Sorry folks I just need to vent.I was supprised to see that Broadway has released a CN painted RSD15 in thier blueline painted in full CN barricade stripes. Undeniably it’s a wonderfull looking model with a great sound chip but … CN never owned this prototype. Yes they demoed (sp) MLW’s RSD17 which is similar but had a lot of differences , but they chose not to by them no one did CP felt sorry for it and bought the one and only but that’s another story .If Broadway was loosly trying to do that locomotive ( when it demoed (sp again ) on the CN ) it would have been in the olive green paint scheme anyway.I just had thought that the modelling manufacturers the quality one’s anyway had moved away from the creative what if’s that were so common in the 70’s. Oh well my petty rant at any rate,I just figured that if Broadway wanted to have a CN model in their line up why not do and Sd40-2 or something that was really out there.
I guess I’ll jump in on a petty rant also. We as modelers complain that nobody will produce “X” locomotive, car, caboose, building, or whatever as a quality model, then when someone finally does, heaven forbid they don’t do it exactly right to match all of the protoypes! Sorry, I’m just happy that ANYONE is making a quality Alco! I recall (not all that long ago) when if you wanted an nice Alco or (insert favorite item here), you had to bash it from a number of cheapo bodies, scratchbuild it, or buy brass that didn’t run so well and had to be tweaked on after spending a fortune. There was no ready-to-run, great looking, sound and/or DCC included, at a fairly reasonable price alternatives like there are now. If you don’t like the paint schemes, then by all means only buy the ones you want, or (GASP!) paint your own from an undecorated. These manufacturers only have a very limited customer base (us) to draw from, and anything they can do to increase sales without adding large expense is a good thing to them. Adding a paint scheme that wasn’t accurate may only cost pennies, but if they can sell a few more models, that is good for all of us. There are still some modelers that will buy something just because it is lettered for their favorite road. More power to them! Do any of us really want to see BLI, Tower 55, and a few other companies go under because they can only produce the “correct” models? I don’t. I say more power to them too. This hobby is supposed to be fun, so if someone will buy a NKP Berk painted like an SP GS-4, great, sell it to them, let them enjoy the hobby as they will. There, I’ve vented my spleen.
I guess it depends on how far off it is…I mean if BLI makes an RSD-15 and paints it in a paint scheme for an RSD-12 say, I don’t see a big problem especially if no one makes a “correct” RSD-12. I would like to see the manufacturer note that information on their website or something, so people could make their own choice if this is “close enough” for them or not.
FWIW I’d like to see Atlas come out with their FM H-26-66 Trainmasters decorated for the Milwaukee Road and the C&NW. Yes I know they didn’t own H-26-66’s, but they did own H-16-66 “Baby Trainmasters” which were (except for being about 3-4’ shorter) virtually identical to the Trainmaster…in fact as much as possible FM used interchangeable parts between the two.
No one makes an H-16-66 nor are they likely to, so why not fudge a little if there are people like me who would buy it?? Especially when they offer their “NorthEastern” style caboose decorated for CNW!!
I paint almost all of my own. Fact of the matter is I have only one loco that CAME in the KCS scheme, a KCS de Mexico AC4400, rtr from Athearn. It was a piece of crap that I had to completely tear down and rebuild from the workbench up. The pickups needed to be reworked, the lightboard wasn’t good for anything but starting fires (which it did) and the motor was a total piece of crap which I replaced with a Jet 400 motor from an old BB F7. All this just so I could have this loco in running order on my layout. The funny part is I hardly ever use it because it’s a lousy puller!
Bachman makes the H16-44 or the H15-44 which are the four axle versions of that FM locomotive. They are often advertised as Baby Trainmasters but have the wrong trucks. I wish they made the 6 axle version.
100% prototypical accuracy is important to some but not all model railroaders. I have no figures to back me up on this, but I would guess that those who know and care about the differences are in the minority. If they weren’t the minority, manufacturers would be forced to become more prototypically accurate. Most manufacturers are trying to market their products to the largest possible customer base while at the same time minimizing overhead. In some cases, that means making generic locos that look realistic but aren’t based on any specific prototype. For the most part, if manufacturers tried to cater to the rivet counters, they’d go broke. People vote with their dollars what they want. As long as there are enough customers who are happy with less than total accuracy to buy there products, there is no reason for the manufacturers to go to the added expense of making 100% accurate, road specific locos. If somebody isn’t making what you want, don’t buy their product. If nobody is making it, take one of the generic locos and repaint and detail it until it does meet your standards.
In the alternate universe where the model designers live, that IS the standard. All of you people who seem to believe otherwise just don’t understand the basics of N-dimensional space…
This sort of reaction is exactly what I was referring to a few weeks back as a reason why Kato isn’t leaping into the American HO market with both feet. No matter what they produce, someone will be vocally unhappy - and heaven help us if that 4 inch prototype stripe comes out 5 scale inches wide on the model!
Pardon me while I return to my kitbashing bench (with attached paint booth.)
In the case of Kato N scale, it’s more like the hoods being a foot too wide and the numberboards flattened out to try to compensate… some things are a little much. Especially when charging a premium price. And we won’t even mention their road name selection or the frequency of their releases…[banghead]
Its just like MTH is doing the triplex, but its the ERIE Triplex, not the Virginian, yet they are slapping the Virginian name on it also.
Erie modelers are in luck but me I am doing the Virginian. I WANT MY MTV…err…VGN!!!
I emailed them about this.
This is the actual email I sent and their reply, modded for security.
…
Thank you for your suggestion about our future product lines. We're
always happy to hear from our customers, so we know what you want and
can continue to provide the variety of interesting products people
ask for. I have passed your information along to the project manager
for the HO line. I am sure he will take your concerns into
consideration as he works on future production plans. As you may
know, we often use customer feedback to ensure that our cataloged
items are prototypical, so we are always happy to get this kind of
feedback fro
Okay so here’s the thing. I’m most definatly not a a rivet counter to the extreme. You can’t be when you moedl Canadian roads , unless you have money to burn on brass, although before Lilfelike was purchased by Walthers their candian subsidiary produced fabulous proto models of the Canada only RS10’s and 18’s and the C-liner project was spearheaded by them , they created the molds in such away as they can input road specific details, once th c-liners were produced for the Us roads NYC’s etc.
The problem as I see it with this model of the RSD15 is that they haev a ready market of US roads and lots of people who will but them the Santa Fe fans etc.I regularly paint and kitbash my own stuff to the level that makes me happy,over the years lots of Sd40’s etc have come out that are right for the CN CP modellers you just need to add a few things.
The fear that I have ( maybe unfounded ) is that here’s BLI doing a Canadian loco in their minds maybe something that they are expecting to sell well.If it falls flat on it’s face which is a possibility as I’m not the only person a bit put off by the model , they may choose not to do anymore Canadian paint jobs, no biggy I can paint my own,but in today’s hobby world more and more people won’t so there is a potential to further erode new commers from comming into the hobby. I know myself that I never attempted any kitbashing or painting when I first got into the hobby twenty years ago. I was luckey to fall in with a few modellers that gave a hoot and taught me the meger skills I have,today’s kids comming in aren’t as keen as we have all seen the hobby start to change from as lets paint create and model to lets buy already done and run . Makes it a very fine line.
I guess in closing all I’m saying is do the unusual loco’s as yes I aggree with what’s been said decent new and big Alco’s have beena rarity.Look at the RS27 proto just did an absolutly stun
So what your saying is they should only produce an undecorated version, with a huge number of details for every possible prototype railroad for the consumer to add on.[:-^]
Hmmmmmm, don’t know if I could go for that.
I have noticed over the past few years that imagination and tolerance for anything non-prototypical has drained from the hobby. OTOH, I have noticed manufacturers claiming absolute prototypical accuracy and not delivering it, and at much increased prices.
I think you do have a valid point about BLI not doing another Canadian model if their sales don’t match expectations, and they would have no one to blame but themselves if that would happen. But I also know their e-mails are always putting slow sellers on markdown, and they still seem to sell them out.
I think you hit it on the head, incresed prices should equall increased accuracy.Back to my pint a buit of research people is all we ask. Oh well I suppose I can always go out and buy the IHC C415’s in all twenty something paint schemes they are available in,a bit of paint should cover those nice large handrails[:-,]
Yes, unfortunately we are no longer model builders, we are model buyers. The triple threat of increasingly demanding markets, a retreat from developing new skills, and a mad dash for instant gratification has turned this from being a hobby to more of a pass-time.
Personally, I’d love it if more undecorated models, and more kits for that matter, were available. I’d rather save the $10 or $20 bucks and spend the evening enjoying the process of building something, than just plunking down money and opening a box.
[%-)] I am not really sure why people get upset when a company puts a non-prototypical scheme on something. Don’t like, don’t buy it. Simple.
As someone who has been modeling Canadian prototypes since the late 70’s, I am happy when Atlas or Athearn or whoever puts out a Canadian scheme. Yes it may not be right but if it is close enough, then I will buy it and deal with the issues it has. If it is not close enough, I do not buy it. I will not be buying this Broadway unit as it is not close enough (and I do not model CN).
What bothers me more is when a manufacture puts out a product claming that it is something it is not. For example, I would be much more concerned if Broadway was claiming the CN unit is a RSD-17 but they are not. If Broadway does not get the response they expect from this model and elect not to do any more Canadian paint schemes as a result, so be it. That is their business decision.
On the topic of the RSD-17, the last brass I bought new (before marriage interfered with this [8D] ) was the VanHobbies so-called RSD-17 of the mid-80’s. Very good runner, looks very nice but for a then princely sum of $275 I was expecting a RSD-17, not some weird morphed 15/17 that needs a lot of work to look like its prototype. And it had to be pre-ordered, so I was stuck with it. And I doubt very much that anyone will do a 17 in plastic, what market would there be?
I don’t imagine that they would do a 17 only one real one built so indeed what would the point be.I guess my biggest sticking point is the why in the first place.Broadway makes a ton of models that can be painted in both CN and CP so why choose a not even remotly close thing to do. Seems to be a bad business decision espeacilly with how many high end sound equiped companies are out there producing stuff now. Oh well I’m with you I am happy when an even close Canadian painted thing does come out,if one has to , you can move a headlight or whatever isn’t exactly right,but Iguess when I see stuff like this it seems like a step backward not forwards in the hobby.My [2c] for whatever it’s worth. [tup]
I agree with the sentiment regarding Broadway, why not paint some of their products in Canadian paints that are closer? Seems strange to me too.
As for the RSD-17, it was (maybe still is) a very popular locomotive from the railfan and modeler point of view. Despite the issues and price of the VanHobbies version, it sold out quite quickly if I remember right (which is becoming harder all the time now [:P] ). Except for its brief stint on the PGE, it did not run out west but I still wanted one anyway.
