The upcoming Athearn HO Fantasy scheme ES44ACs, which road specific body type is used?

[Engi1487]

Overmod

Interesting question.  My suspicion is that most people who would buy a fantasy scheme wouldn't be rivet-counting the 'exactitude' of the supposed road-specific details... but the idea of using details corresponding to the 'real-world version' is at least interesting.

BTW, nice avatar.

 

 Hey thanks I appriciate the compilament on my avater. Its a community made cosmetic item for the Engineer class in the multiplayer first person shooter game Team Fortress 2


I also looked on Athearns site, and they do list individual visual features & details for each version, so I kinda discovered this late. Awell though.

 Now that you say this on rivet counting, I think its more fun and better to buy the fantasy scheme locomotive, as thats what I aim to do. When you mean bya full set of lights on the SP version, what do you mean?

[Overmod]

Interesting question.  My suspicion is that most people who would buy a fantasy scheme wouldn't be rivet-counting the 'exactitude' of the supposed road-specific details... but the idea of using details corresponding to the 'real-world version' is at least interesting.

What I expect is whatever details are provided for 'undecorated' units, but with the fantasy shell and detail paint.  What I do NOT see is a range of option parts in every box (except perhaps by special order off a form provided in the documentation ... for additional charge).

I would go a bit further -- perhaps fantasy schemes would call for fantasy details: e.g. a full set of lights on the SP version, or boxed-out cab windows on Milwaukee.  Not so much practical as legitimate 'alternate history' as providing more of the look and feel of a locomotive in "that" style of decoration...

BTW, nice avatar.

[Engi1487]

I see that coming in December 2020 of this year (or later depending on shipping delays) Athearn is releasing a new run of LED lighted and retrucked (The Canadian Pacific version retrucked only I think) HO Scale ES44ACs diesel locomotives.

Along with the Canadian Pacific, Union Pacific & BNSF freshly painted and faded paint verisons they are also including a series of Fantasy schemes of past defunt railroads being Santa Fe Warbonnet, Burlington Northern Green, Chessie System yellow, Southern Pacific black widow with orange front hood wings, Burlington red, Western Maryland red, white and black and Amtracks vintage logo.

However I have to ask what body type specificly these fantasy what-if scheme ES44ACs are based on? The Demonstrator ES44ACs, or a modern road specific one that the defunct railway once ran thru, or was bought from?

An example to help explain being the Santa Fe, Southern Pacific and Burlington Northern former railway systems are now used and owned by BNSF units, so would Athearn use BNSF specific detailed ES44ACs for said fantasy schemes?

Hope this helps those reading my discussion udnerstand what I'm asking.