Best Of ACL MEC low side gondola , interest ? ESM please read .

[central.vermont]

Atlas. One benefit of being in the business is being able to purchase OEM components from fellow manufacturers.  They are the truck frames used on the well cars as well.

Brian,
Seeing how your getting these from Atlas, any chance they will have the BLMA wheel in them?

Jon

[bbussey]

Brian,
Seeing how your getting these from Atlas, any chance they will have the BLMA wheel in them?

No, Atlas metal wheels, same ones as used for the PS-1.

[central.vermont]

Tentatively scheduled for this autumn.

Well today I noticed one of the Maple tree's starting  to change color and made me think of this project.

Plus I thought I would bump this to the top once again. Not that I'm impatient or anything.......I know good things take time like fine Wine and N scale trains!!  

Jon

[bbussey]

Jon,

Yep, still on schedule for this fall. Probably late fall. Still have to commission some of the fabricated parts such as the brass sub floors and the etchings, as well as getting the decals printed.

[garethashenden]

I just came across a few pictures of these at the B&MRRHS archives. I'll see about getting them added to their flickr account.

[bbussey]

I realize an update has been a while.  Unfortunately, other issues in addition to the challenges of this project have continued to manifest themselves.  That said, I'm feeling confident that final-proof pilot models will be on display at the Springfield show later this month.  If all goes well, these finally will be released in the spring.

[central.vermont]

Bryan,
Looking forward to seeing you at Springfield as well along with these cars. Just wondering though if you will have a number on the price each. Be nice to personally had you the cash for them.

Jon

[bbussey]

Should know all of the costs by then so having the firm selling price announced at the show is possible.

[bbussey]

The etched parts have been finalized and sent to PPD for quote.  Due to the ACL 30" grabs, all the grabs will be etched stainless steel as done in the Keyser Valley caboose kits, as opposed to utilizing BLMA pre-formed 18" grab irons.



The weights between the false floor and centersill will now be steel instead of brass, due to the huge cost savings. of .030" steel sheets versus .030" brass sheets.

Some of the OEM components have been procured, and price quotes for the remaining OEM components have been received.  It's appearing that the kit price will be more than $35 but less than $40.

Stages remaining:
• Actual procurement of remaining OEM parts (couplers, decals)
• Rendering production run rapid prototype body components
• Milling of steel floors *
• Etching of the brass floor tops, brakebox, grab irons and brake step *
• Printing of paper inserts
• Taking the online assembly instructions photos

Duration of project to date in actual time:  203 weeks
Total man-hours invested to date:  80
Total material cost expended to date:  $475
Projected unit MSRP based on current material cost:  $38.00

* expense of these items not yet included in project material cost.
* expense of these items is projected and not firm.

[Chris333]

Way to late to the party, but:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/23408499519/in/album-72157649155982802/

[bbussey]

That is the as-built scheme. The decals won't include that scheme, but the model can be built and decorated appropriately if desired.

[bbussey]

STATUS UPDATE — We remain on track, amazingly, for a late 2nd quarter 2017 release, and on keeping the MSRP at or below $40.  OEM parts are in the process of being procured.  Trucks and wheels are in hand.  The steel weights have been cut and are in hand.  The MTL couplers and detail parts will arrive next month, including stirrups and brakewheels custom molded in MEC Pine Green, but we have yet to be invoiced.  Jewel boxes and foam nests are in hand.  The box inserts have been designed and need to be printed, scored and cut.  The assembly instructions have been written, and the step-by-step photographs are being shot and processed into the instruction sheet as parts arrive.  The decals will be commissioned once the artwork is final for all of the projects on the sheet (the gondola artwork is long done but the DL&W wood caboose artwork must be finalized).  The etchings have been finalized but need to be ordered.  The FXD parts, by far the largest expense, also have been finalized but need to be ordered.  And the item page has been added to the website.

A new thread soliciting reservations will be posted within the next couple of weeks, once the final price has been cemented.

Stages remaining:
• Procurement of decals *
• Rendering production run rapid prototype body components
• Etching of the brass floor tops, brakebox, grab irons and brake step *
• Printing of paper inserts *
• Finishing the online assembly instructions photos

Duration of project to date in actual time:  215 weeks
Total man-hours invested to date:  95
Total material cost expended to date:  $818
Projected unit MSRP based on current material cost:  $38.00

* expense of these items is projected and not firm.

[bbussey]

*** POST MORTEM ***

Well, this long project has finally reached its conclusion.  There were some additional hiccups toward the end, keeping in the norm, with the decals having to be reprinted and more foam nests having to be ordered.  But after four years it's finally to bed.   Hopefully this thread was able to provide some insight into what it takes to bring a product to market — although the setbacks encountered were to the extreme and not normally what occurs.

The kits are packed and ready for shipment, and the first packages will ship on Saturday.  The run currently is 80 pieces.  Additional bodies have been ordered from Shapeways which will bring the run to 90 pieces.  Three models were pulled for samples, two for the online instructions and one for me.  I may commission another 10 pieces if the demand is excessive, but 100 pieces will be the hard cap due to various components being exhausted.

The online instructions have been revised and are ready for reference.  I hope I've created a kit that that everyone will enjoy to build and operate.  I definitely discovered some new design techniques that can be employed in both future MIA kits as well as future injection tooling.  And this is an interesting prototype, as well as one that existed in 1950s New England, so it fits well in my rolling stock fleet.

Looking forward to seeing photographs of the finished models.  Hopefully some will be submitted in the next ESM cover page contest. 

~ FIN ~

[sd45elect2000]

I think they would look great coupled to an 8000 gallon acid tankcar !!

Randy

[up1950s]

Thank you very much Bryan . And thank you for showing us all heartaches , time , and money involved to market the car .