Best Of Atlas N Dash 8-40BW ESU Sound Upgrades [Benson Locomotive Works]

[kiwi_bnsf]

Tim, that is absolutely beautiful! Amazing work! Sure beats my frame rail upgrade I did many years ago! You should start selling them, or maybe sell the files so we can make them! I have a bunch of standard B40-8's that need those spaces filled.

-Mike

Thanks for your kind words.

I do plan to eventually make these available for sale, but with me being located in New Zealand, it is no longer practical for me to ship to the USA since due to the end of the de minimis exemption for small packages under USD800.00. I would now need to partner with a US distribution party, and make sure that they had adequate stock via large single shipments. Unfortunately, this is not currently practical for such a niche product with so many potential SKUs.

I'm also not keen to share any STL files, as once they are shared, there is no protection from how many prints are made (and I have seen free STLs turn up on online hobby shops as prints for sale with no permission and in violation of free licensing). Something like the Dash 8 under frames already represents many weekends of CAD work and test prints.

I will be designing underframes for Dash 8-40Bs, Dash 8-40Cs, and Dash 8-40CWs as well.

If anyone is interested and located outside of the USA, please shoot me a PM and I'll see what I can do.

Cheers

[nwline]

Tim
Couldn’t you just pass the shipping cost to the buyer ?

[kiwi_bnsf]

Tim
Couldn’t you just pass the shipping cost to the buyer ?

The problem is that up until February, there was a USD80.00 flat fee for all small value shipments from New Zealand (in addition to approximately USD40.00 shipping costs). This mean't that someone ordering ten speakers @USD16.00 each would be looking at a landed cost of USD280.00 – which is uneconomic.

Since February, we are currently in a different regime where it is not quite so bad — around USD210.00 landed for the same package, but the current import regime expires on July 24th, and there have been no indications on what will come afterwards.

I will wait and see what happens in July.

[peteski]

Wow!
Is this just part of the American tariffs, or something that NZ government (or postal service) tacks on, in addition to the tariffs?

[kiwi_bnsf]

Wow!
Is this just part of the American tariffs, or something that NZ government (or postal service) tacks on, in addition to the tariffs?

I'm keen to avoid this thread being derailed by discussions of Tariffs (there is space in Crew Lounge for that), but yes this is a change to US import laws since 2025. (There are no fees charged by New Zealand on small shipments from NZ to the USA).

The de minimis exemption to import duties into the USA for shipments valued below USD800.00 ended for China in May 2025, and this was extended to end for shipments from New Zealand in August 2025 — at which point the flat fee USD80.00 applied. This then transitioned to every shipment imported to the USA from New Zealand requiring formal duty calculations from Feb 2026. The end of de minimus has been confirmed as being permanently enshrined in US law from July 2027.

In addition, a 10% tariff was levelled on imports to the USA from New Zealand from April 2025, then this increased to 15% almost immediately. The tariff was then reduced to 10% in February 2026. This tariff is due to expire in July 2026, but there is no information on what will happen at that time.

By comparison, imports to New Zealand from the USA valued under NZD1,000.00 (c. USD550.00) attract a flat import fee of NZD2.54 (USD1.40). There are no import duties or tariffs on toys, models, or electronics imported into New Zealand.


Navigating this landscape is not something that I am willing to engage with until things are both stable and economically viable. I hope this explains why small shipments to the USA have become so challenging.

[nwline]

Tim

Thanks for the info on the cost of shipping and keeping us updated. I for one hope this is worked out sooner than later , I’d be in the market for at least 6 .
Please keep us updated
Thanks much and keep up the amazing work
Dave

[vermonter_railfan]

I'm also not keen to share any STL files, as once they are shared, there is no protection from how many prints are made (and I have seen free STLs turn up on online hobby shops as prints for sale with no permission and in violation of free licensing). Something like the Dash 8 under frames already represents many weekends of CAD work and test prints.

I will be designing underframes for Dash 8-40Bs, Dash 8-40Cs, and Dash 8-40CWs as well.

If anyone is interested and located outside of the USA, please shoot me a PM and I'll see what I can do.

Cheers

Have you considered looking into a a state side company or person to print/sell on your behalf? I know there is that 3DP Train that has become basically a Shapeways replacement that allows a person to set up a storefront and they are the middle man that will do the printing/shipping. Plus 3DP trains will print N scale (or smaller) unlike that 3D central who only really has been catering to HO and larger. Another option would be possibly reaching out to Baldylox Designs on etsy, he does his on stuff but also sells/prints items for people like @samusi01 .

I do really hope you can figure out a solution, I would love to include these upgrades to my BNSF dash 8s.