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Name Trains you want to see Walthers make

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Name Trains you want to see Walthers make
Posted by BurlingtonNorthern2264 on Monday, December 14, 2020 4:36 PM

Hey all!

Post below what name trains you think Walthers should make next, since I know there are some very popular ones which have not been made by Walthers before, or some need updating.

For me it would be the North Coast Limited, a highly underrated train but IMO one of the most beautiful. I'd do that thing that Walthers did with both Empire Builders, with 2 paint schemes-the more famous two-tone green and the earlier Pine Tree scheme which lasted from around 1948-1952. Domes should only be available as add on cars.

Or, maybe the 1947 Empire Builder! They could pair it up with the E7's! They should also make a set of the 1947 cars with "Great Northern" instead of "Empire Builder" lettering at the top, and pair it with F3's to make the Western Star. 

And as a one-off, Walthers should make the "Mountain" series observation cars for the "Builder". These were used from 1951 to 1955, until the original "River" obs cars from the 1947 train were rebuilt into the "Coulee" series, and the Mountain cars went to the Western Star. Looked like this:Great Northern Empire - Then and Now

Look at those huge windows!

 

What name trains do you want to see in future from Walthers? Post below!

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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Monday, December 14, 2020 5:09 PM

Denver Zephyr.

Twin Cities Zephyr

North Coast Limited. 

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, December 14, 2020 5:32 PM

Any... as long as they offer the set undecorated as well.

That will never happen.

I am sad now.

Sad

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by Trainman440 on Monday, December 14, 2020 6:03 PM

I want something no one has produced before...maybe the Super Chief? Or El Capitan? Or Broadway Limited...

Idk, something like that. 

Oh, and also these:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/264630.aspx

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/258414.aspx

Cheers!

Charles

 

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Posted by oldline1 on Monday, December 14, 2020 6:22 PM

How about:

the 1949 N&W Powhatan Arrow or

North Coast Limited or

The Tennessean or

The Sunbeam

oldline1

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Posted by Shock Control on Monday, December 14, 2020 6:24 PM

Repros of Lionel HO:

Helicopter car

Speedboat car

Missile car

Satellite car

Exploding boxcar

 

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Posted by fmilhaupt on Monday, December 14, 2020 6:34 PM

City of New Orleans and/or City of Miami

Denver Zephyr

 

-Fritz Milhaupt, Publications Editor, Pere Marquette Historical Society, Inc.
http://www.pmhistsoc.org

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Posted by BurlingtonNorthern2264 on Monday, December 14, 2020 6:38 PM

Trainman440

I want something no one has produced before...maybe the Super Chief? Or El Capitan? Or Broadway Limited...

Idk, something like that. 

Oh, and also these:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/264630.aspx

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/258414.aspx

Cheers!

Charles

 

 

Are you being sarcastic? AFAIK Walthers has made TWO Broadway Limiteds and 3, maybe 4 Super Chiefs, not to mention the El Capitan (Twice), San Fransisco Chief, and I assume other ATSF trains too!

 

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Posted by Trainman440 on Monday, December 14, 2020 7:27 PM

BurlingtonNorthern2264

Are you being sarcastic? AFAIK Walthers has made TWO Broadway Limiteds and 3, maybe 4 Super Chiefs, not to mention the El Capitan (Twice), San Fransisco Chief, and I assume other ATSF trains too!

Lol yea I was, I was making fun of how Walthers loves to reproduce already overproduced items again and again. From what I recall, this newly announced Superchief consist will be the 4th time theyre making it. Sigh.

I get theyre trying to squeeze the most money out of the tooling they made, but why not make the SP Lark or the Southern Cresent Limited? Or if you must stick with ATSF, do like the Grand Canyon Limited, or The Chief, or The Valley Flyer or something. 

We've seen tons of forum posts about wanting Walthers to make different sets, but call me a pessimest, I dont see them listening. 

Charles

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO

Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/@trainman440

Instagram (where I share projects!): https://www.instagram.com/trainman440

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Posted by BurlingtonNorthern2264 on Monday, December 14, 2020 8:50 PM
It's still fun to share our ideas! Walthers should put out surveys every year of certain trains WE want to see, and people can vote for which one they should produce.
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Posted by emdmike on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 12:09 PM

How about a Non 20th Century NYC passenger train, such as the Knickerbocker or the Twilight Limited, but also in the steam era with a diecast J1e Hudson so it has the power to pull the heavyweight cars and is less fragle than an all plastic detailed steamer would be. Do the steamer like BLI did with the PRR K4 and make it mostly diecast for weight, both engine and tender. Make it rival a brass model in detailing, with sound, lighted marker lights and smooth quiet running.  Give the cars full interiors with working lights that are realistic looking and do not flicker.  The technology is there for all this.  With the engine and a good basic consist of steam era NYC Pullman heavyweights, any of the NYC named passenger trains could be modeled.  This opens up even most sales of the product.   Mike the Aspie

Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 12:32 PM

Trainman440

 

 
BurlingtonNorthern2264

Are you being sarcastic? AFAIK Walthers has made TWO Broadway Limiteds and 3, maybe 4 Super Chiefs, not to mention the El Capitan (Twice), San Fransisco Chief, and I assume other ATSF trains too!

 

 

Lol yea I was, I was making fun of how Walthers loves to reproduce already overproduced items again and again. From what I recall, this newly announced Superchief consist will be the 4th time theyre making it. Sigh.

I get theyre trying to squeeze the most money out of the tooling they made, but why not make the SP Lark or the Southern Cresent Limited? Or if you must stick with ATSF, do like the Grand Canyon Limited, or The Chief, or The Valley Flyer or something. 

We've seen tons of forum posts about wanting Walthers to make different sets, but call me a pessimest, I dont see them listening. 

Charles

 

Well, I have no dog in this fight because I'm not buying any Walthers passengers cars. But, if re-releases of the trains you mentioned keep selling, they should keep making them.

So you are suggesting that if a new person gets into the hobby tomorrow, or I change what road I want to model, I'm just out of luck or have to find these things on the secondary (used) market?

I come from a time in this hobby before "limited production", and while I understand the reasons, I'm not thrilled with limited production. I'm not thrilled with the lack of repair parts for older models, I'm not thrilled with pre-orders.

What I do think is stupid, is 4 or 5 companies making Big Boys.........

The passenger cars I might buy will never be made in plastic, B&O heavyweights that they rebuilt into streamlined cars.

I know years ago the selection was less, but it was a selection you could count on being available. I understand not every obscure roadname or item can be sitting around but some things should be like milk in the grocery store.

BUT, a Santa Fe, PRR, B&O, NYC, UP EMD F7 should be easy to buy, all, the time.........

Again, I understand better than most the challenges facing these manufacturers, but readily available wider selections would sell more trains.

I already have about 175 passenger cars, there are kn,y a few more on my want list.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 12:39 PM

emdmike

How about a Non 20th Century NYC passenger train, such as the Knickerbocker or the Twilight Limited, but also in the steam era with a diecast J1e Hudson so it has the power to pull the heavyweight cars and is less fragle than an all plastic detailed steamer would be. Do the steamer like BLI did with the PRR K4 and make it mostly diecast for weight, both engine and tender. Make it rival a brass model in detailing, with sound, lighted marker lights and smooth quiet running.  Give the cars full interiors with working lights that are realistic looking and do not flicker.  The technology is there for all this.  With the engine and a good basic consist of steam era NYC Pullman heavyweights, any of the NYC named passenger trains could be modeled.  This opens up even most sales of the product.   Mike the Aspie

 

Just my opinion Mike, but you are not going to get ACCURATE, fine scale detail and "handling friendly" no matter what material you make the boiler from.

And plastic engines can be filled up with weight. 

I have no interest in the MTH, sometimes BLI, sort of die cast detail that looks/is over sized to make it durable.

But, I am also not likely to spend the kind of money the train you describe would cost.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by Trainman440 on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 12:50 PM

ATLANTIC CENTRAL

 

 
Trainman440

 

 
BurlingtonNorthern2264

Are you being sarcastic? AFAIK Walthers has made TWO Broadway Limiteds and 3, maybe 4 Super Chiefs, not to mention the El Capitan (Twice), San Fransisco Chief, and I assume other ATSF trains too!

 

 

Lol yea I was, I was making fun of how Walthers loves to reproduce already overproduced items again and again. From what I recall, this newly announced Superchief consist will be the 4th time theyre making it. Sigh.

I get theyre trying to squeeze the most money out of the tooling they made, but why not make the SP Lark or the Southern Cresent Limited? Or if you must stick with ATSF, do like the Grand Canyon Limited, or The Chief, or The Valley Flyer or something. 

We've seen tons of forum posts about wanting Walthers to make different sets, but call me a pessimest, I dont see them listening. 

Charles

 

 

 

Well, I have no dog in this fight because I'm not buying any Walthers passengers cars. But, if re-releases of the trains you mentioned keep selling, they should keep making them.

So you are suggesting that if a new person gets into the hobby tomorrow, or I change what road I want to model, I'm just out of luck or have to find these things on the secondary (used) market?

I come from a time in this hobby before "limited production", and while I understand the reasons, I'm not thrilled with limited production. I'm not thrilled with the lack of repair parts for older models, I'm not thrilled with pre-orders.

What I do think is stupid, is 4 or 5 companies making Big Boys.........

The passenger cars I might buy will never be made in plastic, B&O heavyweights that they rebuilt into streamlined cars.

I know years ago the selection was less, but it was a selection you could count on being available. I understand not every obscure roadname or item can be sitting around but some things should be like milk in the grocery store.

BUT, a Santa Fe, PRR, B&O, NYC, UP EMD F7 should be easy to buy, all, the time.........

Again, I understand better than most the challenges facing these manufacturers, but readily available wider selections would sell more trains.

I already have about 175 passenger cars, there are kn,y a few more on my want list.

Sheldon

 

I dont get what you're trying to say. Did you just concur with my statement?

I said that although I understand why Walthers continues to rerelease the same items (and see them to continue doing so), I would like to see more variety from them. Give us a Crescent Limited or something. 

PS if you want to talk about reusing old tooling, Lionel is STILL releasing engines with tooling back from the 1970s as train set level engines. Oh and theyre releasing the Mantua 2-8-2 for $290. 

Charles

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO

Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/@trainman440

Instagram (where I share projects!): https://www.instagram.com/trainman440

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Posted by BurlingtonNorthern2264 on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 12:59 PM

Oh,come on Lionel! This appears to be worse than the 2004 Lionel HO stuff, no one is paying $290 for a Mantua steamer! The only things that interest me are the ore cars, but once Lionel decided to show their political positions (no offense to any of you) with that "4545" George Bush knockoff SD70, I've decided not to buy any Lionel. At least MTH made trains for both candidates...but not in HO scale:(

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 1:41 PM

Charles,

You used the term "over produced"? It is not over produced if people keep buying them.

So I partly agree, I am all for more stuff that has not been done. But not necessarily at the expense of something that has been done becoming unavailable while more people still want it.

I have said this before, good tooling is good tooling no matter how old it is.

I'm not much for change just for its own sake.

LIONEL will fail in HO this time just like every other time they tried.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by BurlingtonNorthern2264 on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 1:55 PM
One thing Walthers should do is market individual passenger cars like they used to. Introduce more schemes and configurations for the Mainline Budd cars, and add comparable lines for Pullman and ACF cars. I would love if Walthers had Mainline smoothside cars in NP colors, I could make my own NCL for around $35 a car!
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Posted by Trainman440 on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 3:25 PM

I do say "overproduced" to an extent. There's a reason why Walthers Super Chief Baggage and RPO cars, (original price of $70) which were identical over every run (besides paint) can now be had for as low as $16-20 on Ebay. Im not complaining, that just means more cheap trains for me, but imo it does signify an oversaturation of equipment on the market. 

Good tooling should be used as much as possible, but there are other modelers besides ATSF and PRR as youve said. And some dont want to buy a repainted ATSF baggage car. 

Charles

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO

Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/@trainman440

Instagram (where I share projects!): https://www.instagram.com/trainman440

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Posted by Eddystone on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 5:21 PM
Any of the Florida trains would sell well with all the different railroads that were involved- PRR, RF&P, SAL, ACL, SCL, and FEC. All the different E-units that could be produced. Another good train would be the City of New Orleans.
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Posted by BurlingtonNorthern2264 on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 6:27 PM
Oh, yes. Northwestern and Southeastern streamliners seem to be less desired. I'd love an SAL or ACL train, but probably the number 1 pick for me would be the Southern Crescent. And to all the people who want to see the Morning/Afternoon Zephyr, that would be awesome. 7 cars, 5 domes-insane.
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Posted by NittanyLion on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 8:09 PM

Eddystone
PRR, RF&P, SAL, ACL, SCL, and FEC
 

 
Yet, most of these aren't exactly popular.  A search of the MR archives, there's been:
- 4 RF&P articles, 0 of them are layouts
- 19 SAL articles, 1 mentions a layout
- 12 ACL articles, 0 of them are layouts
- 1 SCL article, 1 mentions a layout
- 10 FEC articles, 1 is a layout visit
 
Conversely, there were 254 PRR articles with 41 listed for the "layout" keyword.
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Posted by garya on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 9:17 PM

The Texas Special  (SLSF and MKT) or the Meteor (SLSF).

Gary

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Posted by garyla on Saturday, October 30, 2021 2:23 PM

garya

The Texas Special  (SLSF and MKT) or the Meteor (SLSF).

 

I understand that the Texas Special was a very big seller, back in Lionel's heyday. 
 
Maybe it would only have regional appeal, but it wouldn't be a hard one to produce, and one can picture it being towed by E-units or Alco PAs, and could include matching sleepers from the Pennsy or B&O.
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Posted by tstage on Saturday, October 30, 2021 2:30 PM

Since most Walthers releases are diesel:

  • FM H20-44 road switcher
  • NYC FTA-B in "cat-whisker" scheme

The new Walthers Mainline SW7 switcher is very nice.

Tom

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Posted by 7j43k on Saturday, October 30, 2021 2:33 PM

garyla

 

 
garya

The Texas Special  (SLSF and MKT) or the Meteor (SLSF).

 

 

 

I understand that the Texas Special was a very big seller, back in Lionel's heyday. 
 
Maybe it would only have regional appeal, but it wouldn't be a hard one to produce, and one can picture it being towed by E-units or Alco PAs, and could include matching sleepers from the Pennsy or B&O.
 

 

And later owners of some of these cars were GN, NP, SP&S, MTA and CN.

 

Ed

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Posted by TheFlyingScotsman on Saturday, October 30, 2021 4:18 PM

I'd like to see an SP Lark or an SP Golden State. A Texas Special too if poss.

I do think a full train of Fleet of Modernism cars would sell, but then I an sure these guys do thier homework.

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Posted by TheFlyingScotsman on Saturday, October 30, 2021 5:46 PM

Oh and put me down for a GM Train of Tomorrow 

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Posted by ricktrains4824 on Saturday, October 30, 2021 6:50 PM

We have two named trains from NY to Chi., but not the competitor's from Hoboken?

Let's have the Erie Limited, or the Lake Cities version.

Erie Green locomotives look just as good as PRR Tuscan, or NYC Grey. 

Ricky W.

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Posted by angelob6660 on Saturday, October 30, 2021 8:07 PM

TheFlyingScotsman

I'd like to see an SP Lark or an SP Golden State. 

What paint scheme were you thinking of for the Golden State? The original red and silver with matching E units. Or the updated version with the red stripe on stainless steel cars. 

I would like to see them in the original colors.

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Posted by gmpullman on Saturday, October 30, 2021 9:21 PM

ricktrains4824
Let's have the Erie Limited, or the Lake Cities version.

I agree. Walthers seems content with offering the shiny-splashy name trains, I guess in hopes of getting customers to shell out for fifteen or twenty cars.

The recent announcement for the PRR The General is mostly re-hashed Broadway cars with a few extras. I'll definitely be in for some 6 BR lounge cars but the rest is pretty much "ho-hum".

They were going to produce some Nickel Plate, Rio-Grande and a few other cars a while back but they dropped those not long after announcing them.

I went ahead and started making some of my own from what's available in brass:

 Erie_ten-hundred by Edmund, on Flickr

 NKP_DL131 by Edmund, on Flickr

 ERIE_1075_A by Edmund, on Flickr

 EL_DinerLounge by Edmund, on Flickr

I've always wanted to see more "betterment" cars but these aren't the kind of things that Walthers seems to have a penchant for.

 Keystone_Banks by Edmund, on Flickr

 PRR_P70kR_4244 by Edmund, on Flickr

Another opportunity I think they missed was to offer their PRR twin-unit (couplet) diner and the 21 roomette Inn series cars in the post-1968 version with the Tuscan paint stripped off. These cars wore late PRR, Penn-Central and Amtrak lettering and the 21 roomette cars were converted to coaches and used on MARC and, I believe, NJ Transit.

 IMG_0068_fix by Edmund, on Flickr

 IMG_0158_fix_W by Edmund, on Flickr

Thank You, Ed

 

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