U50s Verandas/Turbines - ConCor & newer versions thereof ?

[scaro]

I thought I saw a story a year or two back, that a current N manufacturer was going to offer one or both of these locos.

I see the older Con-Cor Kato and 'Rail Baron' (China made) units reaching astronomical prices on the 'bay. 

Which is a pity as they're way beyond my price range and the chassis are handy in TT due both to being very long, and not too hard to regauge, with the Kato 'sleeved axle stub' arrangement.  I have one of the Rail Baron U50s, in Amtrak paint, as was Con-Cor's wont.

Was a new version of either loco in the works, at one of the manufacturers?

Regards, Ben S.

[C855B]

Nothing in development as far as I know. I follow this issue very closely.

The rumors about new developments all started several years ago when Athearn was still semi-interested in N and was sniffing around (at an NTS, I think) about porting their HO models to N. This resulted in Jim Conway (Con-Cor) stumbling into an unscripted moment at the Sunday morning manufacturers' breakfast declaring that he was going to re-release the models with "better tooling, new mechanism" and sound. A couple of years later he finally "announced" he was taking pre-orders for both models, but with no hint about pricing. Given the reputation for surprise over-pricing (Aerotrain, f'rinstance), orders were thin to start with, and folks then read between the lines that the "new tooling" was just the handrails, and any sound was going to be in the tender, fine for the turbine but certainly a problem for the U50.

Frankly, I don't see any problems with recent "completed" prices on eBay - considerably less than the $200+ for UP-painted units from four or five years ago. Generally, $60-90 is a reasonable price point, the lower end of the range for the fantasy schemes. There was a little bit of price pressure two years ago when the C855 Shapeways shells were released, but that's calmed down a bit.

[peteski]

[T]he chassis are handy in TT due both to being very long, and not too hard to regauge, with the Kato 'sleeved axle stub' arrangement.  I have one of the Rail Baron U50s, in Amtrak paint, as was Con-Cor's wont.

Was a new version of either loco in the works, at one of the manufacturers?

Regards, Ben S.

Even if another manufacturer does produce a model of the U50, there is no guarantee that the trucks will be similar to the old-stye internal-bearings Kato trucks.

[scaro]

Even if another manufacturer does produce a model of the U50, there is no guarantee that the trucks will be similar to the old-stye internal-bearings Kato trucks.

Oh no Pete, my hope was rather that this would lead to people offloading the old ones ... perish the thought that I'd be interested in a current loco.

Thanks Mike, yes, it was Athearn. Prices I've seen recently for turbines and U50s are nearing $200, but these are all in UP schemes.

Ben S.

[sundowner]

Scaletrains could do the u50c since they already have the trucks.

[Xmtrman]

Scaletrains could do the u50c since they already have the trucks.

...and I got some of those trucks for use with the U50C shell on Shapeways. 

[C855B]

... yes, it was Athearn. Prices I've seen recently for turbines and U50s are nearing $200, but these are all in UP schemes.

Interesting. I just did an eBay search for "completed" and reordered the list by date, and you're right, prices in the last couple of months are hovering around $150. I need to get a safe deposit box for my collection of 45 years' worth of train show buys.

Anyway, just keep in mind that Athearn was never serious about N production beyond asking around to gauge interest. It was the catching wind of that alone that prompted Mr. Conway to promise something off-the-cuff he had not yet prepared to deliver. The impression I had from the breakfast incident was he took it personally, feeling that the U50/Veranda "franchise" in N was his exclusively, and by making the announcement he would chase Athearn off. In that, he was successful. It's a funny business sometimes.

[Colorado_Bob]

I reserved a couple of both the U50, the Turbine, and the extra tenders when ConCor announced their intentions to reissue the models several years ago.  I've lost track of when that even was now, but I could dig through my old emails and find the receipt for the reservation I suppose.  Last year I sent an email to them asking if they still had plans to release these, but I never got any response.  I tried again this past spring - same result.  I think they've changed their website URL and I couldn't find any mention of the models or their plans for them on the new site.  Frankly, I've given up hope.

As mentioned, I've heard rumors that the "new" tooling would amount to new handrails.  It would have been nice to see new coupler pockets that were more easily accommodating of conversion to MT, etc. as well.  I don't think I expected the level of detail that all new tooling would have to have in today's market.  I have a number of the old models, both the original and re-release, and they're ok if you don't look too close or have too high of expectations in terms of performance I suppose.  I'm a UP modeler, so they were essential for the livery.

I've still got hopes that ScaleTrains will release them along with the U50C and maybe the older turbines as well.  This sounds like a perfect project for them and based on their UP models thus far, all of which I have consumed enthusiastically, I think they would do a magnificent job.  I think that would put an end to the ConCor speculation and the the soaring prices of the existing models on ebay, and leave us with a modern version of these models.  Athearn doesn't seem as excited about N as they were at one point.  I had hoped that the Challenger and Big Boy would be followed by some of their other models from their HO line that were perfect for a UP modeler. 

[scaro]

Well, I hope someone does release them and then folks will be happy to sell their old U50 etc to scavengers like me.   

Ben S.

[spookshow]

I think they've changed their website URL and I couldn't find any mention of the models or their plans for them on the new site.

Google still remembers the page, but it looks like Con-Cor finally removed it - http://www.con-cor.com/033021.html

The announcement was made in May 2013, with delivery scheduled for "hopefully" late 2013.

-Mark

[CBQ Fan]

If you are going to make a business decision based on what Jim Conway says after the year 2000 I highly question your business acumen.   Either that or you are just looking for an excuse not to produce a product. 

[JMaurer1]

I can't find the thread, but there is a thread where I pointed out that Concor said they were coming out with verandas. Originally it said 2013, then 2015 and by then it was at least 2016/17. When Concor first announced that they were rerunning the verandas (in 2013), I sold the two I had custom painted, detailed and decalled because I wanted better looking handrails (I replaced the factory ones but still didn't like my replacements). I waited...and waited...and waited. At some point I realized that Concor wasn't coming out with...well, just about anything. I still don't know how they stay in business. Here's a quote that I was able to find:

There was a time when Concor was on the cutting edge of N scale...and they did a lot of good things for N scale, but at some point when you do nothing for long enough the people who knew what you had done in the past either forget or new people come who don't know what they did and they just become a (not so funny) joke. It's almost worse that this has happened to them. They have become the Dennis Rodman of N scale...

I was hopeful that Athearn would run them, but then realized that Athearn doesn't want anything to do in N scale. Scale Trains did do the 'big blow' turbines, but they were expensive and it doesn't look like they want to step back in the turbine pool. I would love to have some turbines, but they won't ever be from Concor and I'm not willing to pay the prices for anything else. Sorry, rant off...

[CBQ Fan]

I am not sure why we are bashing on Athearn.  They have been bringing a consistent product to the market in N scale for several years now.  Would I like it to be more?  Sure, FP45 in Super Chief warbonnet would be fantastic.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

There was a time when Concor was on the cutting edge of N scale...and they did a lot of good things for N scale, but at some point when you do nothing for long enough the people who knew what you had done in the past either forget or new people come who don't know what they did and they just become a (not so funny) joke. It's almost worse that this has happened to them. They have become the Dennis Rodman of N scale...

It's true.

In fact, I'm actually at a loss for how the company is staying afloat. The last thing I remember seeing from them was a run of passenger cars last year some time. That can't be enough to pay the bills.

[C855B]

And it's sad. Jim was such a big personality in the biz and, thank goodness, introduced Kato to the US market. But when he moved things from Chicago to Arizona, he had basically already retired, still clinging to the nostalgia of his influence and apparently couldn't help but try to keep things afloat for old times' sake.

Con-Cor has faded into the sunset, and should be allowed to do so in fond remembrance of how Jim and his, well, quirky way of doing things put N scale on the map.