Who would you rather... N scale GP30.

[wcfn100]

With two companies announcing new GP30 production in HO, who would you like to see bring it to N?

Jason

[Philip H]

Atlas.  Their most recent tooling was good.  Just needs a new motor and a speaker compatible frame.

[Chris333]

I can't imagine Broadway doing it without screwing it up 

[Mark5]

Atlas.  Their most recent tooling was good.  Just needs a new motor and a speaker compatible frame.

The current Atlas GP30 tooling is great for 1990s. But not for 2022 - off hand my biggest complaints are that they have wide hoods and squinty (not scale) number boards (Kato tooled the originals for Atlas).

So if new tooling - yeah! Otherwise, my vote would be for ScaleTrains.

[wcfn100]

Atlas.  Their most recent tooling was good.  Just needs a new motor and a speaker compatible frame.

Atlas has had more than enough opportunity to fix all the issues with their model.  And now with all the recent tooling acquisitions, I doubt there will ever be any improvements.

There's no reason this day and age for the fat hood or the incorrect fans and whatever that roof detail is that only a couple roads had (something with the DBs?).  It's also time for better handrails and I'd like to see the MARS nose light option that some roads had.

Jason

[packers#1]

I’d rather see Rapido bring their stuff to n scale than the other two make it

[C855B]

Atlas has had more than enough opportunity to fix all the issues with their model.  And now with all the recent tooling acquisitions, I doubt there will ever be any improvements.

There's no reason this day and age for the fat hood or the incorrect fans and whatever that roof detail is that only a couple roads had (something with the DBs?).  It's also time for better handrails and I'd like to see the MARS nose light option that some roads had.

Jason

I agree. I nominate ScaleTrains.com for the GP30. Also, they're doing the GP30B, which is near and dear to my heart. I don't ever see Atlas doing that, especially considering their tooling would be difficult to modify that way.

BLI? Never. Most here know that I'm unhappy that they have bogarted the RSD-15 franchise. Nobody else will touch it now. I try not to support their sound-only model model.

[delamaize]

I'm going to say Rapido, Atlas, or Kato, honstly.

[oakcreekco]

An updated GP30 would be nice to see.

That said, I just don't want a pretty shell on a POS chassis. I've fell for this in the past, and if the quality level inside isn't as good as the outside, I'm not interested at all.

There's two types of quality levels. Engineered quality, and manufacturing quality.

Getting both "right" seems hard for some manufacturers to grasp.

Not naming names, or wanting to start flames, but I expect a premium engine when it's at a premium price, and several have been epic fails over years, with stupid little things that could be an easy fix. But these issues still continue, run after run.

Again, an updated GP30 would be nice, but I want both quality levels in one unit. 😆

[asarge]

Whoever will do High Hoods.

[robert3985]

I too cast my vote for ScaleTrains.com...both GP30 and GP30B.

However, I would want ScaleTrains.com to do their magic with some GP7's, GP9's and GP9B's more than GP30's

Both Geeps would be just right for running with their GTEL Super Turbines, their Standard Turbines and their future Veranda Turbines, so a good marketing decision for either Geep and B-units.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Mark5]

I'm going to say Rapido, Atlas, or Kato, honstly.

Hopefully not Kato. They might be tempted to put out tooling similar to their SD40, SD45, and SD40-2 - these were great in the 1990s but time has moved on and these are dated in a bad way.

Also, we might get releases like these:

• EMD FP7 - available in any road you want, as long as it is the one MILW scheme
• EMD E7 - available in any road you want, as long as it is NYC

[High Hood]

Scaletrains: GP30
Rapido: FA-2/FPA-2
Atlas: Phase 3 GP9, Late RS3
Kato: Late F3 aka F5
BLI: more freight cars!

[wcfn100]

Kato: Late F3 aka F5

I've talked to Kato USA in person about this.  Depepnding on how the F unit shells are tooled, if they did a roof with low fans and DB grill, they could get two new F3 models.

Jason

[thomasjmdavis]

I've talked to Kato USA in person about this.  Depepnding on how the F unit shells are tooled, if they did a roof with low fans and DB grill, they could get two new F3 models.

Jason

The tooling is sufficiently flexible that they were able to do the rebuilt AT&SF Phase 1 F-3s that had high fans, large numberboards, dynamic "slots" matched with F7 side panels and grills- so the tooling must mix and match fairly easily. If they swapped low fans for high fans on that model, they would have (or at least be very close) to late F3s and "F5"s.