New Sunset PA's

The Rockford O Scalers like unusual passenger trains and, thanks to the new Sunset 3rd Rail Alco PAs, we now have an accurate model of Nickel Plate Road Train # 9 (Cleveland to St. Louis)!

Video of Nickel Plate Road Train # 9 on the Rockford O Scalers layout.

I sure I'm happy that the Rockford O scalers started posting on the forum, they have provided excellent and positive content. Thank you, guys! 

SANTIAGOP23 posted:

I sure I'm happy that the Rockford O scalers started posting on the forum, they have provided excellent and positive content. Thank you, guys! 

Indeedy Santiago the “positive” is two thumbs yup from me. 

Frank McCabe posted:

Video of Nickel Plate Road Train # 9 on the Rockford O Scalers layout.

Frank;

Beautiful train on a spectacular layout. Thanks for posting. I have always thought passenger trains should have matching cars... you are making me reconsider my opinion!!!

Thanks Eric  and Santiago for your comments.  We appreciate being able to post photos and videos on this excellent forum.

Hi Paul:  yes, we like all kinds of passenger trains and have some with all matching consists.  However, we also like trains with variety in their consists including secondary runs like NKP # 9 and of course mail trains.  John Handlogten, of the Rockford O Scalers has been anxiously waiting for his Santa Fe PAs so he can run “ The Fast Mail”.  A video of this train is shown below (note: more cars will be added shortly.)

Frank, nice video. What a great looking layout.  I wish I had stopped in to see the layout after the March Meet but I was in such a fowl mood the whole week I decided to skip it. 

Well, Matt you are welcome anytime!

What it really boils down to is thanks Scott for a very very nice product

Agreed!

Thanks Erik and Santiago on the layout compliments.  Santiago, just yesterday I was running the California Zephyr and decided I better do some more of the upgrades to F3's that you described.  Erik and the Colorado O Scale Models are doing some of the best work I have ever seen.  Thanks to both of you, you have both given the ROS group a lot of inspiration!  And of course a thank you to Scott Mann and 3rd Rail for doing a great job on the PA's.  Looking forward to the E6's.

After seeing these handsome Santa Fe's with the stainless panels (I have the D&H) I may be tempted to attempt some light weathering on my (dull) Lionel models...

Frank,  do you guys not run with sound on?

Yes, all of the PA locomotives have their sound turned on in both DC and DCC, however, we have turned the volume down to about half and perhaps the camera isn’t picking up the locomotive sound very well or it’s sound is being drowned out by the noise of a the train itself.

C.Sam,

The ROS group typically runs with the sound set fairly low  and we do have plenty of engines without sound.  With four trains running, the sound is more than loud enough but on the videos we should probably raise the volume a bit...

c.sam posted:

After seeing these handsome Santa Fe's with the stainless panels (I have the D&H) I may be tempted to attempt some light weathering on my (dull) Lionel models...

Frank,  do you guys not run with sound on?

It's 2 rail scale sound, Sam!

Apples55 posted:

Frank McCabe posted:

Video of Nickel Plate Road Train # 9 on the Rockford O Scalers layout.

Frank;

Beautiful train on a spectacular layout. Thanks for posting. I have always thought passenger trains should have matching cars... you are making me reconsider my opinion!!!

There are many interesting passenger consists due to jointly operated trains or cars forwarded on passenger trains. 

On the Green Frog Productions "Nickel Plate and the AC&Y" video you will see the NKP 'Westerner' (trains 7 and 8) powered by "bluebird" PAs with a mixed consist of cars as it was operated jointly by the NKP and the Lackawanna.    And it's a mix of heavyweights and streamliners.  

Neat stuff and a shameless plug for one of the best postwar steam (and diesel) videos.

Bigger plug for a great looking railroad.   Will put on our agenda for next year's Chicago meet. 

Jefferson photo 

Very cool photo!

Frank McCabe posted:

Thanks Eric  and Santiago for your comments.  We appreciate being able to post photos and videos on this excellent forum.

Hi Paul:  yes, we like all kinds of passenger trains and have some with all matching consists.  However, we also like trains with variety in their consists including secondary runs like NKP # 9 and of course mail trains.  John Handlogten, of the Rockford O Scalers has been anxiously waiting for his Santa Fe PAs so he can run “ The Fast Mail”.  A video of this train is shown below (note: more cars will be added shortly.)

Your welcome Frank, hey that awesome Fast Mail is getting closer to Chicago! Dropped a few cars in KC she’s smokin hot!! 

1 day earlier in Kansas 

Hey Eric!

That’s a sweet train!  I wish John had picked up a second PA unit but we will have to make do with our current PA/PB lashup. He intends to add more cars to his Fast Mail soon, although, unfortunately, we don’t have that cool Shadowlined RPO like you do!

Frank

Here’s some more NKP action on the Rockford O Scalers layout.

BTW, if Sunset decides to do a second run of Alco PAs, we intend to pickup another Nickel Plate Road PA.

Frank McCabe posted:

BTW, if Sunset decides to do a second run of Alco PAs, we intend to pickup another Nickel Plate Road PA.

That is, of course, if the minimum of 20 NKP are reserved for a 2nd run.

Hey Rich, Still waiting to see if your conversion sets worked out.

Jay

Wow Frank that video is great. Really enjoyed it. 

Hi Frank can you please post a link to the video again. I missed it.

Thanks Daryl

Hi Daryl,

You should be able to just scroll up to view the NKP video.  Let me know if that works.  Regards,

Frank McCabe 

All of these PA's look great!  

I really hope they do another run of them, and it would be nice to have the black and yellow Erie scheme:

In that first photo, the gently rolling terrain is so well done.  Can you describe how you created this? 

Daniel Raible posted:

All of these PA's look great!  

I really hope they do another run of them, and it would be nice to have the black and yellow Erie scheme:

Considering it did not get sufficient reservations for the first run and how many people backed out of reservations for the green, resulting in more than twice as many Erie leftovers as any other livery,  I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.

Well 2 of the 4 3-Rail Erie were sold at the York Show. Apparently an outdated email address kept the customers from picking up their order. So now we have only  2 - 3R Erie (Dark Green / Yellow)  PAs, and 2 - 2R Erie Lackawanna PAs left.

We will be announcing a select few road names for a second run based on unfilled back orders and popularity. 

Thanks for all your support in this and the other projects. 

BTW: A  2R PA/PB UP Yellow Set is coming available. The customer's widow is returning the set as he passed before he could open them. Sad...

Cheers,

Scott Mann

Here's what we have left as of today:

2 - 2R PA ERIE LACKAWANNA
2 - 3R PA ERIE
 1- 2R PB SFWB
1 - 3R  PA/PB DEMO SET
1 - 2R PB DRGW 4 STRIPE
1 - 2R PA/PB SET UP YELLOW (AVAILBLE 5/1/2018

I currently have the resources set aside to cover the B&O E6 reservation.

I missed the first round of PA reservations.

If the future PA reservations again includes a Bluebird NKP, then I am going to try real hard to scrape up the cash for that one as well. 

In the meantime I've been on a steady diet of acquiring GGD passenger cars one at a time to build up the fleet.

What a great time for O-Scale!  Thank you Scott for working to make this all possible.

wb47 posted:

In that first photo, the gently rolling terrain is so well done.  Can you describe how you created this? 

Hi wb47,

Assuming your question pertains to the Rockford O Scalers layout, all of our scenery is created from sculpted "pink (or blue) board" Styrofoam sheets stacked together and then shaped with a wire brush or other tool.  Once the terrain is in the desired shape, paint, ground foam, trees, etc. complete the scenery. 

We have a module on the inner loop (the formerly portable part of the layout) that features a large cut over a river and spanned by a double track bridge.  This was also created using the stacked Styrofoam method.  A photo and video of this scenic feature follows in the next posts.

Regards,  Frank McCabe

Here is the photo and video of our river module.

I noticed that we have only posted one video of the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Brunswick Green Five Stripe Alco PA/PB on the 1948 Broadway Limited (Golden Gate Limited cars) so here is another one.  We think it’s a classic train!

Here is one last video of Nickel Plate Road Train # 9 rolling under a country road bridge that is a favorite hangout for railfan photographers!

I can’t wait to get out to the farm and run my Alcos. The El Cap is waiting on the layout

As an added thought, I wonder how much of an effect, if any, Lionel's decision to cease ERR operations and no longer offer tmmc replacement boards will have on future 3rd Rail Sunset's sales and offerings? While Lionel Legacy engines are pricey, at least they'll be able to be serviced but when an almost equally high priced TMCC 3rd Rail Sunset engine fails, what recourse will their be for that engine's owner? Relegate it to the role of an expensive shelf queen or delicate but pricey doorstop? Might this decision mark the beginning of the end for this relatively small company to continue manufacturing O gauge engines???

I wonder when or even if anyone from 3rd Rail Sunset Models will chime in on this topic and what they might say about this revelation?

Doom and Gloom....

First of all, we have plenty of ERR equipment for our productions and repairs going out several years.  I am not one to be caught with my pants down and not have electronics to put in our productions.

2nd, in all the years we've been buying and installing ERR equipment, if it works when it goes in the model at the factory, it doesn't fail.  It's been one of the most robust systems we've ever put in our models. 

Back to serviceability of older technology, we still have QSI Reverse units used in our models from 1994 to 2000, before we went to TMCC. We don't let ourselves run out of vital equipment until it becomes obsolete and is replaced by newer and better technology.

Doom and Gloom, the sky is falling, run and hide.

Perhaps we will be licensed to sell ERR systems to consumers for their upgrades. Time will tell. If you read the thread carefully, the OEMs are still getting the ERR boards for their production. But nothing is forever.

There is one thing in business that is for sure.... CHANGE.

Scott Mann