IMRC SD40-2W

[3rdrail]

I noticed the models didn't have any handrails either. My gosh, how can they do that in this day and age??

I love how a manufacturer will show a "test shot" with only the main shell finished at a train show, and how everyone whose only view of the product is a small, poorly focused photo, have a million negative comments about truck detail, fuel tanks, antennas, and so on ad infinitum. It never occured to any of you that maybe they just cobbled the exhibits together with parts from finished modesl on the new shell?

Hens in a chicken coop will peck a wounded hen to death. Jeez, you guys don't even wait for a wound to show up!  >

[oakcreekco]

Just speaking for myself, I don't need a "clear" photo of the Atlas SD50/60 trucks. A turd is a turd, and a lot of folks know "that" turd.

I did comment about the gear tower being over the center "hopper", I mean axle, and that will be an engineering challenge based on the "room" on the inside of the shell.

Heck, Kato came up with a completely new truck for the -2's because of this situation.

IM has "earned" it's reputation around here...........just like MTL I guess. :

[wcfn100]

Maybe they'll announce that it has tungsten frame and a 40:1 gear ratio and someone can immediately anointit it the best locomotive ever. 

I guess it's all about expectation which IM has certainly created a low one.


Jason

[lock4244]

Just speaking for myself, I don't need a "clear" photo of the Atlas SD50/60 trucks. A turd is a turd, and a lot of folks know "that" turd.

I did comment about the gear tower being over the center "hopper", I mean axle, and that will be an engineering challenge based on the "room" on the inside of the shell.

Heck, Kato came up with a completely new truck for the -2's because of this situation.

IM has "earned" it's reputation around here...........just like MTL I guess. :

I completely agree with the assesment of the Atlas SD50/60 trucks. Either they're bad or the prototypes wobble and float like the Atlas ones do. You also raise an interesting point about the rear truck tower... not something many would have picked up on. Does IM engineer their chassis or do they just use the Atlas chassis/motor/gear towers, etc???

Expectations of quality are earned. That's why Kato models are typically flammed for their glacially spaced releases or perceived biases, but rarely quality of the product and why Atlas seems to get a pass on the horrid SD50/60 trucks in some circles. These guys generally produce top shelf products. I think IM does that with freightcars, but motive power seems less so.

Still, I'm very pleased with this announcement and will take a wait and see approach with a decidedly "this is awesome news" flavour. If they have some issues, I have some Kato SD40-2 chassis that will, one way or another, become the guts of these. Otherwise... whoo-hoo!

Watch, next LL/TLT will announce a GMD1 

[Robbman]

It never occured to any of you that maybe they just cobbled the exhibits together with parts from finished modesl on the new shell?

There are no exisiting parts from finished models that IM could have 'cobbled' together on a new shell.

[Mark5]

Here's another shot that sums up all that we know about this model:



 

I don't have a fleet of SD60s so no comment on that aspect (I have one SD60).

I have no interest in the cyclops SD40-2s but if they announce early production versions of the EMD SD40-2 they may get my attention (I deeply resent Kato's mishandling of this model and besides their hoods are too fat not to mention they can't seem to do number boards on the long hood correctly).

Mark

[oakcreekco]

Mike, I picked up on the "tower" situation from hours of "goofing" with the IM Tunnel Motors/Atlas SD50's/Kato SD40-2's and C44-9.

After the frustrations of the IM units, my plan was to "retro" a good set of trucks into the IM frame, or just do a complete frame swap like you're talking about.

I was frustrated enough with the Tunnel Motors, that I dumped all of mine, from all the releases.............and I'm a "die hard" DRGW guy.

The Atlas SD50's (DRGW's) I ended up selling off too, but I thought that a Kato C44-9 chassis/trucks could be made to work in it. Yes, some grinding/filing or milling would be needed. However, IMO, it could be done, and look "right".

IM Tunnel Motors use Atlas trucks/motors/wormshafts, but they use their own frame, and based on experience with them, they are not even close to a Kato or Atlas on "key" quality areas the affect performance.

They remind me of the first DCC retro frames that EVERYBODY was starting to sell. They looked like an "N" scale frame, but tolerances/quality were terrible. Stick on the SD50/60 trucks, and ?????

I would be one of the first in line for an IM tunnel motor, even at $200MSRP, if it had a "quality" frame, slow speed motor, and Kato quality trucks. Fix the body issues, and IM would be "King of the Hill" in my book, and many others too.

Yes, some folks are hard on IM, but when you "talk the talk" ya better "walk the walk".......especially with the MSRP's that are on them.

[Robbman]

Heck, Kato came up with a completely new truck for the -2's because of this situation.

I thouht they re-used the gear tower from the C44-9W.... been a while since I had one of those though.

[Robbman]

Yes, some folks are hard on IM, but when you "talk the talk" ya better "walk the walk".......especially with the MSRP's that are on them.

Bingo.

[oakcreekco]

Rob, I believe that the "old" non DCC SD40/45's and the C44-9's use the same gear tower. When Kato first released the SD40-2, they used an "offset" gear tower.

Not sure about the DCC SD40's. They had the lopro wheels, but I didn't check on anything else.

Think of this one.............an offset geartower on a Tunnel Motor...........and "see through" side grills could really be "see through".