Demonstrators

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

I’m a 1-railroad man (AT&SF), but demonstrators have intrigued me. For instance, the SF never owned the full sized trainmasters but the other day I saw a picture of a Trainmaster FM demonstrator on SF tracks atop Cajon Pass. Of course, it may have been demonstrating for SP.

Anyway, has anyone else modeled demonstrators using models that may not have ultimately been purchased by the railroad you are modeling but were merely there to demonstrate?

The best example would be the FTs which toured the US and brought steam’s demise.

Dave Vergun

2

Williams offers its BL-2 in the EMD demo scheme. Unfortunately, they are out of stock at present. Seems like MTH has done some engines in demonstrator schemes as well, but I don’t remember which ones.

3

What is great about demonstrators is they can always be said to belong to the home rails - even if just visiting or in transit

4

It would be interesting to read a history of demonstrators, to know which ones went where when.

5

I seem to recall an MTH F unit in EMD demostrator colors - I’ve seen some articles on them over the years in Trains mag but always within the context of a ‘line’ of engines. I think the ‘Black Marias’ (sp) were pretty neat - and those Baldwin diesels with the weird noses

6

Lionel made a GE demo somewhere around 2000,2001 it was a cool looking engine,
black with the big GE logo on the cab.
You’ll also see on the class 1s the old EMD demo’s that have LLP on the side.
these are from the joint venture between GATX and EMD [ locomotive leasing partners, LLP] they have left the EMD demo paint on alot of there late 80’s demos SD50s,SD50M,etc we see them alot around central Indiana.

7

I have an MPC Lionel 8770(?) EMD demo switcher. It’s probably going to be my first TMCC conversion. Love it!

8

What happens in Europe quite a lot is that railways rent engines from other railways when they have lack of equipment. Those engines mostly are not repainted and returned after a few months or so. Wealso have some private railway-transport which uses old refurbished engines from the dutch railways. One of them has repainted the engines in shiny black with orange stripes. It looks awesome. Those also use the dutch railway-system.
Also we sometimes have special museum trips where foreighn railway equipment is used. Those also can be used as an excuse to purchase the engines you like.
Or, and that’s my favourite, design your own logo and name, repaint engines in your favourite colors and start your own railway… If you want e certain engine, you can put your sticker on it and it can run across your layout.

9

And here I thought you were talking about HUMAN demonstrators! Most likely picketing the UP for charging a usage fee on the logos.
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10

Lionel is currently making a set of Trainmasters in their CCII line.

The FM H-24-66 remains one of my favorite diesels, and the demonstrator scheme is no doubt extremely attractive. I believe that the 4 demonstrators were ultimately bought by SP, but I’m sure that they made their rounds.

11

@ Amtrack Jack, you certainly hold the record for “used smilies in replies”… I count 216. (And since the average customer seems to be stupid, as said in a reply on another subject; I didn’t count then, I multiplied 18 by 12…[B)])

12

Daan, American railroads do the same thing. Once, I even saw an Amtrak locomotive on a Union Pacific freight, toiling up a hill with smoke pouring from its (too highly geared) traction motors. It never made it to the top.

13

@ Lionelsoni, I know that F3’s have different gear ratio’s for freight and passengertrains, do other makes like the GP’s also have different gearings?

14

Yes. Diesel-electrics and electrics have generally (but not always) been made with several choices of gearing and sometimes also with choices in wheel diameter.

For example, the GP7 was available with the following gear ratios and corresponding maximum speeds:
65:12 55 mph
62:15 65 mph
61:16 71 mph
60:17 77 mph
59:18 83 mph
58:19 89 mph
The wheel diameter was 40 inches.

The Train Master (H24-66) had the following choices:
74:18 gear ratio 40 inch wheel 65 mph
74:18 gear ratio 42 inch wheel 69 mph
65:18 gear ratio 40 inch wheel 75 mph
65:18 gear ratio 42 inch wheel 79 mph