C39-8

[Hyperion]

Given that it would be a bodyshell, sill and cab... I doubt $50 would cover it...

If a sill and cab were included I would of course be willing to pay somewhat more.  But if ~$30 covers most of M4D's shells, most of which I would think would be as least as obscure as a C39, I'd have to assume that it wouldn't take that much more than $50 to cover it.  Come to think of it, I'm not sure if I've ever dealt in a resin kit that included a sill, they've always been reused from the donor kit.

[3rdrail]

Wait a minute, I assume these massive steamers from Athearn, etc. all cost over $200...

I know nothing of the economics here - but if there was a run of say 1000 C39-8's - 2 roadnames and two numbers each (250 pieces), for $199, wouldn't they sell out?

C39-8's do not have the sex appeal of Challengers or Big Boys to the "great unwashed" that buy the majority of N scale model trains! It's that simple.

[Robbman]

It's not a matter of how obscure it is, it's a matter of how much you can build on a given plane in x amount of time.  

[Puddington]

Wait a minute, I assume these massive steamers from Athearn, etc. all cost over $200...

I know nothing of the economics here - but if there was a run of say 1000 C39-8's - 2 roadnames and two numbers each (250 pieces), for $199, wouldn't they sell out?

C39-8's do not have the sex appeal of Challengers or Big Boys to the "great unwashed" that buy the majority of N scale model trains! It's that simple.

I agree - the true irony of that being that many of those sexy behemoths end up as yard queens or shelf dwellers when the dude that put his $ 250.00 down finds out that his "way too tight" flextrack curves or Unitrack 18" curves are not too forgiving for that many driving axles.........................but the little 4-6-0 and or/ Alco S4 would have purrrrrred through them....

[Mark5]

Actually articulated locos are not normally the ones having problems with curves.

Back on topic though I suppose I could be tempted with a C39-8 (they have that little "NW" on the cab).

[ljudice]

Who wouldn't be tempted by the sultry charms of a C39-8....   :


I was really lucky a couple of years back when I caught a pair of them - running nose to nose (long hood forward) - almost stalling at 2-3 mph, smoke pouring out (no flames though) - pulling a long train up through Jutland, NJ.

Of course this was after NS had taken over, since NS power was banned from the lead position during Conrail days.

And of course, of course, no camera with me that day!

[sundowner]

Wait a minute, I assume these massive steamers from Athearn, etc. all cost over $200...

I know nothing of the economics here - but if there was a run of say 1000 C39-8's - 2 roadnames and two numbers each (250 pieces), for $199, wouldn't they sell out?

There are 3 roads and 4 schemes, CSX got 10 of this from CR and a few of them got repainted into YN2 and YN3 schemes before the lease ended. I won't mind getting a pair.

[ljudice]

I think there are more schemes:

 - NS, NS frame stripe

 - CR, CR-Q

 - CSX Ex-CR, CSX YN2, 3


Are the C32-8's close or identical, by the way???  Then you get CR Ballast Express.

[Ian MacMillan]

It's not a matter of how obscure it is, it's a matter of how much you can build on a given plane in x amount of time.  

Do a few for me bubby

[Robbman]

C32-8s are shorter than C39-8s...

As for paint schemes... add in Savage Alberta Railway, they got a few former CRs from CSX.


NREX has/had one painted in the orange and black scheme, it's a different phase though.


Using the same phase, (i.e, all the CR ones and NS 8614-8663), you'd need two do two different sills, two different cabs and two different bodyshells.   

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I think as Robb and Mark found out, there just isn't a large demand for kit engines or even pre-built kit engines in N scale. I love their hoods, but I have not made many models using them. Their GP15-1 has been promised for 3-4 years now and still nothing.

I don't think we will see many more projects unless they are used by several high profile railroads in daily use. Conrail, a red headed stepchild of the modeling world doesn't really do it.

[Robbman]

Mark has a real job that takes up pretty much all his time... blame that for the GP15-1/GP15Ts... then their's the issue that the Atlas Trainman GP15-1 isn't exactly to scale, so the scale hoods I designed aren't compatible and need to be modified.

[Iain]

My only issue with M4D is that Mark makes nothing I want.  If he did, I would buy.

[Denver Road Doug]

Day job issues notwithstanding, does that mean that the CF7 project is probably a long(er) shot as well?  I was finally able to pick up a cheap donor GP15-1 off eBay in case they ever saw the light of day.  I'm a solid order for 2, maybe more.  I'm betting they will sell very well if it's a relatively painless conversion--painting and decaling aside--I'm just referring to how the shell fits the mech.

I didn't mind paying $75 each for the Kaslo F59PH shells, but I was a little miffed when I discovered that they don't remotely fit the only appropriate chassis available. (the Athearn F59PHI)