Its odd that 2 of the most popular railraods, Santa Fe and Southern Pacific, have relatively few models out there. BLI is scheduled to bring out 3751, and already have the AC-4/5. Rivarossi has that terrible version of the AC-11. And Bachmann is supposed to have a Spectrum GS-4 way in the future. Thats about it.
How do the awesome Espee and ATSF have only that many models while roads like UP get : BLI 4-8-2, BLI light 2-8-2, Lionel Veranda, Trix 4-8-8-4, Lionel 4-6-6-4, Rivarossi FEF-3, Rivarossi 4-6-6-4, Rivarossi 4-8-8-4.
Those N&W guys get a P2K 2-8-8-2, Rivarossi 2-8-8-2, Spectrum J, BLI J, and a BLI 2-6-6-4. Pennsylvania has a whole roster available: BLI T-1, BLI GG-1, Bowser I-1, Spectrum K-4, BLI J1, BLI 4-8-2, IHC GG-1, Bowser L-1, and BLI Antenna E7s, etc.
I’m not really pissed about it, I’m just saying if SP and/or SF are that popular, shouldn’t there were a few more specific models out there?
I want to see more SP and/or SF stuff. What road do you want to see more unique equipment from?
Well, there are several steamers out these days that can be 'bashed and superdetailed into good looking NKP sngines, but so far, we’ve only ever seen one out in plastic, the 2-8-4 Berkshires (released by Rivarossi and P2K). The USRA light and Heavy Mikados need a LOT of work to get them to look like NKP engines, as do the P2K 0-6-0 and 0-8-0.
We NKP modelers (and there are a lot of us out there!) still need a good 4-6-0, 4-6-2, 2-8-0 (or three), 4-6-4, and the ex-NYC 0-6-0s, 2-8-0s, and 2-8-2s. Without resorting to brass, it’s almost impossible to really model the days of steam before the intrusion of the evil diseasel. We can model 1950-1958, but it’s realy hard to model any time before 1948 or so (the “golden age” of railroading)
I’d like to see more stuff for Union Pacific. Even though they probably already have the most road-specific stuff (Big Boys, Challengers, Northerns, gas-turbines, etc.), there’s still a lot of other UP locomotives that there are no good models of, unless they are either expensive brass or cheap junk, such as 2-8-8-0, 2-10-2, 4-12-2, 4-6-2, 2-6-2, and some early diesels.
If you want your favorite locomotive made available, don’t keep it to yourself. Email the manufacturers with your requests and when you go to model shows, let the representative know what you would like to see. Do this a few times a year to let them know you are still active and would like to see that engine.
I have emailed Kato, Atlas and Athearn several times over the years to let them know what I would like to see. Some of the engines are now showing up on the market, maybe with some influence from many requests by modelers. I believe they will consider a popular engine before some others, but it never hurts to keep you wish list on their mind.
I’d like to see more Burlington and Wabash steamers, their diesels are produced all the time (Athearn Genesis F units, BLI E units, Atlas and P2K’s Geeps and SDs, Con-Cor’s new Pioneer Zephyr, etc.)
If any product designers who work for Broadway-Limited, Life-Like, or Athearn are resding this thread, please consider producing the following:
BLI: CB&Q class O-1a 2-8-2 Mikados and Wabash class K-2 roadname in a second release of the Light Mikado.
Life-Like: a Heritage series CB&Q class O-5 4-8-4 Northern
Athearn: a Genesis series CB&Q class M-4a 2-10-4 Colorado
Reading steam locos would be nice.
A Reading T-1 would be great.
A line of steam locos with Wooten (wide) fireboxes would also be nice, (maby some camelbacks too) for fans of the Reading and other roads that used them.
More fallen flags midwestern steam locomotives, such as Illinois Central, Missouri Pacific, Wabash, Louisville & Nashville, Chicago & Eastern Illinois, etc. Nearly all of these lines ran Mikados, Heavy and Light Mountains, Pacifics, 2-4-0s, and even 2-10-2s.
I would love to have any of the Canadian National full body locos ; SD-50F, SD-60F, Dash-8-40F and the CN SD-40s with their snow shield and front bell. I would also like the kind of slugs they use in their yards. By the way, does some manufacturer sell any kind of a slug ?
I know I’m probably the only one that wants this but we can wish can’t we. i would like to see a wheeling and lake erie. Thought I probably won’t see it because it’s just a small shortline through the ohio area but one day maybe I’ll custom paint one.
Western Maryland H7, H8, or H9 Consolidations, (NOT that Spectrum thing, other than the wheels, it’s totally wrong!!), WM I-2 decapods, or Reading T-1’s.
PPPPPPPPPPPPLLLLLLLLEEEEEAAAAASSSSSEEEEEEE!!![:I]