Seems like big news, or is it old news?
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Where do you see that?
That was the talk awhile back. No SD40s, so how bout GP40s, then GP7/9. I never heard that any of them were a sure thing, but still no FP45s either ☹
Sounds like a rumor, there is no mention of one on 3rd Rail's latest email. There was a thread on the 3 Rail Scale forum where many forum members said they would be interested in one in 3 rail.
Ad in other o scale magazine. I think this is great news.
The proposed change from SD40 to GP7/GP9 can be seen at this link to the latest Sunset/3rd Rail newsletter. Scroll down to SD40 info.
MELGAR
there was a mention on the last 3rd Rail newsletter I got. Basically it was a feeler. Scott asked for input on whether to do the GP7/9. He asked customers (people who got the newsletter) for their opinions on doing the GP7-GP9 series. He made this request in the last two Newsletters I received from Sunset 3Rd Rail.
So based on that, it is not a rumor, it is a proposal - somewhere between a project and a wish. He has not decided to do it and ask for reservations, but he has asked for us customers if we have interest. This seems to be because the SD40 project sort of flopped. Very light reservations.
I just signed up for the newsletter. Scott's web pages do not seem to cover all his projects - cannot find any passenger cars, even though the Seaboard stuff is being shipped and the Hiawatha is apparently a "go".
bob2 posted:I just signed up for the newsletter. Scott's web pages do not seem to cover all his projects - cannot find any passenger cars, even though the Seaboard stuff is being shipped and the Hiawatha is apparently a "go".
The passenger cars are from Golden Gate Depot, i.e. you must go to THAT site.
If in OST issue 102 there was an ad with an announcement are there any road names included yet
MR-150 posted:If in OST issue 102 there was an ad with an announcement are there any road names included yet
Picture in OST advert shows a Southern Pacific version. Not a complete listing.
MELGAR
I missed that Ad. I usually skip the ads since I read the news letter. so that is new information. We will have to do something or get out of line!!!! there is another way to say this.
Thank you for the clarification, somehow that part of the newsletter wasn't showing up on my phone. I promptly sent an email expressing an interest in a 3 rail CNJ GP7 or two.
With Lionel just shipping a second or 3rd run of Leacy GP9's and the Atlas GP7/9 along with the MTH ones, is this one that's going to get off the ground?
The GP7s-9s are listed on the new color sheet of new announcements that came with my VGN EL-2Bs.
So on the announcement sheet what road names do they have
Matt Makens posted:With Lionel just shipping a second or 3rd run of Leacy GP9's and the Atlas GP7/9 along with the MTH ones, is this one that's going to get off the ground?
It would IF Scott does torpedo tube GP7 & GP9's and or phase 3 GP9 with the 3 48" fans. Those units are unique and will stick out! Bonus would be the UP & PRR GP9 B's as well as the ATSF GP7B's!
Note: the Lionel Legacy PRR GP 9's were a disaster! There are too many flaws to correct for the money spent!
The Legacy GP7's were near perfect. Go figua?
Recently done Thirdrail SD7/9
I will be a player for a couple UP units. The E 8 u its were beautiful and run great. With my dealer Royz Trains who is a repair guy for 3rd rail and a big help on my railroad with electrical problems and different lighting situations I will go with 3rd rail for. Most ofmy new purchases.
Boy those 3rd Rail diesels are nice, I love all of mine
The nicest-est!
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I’d be in for a PRR unit. Original lettering scheme.
Just please use the Brunswick color found on the first run of E7, in gloss, which makes it darker still.
Definitely count me in for a couple of PRR GP7's.
Yes please. N&W in black and gold scheme.
Still trying to figure out how to pay for a NYC ABA F3 they are coming out with this year. GP7/9 in NYC or B&M will be hard to decide which....
The PRR GP7s could be fun. they ordered each one pretty much for specific assignments with different options. They had a couple torpedo versions, some with dynamics, some without, I think some had train phone and some not. The GP9s on the other hand seemed to be pretty much the same as each other. The last order or 2 had the large 48 fans as a difference.
Years ago I bought an MTH GP9 that turned out to be more of a GP7. I would surely order an accurate model as always done by 3rd Rail,PRR of course.
Norm
I really hope 3rd Rail doesn't cancel their SD40s, but I understand why they would. I likely wouldn't order a GP7/9 but I have already pre-ordered an SD40.
I have 2 SD40-2’s ordered from when they were first announced in 2016. I would add a 3rd if production moved forward but it’s highly unlikely enough reservations will be met anytime soon.
Erik from MMW is still taking reservations for his SD40-2 if you want one bad enough. Early pictures and reports imply this is going to be an exceptional model that will set the standard for scale fidelity.
Norm- My first O scale diesel was a USH-KTM "GP9". Indeed it turned out like its MG-KTM predecessor it had GP7 body details and railings. Back in the 1960/70's many people thought if an EMD geep had a dynamic brake blister it was a GP9 --not necessarily so. Over the years that GP7 went on my workbench/backshop multiple times. The first for body detail upgrades like PRR train antenna and lost wax cast fan covers, then for steel wheels, later for a Pittman can motor, and most recently for a gearhead motor- center belt tower ball bearing drive and Tsunami2 DCC sound. At 47 years old it's my sweetest running diesel.
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My first choice would be some GP7s in Lackawanna. My second choice would be for some GP7s in Erie Lackawanna black and yellow. And some Southern Pacific black widow GP9s with proper lighting are always welcome.
GP7s and GP9s for 3rd Rail could be like their F-units. They could make them for many roads, but I suspect getting all of the road specific details correct is going to be a nightmare.
Irregardless, if they build them, I will reserve and purchase them since they will have an excellent drive system and will be the best in class for their price range. I just wish Scott would follow his own advice and get off the fence and offer them.
Yes.
Two or three N and W.
superwarp1 posted:Still trying to figure out how to pay for a NYC ABA F3 they are coming out with this year. GP7/9 in NYC or B&M will be hard to decide which....
Sell a child?
rex desilets posted:superwarp1 posted:Still trying to figure out how to pay for a NYC ABA F3 they are coming out with this year. GP7/9 in NYC or B&M will be hard to decide which....
Sell a child?
I have plenty of those to spare.
Do all 3rdrail diesels come with fixed pilots or just the F and E units? One reason I don't have any diesels on the pike is that darn swinging pilot through curves.
prrhorseshoecurve posted:Matt Makens posted:With Lionel just shipping a second or 3rd run of Leacy GP9's and the Atlas GP7/9 along with the MTH ones, is this one that's going to get off the ground?
It would IF Scott does torpedo tube GP7 & GP9's and or phase 3 GP9 with the 3 48" fans. Those units are unique and will stick out! Bonus would be the UP & PRR GP9 B's as well as the ATSF GP7B's!
Didn’t Lionel just ship a bunch of GP7/9 TTS?
superwarp1 posted:rex desilets posted:superwarp1 posted:Still trying to figure out how to pay for a NYC ABA F3 they are coming out with this year. GP7/9 in NYC or B&M will be hard to decide which....
Sell a child?
I have plenty of those to spare.
Do all 3rdrail diesels come with fixed pilots or just the F and E units? One reason I don't have any diesels on the pike is that darn swinging pilot through curves.
All the 3rd Rail diesels I have have a fixed pilot on them. The 3 rail versions have a larger coupler opening on the fixed pilot
I too hope that the SD40-2 is not cancelled; however, I think that the issue is that for these $7xx price point models to get done, 3rd rail is looking for “knock it out of the park” type reservations, e.g. in the 1000 reservations range versus say a more muted number as required by the recent Virginian Electrics (note that the Virginian Electrics are at a significantly higher price point, e.g. ~$2000 for a pair of plastic ABS body/brass details locomotives). I don’t think that the SD40-2 reservations have been really “that bad”, as every time you turn around you hear someone new chime in that they reserved (usually more than one). However, I don’t think the reservation number approaches the 1K mark (or whatever that magic number that 3rd rail is looking to hit). Same goes for the GP40-2. Unfortunately, the way that the 2-Rail O scale demographics lines up (steam/first generation diesel dominance), it is not likely that reservation numbers that the F-units / E-units have garnered will be achievable in the more modern era motive power classes. Couple that with the sheer quantity of decent 3-Rail motive power coming out of Lionel and MTH at lower prices, so you are not going to steal a lot of 3-Rail guys to fill in the reservation numbers, especially for a fixed pilot model requiring wider radius curves. Modern era motive power via 3rd Rail may only be achievable by bumping up the price point to something similar to the Virginian Electrics. Now… how many modern era folks will belly up for a $1K model similar in class to the Virginian Electrics versus a $7xx model but at a lower minimum reservation count is the big unknown.
Scott Kay
I think I read here that 400-450 is the minimum number for most 3rd Rail models in the $650-$750 range and that is combined 2-rail and 3-rail reservations. Twenty units is required for a specific road name to be done.
It seems as if 3-railers are OK with the inferior SD40-2's from Lionel and MTH and that is one reason why reservations are moving along at such a slow pace. It's too bad that companies like 3rd Rail and Atlas have to rely so heavily on 3-rail preorders in order for a 2-rail version to be offered.
I do wish 3rd rail would do the sd4,2. I would be a player for at least 2 UP models. Ill tAlk to Scot at York about this.
