I can recommend asking questions here:
http://precisioncraftmodels.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=1
Only trouble is, now I want one to! What a lovely engine.
I can also recommend FDT from not only a price perspective. The service is according to my experience the best out there. Nothing else have so far come close to it.
Magnus
- Luke
Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's
HEY HEY LOOK WHAT WE HAVE HERE! Have you seen this yet?
http://www.factorydirecttrains.com/New-Haven-I-5,-Hybrid-c3566.html
I am not advertising I am helping a fellow model railroader save a few dollars and get the steam engine they really want. I do not work fo FTD
Let us know how it runs!
Welcome to the MR Forum! I do like your forum name...
As to the BLI I-5 "hybrid" model, I saw the pre-production model at the Big E show in Springfield, MA back in January. Quite frankly, it impressed the heck out of me.
Now, I already own one of the old 1970-'s-era NJ/Custom Brass I-5's, and that cost me $400 back in 1996 (unpainted). Figure at least $100 extra for the paint job, and it's now clocking in at around $500 more or less. You can get the new I-5 for around $400 if you shop around.
The new hybrid I-5 looks way better than my old brass I-5, it should pull a lot more cars, and it's got QSI sound to boot! They played the whistle for me at the Big E show, and as well as I could hear it in that place, it sounded just right. The I-5 has been described as having a "steamboat whistle" not unlike the N&W J's. There is one known live recording that I know of, and that's in the WWII movie "A Great Railroad At Work" made by the NH. The whistle sounded just like the movie.
From all appearences, this should be a "perfect" model ("perfect" as in: what they could get right they did get right). The NHRHTA was heavily involved in this project, and it looks like FDT/BLI listened and just flat out nailed it.
I can't wait for mine. They are supposed to be shipping/arriving this month from overseas.
Paul A. Cutler III************Weather Or No Go New Haven************
It depends on how bad you want it.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!