I believe that old style boat tail obs was done with the GGD FOM Broadway limited back in 2009?
The postwar obs for the all coach trailblazer has a different widow and interior than the sleeping car a Broadway obs. However most to the tooling could be reused Also for that train would be a combination baggage bar lounge. Would go great with the previous P85 coach previously imported by Scott.
sdmann posted:We are working on plans for the Amtrak Amfleet and a Viewliner to go with them. Also working on plans for the C&O Hudson and Cars and the NYC H-10a Mikados. All in good time.
Most important, keep enjoying your hobby. It's never been better than this.
Scott Mann
Scott, Awesome news! Any chance you'll have the following scheme in the amfleet and viewliner cars? as well as the new viewliner heritage baggage cars?
Mike,
The pre order for the Amfleet cars included at least 3 paint schemes. Phase 1, Phase 3 , & phase IV. I think Scott Mann may have added a variation of phase IV but not certain of that.
My bet is that he offers all the same schemes that existed on Viewliners to secure more orders.
There is also now a Dorm -Baggage combine Viewliner that can be made.
Don't forget the Viewliner diners that are now in service as well. Perfect for a modern east coast long distance train like the Silver Meteor.
VistaDomeScott posted:Mike,
The pre order for the Amfleet cars included at least 3 paint schemes. Phase 1, Phase 3 , & phase IV. I think Scott Mann may have added a variation of phase IV but not certain of that.
Last I saw there was only the ph IV with the large white Amtrak lettering and not the logo. I'm asking for IVb not IV as depicted on the GGD website and referenced in the reservation section. Hoping to see that later ph IVb addition for amfleet and viewliners!
I'm still hoping for a complete Lake Shore Limited long distance train
Clem
Scott
A question on the Virginian Gon's. Seems like I remember a mention of available/optional, separate sale whatever loads for these cars.
Will the cars come with loads? If not will loads be made available? If an option, I would assume a reservation is needed. Don't want to get caught needing loads and not having any available.
I know it's early, but a rough idea on delivery for the F3s and later the Gon's.
Thanks
Gray Lackey
Clem,
What is the consist you are looking for on that? Isn't the LSL currently all Viewliners and Amfleet cars? All the heritage cars are gone aren't they? To be honest, I've been so busy with other projects I just haven't kept up with the last year or so of Amtrak news other than the on again, off again, and on again long distance train debacle. Last Amtrak trip was 2016 sadly.
The LSL can be currently all Viewliner and Amfleet, or recent years a Heritage Baggage and Heritage Diner with Viewliners and Amfleet, phase IV paint.
I want to be able to run 3 different eras of Viewliner usage, phase 3 with mixed Amfleet and Heritage, phase IV with Heritage and Amfleet, and the recent pure Viewliner Amfleet consist.
The southern trains are in this same type of consist history.
That's what I recall seeing mostly. The Heritage diner mid-train next to the cafe and the Heritage baggage trailing (well a Heritage coach converted to baggage). Both were in less than stellar condition as I recall. Maybe they just hadn't seen the wash rack in a while. Now for an O scale ACS-64 to pull them .... 
Jonathan,
Heres one of those converted coaches shown on the rear of the Southwest Chief in 2013. It was looking pretty clean on this sunny Albuquerque day.
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GG1 4877 posted:sdmann posted:The reservations for the GP7s and GP9s keep coming in, which is a good thing, and Jonathan has promised to work very hard to get all the painting and lettering and details right, Right Jonathan?
We will work on these very carefully until they are produced in early 2020.
Scott Mann
Can't wait to dive into the details on this one Scott! Will be working very hard to make this one special like all the rest.
As long as the PRR GP7 has the torpedo tubes, I'm in on that one.
In the future, Scott M. needs to look at a phase III GP9 with the three 48" fans and a possible GP9B unit for UP, PRR, PC and CR.
rex desilets posted:Dj'sOgaugetrains posted:greg773 posted:prrhorseshoecurve posted:So when are we going to see another PRR passenger train?I’d love to see another run of the Congressional. I missed out on that one!
How about a correct fleet of modernism trail blazer?
I assume you mean the 1939 version. Pulled by the S-1 West of PGH. Sadly, if memory serves, the coaches would need to be produced in aluminum, given the extensive mods PRR made to the P-70's.
Update: maybe not. I forgot the modernized P-70 coaches recently released. Might be close enough. The boat-tail obs could be a problem...
Here's a photo of a model version of the Jeffersonian, from"Classic Trains" magazineHere's a decent article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_Blazer_(train)One could do the 1948 version, using 3rd Rail's already produced P-85 coaches and theft of the twin-unit diner from the Broadway Limited.
I would love to see the FOM version of the Trail Blazer offered to have an accurate train to run with the S-1. There have been so many S-1 produced (3rd Rail, Lionel, MTH) and out there with nothing really accurate to run with them, and for that reason alone, I think a Fleet of Modernism Trail Blazer would sell well.
Viewliners at Toledo, OH. 
(Photos taken by me at Toledo Ohio)
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Please note that the Viewliners will be ViewlinerIIs. ViewlinerIs are sleepers and a single diner. All the new diners, baggage-coaches, etc are ViewlinerIIs.
ViewlinerIs would have to be done in brass given all the underbody details (don't nitpick - the cost comes out the same regardless) whereas with the IIs it is covered and hidden and the same for all cars. The set being considered would include a Viewliner sleeper, diner, coach baggage and a dorm baggage with extras available. The [Am]coaches would probably be separate but at least you know if they are done all will be done.
The hope is that a Sprinter and/or a Charger can be done to go along with them as a set, like the Rockets, but... it would all depend on reservations.
rdunniii posted:Please note that the Viewliners will be ViewlinerIIs. ViewlinerIs are sleepers and a single diner. All the new diners, baggage-coaches, etc are ViewlinerIIs.
ViewlinerIs would have to be done in brass given all the underbody details (don't nitpick - the cost comes out the same regardless) whereas with the IIs it is covered and hidden and the same for all cars. The set being considered would include a Viewliner sleeper, diner, coach baggage and a dorm baggage with extras available. The [Am]coaches would probably be separate but at least you know if they are done all will be done.
The hope is that a Sprinter and/or a Charger can be done to go along with them as a set, like the Rockets, but... it would all depend on reservations.
I like where this is headed, a couple things though.
If you're doing VLIIs then you've got one paint job option and thats the current 3 stripe with the america logo. Not a problem, per-se, but it means that the amfleets in the current scheme now become mandatory. I thought at one point that option was going to be added to the order form, but I've not seen it occur yet. If the set only includes 1 sleeper then hopefully singles are also available. Separate baggage would also be a good option as there are trains such as the Carolinian that run all coaches with a VL2 baggage car.
VL1 sleepers in brass, I dont see it as a huge deal. 1 or 2 per train, it'd be palatable to me to foot the bill on it. I assume they'd cost about what the brass domes were. It'd give you paint scheme options.
As far as the locos, I'd love to see a Sprinter (brass I assume?). It begs the question though... what will you do for a 3R sound file? Putting an ERR GG1 file in it would be a downright travesty. Is there any capability to create new files? I would even think a PS3 file for an AEM7 would be a better choice, but thats probably not a factory installed possibility....
Doing the Charger is very forward thinking, as the Chargers for long-distance use have yet to be delivered, but opens up multiple paint scheme possibilities.
Amtrak is now pushing very hard to get rid of western long distance trains because they do not want to pay for the required 40 year inspections coming up on the Superliners and they do not want to pay to replace them with Viewliners. This is where most of the Chargers would be required which again they do not want to pay for. So Charger numbers are more iffy. So a lot of western red state Congressman and Senators are in a real pickle because if Amtrak goes there is basically no long distance transport option other than driving multi hundreds of miles to the nearest airport or bus station. With Greyhound eliminating stops between Salt Lake City and Reno Amtrak picked up that service for Nevada and Utah.
Whether or a not a plain baggage would be part of a basic set or an add on or maybe even available is still a question. Again they are mostly for western trains with eastern trains considered more likely fodder for the baggage dorms (possibly even rebuilding excess plain baggage cars into baggage dorms if western trains to go away).
Note that this is still very early in the thinking about it phase with delivery of any models probably being late 2020 or possibly 2021 so what Amtrak does still influences final production choices. Scott is still very wary of doing any more Amtrak at all and the reservations for the Amfleet cars is kinda reinforcing that. The thought and hope here is that this might reinforce the other as we're talking about a complete train so we don't get into the train without a loco or vice versa debate.
Definitely makes sense to me. Now the biggest issue is I need the SC44 for a locomotive to pull the trains I see with these cars in central Illinois. Sure I could get by with a P42 but these days the SC44's rule.
I'm still in for cars produced with the Phase VI or IVb scheme for at least a couple train sets.
I had a thought that didn't die of loneliness. With the Amfleet cars coming, has anyone given thought to making a "Cabbage" for the tail end of the train? I see this one quite frequently when I ride Metrolink from LAUPT to Irvine.
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Lionel made the cabbage, but only in Phase III paint at this point.
I saw the magic words: The Chief.
"Also going into design is the latest offering of Santa Fe Super Chief, the 1938 - 47 version. And the NP North Coast Limited 1957. These will be produced together later this year."
That's wonderful news about the Super Chief! I am very excited to see this one, along with many, I'm sure!
FYI 3rd Rail has pictures and a video of the Rock Island Rocket consist on its website - according to the site arrival date is mid-September.
Amtrak is per the law creating it, required to operate national long distance passenger service. This was covered in recent hearings. The Congress is not wavering on maintaining national service.
Boilermaker1 posted:
Lionel made the cabbage, but only in Phase III paint at this point.
Right, and Christine Braden can repaint a Lionel Cabbage for you into Veteran's colors. Lets have new previously unmade Amtrak power. F40PHs are available by 3 manufacturers already in all sorts of varieties.
VistaDomeScott posted:Amtrak is per the law creating it, required to operate national long distance passenger service. This was covered in recent hearings. The Congress is not wavering on maintaining national service.
Absolutely, But there is a big difference between requiring something and paying for it. The government has lots of "unfunded mandates". Amtrak needs to come up with about a billion dollars of Capex for either the Superliner inspections or the Viewliner replacements. This could result in a train with two or three cars where the demand could support two or three or more times that number; but the cars are unavailable. That is already happening for certain trains. In 2018 I was at the Naperville station where two elderly ladies were trying to reserve rooms on the Empire builder and were told they could not reserve more than 6 months ahead and there were no available rooms within that limit. They have complied with the law but...
As far as Amtrak, the budgets and fleet needs will get done. There is too much support for Amtrak and the return on dollars spent is beneficial to economies in areas it serves. I hesitate to turn this into a discussion of transportation policy so I will just say that if GGD sales depend upon future continuation of Amtrak routes, I am certain there will be routes using Viewliners and Amfleets well into our old age. The lack of current PRR operations has not slowed demand for Pennsy models. Nor would the desire for Amtrak models in an unlikely post Amtrak world.
I might add that previous GGD Amtrak cars have been obsorbed by the market and more are sought after. I have turned to custom painting and 21" cars by Lionel, K-line, and OK Engines. Many of us Amtrak generation folks are now at a time when we can buy GGD cars whereas ten years ago we never heard of GGD.
VistaDomeScott posted:Amtrak is per the law creating it, required to operate national long distance passenger service. This was covered in recent hearings. The Congress is not wavering on maintaining national service.
Yeah! Like SPD40F's
and P30CH's!
A "Pooch" would be awesome. The P30CH did handle various Amfleet trains, Shenandoah for one. Mainly Amtraks earliest auto train and the Sunset Limited.
Don't forget the workhorse of heavy through long distance trains as well as pulling some Clockers on the NEC - the E60CH, CP and MA versions. The SDP40Fs would be a nice addition to pull the Amtrak El Capitan sets. The MTH FP45s I currently run with it are very toy-like compared to the quality of the cars.
GG1 4877 posted:Don't forget the workhorse of heavy through long distance trains as well as pulling some Clockers on the NEC - the E60CH, CP and MA versions. The SDP40Fs would be a nice addition to pull the Amtrak El Capitan sets. The MTH FP45s I currently run with it are very toy-like compared to the quality of the cars.
Unfortunately with the low Amtrak sales from GGD, I doubt it that Sunset will run F45 and SDP40F's.... But hopefully I will be proven wrong!
rdunniii posted:Please note that the Viewliners will be ViewlinerIIs. ViewlinerIs are sleepers and a single diner. All the new diners, baggage-coaches, etc are ViewlinerIIs.
ViewlinerIs would have to be done in brass given all the underbody details (don't nitpick - the cost comes out the same regardless) whereas with the IIs it is covered and hidden and the same for all cars. The set being considered would include a Viewliner sleeper, diner, coach baggage and a dorm baggage with extras available. The [Am]coaches would probably be separate but at least you know if they are done all will be done.
The hope is that a Sprinter and/or a Charger can be done to go along with them as a set, like the Rockets, but... it would all depend on reservations.
Um, one of those viewliner 1 sleepers was converted in 2013/2014,? Into a business car called American View.
http://www.trainweb.org/amtrak...iewliner/10004A.html
Another sleeper is being used as a mock up of a coach car that may replace the Amfleet 1 cars. The prototype dining car is still in service.
Like I said, if made in brass for Viewliner 1 I would like to see business car 100004 American View! I'M m all in on that car!
