3rd Rail AC9 Update (China)

No rush on the FP7s. They will be here soon enough. I like the tunnel ice breakers on the Canadian Pacific units. That is a interesting photo of the FP7s as well.

I saw pictures of the AC-9, both coal & oil, with close ups of the engine-tender vestibule on the coal version.  This is absolutely stunning! I have ordered the 2-rail coal version.  In my opinion, this will be the best AC-9 ever produced, and this includes the PSC, Lionel, and KTM versions.  A complete boiler on this one as opposed to the U-shaped boiler on the Lionel, good quality construction and detail, and good running!

Scott,

With all of these projects coming to market,what can we expect as far as new announcements from 3rd Rail?

 

Norm

Have you visited the Sunset/3rd Rail website?  The Timken "Four Aces" is a pretty new announcement, isn't it?

The newest announcements from 3rd Rail and GGD are:

 

General Motor's "Train of Tomorrow" (E7 + 4 Dome Aluminum Cars)

SP S-12 0-6-0 Switcher (Black or Green Boiler)

Timken 4-Aces and NP A-1 #2626 (Grey or Black Boiler)

Santa Fe Super Hudson #3460 Class

RDC-1 and RDC-2 in ABS: Many Roads

 

Soon To Announce: (O SCALE WEST)

Santa Fe El Capitan Cars (Number of Cars To Be Determined)

B&O "Cincinnatian" 5 Car Set

 

Let us know what you would like to see.

 

Cheers,

 

Scott Mann

 

 

I already have way too many SP switchers, but my suggestion is to keep the sheet metal robust, like the larger steamers.  Early importers thought that the smaller models deserved thinner brass, and we got 2-8-0s made of brass foil.  Steam locomotives are supposed to be heavy.

 

Opinion.

Scott, are there plans for a certain streamlined steam engine to pull those Cincinnatian cars?  

Any big NYC steam or passenger announcements would be delightful. I would especially like to see the mythical NYC articulated coal hauler, the NE-2 class 2-6-6-2 

 

Hi Folks,

 

I was in 3rd Rails' headquarters last Wednesday and was treated to a demonstration run of the AC-9 (3 rail version).

 

It is an awesome model with beautiful detail.  The sound is terrific and it put out a huge volume of smoke going around the test track.  This is a super steam engine.

 

Joe

SLSF 1522

 

Maybe another try at a C&O 4-6-4?

 

Jeff C

How about an ATSF 1050 class 2-6-2 or a CB&Q R5a?

 

ChipR

Thanks for the update Scott. 

"...Let us know what you'd like to see"

 

Thanks for asking!

 

CN SD50F

 CP Rail SD40-2F

Make sure to design the the 3 rail units with optional Kadee couplers!
- RICH

Well, since you asked, hiw about a New York. Central K5 or H10? Either one would make my day.

How about a C&O K2 or K3 Mikado

Actually, I am excited about the Santa Fe Hudson, just waiting for the price and delivery date.

 

Rich, you beat me to it! I'll see your 2 EMD's and raise you 1 GE as well.  Scott, I'm in for 1 each and I know about 30 - 40 more guys who really want all 3 of these made as well.

 

I too would want Kadee mounting and fixed pilots. 

 

 

Absolutely! I am definitely interested in Canadian cab units. 40s, 50s, 60s, 40-8Ms, 44-9wl... Any of them would be fine for me.

 

These would be awesome. Nothing like this has been done and should be very popular. 2 Rail with Titan decoders please.

 

Thanks for asking Scott!

I started a new thread about the FP-45 as I didn't want to hi-jack this thread on the AC-9. Since everyone else is throwing their ideas in here, I add the FP-45/F-45 to the want/need list from Sunset.

 

"...and I know about 30 - 40 more guys who really want all 3 of these made as well"

Well get their names, contact info and a deposit to Scott right away so he can get the Canadian Wide Cab projects started ASAP!!!

- RICH

"...hi-jack this thread"

 

Scott did it. He asked. 

- RICH

Hey Rich,

 

The URL for your trackplan doesn't work.

 

ChipR

 

 

 I would order one of these too! Whichever one he does first.

Give me something modern that's on the rails!!

(I do have two of your steamers and love them!)

SDL39's

 

Jeff C

I'd also like to see Scott make a GP40-2. I'm not sure why That model has been so neglected in O scale. Especially since there are Canadian wide cab versions as well. Pretty cool model if you ask me.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GP40-2

Standard GP40-2 production totaled 861 units, with 817 built for U.S. railroads, and 44 for Mexican roads. In addition, three GP40P-2s, passenger versions of the GP40-2, were built for Southern Pacific in 1974, and 279 GP40-2L(W) and GP40-2(W) units, equipped with wide-nosed cabs, were built by General Motors Diesel (GMD), for Canadian National and GO Transit between 1974 and 1976. Of the CN units, 233 were built with a taller and lighter frame to allow for a larger fuel tank. These units were officially classified GP40-2L but are commonly referred to as GP40-2L(W). The balance of CN's fleet, 35 units, and the 11 unit GO Transit fleet, used standard frames and smaller fuel tanks; they are often referred to as GP40-2(W) but are classified as GP40-2. Total production of the GP40-2 and its variations totaled 1,143 units.

 

If you include the GP40 as well you add even more options.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GP40

1,187 GP40's were built for 28 U.S. railroads; 16 were built for one Canadian carrier, Canadian National; and 18 were built for two Mexican carriers, Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico and Ferrocarriles Nacional de Mexico. 60 units were built with high-short-hoods and dual control stands for Norfolk & Western Railway. Two passenger versions, the GP40P and GP40TC, were also built, but on longer frames to accommodate steam generators and HEP equipment.

 

"...Especially since there are Canadian wide cab versions as well. Pretty cool model if you ask me."

Absolutely!! It's time somebody did these. C'mon Scott tool 'em up! 

 

 

- RICH

Scott: Like to see: To quote PC9850, above:

 

"I would especially like to see the mythical NYC articulated coal hauler, the NE-2 class 2-6-6-2 "

 

The NYC 0-8-8-0 hump switcher would be sweet; I've already built one (satisfactory),

but would definitely like to see one properly turned out.

Scott,

 

I'd like to second GNNPNUT's suggestion of a Great Northern Q-1, one of the heaviest of the GN's rigid-frame steam locomotives (in its later version second only to the S-1, I believe).   I'd also be in for two of those.

 

RTR

Scott, here is another idea for an new project.

An SP 2-6-6-2 (not Cab in Front)

 

Greetings

Martin

I would like to see an e-6 in C&NW,  with the high sided coal tender.  2-6-0 I believe.

FP45 & F45

 

Not sure if I can ever afford it, but I'd like to see a 5-car Seaboard Air Line "Silver Meteor" set.  I've got a lot of data to do this and I'm sure there's more to be had from the ACL/SAL Historical Society.

 

Scott, looking at all those engines, how long does it take them to assemble a single engine?  The reason I ask...I was putting on my pants this morning and realized the labor involved in making them.  I Googled the query and, according to an article in the NY Times, it takes approx 4 hours to make a pair of pants:

 

At Martin Greenfield, a union shop where employees earn about $13 an hour, before benefits, it takes an average of four hours of labor to make a pair of pants. The pants pass through the hands of at least 20 people in the process of cutting fabric, adding pockets and building out a fly. So with labor and fabric, the cost to make Mr. Sternberg’s pants was about $110 — a fifth of what they cost in a store.

 

Not sure if this is representative of a common pair of pants or if this is the "cream of the crop" variety.  I would think no matter what the type or brand it would still take the same amount of time as any other pair of pants.

 

Yeah I know...too much time on my hands

Scott how about a CB&Q O-4 heavy USRA Mike or CB&Q O-1A mike with sloped tender or straight side tender. This could also be made into Grand Canyon Rys 4960

Scott, another good locomotive to model would be the Union Pacific 2-10-2 like the

5511. It has young's valve gear, revised tender, BLI did the model in HO with the plow pilot also.

 

I would buy one of these as soon as it was announced.  I can't believe no one has made one on "O" after all these years...Really want to add this one to my Union Pacific collection.

You sure Max Gray or USH didn't do one?

Yes, USH did both the U.P. 4-8-2 and the 2-10-2 toward the end of imports by USH.  Westside produced many of the models made by USH, but not the two U.P. engines.  Both engines were modeled as delivered but not with the Young's valve gear.  they are both very good base models and do not show up for sale very often.  I do not know how many of each were imported but I don't think the numbers is very high.

What would I like to see?  Accurate plastic Alco FA and PA diesels, a brass NYC R-2 detailed for the South Shore.