Super excited about this... I am near 40 orders now, so if you want one, please preorder it so I know how many I will need to have Lionel make.
When I first read your title I thought you were posting about a lithium ion battery powered engine charged with renewable Green energy !
I love green engines and trains like the Southern Pacific steamer trains too.
Charlie
@MrMuffin'sTrains posted:
Steve, you are the bomb. So far, this will make my 4th custom run purchase that you offered. Nothing makes me happier than something that is unique and a great project. You see what should be and make it happen. As long as you keep doing what you're doing, I will always be interested in purchasing a custom run(as long as I have money, lol).
The really two great things about Mr. Muffin are his ability to think outside the box and his ability to convince others to his cause (passion for trains).
Atlas, Lionel and MTH should have him on their payroll.
Spectacular!!! Thank you Steve & all the muffins! This is my 2nd custom muffin.
@MrMuffin'sTrains posted:Super excited about this... I am near 40 orders now, so if you want one, please preorder it so I know how many I will need to have Lionel make.
Nice work Steve. Glad everyone is stepping up that wants one!
@MartyE posted:Nice work Steve. Glad everyone is stepping up that wants one!
I'm wondering how the catalog version is going to fair sales wise? I kind of need a second one for lashups
@Norton posted:
Seems to me that the latest Lionel version of the SP/ATSF ex-B&M Berk cheats by using the B&A boiler casting with the Coffin hung on the front rather than the Elesco, unlike the original K-Line versions that used the correct, different boiler castings. Or, maybe I'm just having "catalogue blindness".
(No, I just looked - the catalogue shows the B&A boiler on the B&M/ATSF/SP locos, which is incorrect, Coffin or not.)
Sure would like a whaleback tender, though.
SP did receive the Coffin feedwater versions. There is an HO Balboa model on the auction site that shall not be named now. I also have pics but of course can’t post here. It kept its coal tender until the 50s, then the whaleback when converted to oil and finally the coffin heater was removed at the end.
Pete
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Steve, you are the bomb. So far, this will make my 4th custom run purchase that you offered. Nothing makes me happier than something that is unique and a great project. You see what should be and make it happen. As long as you keep doing what you're doing, I will always be interested in purchasing a custom run(as long as I have money, lol).
Think Gary (superwarp1) is the one to thank for idea to produce this one.
@Arthur posted:Think Gary (superwarp1) is the one to thank for idea to produce this one.
It was a group effort. I can’t say I was the first to email Steve but I was one of many.
@Norton posted:SP did receive the Coffin feedwater versions. There is an HO Balboa model on the auction site that shall not be named now. I also have pics but of course can’t post here. It kept its coal tender until the 50s, then the whaleback when converted to oil and finally the coffin heater was removed at the end.
Pete
Whaleback tender would be nice and a correct early short tender for the B&A would be nice also but you figure with the prices we are paying these days it wouldn’t be to much to ask for a not mass produced tender done to save a few bucks.
@Arthur posted:Think Gary (superwarp1) is the one to thank for idea to produce this one.
Yeah, Gary was one of the select few to put the words to Steve's ears. I would never take away what someone put forth to get things rolling. The great thing is that Steve is going forward to get it made with Lionel. I know Steve has tried a few ideas that were his own, some have obviously made it, others have not. I do also know that there has been a great number of suggestions on engines(and other things) to any number of dealers to try and get things made. Sometimes it's a hit, other times it doesn't get made. I really would have liked to have seen a Mr. Muffin's custom Mohawk, but Lionel told him a flat out no.
@superwarp1 posted:Whaleback tender would be nice and a correct early short tender for the B&A would be nice also but you figure with the prices we are paying these days it wouldn’t be to much to ask for a not mass produced tender done to save a few bucks.
I don’t see Lionel doing one unless it was a hybrid. No other applications for it except a few other SP engines like a Mogul.
I am hoping a 3rd Rail one comes along anyway.
Pete
Well the wife gave the ok and I just put the order in.
@Trainwreck nate posted:Well the wife gave the ok and I just put the order in.
She's a keeper. Glad you are on board.
Really excited about this project - we are over 40 now..... how many extras should I make?.... BTW, if you want to order the black one, and have already ordered the green one, use discount code "SecondBerk" for an additional discount on the black version (2231340). I can't post the discount here - violates Lionel's rules - but once it's in your cart, you can see it.
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Yeah, Gary was one of the select few to put the words to Steve's ears. I would never take away what someone put forth to get things rolling. The great thing is that Steve is going forward to get it made with Lionel. I know Steve has tried a few ideas that were his own, some have obviously made it, others have not. I do also know that there has been a great number of suggestions on engines(and other things) to any number of dealers to try and get things made. Sometimes it's a hit, other times it doesn't get made. I really would have liked to have seen a Mr. Muffin's custom Mohawk, but Lionel told him a flat out no.
Just to be clear, and fair, sometimes when Lionel says "no" to something I propose it's because they have plans to run it themselves in a future catalog. I don't think it's fair to them to disclose that model by model - theirs's to tell - but it's all pretty exciting. I just want to see the thing get made, whether it's cataloged in the future or a special run.
Diesels outsell steam, and we know that, so I don't get how all of the SD40-2's I have proposed from this catalog, and previous catalogs, don't get much interest.
@MrMuffin'sTrains posted:Diesels outsell steam, and we know that, so I don't get how all of the SD40-2's I have proposed from this catalog, and previous catalogs, don't get much interest.
Just a guess, but with the 3RD Rail SD40-2 engines possibly making it into production in 2022 that might have something to do with it.
Well, they're coming. I got confirmation this morning that mine would be shipping. This is yet another great custom run coming from Mr. Muffin's trains. Thank you Steve for taking this one on. @MrMuffin'sTrains
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Well, they're coming. I got confirmation this morning that mine would be shipping. This is yet another great custom run coming from Mr. Muffin's trains. Thank you Steve for taking this one on. @MrMuffin'sTrains
I haven’t seen pictures of the real model yet, ….have you Dave?……did Steve post pictures and I missed it??……inquiring minds want to know!…
Pat
@harmonyards posted:I haven’t seen pictures of the real model yet, ….have you Dave?……did Steve post pictures and I missed it??……inquiring minds want to know!…
Pat
The only thing I saw was a post by Steve on a sample of the painted shell a few months ago. I want to say it was in one of his newsletters, or maybe a post here about what was delivered and that as well. I'll see if I can find and forward it to you.
I think you can see if in this video
@tom21pa posted:I think you can see if in this video
I saw this as well. But it’s not the new one. It’s the k-line version from years ago. Check the road number. The new version has boiler details like the piping painted black
I sent Pat the newsletter from August I believe. I'm that announcement was also at the top the Atlas B&A cars that would go with this engine. The shell Steve had just after that. I imagine that Steve will post a video soon to show the model off, at least I'd think so. Since it's Steve's newsletter, I can't post it. I'll see if I can find his post on here.
Mr. Muffin's August News Letter on Custom Runs including B&A painted shell
Here is the news letter. I had to cheat a bit, found my sent email to Pat and went from there with the link.
@harmonyards Pat, did you see my email as well as the above link?
The color is off, looks like a bit of lemon got into the paint. Just saw the newsletter email about them coming in and it is off to say the least.
I'd wait to see it in person. Too many variables. Not saying it's correct but I'd want to see it compared to a know correct version in the same light and setting.
The newsletter with the photos of the finished model is online.
@Rider Sandman posted:The newsletter with the photos of the finished model is online.
Yes it is hence the resurrection of this thread. Still does not remove the possible variables of lighting, camera, etc. Again I'm not saying it's correct or wrong but until we get more than 1 set of pictures I would hold judgement.
@MartyE posted:Yes it is hence the resurrection of this thread. Still does not remove the possible variables of lighting, camera, etc. Again I'm not saying it's correct or wrong but until we get more than 1 set of pictures I would hold judgement.
Ahh, I only saw a link to the newsletter with the shells and thought a link to the finished product might be useful. I have no idea if the green is “correct” or not, but it looks sharp. Definitely different and the black piping on the green boiler really stands out. I suspect they’ll all be gone quickly either way.
For reference – photo shows the green boiler on my MTH model of Boston & Albany 4-6-4 Hudson #606 (20-3583-1) delivered in 2015.
MELGAR
Attachments
@MELGAR posted:
They are definitely different. Using the Google's, there is an HO model that falls somewhere in between what Mr. Muffin showed and the MTH in your picture.
Just for grounding, the target green was the K-line berk from years ago. The Hudson is a different green. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong. Hard to say until mine comes
I‘d love to see a side by side comparison to the k-line version and comparison to the Pantone color listed on the artwork. Comparing to the Pantone swatch should give us some insight on what the overall color issue is at Lionel. Is it color selection, ability to match the selected color, or both…
Regardless, it looks fantastic and can’t wait to receive mine.
I'd say that the video that was posted above which some thing is the K-Line model, Mr. Muffin's artwork, and what looks to be the finished product are different from the aforementioned. I think just based on what the newsletter has, that it is a little more yellow toned, meaning a bit more yellow added to make the green. While I have no real historical knowledge of what it is supposed to be, I have heard that someone also agreed with the perception that it isn't right.
I have the original K-Line version and also the MTH Hudson. As mentioned no color photos exist of this scheme. Most of the info. is from people who saw them trackside or worked on them. One thing looking at the pictures. The cab and tender appear to be black. In all the descriptions I’ve read. They were more of a Pullman green. You can clearly see it in Mel’s photo of the Hudson. The boiler from what I remember reading was Brewster Green. Googling that you still get a variety of shades. Most greens that I remember seeing on cars or trucks from that era that were restored were much darker. Not pastel looking. But seeing the Boiler and Cab were 2 different shades of green. You would think it would be done to give it some contrast.
The B&A was known for sprucing up there engines for a retiring engineers final run. Extra pinstriping was added and could be the reason some got the green paint jobs. Don’t know if the engine remained that way till it was re shopped or if was immediately removed after the final run.
I agree with Dave ……from what I’ve learned, and as Dave mentions, Brewster Green was a term thrown around a lot from people that worked the B&A and from conversations I’ve read about model makers trying to get it right. Also Pullman Green was used on the cab ( maybe the tender too????) ….I’ve sprayed enough Brewster green in my lifetime to fill a tanker truck, …..that thing Lionel painted is NOWHERE close to Brewster green…..IMO, MTH got it close, but not 100%,….Brewster green is a very unique color of green…….
Pat
At least it didn't turn out like the Texas & Pacific was it? That was just like the clown engine Challengers. Sure they sold like crazy(Clown Challengers), but by God ugly.
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:At least it didn't turn out like the Texas & Pacific was it? That was just like the clown engine Challengers. Sure they sold like crazy(Clown Challengers), but by God ugly.
There is a silver lining,…..they didn’t mis-spell anything 😁
Pat