Intermountain SD40-2 !!11!

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I'm pretty sure the "-2 project" was just some trolling by some very bored forum members who may have hit the Hard Hat a bit too much before the show.

[Denver Road Doug]

To bring things back down to earth and throw some perspective out there about the issue...   I think overall that everybody that is currently in n-scale right now that would remotely be interested in these locomotives are "intrigued" with this announcement.   Certainly, even those with what some term "venom" for IMRC would have to be pleased if IMRC knocked one out of the park.   And I really think Intermountain should be pleased if they read this...they are certainly getting a lot of "airplay", which leads me back to my bit of perspective...   This IS a hot item that brings out passion in many n-scale model railroaders.  How do I know this?   There were no 10-page discussions when Athearn announced they were the 4th manufacturer to produce coalporters in n-scale.   

I'm not as well versed in the non-road specific details that Brian (and Robbman) notice as being incorrect on the IM units, so I just don't get worked up about them. I understand that this is important to some folks, but for those of us lacking the time or talent (or both) to pull off some of the remarkable modeling seen here on TRW, it's better than nothing.

This is a valid point.   You can spend a lot of time studying a particular locomotive and there's almost always someone that will find something you missed.   I got pretty worked up over the Kato SD70MAC's when they were announced (and by all accounts they are pretty good models as far as I know) but just when I thought I knew something, I found/was introduced to another Nth degree of things that my untrained eyes didn't catch the first time around.   

Then you have something like the Kato mid-pro SD40-2's in BN....pretty much patterned after the prototype and I'm thinking "cool, slam dunk" and then eventually learn that, oh by the way they were traded in during the late 90's, about a year into my 5-6 years era choice.  Sigh.   I'm keeping the one I bought, since 99% of the people that ever see it won't know that.   But bottom line, as you said even if I had the time to push everything to the next level (which I don't, I can't even get a simple layout put together) I'm not sure I have the talent to really make it matter.

Sort of the whole "if a tree falls in a forest and nobody is there to hear it...." kind of phenomenon.  I'm foolishly modeling to an audience of the 20%, when in reality the 80% would think most of what I do is pretty cool!       I know that here, the goal is to push the envelope into that 20% range though....I get that, and it's no surprise that we have this type of thread among this audience.  It is *disappointing*--even to me--when a manufacturer has an opportunity to present a truly GREAT model, yet fails on a few not-minor details.   I hearken back to what my dad used to say...if something's worth doing, it's worth doing right the first time.   

[asarge]

I'm not a -2 aficionado, but if RRPA is correct about the ICE unit in the ad being former UP 3623, then it's supposed to have been built in 1979 with an 88" nose, wheel style brake (which you can see), and corrugated radiator screens (whatever that looks like).

The NS Low noses were 88" noses. the High hoods had 81" noses. These are the same as the HO releases and that being the case they should all be 88".

[ljudice]

Sort of the whole "if a tree falls in a forest and nobody is there to hear it...." kind of phenomenon.  I'm foolishly modeling to an audience of the 20%, when in reality the 80% would think most of what I do is pretty cool!       I know that here, the goal is to push the envelope into that 20% range though....I get that, and it's no surprise that we have this type of thread among this audience.  It is *disappointing*--even to me--when a manufacturer has an opportunity to present a truly GREAT model, yet fails on a few not-minor details.   I hearken back to what my dad used to say...if something's worth doing, it's worth doing right the first time.   

I agree 100%...   When I am at the LHS the AVERAGE N-scaler is looking for "something in green to match my xxxxx" and could care less about an anticlimber being discombobulated.

[ljudice]

I'm pretty sure the "-2 project" was just some trolling by some very bored forum members who may have hit the Hard Hat a bit too much before the show.

I've been around here for a long time (and Atlas even longer) and I have no idea what the heck the Dash-2 project is.   With 2 SD40-2's from major manufacturers, I suspect it is DEAD though. 

[peteski]

I've been around here for a long time (and Atlas even longer) and I have no idea what the heck the Dash-2 project is. 

+1 (about having no idea)

[Ike the BN Freak]

Then you have something like the Kato mid-pro SD40-2's in BN....pretty much patterned after the prototype and I'm thinking "cool, slam dunk" and then eventually learn that, oh by the way they were traded in during the late 90's, about a year into my 5-6 years era choice.  Sigh.   I'm keeping the one I bought, since 99% of the people that ever see it won't know that.   But bottom line, as you said even if I had the time to push everything to the next level (which I don't, I can't even get a simple layout put together) I'm not sure I have the talent to really make it matter.

Actually Doug, the two whiteface SD40-2s that Kato did, 6770 and 6772, were returned to EMD Jun of 92.  Which even for me is before my era.  That and I don't get when BN had 835 SD40-2s, they pick units that are one number apart from each other.  The second run was better, which I had gotten more of the second run instead of hoarding a bunch of the whiteface units to try to "de-whiteface."

[Jeff AKA St0rm]

I agree 100%...   When I am at the LHS the AVERAGE N-scaler is looking for "something in green to match my xxxxx" and could care less about an anticlimber being discombobulated.

This is a great point. After working at my LHS and traveling to shows as a dealer for the last 10 years i have learned a few things about Model Railroaders these days. Most don't know anything about trains. They don't know the difference between a SD40-2 and an ES44AC. They buy a KCS SD70ACE because they like the bright colours. These are the type of people that but most of the models. The guys like us here at RW are the maybe 5-10% of sales. This is why manufacturers do what they do because they can because they still sell out weather the model is right or not.

That being said over the last 10 years N-Scale models have come leaps and bounds from where they were and we will not know what the IM SD40-2 will look like until it is on the shelves. So why don't we just wait and see.

[jmlaboda - RIP]

Iowa, Chicago and Eastern, and the GATX are strange choices, bound to gather dust on the shelves I think.   Hard to make everyone happy with eight roads, but UP, ATSF, BN, CSX and NS are smart picks.   CPR would have been a good call given the huge fleet they had.

Not sure I would agree... the ICE units could be used for a modern day CP Rail pike while the GATX Conrail blue, white and blue has been spread around so many roads that selling them would be a natural.  While most spent a lot of time leased to BN they did see use on other roads as well (including Guilford, who bought some of those units) and I believe that they will sell well.

They do need to get them added to their website, though, with at least the artwork for each road...   

[Bendtracker1]

That being said over the last 10 years N-Scale models have come leaps and bounds from where they were and we will not know what the IM SD40-2 will look like until it is on the shelves. So why don't we just wait and see.

+1
Who knows, it might knock our socks off?

[ljudice]

Actually Doug, the two whiteface SD40-2s that Kato did, 6770 and 6772, were returned to EMD Jun of 92.  Which even for me is before my era.  That and I don't get when BN had 835 SD40-2s, they pick units that are one number apart from each other.  The second run was better, which I had gotten more of the second run instead of hoarding a bunch of the whiteface units to try to "de-whiteface."

Not to belabor the point, but this is exactly my complaint about Kato - insane choices which probably end up limiting sales.  For example 6 BNSF SD70ACE's and 2 H2 C44-9W's - of which there are probably over 1000 and quite possibly the single most common loco in one paint scheme in the US.  Or not doing the SP AC4400's (200+) but doing SP SD70M's  (what, like 10 of these?).  Or their ludicrous picks at NS locos. Or thousands of BNSF coalporters, but doing numbers in multiple sets in a range of about 100 cars.

[lock4244]

A few shots of the SW40-2W. Editing these I happened to notice the lack of tread on the walkways. Thats quite an omission, but the fact that I just noticed that probably speaks volume to how much attentin I pay to such things...

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nRaFi7wNzkegLszxH--xLVDi7xr5hkSQ0nhXkFacJKw?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/t2y0A-PhnpIa30K967owKFDi7xr5hkSQ0nhXkFacJKw?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/O0lRIDyAQ02uyJ8rS_YfZVDi7xr5hkSQ0nhXkFacJKw?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/i2acJ_XL4XEIaUfNfG9hNVDi7xr5hkSQ0nhXkFacJKw?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WU8gtOsmjDqIfrC5SC47oVDi7xr5hkSQ0nhXkFacJKw?feat=directlink

I kept the files realatively large to better rivet count... use the magnifying glass tool above the image.

[wes_sutton]

This is a great point. After working at my LHS and traveling to shows as a dealer for the last 10 years i have learned a few things about Model Railroaders these days. Most don't know anything about trains. They don't know the difference between a SD40-2 and an ES44AC. They buy a KCS SD70ACE because they like the bright colours...........

Though I say it myself I know an awful lot about trains and couldn't give a flying fig about the finer details.

So long as the model is close enough to bring back the right memories for me that's good enough. Anything else is just the internet.

[Denver Road Doug]

Actually Doug, the two whiteface SD40-2s that Kato did, 6770 and 6772, were returned to EMD Jun of 92.  Which even for me is before my era.  That and I don't get when BN had 835 SD40-2s, they pick units that are one number apart from each other.  The second run was better, which I had gotten more of the second run instead of hoarding a bunch of the whiteface units to try to "de-whiteface."

Oops yes I think it was the 2nd run I was thinking of that was closer.  Anyway, the white face will live for now.   Maybe IMRC will save me... 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

A few shots of the SW40-2W. Editing these I happened to notice the lack of tread on the walkways. Thats quite an omission, but the fact that I just noticed that probably speaks volume to how much attentin I pay to such things...

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nRaFi7wNzkegLszxH--xLVDi7xr5hkSQ0nhXkFacJKw?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/t2y0A-PhnpIa30K967owKFDi7xr5hkSQ0nhXkFacJKw?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/O0lRIDyAQ02uyJ8rS_YfZVDi7xr5hkSQ0nhXkFacJKw?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/i2acJ_XL4XEIaUfNfG9hNVDi7xr5hkSQ0nhXkFacJKw?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WU8gtOsmjDqIfrC5SC47oVDi7xr5hkSQ0nhXkFacJKw?feat=directlink

I kept the files realatively large to better rivet count... use the magnifying glass tool above the image.

These are the first decent pictures of these I've seen.

They're... not bad.

I don't know though, I'm still incredibly apprehensive.