Since it appears that the “What loco would you like to see?” thread was so popular, I thought I’d do a follow up thread.
This is open to freight, passenger, MOW, anything but a loco.
So, what rolling stock would you most like to see? Please mention the scale.
Since I model N scale, I’d like to see some wood sided passenger cars that are longer that the MDC 50’ers. Some 78’ footers would be great! Something like this…
There are some Model Power and RR heaviweights available, but they’re all metal sided versions, and the conversion is a pain.
A modernized version of the old John Allen hot box decector car to flash red LED when couppled to hard. Auto reset in 10 seconds. An adjustment to the amount of shock to trigger the red LED to go on. Or I will have to build one.
I’d take one of those in N scale. You could make it a flat that you add whatever top fits your era so that one flat could be a wood boxcar, a modern boxcar, a waffleside or whatever.
More Kato Double Stacks. I’ve got a pair of the BNSF ones and I would like to get the other number and all 3 of the TTX cars. I’ve got a 12 pack of the MDC cars and they look nice but run for crap, I’m still trying to figure out how I’m going to be able to use them. They have rapidos and don’t convert to Micro-trains without modifcation…So Kato ones would be nice. Besides double stacks, Surfliner Cars would be nice too.
I would like to see HO scale (and N scale for the N scalers) Santa Fe Hi Level cars that are up to par with the BLI Zephyr cars. I have heard twice now through the internet grape vine that BLI may already be working on this, but we all know how the rumors go.
I would also like to see a run of all the Santa Fe business cars in plastic, especially the Topeka, Atchison, and the 400 series division superintendent shortys (although I have the Topeka in brass and have a reservation for one of the Coach Yard division superintendent cars).
Shorter gondolas - e.g. 40’ and under. Looks like I’ll get me wish because Accurail is supposed to be releasing some 40’ers later this year. I hope they’ll come in kit form, too.
I’d like to see an accurate series of models in HO covering the various models of Western Fruit Express refrigerator cars-as opposed to the endless stream of PFE models. Hopefully, this would include both wooden and steel versions, and both ice bunker reefers and mechanical types as well as the insulated boxcar variants. Also more variety in transition era tank cars.
All in plastic, in at LEAST Accurail quality (Branchline or Tichy quality preferable):
NYC “USRA” steel boxcars
Wood heavyweight passenger cars (60’-75’ lengths, as per prototype)
B&O wagontop boxcars
B&O wagontop covered hoppers
NC&StL 36 foot STEEL rebuilt boxcars
IC 40’ single door, single sheathed boxcars
IC 40’ double door, single sheathed boxcars with end doors
Seley hoppers
36 foot stock cars
36 foot double sheathed boxcars, early
36 foot double sheathed boxcars, late
36 foot single sheathed boxcars
40 foot, low height, single sheathed boxcars
30’-36’ wood coal gondolas
More prototype-specific wood cabooses (there should be at LEAST one released with every new steam engine that comes out!)
We NEED cars for the 1900-1930 era. We’ve got plenty of steel boxcars and single sheathed cars, and WAY too many USRA things. We’ve even got a few decent examples of Pennsy cars like the X29. But we’re missing HUGE chunks of the steam era freight car fleet, especially now that Roundhouse is basically gone. Most of the cars that we need are available in resin, but very few of us can afford the time and money to invest in huge rosters of resin freight cars. We NEED quality plastic freight cars for the pre-transition period, especially the cars that there were tens of thousands of that for some unknown reason have been “forgotten” by the hobby.
Forty foot Ps-1, built before the fifties, the ten foot high style, like the New Haven had, and any forty foot plug door, insulated cars,and mechanical reefers, circa '55-62.
I did ask BLI about their plans and the answer was more a so-so one: They weren’t even sure when they would announce the 20th Century Limited cars and they also mentioned that so-far the El Capitan cars were not on the schedule.
I mean it’s true that they have so much stuff announced already and the models keep getting delayed and delayed; maybe we will see these cars but it could be a long wait.
Thanks for the input on BLI. Don’t even get me started on schedule delays with BLI/PCM (WHERE’S MY DAYLIGHT PAs/PBs???).
As far as the Texas Special cars go, that is a HUGE one I forgot. I have been looking at the release from Overland (stunning cars) and am considering very heavily (I don’t know if i can sneak that one past the wife). Union Station Products make styrene sides for a lot of cars not available otherwise if you are willing to take on the task. I am using their sides to model the Sunset Limited.
I kitbashed a modenized CB&Q heavyweght coach (#6161). Also, MR had a good article maybe 2 or 3 years ago on kitbashing an entire train (B&O) of modernized cars. Each prototype road had its own way of modernizing, but there must be a way to design a generic line of modernized heavyweights.
My vote is for HO scale 40 foot plug door cars (RBL), with separate applied ladders and grabs. No one does these cars. Maybe Athearn or ATLAS will see this. ATLAS has already done the research given their great line of N scale 40 footplug doors.
I’d like to see more of the modern grain cars in HO. Intermountain did a very nice run a while ago and I got the Alberta Heritage and Canadian Wheat but I have yet to find the Saskatchewan Heritage cars.
