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Stuff you wish was manufactured? Rare prototypes and scenery

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Posted by snjroy on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 7:32 PM

Well for me it would the Turbotrain in HO scale, CN. And any small steam in 2 rail O scale...

Simon

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Posted by fyrestreakstrains on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 7:26 PM

I'd love to see a Baldwin Sharknose in N scale. Some of the rarer steam locos, maybe a Q2 or even a Chessie M1 steam turbine.

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Posted by andrechapelon on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 3:20 PM

Southern Pacific E-23 4-4-0 and M-4 2-6-0. They used the same boilers and cabs, can prototypically be outfitted with the same tenders. Produced from about 1899-1901. Originally equipped with slide valves, many were modernized with piston valves while retaining Stephenson valve gear. Some of each lasted until the early 1950's. With different details, would be appropriate for layouts representing eras from the turn of the 20th Century to the late 1940's. The only real difference between the two would be in the chassis. A twofer, just waiting for an enterprising manufacturer.

Andre

It's really kind of hard to support your local hobby shop when the nearest hobby shop that's worth the name is a 150 mile roundtrip.
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Posted by carl425 on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 3:17 PM

In N-scale, I need an "eastern" flood loader and a coal processing plant from 1970 or later - preferably in a configuration that's easily kitbashed since I have two on my plan.

Also in N-scale, some reasonably detailed cars and trucks from 2000 or later that working people would drive.  No Porsches, Ferrari's or Corvettes.

I have the right to remain silent.  By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.

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Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 2:50 PM

rrebell
Think agmenting some other companys work. Example a 3d fluid print of A new body for say a Bachman 70 ton, maybe a boxcab or center cab. Low overhead, low cost comitment and if it se

I like that idea, probably the best yet.

How many threads get started in here about what will fit on what.  Or I have this, will it work with that?

Excellent idea.  And the detail parts to go with it.

Mike.

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Posted by NittanyLion on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 2:23 PM

2000 to 2010 Accords, Camrys, and Altimas please. And maybe a Rogue or RAV4.

My little plastic people need to get to work and not everyone has the money for HO scale luxury cars or paying to import European cars unavailable in the North American market. 

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Posted by drciesel on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 2:01 PM

Its neat what you are doing and I hope some good ideas come to fruition.

There is a young college-age Norfolk Southern modeler who started a venture to produce a limited run of modern NS wood chip gondolas. I'm pretty sure he got them actually manufactured.  Not sure how the sales and distribution worked out.  He goes by the name NSmodeler24 and has a number of YouTube videos.  You might want to contact him and compare notes.

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Posted by BRAKIE on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 1:57 PM

A Lima 1,000 hp switcher and a FM H16-66 "Baby Trainmaster".. Vehicles for 75-95.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


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Posted by Wolf359 on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 1:34 PM

I wish Bachmann would offer their HO scale 4-6-0 in a Colorado Midland paint scheme. The 52" driver version is an almost perfect match for CM engines 29-38, and would be much more affordable than the limited number of brass models out there. I know there are undecorated versions of the Bachmann loco out there, but the trick is finding one at a reasonable price and in good condition with the right features.

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Posted by Billwiz on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 1:05 PM

TractionAction1700
My assignment is for an entrepreneurship class in which I have to write a business summary and plan everything for an elevator pitch where I will have 5 minutes to explain my idea to win seed capital. I have always wanted to start a business on something I enjoy but I needed some extra input. I have the know how in mechanics, electronics design and some manufacturing. I have lots of experience in CAD and have been 3D printing a Nuclear locomotive running off NWSL Stanton drives. I would like to eventually find like minded people in my age group and build a team for starting a company!

 

Sounds like a great assignment that could have real life opportunities for you.  You'd probably be best with a smaller number of offerings in a cottage industry type system until it grows.  Good luck with this.

 

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Posted by Tinplate Toddler on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 12:34 PM

xboxtravis7992
I guess Bachmann Europe will eventually do some for the OO9 market in the UK

Kato has announced a Double Fairlie in OO9 scale in cooperation with Peco.

https://www.hattons.co.uk/newsdetail.aspx?id=566

 

Happy times!

Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)

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Posted by rrebell on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 12:30 PM

TractionAction1700

My assignment is for an entrepreneurship class in which I have to write a business summary and plan everything for an elevator pitch where I will have 5 minutes to explain my idea to win seed capital. I have always wanted to start a business on something I enjoy but I needed some extra input. I have the know how in mechanics, electronics design and some manufacturing. I have lots of experience in CAD and have been 3D printing a Nuclear locomotive running off NWSL Stanton drives. I would like to eventually find like minded people in my age group and build a team for starting a company!

 

Think agmenting some other companys work. Example a 3d fluid print of A new body for say a Bachman 70 ton, maybe a boxcab or center cab. Low overhead, low cost comitment and if it sells you can expand production rapidly.

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Posted by TractionAction1700 on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 11:54 AM

My assignment is for an entrepreneurship class in which I have to write a business summary and plan everything for an elevator pitch where I will have 5 minutes to explain my idea to win seed capital. I have always wanted to start a business on something I enjoy but I needed some extra input. I have the know how in mechanics, electronics design and some manufacturing. I have lots of experience in CAD and have been 3D printing a Nuclear locomotive running off NWSL Stanton drives. I would like to eventually find like minded people in my age group and build a team for starting a company!

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Posted by softail86mark on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 11:43 PM
@Mel, yes please.

WP Lives

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Posted by Bayfield Transfer Railway on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 11:40 PM

Fairbanks Morse H16-66.

Disclaimer:  This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.

Michael Mornard

Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!

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Posted by xboxtravis7992 on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 9:29 PM

Double Fairlies have been my recent kick, I am sure a few have made it to brass but nothing modern in plastic with DCC/Sound. I guess Bachmann Europe will eventually do some for the OO9 market in the UK, just idly speculating though since Bachmann Europe is going into the OO9 market pretty rapidly right now. I know they were a lot rarer in the USA, but Mexico had its own fleet of Double Fairlies that were used in the mining districts for a time. 

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Posted by BATMAN on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 7:48 PM

dti406

Lima Switchers

Alco T-6

Baldwin RT-624

Rick Jesionowski

 

I hear there was only one Rick Jesionowski ever made so it is unlikely a manufacturer will make a model of that.Smile, Wink & Grin

I would like to see rolling stock and locos pre 1910. I think if there was more of that available I would really narrow the range of years I would model.

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by BigDaddy on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 7:42 PM

Billwiz

Personally I would like to hear more about your assignment! 

So would I. 

If I want 'X' and tooling costs $75,000 how many people like me do one need to make it work?  I get the impression this happens with the people Brasstrains.com deal with.  The owner of a very small company wants to produce a certain rail car.  He asks for preorders and either he gets enough or he doesn't.

So far there is no agreement on what X is, that we all want.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by NVSRR on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 7:39 PM

Whitcomb 65T to 100T  series centercabs  they were produced in good numbers from the early 30's on.  Rock Island being one of the owners I recall off the top of my head. 

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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Posted by NVSRR on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 7:22 PM

Da Stumer
EMD SW1001. Seems like there weren't any commercial models made of these locomotives despite a lot of them being made for many lines. Foreign rail that doesn't have a large modeling market would be another one, but it's understandable why there aren't models of those.

 

Shapeways.  A guy made two versions.  One with grill detail and one without for those that want to add eched metal grills.  Fits over an Athearn Genisis SW 1500 chasis

 

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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Posted by Billwiz on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 4:56 PM

Personally I would like to hear more about your assignment!  

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Posted by csxns on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 4:52 PM

dknelson
GSB

Got one and still have it,it is one sorry running locomotive.

Russell

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Posted by dknelson on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 4:07 PM

Looking at the "wish lists" so far, you can begin to see the manufacturer/importer's dilemma: there is a certain number of something you need to be able to sell, and rather quickly, to avoid being wiped out by costs and expenses.  Are the numbers there or not?  If 50 guys write you promising to buy a certain locomotive, is that a representative sample of a much larger number of modelers, or is there a chance those are the ONLY 50 who'd buy it?  Or that they promise but don't mean it?  That is more or less the origin of the now-almost universal advance registration system.  You have to put your money where your mouth is. 

And the hobby has had a history of various "campaigns" to create this or that locomotive, only to generate two competing firms doing the same engine when only one can make money at it.  Some of us remember when it seemed incredible that there was no ready to run plastic model in HO of the SD40-2, and then within two months, GSB and Athearn both had theirs on the market.  GSB, partly due to some quality control issues of their own, never had a chance.  Yet their model had some clever design features and who knows how well they'd have done if they had the only SD40-2, or if they'd gone with a different prototype.

Dave Nelson

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Posted by Da Stumer on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 3:47 PM
EMD SW1001. Seems like there weren't any commercial models made of these locomotives despite a lot of them being made for many lines. Foreign rail that doesn't have a large modeling market would be another one, but it's understandable why there aren't models of those.

-Peter. Mantua collector, 3D printing enthusiast, Korail modeler.

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Posted by IRONROOSTER on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 3:09 PM

S scale steam locomotives other than brass and the 4-8-4 and 4-6-2 currently made.  In particular the Ma&Pa 4-4-0, 4-6-0.

Paul

If you're having fun, you're doing it the right way.
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Posted by wjstix on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 2:51 PM

Not a specific prototype, but in general I'd like to see more steam engines with Stephenson valve gear from the 1880-1910 era. Bachmann's 4-6-0, 2-6-0, and 2-8-0 engines are all similar to actual engines that had Stephenson valve gear, as did many early 2-8-2 and 4-6-2 engines.

I would also like to see modernized heavyweight passenger cars, something quite common in the prototype but rare in model form. In some cases, like the Walthers heavyweight cars decorated in postwar streamliner schemes, even just offering a separate semi-streamlined roof for the cars would work.

Stix
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Posted by caldreamer on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 2:41 PM

My favorite little switcher, the FM H12-44. 

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Posted by ndbprr on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 2:26 PM

The engines not available today is because we are reaching the point that there were so few on real railroads as to make it impossible to be financially doable.  Whatever you make it has to be profitable.

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Posted by rrebell on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 2:19 PM

RTR lithium battery powered blue tooth control chassie for HO. Would have to have an ajustable wheel base to fit different configurations. You can get one but not a mass produced one so the cost right now are very high.

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Posted by doctorwayne on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 1:21 PM

RR_Mel
An affordable HO scale AC-9...

Not a model on my "must have" list, Mel, but it was certainly the best-looking of the Cab-Forwards, simply because it didn't have its cab forward.

I can't think of anything I'd want that's either not already made or that I couldn't build myself.  In fact, I think that I'd prefer to build it myself.

Wayne

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