old news ...

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=40214.0

[CBQ Fan]

My guess is that they feel people will buy their model to replace older models since they have sound etc.  but with IM doing sound it is not as unique. I still prefer Kato.

[ljudice]

In HO it does...

In N it could have 2 speaker enclosures and make animal sounds..
~Ian

I want my ES44AC to purr like a kitten.

[atsf3751]

I personally prefer the IM F units because the way they are made with separate Farr grills for example which means they can paint the model correctly for Santa Fe with the warbonnet behind the grill. Kato can't do that. Not to mention all the separate hand grabs and such. For me I see no difference in running quality plus the IM B units have a great advantage. They use the same chassis on A's and B's which means there is a built in notch for a sugar cube speaker. Since my Santa Fe F's usually run as ABBA sets, the two B units make enough noise that it sounds like all four engines have sound.

I already have a large fleet of F3's and F7's (probably like most folks on this list) so for me to get more they had better be spectacular.

[cjm413]

I personally prefer the IM F units because the way they are made with separate Farr grills for example which means they can paint the model correctly for Santa Fe with the warbonnet behind the grill. Kato can't do that. Not to mention all the separate hand grabs and such. For me I see no difference in running quality plus the IM B units have a great advantage. They use the same chassis on A's and B's which means there is a built in notch for a sugar cube speaker. Since my Santa Fe F's usually run as ABBA sets, the two B units make enough noise that it sounds like all four engines have sound.

I already have a large fleet of F3's and F7's (probably like most folks on this list) so for me to get more they had better be spectacular.

Frame-mounted couplers are another advantage for the IMRC F's

[Missaberoad]

N scale still doesn't have a proper F-unit, Something like the Highliner/Genesis model in HO scale.

Dimensionally accurate with probably the best nose profile in any scale, and able to model any phase of F from F2-F9, Mind you even in HO it took years of work and two companies to bring it to the light of day... Not sure there's anyone willing to do that in N...

The Kato and IMRC units both have their pros and cons, for mine I will go with Kato undecs and a bunch of work. the Tooling on the Intermountain models is just too soft and no amount of PE metal will hide that... (I do have a couple IMRC FP7's tho, will replace them if Kato makes a no DB shell with freight pilots...)

If the BLI units look okay and the sale price is decent I might wind up picking up some Milw units...

 

[CBQ Fan]

I personally prefer the IM F units because the way they are made with separate Farr grills for example which means they can paint the model correctly for Santa Fe with the warbonnet behind the grill. Kato can't do that. Not to mention all the separate hand grabs and such. For me I see no difference in running quality plus the IM B units have a great advantage. They use the same chassis on A's and B's which means there is a built in notch for a sugar cube speaker. Since my Santa Fe F's usually run as ABBA sets, the two B units make enough noise that it sounds like all four engines have sound.

I already have a large fleet of F3's and F7's (probably like most folks on this list) so for me to get more they had better be spectacular.

All valid points.  I have a large fleet from both Kato and IM and like them both. Price points are in line with details.  Since I have no interest in sound or DCC the two year hiatus from IM for their F units is off putting that is why I lean towards Kato.