The upcoming Broadway-Limited Santa Fe3751 looks to be a very nice model. But don’t you think more Northern Type steam locomotives should be made by manufacturers? If BLI would produce a well detailed 4-8-4 in CB&Q, GN, NP, C&O, D&RGW, AND Rock Island lettering, don’t you think it would sell well? Most Class 1 lines had a handfull of Northerns on the roster, so can someone tell me why so little of them are made? I would like to see Life-Like, Athearn, BLI, or Rivarossi produce a 4-8-4 in several roads. How about you? do you think the market is out there for one/would you also like to see a Northern made? Just posted for the heck of it, too many steamers are made in only the “super lines” prototypes(UP, AT&SF, PRR, and NYC)[:p]
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. A nice CN Northern with Elesco Feed Water system would look very nice. In fact I’d buy two or three! Hint, Hint, Nudge, Nudge, [swg][swg]
Remember CN had the largest Northern Fleet in North America
CMJ89, you have forgotten that Bachmann has made an SP GS4 and N&W J series Northen in HO and can be found quite frequently at swap meets.
CH
CMJ89;
As stated by psngrtrn, Bachmann currently produces a GS-4 (SP), a J (N&W), and a Niagara, (NYC) in their standard line. The GS-4 & J were also available in their plus line in the past, not sure about the niagara. They used to offer a model of the SF big Northerns 3776? class, (and these were also lettered CB&Q), until the dies broke. The J is available in the Spectrum line and a GS-4 is coming for that line. Rivarossi currently offers several versions of the FEF class Northerns. Bowser currently offers a 4-8-4 kit, and there are many RR specific northerns available in brass.
But as to a company offering a northern lettered for several roads I don’t think it will happen again. Todays modellers demand accuracy, and there is just too many differences between the protoytpe engines to allow that.
I have an old Bachmann Sante Fe Northern that I picked up at a train show for $60 Cdn. However it doesn’t hold up to thet other locos I have made by other manufacturers with the exception of the old Rivarossi’s I have.
Yes, I would love to see N.P. Northerns made. However, I doubt the market exists. The trouble with steam engines is there where too many differant styles made. No, or very few, Northerns looked close enough alike to allow a single tool to produce the model, even with the anscillary detail parts to make the differances. The loco builders completely catered to what their customers desires were, hense, all the differances. This is why you see such an adhearance to the USRA types, as this allows the model manufactures to make a loco that many differenat roads used.
I’m with deschane except my desire is the BIG Great Northern S-2 with 80" drivers! I have BLI e-7’s on my Empire Builder and am waiting for the nw-2 switchers to come out, but I sure would spring for an S-2. Then I might consider getting a Mikado. John Colley Port townsend, WA
Hello CJM89!
You’ve made some good points.
Consider going to the Broadway Limited, Athearn and other the other mentioned manufacturer’s websites and get their e-mail address. Send them an e-mails asking them if they’re considering producing any of the units you’ve mentioned.
I’ve written Broadway and Athearn before with similar questions and I’ve usually received an answer within a few days.
One thing we all have to remember is that these manufacturers conduct marketing research (themselves, or through a firm). Among many factors, they study what has sold in the past, what models are currently selling, and what models not yet produced would likely sell.
The combined costs of research, tool and die making, and actual production are very high, so by producing limited run models manufacturers are more assured that because of demand, they will recoup their investment and make a profit.
It can be frustrating for us as modelers, but things are a much better now as far as model variety than they were when I was in high school in the late 70s.
Give it a shot and post your results.
Peace out, Amigo! [swg][tup]
You’ve GOT to be kidding! The ATSF and NYC, and to a lesser degree the Pennsy, have got to be three of the WORST represented steam roads on the market! With Pennsy, your choices are Bowser or brass (and the lone Bachmann Plus K-4). The new ATSF mountain makes the ONLY post-WWII Santa Fes steam engine on the market, with the only other sorta correct engines being the Harriman series from Roundhouse. Over the past 3-5 years modeling the NYC has become easier, with the release of the P2K 0-8-0, BLI 4-6-4 and Athearn 2-8-2, but there’s still no good way to model the most common steamers on their roster, like the B-11 0-6-0, the H-5 2-8-2, or the L-3 4-8-2.
I’ll agree that the UP is overrepresented, but so are a lot of roads, either by accident or design. And the UP is pretty lopsidedly represented, with a lot of their big engines being made but almost none of their smaller engines (which there were a lot more of). Of all the overrepresented roads out there, the N&W seems to be at the top of the list. The only real void from their roster not made in brass are the 4-8-0s. And even though it’s my railroad of choice, the NKP is grossly overrepresented, with seven major engine classes being available in new plastic.
The CB&Q, Rock Island and NP are pretty poorly represented in HO non-brass steam. But then again, so are most roads. The IC was almost larger than any of the roads you mentioned, and it had the third or fourth largest steam roster on the planet. Know how many steamers have been made for the IC outside of brass? Zero.
No one makes the WM 4-8-4 Potomac in quality plastic. Or the Wabash 4-8-4. One could use a Bowser 4-8-4 Kit and build one… but it’s time for these giants to come out.
Its time for a Santa Fe 2900 class. The baddest Northern of all time! It is a shame this queen hasn’t been picked for production, but the 3751 has. I thought our 2900 would have as many followers as the N&W J. We have a unqiue distinction; longest & heaviest 4-8-4.
Nice. A young NP A class or C&O J3a wouldn’t be objectionable either!
I have to agree the SF big Northerns in plastic would be fantastic, and even though I got the class # wrong in my earlier post I really would like to see this class made.
I would also love to see the RF&P Governor, General and Statesman classes in something other than brass. Those northerns are the most beautiful, IMHO, northerns ever made.
Since I model the Southern in steam, and they didn’t have northerns, any I get would have to be used via an interchange. If they had bought them, after the minor disagreement of 1861-1865, they probably would have been called “rebels”, or even “southerns”, as “dixie” was taken by another rr, and SRR wouldn’t have given a loco a name like “northern”.
I for one would like a very good quality RF&P 4-8-4 In a General paint scheme. As well as a C&O 4-8-4 Greenbriar as well. I think they all would be very nice to have on my track to complement my Spectrum 4-8-4 N&W Class J.
I have a BLI Great Northern “Mike”, and I just received my BLI (GN) E-7A on
Saturday. I would buy a 4-8-4 GN Northern in a heart-beat. The build quality
and sound on both present locomotives is fantastic.
Bring it on, BLI !!!
IRON GOAT
The Santa Fe northerns, and I imagine any of the 80" Driver northerns will always have operational limitatins in model form. I have 4 of the Bachmann SF northerns and my beloved PFM 2900-class northern that I bought SECOND-HAND in 1968 from a retired Army officer. The long ridged wheelbase of the brass model required heroic proportions in curve radii and high numbered turnouts. But when I was single, that wasn’t a problem, I filled the living room with a folded dogbone layout for the 2900 to show her stuff. The Bachmann and I’m betting also the BLI get around the extreme radius problem with large tolerances in the running gear. While this does allow operation around curves tighter than 26"+absolutely required easements, it also, at least in the case of the Bachmann, resulted in somewhat jerky performance. That being said, I will probably purchase a BLI 3751, having been smitted by her when she made the rounds of the Santa Fe a few years back…poetry-in-motion.
2900s RULE!!! 
OK, I’m done
Mike