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Post by amtrakmatt on Jul 24, 2013 16:41:11 GMT -8
First, please allow me to thank everyone for their support during the Amtrak 40th Anniversary! The 40th inspired exclusive models proved to be very popular. The Exhibit Train has been updated and is back touring around the country with an entire display cabinet filled with model trains depicting the current Amtrak roster of equipment. A list of upcoming destinations can be found at history.amtrak.com/In addition, we're happy to announce a brand new exclusive HO model... We teamed up with Walthers to bring to market the #10031 Dome Lounge "Ocean View!" It will be part of their Proto series, which means there's no decals to apply (it's all painted at the factory), grab irons come pre-installed, tinted windows, and an super accurate paint job. Wait until you see the emergency window stickers! They're the best I've seen yet. It's expected to ship mid November of this year, and it's available now for preorder at store.amtrak.com/ProductDetail.aspx?did=17265&pid=125425Unlike with the 40th models, there's a very limited supply of these models. The prototype car operates in charter and special service, including having been on the Reno Fun Train, fall foliage trips on the Adirondack and Cardinal, Surfliners, and other specials around many parts of the system. -Matt of the Amtrak Exhibit Train Team |
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Post by atsfan on Jul 24, 2013 17:04:15 GMT -8
Was that filmed in Washington DC?
Amtrak does not have a sales booth at any of the major stations I have been to?
People might buy tee shirts etc when they are waiting to board in Philly, or LA, or Chicago, or elsewhere?
Just a thought. Thanks for joining here.
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Post by amtrakmatt on Jul 24, 2013 17:48:22 GMT -8
Was that filmed in Washington DC? Amtrak does not have a sales booth at any of the major stations I have been to? People might buy tee shirts etc when they are waiting to board in Philly, or LA, or Chicago, or elsewhere? Just a thought. Thanks for joining here. Good eye - yes, that's DC. Right now our only stores are aboard the Exhibit Train Store Car, in major stations during National Train Day, and online. I'll pass along your suggestion and let the team take a look at sales possibilities in our major stations at other times of year. Thank you! -Matt from the Amtrak Exhibit Train Team |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2013 18:22:01 GMT -8
This is great news! Glad to hear that the Heritage Train will be out and about again. I bought all three of the Walthers/Athearn P40/42s in the heritage paint schemes last year, and love them. A few mechanical issues here and there, but I'm getting those worked out. The engines are beautiful, and the paint jobs are fantastic. Glad to hear about the retro t-shirts and polos. I'll be checking those out. BTW, any chance of Walthers/Athearn teaming up again to make the 184, the P42 in phase IV Heritage? Or, even the 145? Pretty please???  UPDATE: Just checked out the t-shirts. WOW!!! |
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Post by atsfan on Jul 25, 2013 6:11:33 GMT -8
There are already stores in the large stations which sell things like tee shirts and other local interest stuff.
Rather than Amtrak having to set up it's own stores, partnering with these such that there is a small kiosk of Amtrak items available and easy to see might
be easist. The store gets a cut of the sales. If it doesn't work out easy to undo.
To my mind you have a captive and interested audience in these large stations, which would seem a good sales target.
(or something only in the Aclea clubs at least)
Thank you
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wictl
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Post by wictl on Jul 25, 2013 6:16:11 GMT -8
Looks good, may need to order of the the 10031.
Darin Umlauft
A WC, SOO and GBW fan in Slinger, WI
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Post by acelaphillies on Jul 25, 2013 12:14:46 GMT -8
Thanks for taking the time and effort to bring these exclusive models to the market. You are making a lot of Amtrak modelers happy--and I have a feeling that you are probably recruiting some new Amtrak modelers on the Exhibit Train as well! I am glad that the first run went well enough to allow for more models to be produced. I also love the new shirts! I actually saw those a few weeks ago and liked them so much that I bought one. It came and I like it a lot . |
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Post by jlwii2000 on Jul 27, 2013 4:18:29 GMT -8
Everything you're doing is awesome. Just one thing that I must mention though, I went to check out of Amtrak store with the 10031 full dome car and the total after shipping and tax was $106!!! Sorry, that is grossly overpriced. Approximately 2x what that car would cost from Walthers. I backed out of the checkout after I saw that whopper of a price. No thank you!
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Post by acelaphillies on Jul 27, 2013 12:22:03 GMT -8
Everything you're doing is awesome. Just one thing that I must mention though, I went to check out of Amtrak store with the 10031 full dome car and the total after shipping and tax was $106!!! Sorry, that is grossly overpriced. Approximately 2x what that car would cost from Walthers. I backed out of the checkout after I saw that whopper of a price. No thank you! I think there are two points to consider here. The actual price of the car is $86.65. I'm not going to say that this price is not bad, but it is fair and in-line with the rest of the market. Especially for an exclusive model. The second cost is the shipping. IMO, the Amtrak store (which I believe is run by Staples) needs to look for more shipping methods. Your only option for shipping is UPS and is always more than $10. I think that the Amtrak store needs to look into offering USPS service. |
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Post by riogrande on Jul 27, 2013 12:43:38 GMT -8
Agree with acela,
A lot of Walthers recent passenger cars have been "up there" in price, like the newer El Capitan's etc. If this is a new accurate car which is not being produced in large numbers, then the prices, while high are more or less in-line with an exclusive model. The question is, is this a signature car for you or not.
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Post by amtrakmatt on Jul 28, 2013 4:56:05 GMT -8
The 10031 Dome car is an exclusive run of a car that otherwise wouldn't be offered in this updated version of Phase III. It's also a WalthersProto series car, which come with a higher price tag than the standard Walthers items in part because there's no user applied parts. The grabs are pre-installed and the lettering, such as the "Ocean View" name and car numbers, are painted on. I appreciate that you acknowledge the $86.65 price tag as fair and in line with other comparable offerings. As for the limited shipping options, I agree and will bring it up to the team and see what can be done.
Rising/high prices of model trains seems to be a common theme in many threads, just as it was on the old Atlas forum when the 40th Anniversary models came out. Thanks to many of you, they were a hit! We completely sold out of the 156, and I've since seen them go for over 3x their their original MSRP on ebay - wow! Even before they were sold out they were selling on ebay for more than MSRP. The N scale Parlours are already up on ebay for more than MSRP, and they're not completely sold out (more are on the way). Maybe we need to raise the price? ...KIDDING!
If it weren't for the success of the 40th models Amtrak wouldn't be offering new exclusives. We chose the 10031 as it runs around the country on different trains and it's in popular paint. We thought about having it produced in the "Fall Foliage" wrap scheme, but felt the appeal for that would be limited mainly to folks modeling the Cardinal and Adirondack. The updated Phase III scheme will hopefully have a wider appeal as it has been all over the place. For instance, it has been on the Adirondack, Lake Shore Limited and California Zephyr in just the past couple of weeks alone!
I hope they're as popular as the N scale Parlour car we did, as I want to see more Amtrak models available! Although it's months away from when they'll ship, orders can placed now to reserve a car. Even if there's minor delay in transit from the factory they should arrive before Christmas. Orders will be shipped in the order they're received, so placing an order now will only help to get it to you asap. My family never knows what to get me for Christmas, so I send links to the model trains I'd like to get. I got a Rapido (VIA Rail exclusive) Park Car last year (love it). This year, the 10031 will be on the list!
Matt from the Amtrak Exhibit Train Team
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Post by jlwii2000 on Jul 28, 2013 5:33:30 GMT -8
The 10031 Dome car is an exclusive run of a car that otherwise wouldn't be offered in this updated version of Phase III. It's also a WalthersProto series car, which come with a higher price tag than the standard Walthers items in part because there's no user applied parts. The grabs are pre-installed and the lettering, such as the "Ocean View" name and car numbers, are painted on. I appreciate that you acknowledge the $86.65 price tag as fair and in line with other comparable offerings. As for the limited shipping options, I agree and will bring it up to the team and see what can be done. Rising/high prices of model trains seems to be a common theme in many threads, just as it was on the old Atlas forum when the 40th Anniversary models came out. Thanks to many of you, they were a hit! We completely sold out of the 156, and I've since seen them go for over 3x their their original MSRP on ebay - wow! Even before they were sold out they were selling on ebay for more than MSRP. The N scale Parlours are already up on ebay for more than MSRP, and they're not completely sold out (more are on the way). Maybe we need to raise the price? ...KIDDING! If it weren't for the success of the 40th models Amtrak wouldn't be offering new exclusives. We chose the 10031 as it runs around the country on different trains and it's in popular paint. We thought about having it produced in the "Fall Foliage" wrap scheme, but felt the appeal for that would be limited mainly to folks modeling the Cardinal and Adirondack. The updated Phase III scheme will hopefully have a wider appeal as it has been all over the place. For instance, it has been on the Adirondack, Lake Shore Limited and California Zephyr in just the past couple of weeks alone! I hope they're as popular as the N scale Parlour car we did, as I want to see more Amtrak models available! Although it's months away from when they'll ship, orders can placed now to reserve a car. Even if there's minor delay in transit from the factory they should arrive before Christmas. Orders will be shipped in the order they're received, so placing an order now will only help to get it to you asap. My family never knows what to get me for Christmas, so I send links to the model trains I'd like to get. I got a Rapido (VIA Rail exclusive) Park Car last year (love it). This year, the 10031 will be on the list! Matt from the Amtrak Exhibit Train Team The main difference between the Amtrak stores pricing and Walther's pricing is that Walthers has sales and distributes to online retailers/hobby shops that offer discounts off of MSRP. Amtrak store does not. So the bottom line is the price is significantly higher. I am comparing it to Broadway Limited's California Zephyr cars which have an unprecedented level of detail, where I paid $62.98 after discount for each dome car. Retailers are still pricing it at that for this next batch of pre orders from them. I had no issue with the Heritage P42 prices because it was around the same as what you can buy a Walthers P42 for even discounted. To put this in perspective, I am paying the same price for a piece of rolling stock this year as I did for a DCC quick plug equipped locomotive last year. I do not believe the full dome will have the same price explosion on ebay as the locomotives did. I do a lot of buying and selling on Ebay and I am in touch with hundreds of modelers because of my product reviews on Youtube. I'm already hearing the complaints about the pricing. Now, I have responded to some complaints that there may be licensing fees associated with the higher cost. But as for me, I think I'll pass on the dome car. I hope it is a successful run of cars, and I'm sure it will be because you have some die hard Amtrak fans out there. It's just not for me. |
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Post by jlwii2000 on Jul 28, 2013 11:00:46 GMT -8
Also, regarding the K5LA whistle, the description on your Amtrak site is backwards. It resembles a K5LA horn in appearance, but sounds like a steam whistle.
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Post by diburning on Jul 28, 2013 14:43:02 GMT -8
James, you're comparing apples to oranges. The dome car offered by Amtrak is a limited run as described by Matt. Because of that, I'm sure the costs are a bit higher as the cars aren't mass produced on a larger scale. Also, I'm sure Walthers is charging them the "dealer cost" on these cars so Amtrak has to mark them up as appropriate to cover their costs and make a profit. Also, If you haven't noticed already, Walthers has been steadily increasing their prices while offering their older stuff in shiny new packaging. I wouldn't be surprised if Walthers is gouging (for lack of a more polite term) Amtrak in the first place.
If Amtrak is indeed trying to price this model to make more money, then they'll see whether it has worked or not by the sales numbers. Seeing as how they are making a limited run of them, they probably aren't anticipating explosive sales similar to the heritage P42s.
But hey, you're right. Vote with your wallet.
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Post by jlwii2000 on Jul 28, 2013 14:53:03 GMT -8
James, you're comparing apples to oranges. The dome car offered by Amtrak is a limited run as described by Matt. Because of that, I'm sure the costs are a bit higher as the cars aren't mass produced on a larger scale. Also, I'm sure Walthers is charging them the "dealer cost" on these cars so Amtrak has to mark them up as appropriate to cover their costs and make a profit. Also, If you haven't noticed already, Walthers has been steadily increasing their prices while offering their older stuff in shiny new packaging. I wouldn't be surprised if Walthers is gouging (for lack of a more polite term) Amtrak in the first place. If Amtrak is indeed trying to price this model to make more money, then they'll see whether it has worked or not by the sales numbers. Seeing as how they are making a limited run of them, they probably aren't anticipating explosive sales similar to the heritage P42s. But hey, you're right. Vote with your wallet. Thanks for your input. I agree with the vote with your wallet phrase. But I personally use that saying when I hope a manufacturer or product fails miserably. With this product I hope it succeeds, nothing wrong with it. It's a nice car. Just a little pricey for my taste. I'm sure plenty of people disagree and will order it. |
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mlrr
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Post by mlrr on Aug 1, 2013 6:54:45 GMT -8
If I can scrape up some extra money (or at least free some up after these other delayed products finally hit the market), I'll contribute to the cause and get one. I still have to put my anniversary train together. I've debated about whether or not to go through the "trouble" of modifying the doors with that after-market TSP kit or just run them as-is. I'll also have to de-motor the F40 and add the decals, etc. Now that I scooped up the Proto line phase III baggage car, I have enough phase III baggage cars (standard walthers line) to dedicate to the whole train . The new Proto Line baggage car will be integrated into revenue service trains. |
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Post by nscaler711 on Aug 12, 2013 3:49:12 GMT -8
James I like your video on YT on decaling a stock Walthers car but Bachmann also has the Full dome for around $30.. as for your Sharpie tip, did that years ago and gave up, invest in some Paint Markers!!! you can pick a box at Wal*Mart in the craft section. they work better and dont run when sprayed with dulcote or any semi gloss (or any spray for that matter)
as for the heritage units Matt, try talking to Kato, their new locomotives run flawlessly and they are a true match for the new bolt on nose P42DC's.
I have bought one and love it, it is my second strongest puller (first is my MTH SD70ACe.) I would post a review on YT but I have a messy train table that is unfinished... like ping pong table on a frame with cork roadbed lol
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Post by stevewagner on Aug 13, 2013 18:16:51 GMT -8
I'd love to see Amtrak offer the same dome car in the Fall Foliage livery. I saw the real car at Rensselaer, NY when it was being used on the Adirondack. As far as I know, no decals for duplicating it have been offered, and I doubt that I could create a "reasonable facsimile" of it myself.
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Post by amtrakmatt on Aug 15, 2013 17:04:17 GMT -8
I'd love to see Amtrak offer the same dome car in the Fall Foliage livery. I saw the real car at Rensselaer, NY when it was being used on the Adirondack. As far as I know, no decals for duplicating it have been offered, and I doubt that I could create a "reasonable facsimile" of it myself. Steve, It's funny you mention that. We considered doing the Fall Foliage Wrap, but figured it would have a more limited audience since it only wore that scheme on the Adirondack and Cardinal. The refreshed Phase III scheme has been to more corners of the system and hopefully will have a wider appeal. We also considered doing a two-pack, where you'd get a Fall Foliage and a Refreshed Phase III car, but we felt the price tag on such would have been too steep for most to consider. Matt of the Amtrak Exhibit Train Team |
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Post by amtrakmatt on Aug 15, 2013 17:44:27 GMT -8
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Post by jlwii2000 on Aug 15, 2013 19:25:47 GMT -8
Well I will chime in since I'm working on a model of 10031 right now. You need to black out the dome windows. Look at photos and you will see there is not that much contrast between the window domes and the black surrounding area. Other than that it looks good. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2013 20:29:06 GMT -8
Everything you're doing is awesome. Just one thing that I must mention though, I went to check out of Amtrak store with the 10031 full dome car and the total after shipping and tax was $106!!! Sorry, that is grossly overpriced. Approximately 2x what that car would cost from Walthers. I backed out of the checkout after I saw that whopper of a price. No thank you! I think there are two points to consider here. The actual price of the car is $86.65. I'm not going to say that this price is not bad, but it is fair and in-line with the rest of the market. Especially for an exclusive model. The second cost is the shipping. IMO, the Amtrak store (which I believe is run by Staples) needs to look for more shipping methods. Your only option for shipping is UPS and is always more than $10. I think that the Amtrak store needs to look into offering USPS service. I have to say that the price of the Amtrak commissioned model isn't really out of line for what is a limited number non-production model. Yesterday, Walthers announced the "new and improved" Great Northern Empire Builder. The price of a non-lighted Great Dome lounge is $79.98. Granted a good discount price is $60, which is $25 less than the Amtrak model, but if you are a hard core Amtrak modeler is $25 that out of line? As far as shipping, for my address in Wisconsin the price from the Amtrak store is about $11.50. For a two pound package it isn't out of line considering the store has costs for the box and packing material. The bottom line is if you love Amtrak the price is more than a standard model, but you can expect to pay more for an exclusive model. |
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Post by nscaler711 on Aug 15, 2013 21:16:40 GMT -8
I think there are two points to consider here. The actual price of the car is $86.65. I'm not going to say that this price is not bad, but it is fair and in-line with the rest of the market. Especially for an exclusive model. The second cost is the shipping. IMO, the Amtrak store (which I believe is run by Staples) needs to look for more shipping methods. Your only option for shipping is UPS and is always more than $10. I think that the Amtrak store needs to look into offering USPS service. I have to say that the price of the Amtrak commissioned model isn't really out of line for what is a limited number non-production model. Yesterday, Walthers announced the "new and improved" Great Northern Empire Builder. The price of a non-lighted Great Dome lounge is $79.98. Granted a good discount price is $60, which is $25 less than the Amtrak model, but if you are a hard core Amtrak modeler is $25 that out of line? As far as shipping, for my address in Wisconsin the price from the Amtrak store is about $11.50. For a two pound package it isn't out of line considering the store has costs for the box and packing material. The bottom line is if you love Amtrak the price is more than a standard model, but you can expect to pay more for an exclusive model. While all this is true not to long ago I picked up the Phase 2 Amtrak P42 on Amtrak's store for $79.00... so too me 85.00 is too much.... for a model that comes close, but like the Athearn/Walther's Heritage P42's it's not perfect. If the cars were sold at $60-70 I would consider buying one. So I have to agree with James on this... I will most likely super-detail a Bachmann Full Dome car. Only because Bachmann has stepped up their game... (like a standard $75 loco had handrails on it) They sure do look nice though. whats this Fall Foliage car I hear of though? Pics? I can't seem to find any.... then again smart phones and internet aren't best friends yet.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2013 4:33:43 GMT -8
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Post by amtrakmatt on Aug 16, 2013 16:46:01 GMT -8
Thanks for the comments, everyone.
The window tint is the same spec that's used on the Walthers plated Superliners and upcoming retooled Amfleet cars. While if I were making this model for me I'd make them darker, we decided to keep them consistent with other offerings and appeal to as many people as possible. It's possible to darken the windows if one chooses to use the various translucent paints or actual window tint, yet impossible to lighten them should someone want them to match their other cars or outfit the car with people and be able to see more than a silhouette. I'd be curious to hear more thoughts and opinions on window tinting.
In regard to the Bachmann dome, do they make the proper car? I thought they only made the Santa Fe prototype, which is close but not right. The one I used to own had a vestibule and fluting (instead of paneled/slab sides). I'm not sure how accurate the Bachmann trucks are either for doing a 10031, whereas the Walthers trucks are spot on. The cross section of the updated Bachmann dome was a bit boxier than the old version of the full dome they used to make, and not as accurate as the Walthers car.
I understand the price may seem high to some folks, but the price is simply the MSRP for doing such a car in today's market. Our aim is to make this the most accurate version of the Amtrak dome to date and appeal to as many modelers as possible. I'm very happy with what we were able to do. Since it is a limited run exclusive, I wouldn't be surprised if some of these cars end up going for much more than MSRP on ebay, just like the Heritage P42s have done and even the recent N scale Parlour car with MSRP of $30 but sold at auction for $162.50. I hope the extra effort and detail that has gone into this model is appreciated by those who pull the trigger on this item.
Matt from the Amtrak Exhibit Train Team
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Post by jlwii2000 on Aug 17, 2013 2:32:24 GMT -8
The closest dome you're going to get that's not this Amtrak offering is Walthers 932-6526. It's on sale at a few online retailers for $30. I got mine for $30 shipped. The dome isn't black or tinted, the red and blue stripe are a shade off, you'll need some decals and the grab irons have to be applied. Other than that it's the same car I think.
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Post by nscaler711 on Aug 17, 2013 3:18:02 GMT -8
I suppose I will start searching for a Walthers Dome then, there are quite a bit of detail discrepancies with the Bmann... like the fluting down the sides is wrong... at least the window tinting is near perfect...  |
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Post by jlwii2000 on Aug 17, 2013 11:00:18 GMT -8
Here is my rendition of the Walthers car after tinting and decaling. It also happens to be my first ever decal-ing attempt.
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Post by amtrakmatt on Nov 25, 2013 20:08:44 GMT -8
These cars are in stock and started shipping a few weeks ago as estimated. Anybody get one? I'd love to hear what you think about it. As a reminder, this is a very limited run and only available through Amtrak. They're a great gift idea for hard-to-buy-for Amtrak modelers. The prototype recently ran on the Adirondack and then Illinois Zephyr this fall.
Thanks,
AmtrakMatt of the Amtrak Exhibit Train Team
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Post by jlwii2000 on Nov 26, 2013 17:15:14 GMT -8
These cars are in stock and started shipping a few weeks ago as estimated. Anybody get one? I'd love to hear what you think about it. As a reminder, this is a very limited run and only available through Amtrak. They're a great gift idea for hard-to-buy-for Amtrak modelers. The prototype recently ran on the Adirondack and then Illinois Zephyr this fall. Thanks, AmtrakMatt of the Amtrak Exhibit Train Team At $101.27 shipped for one of those cars I think I'll pass. If there's ever a sale, let us know. I might buy one for a Youtube review. |
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