Wow! This seems like a complete departure from BLI’s usual marketing methods. This model of the sharp looking “yellowbelly” came as a complete surprize! The 490 resides at the B&O Museum today.
BLI Photo
Delivery in November! Compare that to the long awaited NYC Streamlined (Dreyfuss) Hudson… and the production run is already set. Interesting.
My roundhouse is pretty full so I’ll probably pass on this model. I have the Commodore Vanderbilt Hudson “preordered”.
Those Streamlined L1s was built from four 20 year old Pacific’s into Hudsons for used on the planed streamlined “Chessie” but,the Chessie never ran due to down turn in passenger business.
These home made hudsons was placed in regular passenger service.
I just now got an email from Broadway Limited saying the locomotive is sold out, and production quantities have been set. I am still getting used to that notion but understand the commercial realities of our times.
I was seriously tempted by the L1, but during their relatively short service life (1948-1953), they ran mostly from Washington DC to Charlottesville, Clifton Forge and Newport News-- well south and east of what I model.
The L1s were originally intended for the trains that connected to the mainline Chessie train, chiefly the feeder service from Newport News. The C&O sold off the Budd-built Chessie cars in 1951, with the exception of a single combine and three diner-lounge-observation cars they’d purchased for these connecting trains.
The cars from the mainline Chessie train went into service between Grand Rapids, Michigan and Chicago in Pere Marquette service until 1951. They included the only dome cars regularly assigned to service in Michigan.
To date, the only accurate Chessie cars that have been offered in HO are the dome-observation car (a Lambert brass model in the late 1970s) and the mid-train dome (the “Moonlight Dome” from the Walthers Capitol Limited set). Too bad nobody has made the combine-- it got around. It was used on trains all over the C&O system and parts of the B&O right up until Amtrak Day.
This is a reasonable representation. The details are a little lacking on the smoke box cover. But other than that it’s a good representation from what I can see.
It’s not the $2000 brass version, but it will do quite nicely for $700.
I think they said production is already set. I didn’t know they were sold out. :-/ If this is true they will surely do a second run.
DigitalGriffin wrote “I didn’t know they were sold out. :-/ If this is true they will surely do a second run.”
DNelso is correct with a day or two of sending out an email listing this locomotive for sale it sold it. I recieved the same email. I would like one BUT being N&W guy I dont think I want to pay fmore than $ four hundred. The offered price I thought was to steep.
The BLI website states that it is sold out. I too am waiting for the Commodore Vanderbilt. I’m getting a little miffed/perpelexed that the CV has had poor pre-orders, somehow causing delays but the L-1 is sold out.
Plus the pricetag really makes me search long and hard for a decent price. I’m not having any luck, so I guess my best bet is to wait and see if one pops up at Ebay or in BLIs referbished section.
While C&O isn’t one of my primary interests, this engine would be attractive to me, since they occasionally operated across Ohio on the Sportsman to Detroit. However, the price and limited availablity will probably make my decision for me and I guess I’ll let this one go.
I’m in. Ordered mine from trainworld a few weeks ago. Interestingly , I just got an E mail stating they still have more to sell but price went up 40 bucks since my order!