PCM - I give up or: Now - what to do about hoppers ...

[nscalesteve]

Oopsie.

http://cgwrr.com/ERModels/ERmodels.htm

I haven't seen this before but that is great - well done...
...it is just amazing how stupid some people can be ! 

ERAW ROPAV LLC - so geil !   ;D ;D

[Mark5]

[Ryan87]

What I'd like to know is who will buy PCM's tooling when they pull the plug. They have finished a E8 & a PA
(at least enough to have pre-production samples)

[Chulvis]

I once announced something, strictly to pester one individual.  Well, the link made it out to other Santa Fe modelers... and a couple missed the joke.  After making the rounds on the yahoogroups, it ended up in print as a new product announcement in The Warbonnet, the ATSF historical society mag. 

Oopsie.

http://cgwrr.com/ERModels/ERmodels.htm

There's probably modelers out there that are just as livid with Eraw Ropav, LLC as you guys are with PCM.  Makes you wonder if it's all a big inside joke.   

All products known to cause cancer in California. Perfectly safe for residents of other states."  too funny.

[Nato]

   Some of us actually did throw some money at them hoping it would lead to increased production and introduction of addational models. Thats how I ended up with 2 GN E-7 A Units, but knowing what I know now about PCM I would not have spent the money. How hard can it be to do the E-8/9 diesels, the drive train (mech) is the same as the E-7,different fuel tanks,new bodies. Then just add on road specific details ie: UP Snow Shields on roof or include the parts in a bag and let the modeler install. I cetrainlly do not need more PA1 diesels in the Rio Grande Silver Cal Zeph scheme even if my Kato's do not have sound.and yes as a closet Pennsylvania Fanzee I really wanted an M1 a 4-8-2 loco,but not enough to Pre-order and then have it released after I'am dead and my model railroad equipment auctioned off. I hope you do make Resin Cast Hoppers and beat PCM to the punch, I would even buy a few to lend support, and also run behind my N&W Lifelike 2-8-8-2 .                                                                    Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah.

[gunner]

Lies, Half Truths, an E7 and Preorder-o-Meters.  That's about it for PCM's N Scale products.

Now if someone could out with some decent hoppers, they would score a good bit of scratch from me!

Bob

[Mark5]

I wonder what the pros and cons would be for resin as compared to soft metal as in this HO Ulrich kit from days of old:

[bsoplinger]

Funaro & Camerlengo http://www.fandckits.com/Index.html makes quite a few HO hoppers in resin, I'm currently building one for someone right now.

Here's a link to one of their hoppers, a D&H 3 bay composite:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/279-3112

I had to use a Walthers link because their web site doesn't work on a Mac  :'(

[TrainCat2]

Steve's site is working ...

http://www.fandckits.com/

[Mark5]

Steve's site is working ...

http://www.fandckits.com/

I seem to recall someone trying to talk him into doing N in the recent past - to no avail.

I'd like to learn more about the processes, resin I'm a little familiar with (shrinkage?) but not so much the metal. I really don't have time for it now, but maybe a year out I will. I've always wanted to experiment in this area re: hoppers.

But hoppers are so much more complicated than boxcars. :-\ Also, the incredible proliferation of new types of rolling stock in N has largely bypassed the hopper area, and I keep expecting that to change any moment hehe. The last ten years we've gotten:

Atlas Fishbelly 55 Ton Twins 
M-T 100T Triple (much nicer dupe of the Atlas and Lifelike 100T) - limited availability
Atlas Offset 50 Ton Twins (dupe and new variation of MT's version) - probably will have good availability
PCM H2a - cyber release only.
Trinity RD4 - coming soon for ya modern guys 

Am I forgetting something?

On the down side the only 70 ton triples have gone into hibernation (Athearn bought MDC's tooling and parked it).

[FrankCampagna]

Am I forgetting something?

 

Lots of Coalveyers? Frank

[Mark5]

Am I forgetting something?

 

Lots of Coalveyers? Frank

Are Coalveyers hoppers?

[cv_acr]

No.

Coalveyors, Coalporters, Bethgons, Top Gons, etc. are all solid bottom cars and are therefore gondolas (type GT). While half of them have the profile of a hopper with sloped end sheets, they do not unload from the bottom and are NOT hoppers.

[Kisatchie]

No.

Coalveyors, Coalporters, Bethgons, Top Gons, etc. are all solid bottom cars and are therefore gondolas (type GT). ..

"Hmm... how come drop
bottom gondolas aren't
considered hoppers...?"

[Mark5]

Heh, I think I'm gonna be ok for the time being. Got another half dozen of the MDC Ribbed Side Peaked End triples coming my way.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled blogcast ...