So, I have been pondering the idea of, "What will be Walthers' next name train". I have been hoping for some certain ones, but I do have ideas for other ones. My list includes:
-Northern Pacific's "North Coast Limited"
-Amtrak's "Surfliner" (Not exactly a name train, but it will be nice to see an HO Scale Surfliner that isn't brass)
-New Haven's "Merchants Limited" or "Yankee Clipper"
-Lehigh Valley's "Black Diamond"
-Santa Fe's "San Diegan"
-Wabash's "Wabash Cannonball" or "Bluebird"
Rapido's already got a start on the Merchants Limited: FL9's and coaches. So it's unlikely Walthers will go that direction.
I would add a whole passle of Burlington trains could be done. Especially since they've announced some E9's for that railroad. I'd very much like to see the Twin Cities Zephyr: a 7 car train with 5 domes. That's FIVE domes, folks. In seven cars.
The problem with the North Coast Limited (I think) is that the cars Walthers has already done in that scheme have the wrong colors. So Walthers would have to decide whether they would continue making the train in the wrong color or do them in the correct color. Someone loses (and complains) either way.
The same thing happened with their Empire Builder. That one (the green and orange) had the wrong colors. And they've kept doing them that way. Which means that all the cars match. And all are the wrong colors.
All of which would make doing the Burlington cars a good idea: no color choices to make. Or argue about.
Ed
I'm going to go with "Name Trains One Can Afford".
Those would be the coolest to me.
I like them, I want them but man they get you for them.
"Potential Walthers HO Scale Name Trains"
How about the "Pere Marquette"? And before anyone chimes in - "hey they did that one already!".... um, no, they didnt.
Still waiting for a "real" Pere Marquette. Not a C&O version, not a Polar Express version.... a REAL Pere Marquette.
PM Railfan
You know, I didn't know about that Pere Marquette.
You learn something everyday.
Go figure, they did just announce E8s/9s.
Some Burlington name train (any of the Zephyrs, anyone?) would be neat to see, especially in the metal plated/painted scheme.
I would love to see Santa Fe's Scout, or Santa Fe's Bluegoose train!
Of course, my number 1 hope is that it is affordable :D
Charles
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Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO
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The TCZ in all her glory:
Note that, in this case, the lead dome car is the world's first--probably subbing for one of the regulars.
As a contrarian, here are a few I'm sure Walthers will NEVER market:
I'm sure that others could add many more from the 4.92 continents I disregarded. All have one thing in common. If you want it, you had better learn to scratchbuild and/or kitbash.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - Chidori running as a foobie)
If we are talking Burlington, why not the 1956 Denver Zephyr?
Personally, I believe the passenger market is saturated, I wouldnt be a bit surprised if they didnt do a feature train for a couple of years.
Ya never know.
Noone has done the Erie Limited. Walthers can be the first. And probably the last.
The catch with the Wabash Cannonball is that it was a heavyweight train for most of its existance, and Walthers hasn't seemed interested in offering a heavyweight name train.
When the Cannonball got a few streamlined cars toward the end of the Wabash, most of the cars in any given train were still heavyweights. Not a very pretty train at all at that time, but I think that gave it character...
-Fritz Milhaupt, Publications Editor, Pere Marquette Historical Society, Inc.http://www.pmhistsoc.org
No one knows who Noone is.
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
PM Railfan How about the "Pere Marquette"? And before anyone chimes in - "hey they did that one already!".... um, no, they didnt. Still waiting for a "real" Pere Marquette. Not a C&O version, not a Polar Express version.... a REAL Pere Marquette.
Well, you can get the 1946 Pere Marquette by putting the cars together from Union Station Products kits. Or, if you can find someone willing to part with the old NKP Car Co. sides, they're already plated. These are the most likely ways to get that train.
At this point, I'd settle for Walthers releasing a 1946-scheme E7.
[quote user="tpatrick"]
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Well, the problem with the Erie Limited, and a number of other trains, is that most of its cars were upgraded heavyweights, not quite like the cars on any other railroad. Walthers would want to produce cars that they can sell in several liveries. That's a given. It's simply the way the market has to work in a world of expensive die work. I love the Erie, too. Grew up near its mainline. But reality sez Walthers ain't gonna do it.
Tom
Hey Fritz!
fmilhaupt Well, you can get the 1946 Pere Marquette by putting the cars together from Union Station Products kits. Or, if you can find someone willing to part with the old NKP Car Co. sides, they're already plated. These are the most likely ways to get that train. At this point, I'd settle for Walthers releasing a 1946-scheme E7.
Way ahead of ya my friend. Irrespective of Walthers version of the PERE MARQUETTE, I had long ago resided myself to doing what you said.... part it together myself.
I have the E units, the baggage cars, and the coaches. I lack having the Observations, RPO's, and the diners. Looking forward to scrathbuilding those cars one day, as I pretty much knew to model this train - I would have to do.
I have a pretty good start on the heavyweights too. What Id really like to get my hands on are some Palace cars!
Douglas
I'd like a late 90's era Amtrak silver series train. Despite the fact that they just did a ton of Amtrak cars (and are selling their remaining stock at fire sale pricing) the only car they did in that train was the Amfleet 2 coaches - and arguably a lounge.
the flying Scotsman would be nice too, but Walthers doesn't do much steam...
I saw that the North Coast Limited was mentioned. The problem with that, unfortunately, is that it had so many incarnations over the years (it was first started in 1900 IIRC), unique cars (the water-baggage car for the first semi-streamlined train [the '47 incarnation still had heavyweight cars in it] being just one) as well as enough different types of engines (various steamers, F3s, F5s [Phase IV F3s], F7s and F9s) that I don't forsee Walthers producing one of those.
7j43k The problem with the North Coast Limited (I think) is that the cars Walthers has already done in that scheme have the wrong colors. So Walthers would have to decide whether they would continue making the train in the wrong color or do them in the correct color. Someone loses (and complains) either way. The same thing happened with their Empire Builder. That one (the green and orange) had the wrong colors. And they've kept doing them that way. Which means that all the cars match. And all are the wrong colors.
The Walthers Empire Builder cars are generally considered wrong primarily because of the shade of orange used - too dark. Unfortunately, Walthers used a lighter shade of orange on their earlier "generic" GN passenger cars in the orange and green scheme, so you can't really use the two together very realistically.
All of the above suggestions are good.......... but not as good as:
- Illinois Central "CITY OF NEW ORLEANS"
- Illinois Central "PANAMA LIMITED"
The IC played a very important roll in the development of the country's mid-section and yet is pretty much ignored by MRs and subsequently the mfgs........
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
tomikawaTT As a contrarian, here are a few I'm sure Walthers will NEVER market: The Orient Express. Le Mistral. The Flying Scotsman. The original Kodama. The 1964 edition Chidori - The only one I could use. I'm sure that others could add many more from the 4.92 continents I disregarded. All have one thing in common. If yu want it, you had better learn to scratchbuild and/or kitbash. Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - Chidori running as a foobie)
I'm sure that others could add many more from the 4.92 continents I disregarded. All have one thing in common. If yu want it, you had better learn to scratchbuild and/or kitbash.
The problem with doing any version of the Merchants Limited or the Yankee Clipper for the New Haven is that each train had a unique set of cars not found on other railroads.
There were multiple heavyweight consists ordered from Pullman to equip the Merchants over the years, and the Clipper was the last NH heavyweight train set so ordered (in 1930). These were unique in that they were always "day trains"...they never had a sleeper. Boston to New York was only 4 to 5 hours away (depending on the era), so there was no need for a sleeper. This meant that the NH ordered a lot of Parlors, which are 1st class coaches. Few other railroads even had Parlor cars, which makes the NH-type heavyweight cars hard to find on other RR's.
In the streamline era, the NH's fleet was the only turtle roofed stainless steel cars ever built. This means that no one else had them new.
Today, Rapido's NH stainless steel coaches are on the way and will soon be available on the market. These coaches are but the first step to do the Merchants or the Clipper (which had stainless steel coaches added within a year of their arrival in 1948). You also need Parlors, "County" cars (basically combines and named after local counties), diners, grills, and sometimes an observation car. We'll probably get Parlors. We might get "County" cars. Diners and grills? Doubtful, but possible. Obs? Forget about that one (they only had 2).
As long as we are offering up fantasy trains that probably never will be done, I'll put my vote in for the Rio Grande Propector. It's main consist was simply:
BaggageCombineChair carDinerSleeper
Five cars will pretty much do it. Cost will be low than the long passenger trains. Most of the cars IIRC, maybe all, were C&O passenger order slots that D&RGW took over when C&O decided they ordered too many.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
wjstixThe Walthers Empire Builder cars are generally considered wrong primarily because of the shade of orange used - too dark.
Duane Buck pointed out that the orange was too red. On consideration, I agree.
I have pointed out that the yellow striping is too bright. It should be less bright and more tan.
Walthers recently did their F's in GN simplified. Sadly (for me), they went with the reddish orange so that they would match their EB cars. My sadness arises because my Empire Builder is painted in colors much closer to the prototype.
Curiously, Walthers' GN U28B looks to me to be done exactly right. I really love the look of that loco.
Ed, as you note, color can be a vexing problem - especially those colors that shift with time, exposure to sun, oxidation etc. Some are also sensitive to the temperature of the sunlight under which the photo's were taken. It may be a case like the Easops Fable: no matter how hard you try, you lose your ...
I used to think I had it bad as a D&RGW fan and wrong shades of orange year in and year out, but in the past ten years maybe they stopped using original paint chips, which didn't tranlate very well to models in basement lighting, and making shades that looked "right" on the model.
FRRYKid I saw that the North Coast Limited was mentioned. The problem with that, unfortunately, is that it had so many incarnations over the years (it was first started in 1900 IIRC), unique cars (the water-baggage car for the first semi-streamlined train [the '47 incarnation still had heavyweight cars in it] being just one) as well as enough different types of engines (various steamers, F3s, F5s [Phase IV F3s], F7s and F9s) that I don't forsee Walthers producing one of those.
To me, there is NO question which version of the NCL Walthers would make: the one with the domes. in the colors that have become almost synonymous with Northern Pacific: Loewy.
That said, it would be wise to do BOTH diners that were used in that circumstance. And BOTH lounge cars. That way they could also span more eras AND do the earlier paint scheme.
I would expect they'd do F7's. They would do for the Loewy paint scheme AND the earlier one, though not before about 1949. But the train before then had lotsa heavyweights anyway, so doing those years is moot.
So, I'm not seeing a problem here.
Anything that served the Southwest besides Santa Fe, We have SF covered with cars from the other 3 or 4 Chiefs they have done.
How about a Missouri Pacific Eagle to everywhere? Could have used PA's or E's. The portholes might be a problem for E7's. The Eagles that left St Louis really pretty much covered most of the Southwest and the western deep south.
An SP Sunset Limited! Would have used PA's or E's.
The MKT Frisco Texas Special! The 1952 plus version could use E8's.
And don't think there aren't model railroaders down here. I can think of over 50 layouts in the Austin area alone.
SB
The Lackawanna's Phoebe Snow, of course!
riogrande5761 Ed, as you note, color can be a vexing problem - especially those colors that shift with time, exposure to sun, oxidation etc. Some are also sensitive to the temperature of the sunlight under which the photo's were taken. It may be a case like the Easops Fable: no matter how hard you try, you lose your ...
Going with that, it's my recollection that the green that GN used on the Empire Builder went a bit olive (browner) over time.
I suspect the best thing is to match a fresh paint job. It's usually easier to weather something than to unweather it.
7j43kGoing with that, it's my recollection that the green that GN used on the Empire Builder went a bit olive (browner) over time.
The green is supposed to be identical to "Pullman" green.
Get some oxidization going and add some road grime and it does indeed take on a more olive appearance. Much like the discussions about Brunswick Green, which quickly aged to much lighter shades.
Regards, Ed