SD7/9 in O! Thanks Scott!

How about a certain number of units undecorated , and decal sets for various roads , so you get more units in the order to reduce price and also being able to cover the ones and two's of various roads.

With custom decal makers , it would not be a stretch because the decal sets for deisels would not have much nomenclature like freight cars, also offer road names less cab numbers , with a small dry transfer set for multiple road numbers .

If Scott will do the Big Red #990, I will swing and spring 4 sure!  Scott will need to make sure that the hood end lighting is functional, unlike the current MTH units.  Also hoping that these units will be geared more realistically than typical 2 /3 rail locos.  We don't need to go 140smph at 15v.  Lower gears = better low speed, and the Non-China drive will help a bunch too.  As the EMD salesman said when these guys first appeared... " All the advantages of a Shay, with none of the disadvantages !"  U-Rah ! 

 

If 12 units is the minimum required for a road name, perhaps it might be possible for Scott to add more road names onto his order form. That way people have to put their money where their wishes are.

 

It would be helpful (but might be an IT pain) to have a counter up until 12 units so if a road name is stuck at 11 orders, someone might order a second and push it to the minimum.

 

 

John Albee (before he went on to S scale) and I used to lobby Atlas intermittently for a CF7 which is perfect for an industrial switching layout.

 

There are beaucoups road names possible and it is a converted F7 and Sunset is bringing in the F7s....

 

Just thinkin' ...

 

 

 

Well, I may as well throw another ingredient into the pot!!  I'd like to see a low hood sd9 version done in DMIR,  B&LE,  or UNION RR.  The DMIR had quite a number of the low hood versions that ended up on other sister railroads.  I know the UNION had 4 of them in the late 70's because I used to see them when I worked at the USS Homestead works and around the area where I lived in West Mifflin. They were initially operating in their DMIR colors,  but were eventually all repainted into the UNION blue and white.  Anyone else interested in low hood units? 

 

Nick

I too am interested in an SD7 demonstrator! I alson would like a correct 3 rail Sd9 for PRR. The MTH model is really an SD7.

 

 

The early SD9s still had vertical stand off ladders at all four corners.  This will be one incredible chooch .   Can't wait to stuff about ten pounds of lead into mine and go head for the high country !

Many years ago, I was invited into the cab of an SD7/9 on C&S 29, the Denver CO - Billings MT overnight passenger train.  It was my first visit to the cab of a diesel.  These will be great.

 

ChipR

I'm very excited about this. Now for the restraint from ordering 5 sets!

From your lips to Scott's ears! I'll take a few GP30s for sure!

And with my luck the announcement will come out right after I finish my GP30 conversion project. Then I'll be deciding on getting another one or two.

 

A CF7 would be a much better choice, though. PRB did one (Topeka Cab) several years ago in brass, but there hasn't been one mass produced. The key here would be to offer them in the branch lines and LA Junction, where they spent a long time in service (some still in service today). Of course, there would have to be sufficient reservations.

 

Matt, work more quickly on that GP30. Better yet, start on a CF7.

 

I (and John Albee) always thought that  CF7 would be like printing money between Santa Fe, LAJ, and a host of modern short lines. Athearn has certainly produced a ton in HO.

 

It's a perfect engine for those in, or interested in O, with little space.

 

 

YES I would be in for some CF7's too.

I'd like mine in BN with the late delivery "Hammer Head" cabs, short hoods and walkways...seems BN got SD24 parts in its last order giving them a distinctive "Hammer Head" look.  That would be my wish 3rd Rail!

I ordered 2 in Grande Bumblebee!

 

 "The key here would be to offer them in the branch lines and LA Junction, where they spent a long time in service (some still in service today)"

 

   Yeah, CF7's have lasted a long time. Roaring Camp tourist line on the ex SP Santa Cruz branch has two.   GP30's were not all that popular or long lasting compared to SD9,GP9's or most  later power.....DaveB 

Gonna rip the standard 62:15 gears outta mine and shove in a six pack of 65:12 stump-pullers.  Add enough ballast to get her up to around 390K, and go looking for some paint to pull off the wall.  YOY !   Whadda chooch !

Sounds like Scott has a hot item in this project, not my era but a good step in the right direction for future second and third generation power.I am impressed how quickly Sunset has been able to get the more recent models into production.

Just put myself down for 2 CB&Q SD-7.  Will likely also reserve one of the C&S SD-9 once there are a few more details about them.

I can hardly wait.

I hope B&LE makes the cut.

 

Dave

 

 

 

Please get your reservations in for this Demonstrator! It will ONLY be produced if 20 or more reservations are placed. I have dug out the original EMD Styling & Painting drawing for this Red & Maroon model, and will be providing a digital scan of it to Scott at the March Meet.

 It sure seems the SD demonstrator scheme will prove successful for Sunset. To me it is reminiscent of the colorful scheme used on the FM Train master demonstrators. The FM demonstrator scheme was sure successful for C&LS and MTH.

 

HW - might be good to let Scott know which roads tried the SD demonstrator.

Bob,

 

Just going by memory here, but so many roads tried the SD7 Demo, that EMD made a second one, i.e. #991.

INTERESTING! Thanks Hot Water. I never knew!

 

 

That's the LIRR in the background!

For the masses that were unlucky enough to get the C&LS demos or weren't in the MTH club and missed out there... it might be a stretch but a 3rd rail TM1/TM2 demo would be nice someday. 

The MTH FM Train Master demos, surprisingly were NOT offered in 2-Rail with fixed pilots & full length hand railings. Thus, I did not purchase one from those dealers that did obtain some.

Thanks for the info on the 2r versions.  I sent an inquiry to MTH once I saw somewhere on here that they were being done and never got a response... I guess this is why.

 

I must admit that I could NOT figure why MTH did not offer that FM Demo styling in both 3-Rail and 2-Rail models, especially since their Train Master model was retooled some years ago, for both 2-Rail AND 3-Rail (with both of the underframe configurations), and they have been offering all the other "announced road names" in 2-Rail AND 3-Rail. Go figure.

I will spring for the EMD demos, but hopefully Scott will do both 990 and 991.  I notice with some surprise that the 991 is showing up on the Long Island. She was built with the heavy frame option and out-weighed the 990 by about 60K !   L.I.R.R. must have had a bunch of hefty commuters !

Asked Scott to put me down for both numbers of demonstrators .

 

MTH told me they do not do 2-rail of anything in their so called "limited edition" stuff which was what they considered the TM demonstrators.  I Grrr'd a bit and they said such things were exclusive for their "classic O Gauge" dealers and customers.  I think that was one of the last nails in the coffin that put MTH off my list for anything.

 

As for undecorated that is possible if you reserve them.  However, there will be no decals.  The builder does not make decals for one loco or one road.  It's a mishmash to make best use of available decal paper. And it is apparently one of the the most expensive parts of any model.

 

I'm not sure how to be clearer, if you want SP Zebra stripes reserve them, if you want SP bloody nose reserve them.  If you want any road done any way reserve them and lobby like is being done for the demonstrators.  You will be encouraged to provide Scott details of what you are describing.  There is no best or appropriate, only what people reserve.  They are not made to spec, there is no make this and you'll sell a million of them, it is a case of money talks and BS walks.  You are encouraged to reserve 25 or more of something you think will sell a million of and then sell them yourself; on your dime.

I'm debating which to order... the SD9 SP Black Widows or SD7 Tiger Stripes on a "hope" he gets enough reservations.

 

I can't seem to find aprox time frames (years) for the SD7 Tiger Stripe versus the SD9 Black Widow. They can't be that many years apart right? 

 

and of course mine would be 3R

As for the second SD7 Demonstrator 991, it was built in 1952 with dynamic brakes and a steam generator. It was purchased in 1953 by the B&O and became class RSE-5c = 760 (renumbered 7400 in 1957). The other 4 SD7s that the B&O purchased came without dynamic brakes and  steam generators.

 

"I can't seem to find aprox time frames (years) for the SD7 Tiger Stripe versus the SD9 Black Widow. They can't be that many years apart right?"

 

  The first SD-7 came to the SP in 1953, they had one tank( no water tank because there was no steam generator) and worked on the NWP. Late in the year more came with the water tank and generator. By 1954 they were ordering SD9's instead. Can't recall the exact  number but maybe 40 SD7's and 150 SD9's were ordered in a couple of years time span. Many of the SD9's were rebuilt and stuck around to the end or near the end of the SP, any painted  after 1959 were painted grey and red so the Black Widow scheme faded away over a period of years, I recall still seeing some in the late 60's but can't recall when the last one was repainted.....DaveB  

That's specifically why I've passed on every special locomotive since 2009, even though I run on 3-rails for now. I'm leaning toward one CNW and one SP.

There were also a few SD7s that got re-painted from tiger stripes into Black Widow paint.  The "Espee...Into the 90s"  book by Don Strack(?)  had a full feature on these beasties with tons of pictures. Included was one of the ex-demo 990 in double winged BW paint, because she had dual controls !  Scott is going to have his hands full making all these variations, should the numbers tally up !  Here's to hoping that Scott will pull out all the stops and make this his defining Diesel moment!

If you check the Sunset Thirdrail order page for the SD 7/9 offering here are the current choices, AM January 22, 2015.

Click on Choose Road

SD7

Demo

BO

CBQ

CNW

Chessie

Milw

DRGW

GN

NW

PRR

SP

South

UP

 

SD9

BO

BLE

CS

CBQ

CNW

DMIR

DRGW

GN

PRR

NKP

NS

South

SP

"There were also a few SD7s that got re-painted from tiger stripes into Black Widow paint"

 

   and maybe the best of all was the kodachrome merger scheme. I've seen SD9's in it but can't recall if I ever saw an SD7 merger painted, in later years the SD9 and SD7 locos kinda blended together so I might not have noticed one. ....DaveB 

Interesting.  A dollar says the following don't make the cut

 

CNW

Milw

NW

South

NS

CS

 

And probably

 

Chessie

BLE

DMIR

NKP

 

Anybody care to prove me wrong by getting enough reserved?

 

I agree Kodachrome SP would be nice but 2 Demos is all I can afford for 1 run.

 

OBTW, yes I'm stirring the pot