Tangent Scale Models needs to produce the Reading Class GHrx class mill gondolas assigned to tie loading service at Muncy, PA, and painted bright yellow with green lettering (Herald King offered the correct decals for this car). The car is already available from Tangent (BSC 52' riveted gondola). They were part of a larger group of "rebuilt by RDG" (not sure anything was really changed) CNJ gondolas purchased secondhand in 1968 or so, by the Reading, and at least 33 cars were later assigned for tie service to Muncy, PA and were painted in the bright yellow and green. All 33 car numbers are actually listed in a .pdf document on the Reading Co. hysterical society website. There are also photos of the surviving yellow car on either that or the Conrail hysterical society website. So literally everything that Tangent needs to make the car is readily available information (or could be verified from the actual survivor), and it is a popular paint scheme, previously done by Athearn and others, that will most definitely sell. I for one do not understand why Tangent Scale Models, despite repeated contacts about this particular car, has not chosen to produce it, but they must have a reason. They sold for Athearn and Con Cor as foobie cars, and sold pretty well, and Tangent actually already has the correct car with both wood and steel floor options.
One would think the bright yellow car with green lettering would sell better than the black car with white speed lettering, especially since the black Class GHh car was completely eliminated from the roster a couple years prior to Conrail.
John Mock
Otherwise, I'd like to see a 52' or 65' welded BSC gondola. There are several Reading classes of them numbering many hundreds if not thousands of cars, and it appears other railroads had very similar cars. Some of the former Reading class GHy 52' welded side gondolas lasted in revenue service well into the 2000's, even receiving NS paint, as well as CR paint. Others were popular mow service cars (due to rugged construction) and received CR mow grey paint. That's just one class of cars with plenty of paint options besides the original green with yellow lettering and top chord. There were several other classes.
riogrande5761 RR_Mel I’ll second the SP ¾ Dome Lounge car but in HO scale.JeffI’m afraid the SP ¾ Dome car won’t happen in either N or HO, the SP built their own and because there were only 7 built I don’t think they will be manufactured. I'll 3rd the SP 3/4 dome. Those were used on the Amtrak San Francisco Zephyr as well, a passenger train I am modeling.
RR_Mel I’ll second the SP ¾ Dome Lounge car but in HO scale.JeffI’m afraid the SP ¾ Dome car won’t happen in either N or HO, the SP built their own and because there were only 7 built I don’t think they will be manufactured.
I’ll second the SP ¾ Dome Lounge car but in HO scale.JeffI’m afraid the SP ¾ Dome car won’t happen in either N or HO, the SP built their own and because there were only 7 built I don’t think they will be manufactured.
I'll 3rd the SP 3/4 dome. Those were used on the Amtrak San Francisco Zephyr as well, a passenger train I am modeling.
You will most likely need to kitbash a ¾ dome lounge car if you really want one. I’ve kitbashed four ¾ dome cars, two Athearn 72’ after I made the mistake of making the first two 85’. 85’ is just too long for a small layout especially when the rest of my passenger cars are 72’. 85’ 72’Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I would like to see more metra models out there! I like the fact that athearn made the F59PHIs that metra just bought from amtrack. Most of them still wear the surfliner paint with a mig METRA on the side. One was turned into a CNW herritage unit! I would also like to see more F40s in the new paint and MP36s. Id pay good money for a model of the MILW road herritage unit!
The New Haven EP-5, the great double-ended cab unit electric. Then I would need some fantasy to allow me to run it with my Milwaukee layout. Yeah, and some catenary, too.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I would love to see more HO vehicles from the 60s & 70s. There is a decent assortment now, but there is a lot of room for improvement.
Joe
U33C / U36C units with an upgrade from previous offerings
Passenger sets from the EL and D&H
More 60s 70s TOFC trailer variety and cars
RDC 4 in HO scale. Jason? Maybe?
Jim
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
What would you like to see made?
The only thing that springs to mind for me would be to have Pollyscale paints available again, and perhaps Champ decals, too....can't think of anything that I really need, though.
Wayne
PruittTen wheelers, Moguls, Consolidations, Pacifics and other smaller steamers by high quality manufacturers (not the stuff with all the popes and appliances cast into the boilers - while the current offerings may run better, the superstructure is essentially 1950's quality fabrication).
Even if the pipes are moulded-on ones, they're pretty easy to remove from a plastic boiler (as opposed to the cast metal ones from the '50s) and equally easy to replace with fully-modelled ones bent from wire. While many of the appliances (air pumps, water pumps feedwater heaters, etc.) may be moulded-on too, or separately-applied plastic details, there's a wealth of brass castings for such details available from Cal-Scale (Bowser) and Precision Scale.
There's plenty of factory-applied free-standing detail on this 10-Wheeler from Bachmann...
...but I thought that over-all, the loco is too old-fashioned looking for my layout's late '30s era.
Instead, I opted for actual 1950's-era technology, in the form of this Varney casting, which was used on both their Casey Jones 10-Wheeler and the 2-8-0 "Old Lady"....
I didn't, however, care for the style of the cab, so removed them from both of the castings that I had on-hand...
...replacing them with cabs from Bachmann's Consolidations...
As you can see, I also shortened (and narrowed, although it's harder to see) the tender, and modified the original slide valve/piston set-up with a more modern type...
That left the old girl looking pretty plain-Jane, so I dolled 'er-up with a few details...
...then slapped on some paint and lettering...
Bachmann also offers a decent-looking Mogul, their award-winning Consolidation, and their more recently-released Mikados and Pacifics.The plastic body shells are a joy with which to work, especially when compared to those '50s-era zinc castings....easy to remove moulded-on detail and easy to drill when adding free-standing replacement parts.
First off, I model the Union Pacific transition era. I think there are way too many Challengers and Big Boys being produced for modelers. I suppose they sell well for a while. I for one would like to see more detailed Atlantics, Pacifics, Ten wheelers, and Consolidations. I would also like to see more of the early diesel switchers as well as older F-units. I also like well detailed Alco PA's and PB's.
groundeffectsFor N scale, I would like to see more steam engines (especially those used by S.P.) that are oil burners, instead of coal fired locos. I can only think of a handful of N scale steam locos currently available that would be considered oil burners....
Well, I can't comment with any authority on what steam locomotives could represent Espee steam, but it's not all that difficult to convert a coal tender into an oil tender. (I usually convert coal tenders into coal tenders with more fully-modelled coal bunkers, as I use loose "coal"...that allows me to run (and photograph) locos with fully-loaded tenders and later with depleted coal, and even later being re-coaled).
The tender behind this modified Athearn rotary plow...
....was originally a centipede-style tender from a Monogram kit for a non-operational Big Boy. I cut some material from the cistern portion of the tender to make it a more reasonable length, then cut out the moulded-in coal load and and replaced it with a styrene deck.
I doubt that it looks much like a Southern Pacific oil tender, but you could probably get closer to a representation of one if you had photos from which you could work. Here are a few other views...
This tender is from Model Die Casting, and came with a fully modelled coal bunker....
...however, my plan was to convert it to an auxillary water tender...
Here it is, closed-in...
...and with some added details...
While I put two water hatches on the deck, you could easily substitute an oil hatch for the front one, along with a vent pipe.
Here it is with rivets added, along with a coat of grey primer...
...and painted and in-service....
Since I'm modelling in HO scale, you'd likely have better knowledge of what might be available in N scale to make similar conversions, and also better ideas for representing Southern Pacific-style tenders. Finding a suitable model with which to start is usually more difficult than doing the actual conversion work.
Hey, the OP didn't specify a scale so...THAT'S what I'd like to see made. I wish Mr. Perlman had had the insight to save at least one Hudson and/or Niagara for posterity. Nope! - scrapped 'em all!
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
tstage A working New York Central Hudson...in 1:1 scale.
A working New York Central Hudson...in 1:1 scale.
Ah, just imagine the beauty!I second this, #5344.
Charles
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Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/@trainman440
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tstageA working New York Central Hudson...in 1:1 scale.
Hi Tom,
You must have a heck of a lot of space for your garden layout!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
doctorwayne BATMAN I would like Rapido to make a Canadian Pacific wood burning 4-4-0. Just like the ones you see in photos from the 1880s. I'd buy a bunch! I can't imagine that this one would be all that difficult to turn into something appropriate for your needs, Brent. Obviously, it's not Rapido, but otherwise, how long can you hold your breath? Wayne
BATMAN I would like Rapido to make a Canadian Pacific wood burning 4-4-0. Just like the ones you see in photos from the 1880s. I'd buy a bunch!
I can't imagine that this one would be all that difficult to turn into something appropriate for your needs, Brent.
Obviously, it's not Rapido, but otherwise, how long can you hold your breath?
I think that will be my only option Wayne. I have one BS 4-4-0 and I love the little thing. I was told in no uncertain terms that it was too late of a model to be a wood burner even though it came with the optional wood load, no balloon stack though.
I need to get my airbrushing up to snuff before I tackle one of those colourful 4-4-0s to turn it into a workin mans black. I don't recall that CP had anything but black and very dirty black at that. Not many wash stands out West in the 1880s.
I did a poll on FB as to how many would buy a Rapido 4-4-0 if they made one, I thought the response was pretty good considering the size of the group.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Fairbanks Morse H-1666
Disclaimer: This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.
Michael Mornard
Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!
I’ll second the SP ¾ Dome Lounge car but in HO scale.JeffI’m afraid the SP ¾ Dome car won’t happen in either N or HO, the SP built their own and because there were only 7 built I don’t think they will be manufactured. I ended up Kitbashing four ¾ dome lounge cars for my HO layout 3 from Athearn diners and one from a Bachmann full dome.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
BATMANI would like Rapido to make a Canadian Pacific wood burning 4-4-0. Just like the ones you see in photos from the 1880s. I'd buy a bunch!
For N scale, I would like to see more steam engines (especially those used by S.P.) that are oil burners, instead of coal fired locos. I can only think of a handful of N scale steam locos currently available that would be considered oil burners. Oh, and a N scale version of the S.P. 3/4 dome car would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Jeff
NittanyLion Earlier today I found out that CN is doing heritage units, so those.
Earlier today I found out that CN is doing heritage units, so those.
There was a list of what they are doing on one of the FB pages, it was quite long.
I would suggest NS SD70acu and SD70acc locomotives. Perhaps a suggestion for Scale Trains
A better selection of N Scale vehicles -- especially modern pickups, semis, and cars.
York1 John
The Rapido DC/silent undecorated PA/PB locmotives.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SP P-8 4-6-2
SP A-6 4-4-2
Southern Ps-4 4-6-2 (crescent limited engine)
Southern Ms-4 2-8-2
PRR G5a 4-6-0
PRR A5s
PRR B6sb
PRR E6s
ATSF 3400 class 4-6-2
ATSF 4000 class 2-8-2 (if BLI doesnt release one soon)
Okay yea at this point Im just listing engines I want, most of which I already own in brass.
But seriously, I want to see SMALLER ENGINES, like 0-4-0s, 2-6-0s, 4-6-0s, etc. Enough of these 4-8-4s, big boys, triplexes, etc.
A "modern" (early 1900's) 4-4-0 and 4-6-0 in S scale.
Preferrably following Maryland & Pennsylvania RR, but I'll go with any prototype.
Paul
Ten wheelers, Moguls, Consolidations, Pacifics and other smaller steamers by high quality manufacturers (not the stuff with all the popes and appliances cast into the boilers - while the current offerings may run better, the superstructure is essentially 1950's quality fabrication).
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton