Any news from 3rd Rail?

Are they going to officially announce the classic '51-'53 Santa Fe Super Chief they talked about doing earlier this year?

Scott is now "reviewing" that project, now that Atlas O announced at York that THEY, Atlas, will be making the 1951 - 1953 Santa Fe Super Chief train set. However, with Atlas' track record of delivering the current Cal Z train set, I would hope that Scott would proceed with his Super Chief set. I'm not even a Santa Fe modeler, but that '51-'53 Super Chief is one spectacular looking train!

Any news on the New Haven FL9's?

Was 3RDRail not at YORK?

Michael, the FL9 does not look like it will be here until late 2012.

dkdkrd said:

There could be a Beano P7D in our future.

 

And, possibly, a Cincinnatian?

There are many Weaver P7d's out there (were any 2-rail?). One can be bought for relatively small change and upgraded with ERR electronics for a total cost substantially less than the $1200 or more that a new issue would cost. I would think that 3rd Rail would take this into account before committing to a run of them. Still, asking for reservations should test the water.

On the Cincinnatian All those Weaver P7d's are looking for a proper trainset and,so, this might be a more likely GGD project. Along these lines, the N&W Powhattan Arrow would be another potential GGD project to support the zillions of scale J's orphaned without an authentic trainset to pull. Both trainsets are also appealing because they had relatively few cars (not like trying to reproduce the Broadway Limited).

Atlas O announced at York that THEY, Atlas, will be making the 1951 - 1953 Santa Fe Super Chief train set.

Thanks Hot Water, the only think that I saw was Muffins report saying they would be doing Santa Fe.  I assumed it would be Santa Fe Budd passenger cars, not the Super Chief.

Since a true set of Super Chief cars came from more than one supplier, it would probably best be done by a manufacturer that sells cars separately, although I'm sure that Scott would have come up with something very nice.

How bout a set for Seaboard's SILVER METEOR???  that would go just fine with the Seaboard E7

Scott did have a production sample of the GS4 in Daylight paint.  A beautiful model that is supposed to be delivered this summer.

There is also a good chance the Erie Berks will be delivered by the end of the year.

If all of this becomes reality, it's going to be a very good year!!

thanks for the info / update everyone. I will continue to express my desire for a Santa Fe Prairie of course, but hope each of you are able to get your wishes from 3rd Rail. Just happy we have someone like Scott to produce such quality product.

Maybe if GDD offered 2-car coach set for the Columbian, reservations would increase a little bit?

I've got the set B reserved (dome, diner, combine, and observation) but haven't reserved set A (four coaches) as an 8-car set would be just to long for my layout.  If a 2-car set of coaches was offered, I would reserve a set of these as well.

Jim

I would like to see a second run of the wooden Coal tower.

ALSO....

As NICE as these big passenger sets are:  I still believe there is a big whole in the market for a "BIG" consolidation.  Maybe a C&O style?

The Weaver Consol is pretty big.

If you can find one, of course

Was there any mention of the second run of GGD Heavyweight Observation/diner sets?

Re Atlas announcing the ATSF Super Chief cars, the following was just posted on the Atlas forum...

Oh well, perhaps Scott will reconsider.

Following are some answers:

- the GGD coaling tower re-run is just in the talking stage. There was a reasonable

  amount of interest shown at York.

- Santa Fe Super Chief? Keep checking the GGD website. Definitely was discussed

  at York as a good choice to make.

- diner/obs re-run. In the plans but probably not until 2013. Same for the modernized

  coach.

- FL-9 reservations are still low but design corrections are complete. This will

  probably be started later this year. Scott seems willing to speculate they will sell.

- B&O Columbian? Still only half the needed reservations. We discussed changing the

  offering to a 6 car train with a 2 car coach add on set. Personally I believe we may

  get some additional train reservations with a 6 car train, but many will cut back from

  4 to 2 coaches. I think it would be an offset with no additions to the total car

  reservations. But, offering the new configuration is worth a try. I really want a

  Columbian.

- B&O P-7. On the list of future B&O projects along with an EL-3/5 and the E-27. The

  P-7 would definitely be offered as a P-7e and probably a 1940's era P-7 in green.

  There are over 400 Weaver P-7d's out there and, according to the certificate

  included with my locomotive, there were 65 in 2 rail, Rex.

anyone have link to an image of the Coaling Tower?

thx

derp... found one:

http://www.goldengatedepot.com/images/OGR-TOWER.pdf

Any news on the Jawn Henry????????????????

Dear Folks,

2 days after arriving home from York, I left for Korea to meet with the management of our Chinese/Korean run factory. Here is a synopsys of the meeting.

0. NYC 1948 20TH Century Cars and REA cars are arriving in days to our warehouse.

1. SP GS-4 Production Finishes Middle of June.

2. E7 2nd Run Finishes July. Qty's set, final order due May 1.

3. FL9 Design now finished: Tooling Finished September, Production Nov/Dec. Go Go Go. We have some very estute experts making sure this model is even more accutrate than the Overland Brass model of years back.

4. C&NW H1: In Design, Production Late 2012.

5. N&W Jawn Henry Data in Hand: Design Finished September, Production Late 2012, Early 2013. This is a GO GO GO.

6. Discussion of future Aluminum car projects. This factory makes our smooth sided car projects. 4-4-2 / 10-6 Sleeper and a new train yet to be announced for a late 2012 production.

7. FP7 Diesel Production Discussion.

8. Erie S3/S4 Berkshire Design Corrections: Production Set for late 2012.

9. GN O8 Mikado, In production to be finished this Fall.

10. The B&O Columbian and SP Lark was discussed. We plan on purchasing 1000 cars worth of each type of extrusion in Aluminum (about $20,000)  to accomplish both of these projects in a combined manner. The price for these productions will be higher due to the relatively low quantities and complexity of such a project. We estimate a unit price of $225 / car will be necessary to make such a project. We realize this may be too much for some of those who reserved, but we will make these cars so nice, they will be hard to resist.   This is a tough busniness mainly because there are just not enough O Scale customers interested in purchasing these trains. So we have to re-negotiate over and over again to get them made. Thats what taking so long.

In one week I will meet with our other factory in China that makes some brass, aluminum and plastic productions, to discuss the following:

1. PRR Congressional Final Sample Inspection and Approval. Delivery June 2012.

2. N&W Mollies: Samples Production Started. Late 2012 deivery.

3. Modernized P70 Coach Production: Tooling and Production Schedule Discussion.

4. Plastic Car and Coaling Tower Rerun Discussion.  I will let you know how it goes.

5. Final Design Approval of "The Canadian". Delivery in Oct/Nov 2012.

6. Santa Fe Super Chief 1951/53 Production Discussion. We announced this in February at O Scale West and we got many good responses. We intend to make only 150 Sets of 8 - 12 cars. The detail level will be that of the newly designed "Canadian", with domes, interiors and little people. The unit price will be between 170 and 185 per car. We make the whole train at one time.

We received lots of good ideas and suggestions at York. Most of all we reaffirmed our close relationship with many of our customers. We look forward to continuing to serve you in the future, and will do so to the best of our ability.

Cheers from China.

Scott Mann

Thanks for the update Scott.  Your products always look amazing!  Just in case you need any other unsolicited ideas for beyond 2013....maybe one of these in O scale.......

Thanks for the up-date, Scott.

Any news on the delivery of the C&O caboose?

Scott,

Word from folks who went to O Scale West is that you were considering 53 foot articulated double stack cars. Is that so, and is any chance that project might go somewhere? Every product suggestion comes with the ready assurance of the guy who wants it that "it will sell," but that said it does seem that there are a lot of intermodal modelers out there who are interested in articulated well cars. Atlas seems  to have had success with their Gunderson bulkhead cars. Otherwise, the single units that MTH and Lionel peddle are actually far less-common in the real world than articulated sets. Though few of your very nice products suit my own needs, I appreciate the lengths you go to communicate with the O scale community.

Thanks,

RM

I have been fortunate enough to be well acquainted with the first generation 3rd Rail aluminum extrusion passenger cars.  They were very good. I am also well acquainted with the ground-beeaking but now eclipsed K-Line cars, having 2-railed maybe 20 or so of them. The K-Line 21" cars were the best thing to happen to O Scalers on a budget who had to have a streamliner!

The K-Line cars were a decade ago, and in the neighborhood of $150 each.  I captured them for discounts at around a hundred each.  The 3rd rail cars are quite a bit more advanced, and $180-$225 each sounds like a bargain to me.

Opinion.

Thanks for that comprehensive rundown, Scott!  It's obvious that you really have been working hard and keeping a very busy schedule.

Scott,

While I'm not happy to hear of the increase in price for the Columbian cars, I am happy that the project is still a go.  I would still like to keep my set B reservation.  Any chance of individual sale of the coaches?

Jim

p.s. I too would be interested in 53 foot articulated double stacks.  They would look great mixed in with my Atlas Gundersons.

I see a Harriman Heavy Pacific about six posts up.  This is an obscure prototype, but it was done by Overland, and I bet you could modify it for 3-rail track.  I doubt that it is popular enough for another production run, but I personally like the prototype.  Herewith, 17/64, awaiting many details and the correct coal burning tender:

I agree with that, except that my point was that the Third Rail cars are way beyond the quality of the K-Line cars, and, today's money, cost less. How can you beat that?

Scott:

Thanks for a very comprehensive update. Keep up the good work!!

There's always OK Engines for full length cars, but there's still a lot of work to do on them to get them looking nice (ends, doors, trucks).  The aluminum body is nice and the window locations are located and cut as per buyers request.  Also, there's no interiors.  Just the car body is $50, a kit (body, trucks, floor, ends, window plastic) is $80.  The only things I ended up using were the body and window plastic.  I made my own ends, new floor, and purchased trucks from Scott Mann.  I also bought chairs and tables for the interiors and made interior walls of out styrene sheet.

Next time I plan on getting just the body and window plastic.

It's practically the only way a person can get an exact car of their choice, if the RR they're modeling isn't one of the "BIG 5" that we see all the time.

Back to K-Line for a moment - I just checked them on eBay.  There are over two thousand items to choose from, and a good percentage of them are short aluminum extruded passenger cars.  Do not lament their scarcity.  Some are buy it now at under a hundred fifty.

I would hold out for Sunset, but then I am more interested in scale length than in proper window arrangements.

Santa Fe Super Chief 1951/53 Production Discussion. We announced this in February at O Scale West and we got many good responses. We intend to make only 150 Sets of 8 - 12 cars. The detail level will be that of the newly designed "Canadian", with domes, interiors and little people. The unit price will be between 170 and 185 per car. We make the whole train at one time.

Good Ol' Scott, just when I was giving up hope.  Thank you!

Bob;

Any hints on installing Kadees on the K Line passenger cars?

Thanks,

Allan

Yes.  I found a drawing - will try to post it.

Any chance of a new run of C-30-1 Southern Pacific cabooses?  I need at least 3-4 of these and they are hard to come by and demand top dollar when found.

We bought this tower and had Mr. Henke weather and detail it; it turned out exceptional!

Bob2 said:

I use 9/32, which has diaphragms touching on straight track.

I expect that would be problematic on 0-72 curves for we benighted 3RS folks