Broadway Limited N Scale NW2

[Kentuckian]

Oh no! I see a TR-3 in my future.

[Jim Starbuck]

Hmmmm. I learned something today.
I didn’t know there were NW2 hood arrangements other than the horizontal step in front of the cab. Admittedly, I hadn’t researched other roads besides the Milwaukee.
Perhaps Broadway needed that extra bit of hood length to accommodate the electronics and that played into which version to produce.
Build a calf and this would make a TR2 as is or replace the cab with a Life-Like with rectangular windshields and make a TR4 or SW7 out of it.
Looking forward to seeing/  hearing these run.

[thomasjmdavis]

"In the early days of N scale, almost every manufacturer had an F7/9."

In the early days of N scale, that was the easiest way to fit a motor in the body, and almost every potential customer was familiar with F units.  In many areas they were still pulling freight trains.

In the early days of N scale, they were still pulling passenger trains.  The ATSF units were still hard at work on Chicago-LA trains through the early Amtrak era.  Many railroads kept their more recent passenger power to use with freights, and leased their Es and Fs to Amtrak for several years until it acquired new power.

In the early days of N scale, almost every manufacturer had an F7/9.

Doug

Almost every manufacturer has one now, especially if you count in FTs and FPs (Kato, IM, MT, MP, Bachmann, BLI and probably someone else I am not thinking of), and Atlas presumably has the old LL tooling.  Let's hope that if Atlas decides to re-introduce the Life-Like F7, they give it a major overhaul and a B unit.

Oh no! I see a TR-3 in my future.

Did I miss something? Did BLI announce a calf unit? That would get my attention.

[Rossford Yard]

Wouldn't the similar SW-7 or 9 be of more interest to more modelers?  What is the infatuation with the earlier switchers?

[thomasjmdavis]

Wouldn't the similar SW-7 or 9 be of more interest to more modelers?  What is the infatuation with the earlier switchers?

Given that they opted for a later model NW-2, they could produce an early SW-7 by adding louvers to 2 more doors on each side, and making a double sealed beam headlight option, and maybe a battery box louver +/-.  The main difference between the two is that EMD managed to squeeze an extra 200 HP out of the 567A in units produced in 1950 (SW7).  In the CEI diagram book, the diagrams and dimensions of their 1949 vintage NW2s and 1950 vintage SW7s are identical.
The other difference is that total production (per diesel spotters guide) of the NW2 was 1143 (incl 24 in Canada) vs. 493 for the SW7, with no sales to Canada (not new, anyway).

So, I suspect the infatuation with the NW2 is the total sales and total number of roads that had one.  The late ones look so much like an SW7 that they are often misidentified, and a lot of folks don't realize how many NW2s were produced with the "post war" body style (assuming all of those are SW7s).  In any case, given the variations BLI has done on F units, I am sure it is within their competence to produce an SW7 by adding a few extra louvers and other details, if the NW2 sells well enough for them to want to expand the switcher options.

[Mark5]

  Let's hope that if Atlas decides to re-introduce the Life-Like F7, they give it a major overhaul and a B unit.Did I miss something? Did BLI announce a calf unit? That would get my attention.

Let's hope they don't - the LL F was more of a F-What than a F7.

[wazzou]

I completely agree.  I mean, an NW2 is pretty niche.  Make an SDP45 or something else that hasn't been done.

Oh, the irony...  

To expand on this some, the NW-2 was sold for 10 years and 1145 units were produced whereas the SDP-45 was sold for only 3 years with 52 units produced.
Which one is more niche?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

No kidding. Look at the paltry list of NW2 original owners and the meager number of units made: https://www.american-rails.com/emd-nw2.html

They're all a bunch of second tier roads.

[Point353]

They're all a bunch of second tier roads.

OK, here's a Conrail NW2 for you:

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Not sure what the issues you have with a BLU NW2 is. Kato hadn't done much with theirs over the years, and Bachmann.... Well it's Bachmann. BLI can have very good sound. It would be great if they find a way to shrink the electrical. I imagine one would be able to mount a SW1200 shell on it.

[Kentuckian]

Did I miss something? Did BLI announce a calf unit? That would get my attention.

Not that I know of. I was hoping/afraid that by the time they came out, someone would have printed up a calf shell.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

OK, here's a Conrail NW2 for you:

Exactly! lol

[rrjim1]

Put me down for at least a couple or more, 5 class one railroads that I model owned them!   

[cjm413]

Let's hope they don't - the LL F was more of a F-What than a F7.

WTF7

[cjm413]

Neither Kato nor Bachmann offered a Phase V NW2.

Bonus points for BLI if they offer TR2's