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Post by carrman on Jul 19, 2014 11:07:40 GMT -8
Still will likely be the best starting point for a great SD40. Far cry from the SD40 of old. Wanna bet Dave Hussey comes out with a tread kit for them?
Dave
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Post by grabbem88 on Jul 19, 2014 11:12:04 GMT -8
Too bad a simple sill swap was all that's needed
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Post by ChessieFan1978 on Jul 19, 2014 12:39:12 GMT -8
I'm in for the Chessie System/WM unit for sure!
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Post by WP 257 on Jul 19, 2014 12:57:39 GMT -8
If they plan to do a plethora of diesel versions, that might be why the tread plate was left off? Most likely, not all were the same, and having the tread plate might have limited some of the options.
For me, no tread plate is not a deal breaker, as on the layout, it's more difficult to see anyway and walkways are usually...ahem, not clean on the real ones.
I'd rather the money saved there go somewhere else in the tooling.
As an intermediate model between say a RTR/Trainman-style model and Genesis, I welcome it and would actually like to try one when they come out in a roadname I need.
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Post by jaygee on Jul 19, 2014 13:55:15 GMT -8
Three of those Uncle Petes will look really good behind an 8500GTEL ! Huzzah !
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Post by bdhicks on Jul 19, 2014 14:36:48 GMT -8
I don't have any personal experience with injection molding, but my understanding is if the walkway and hood are molded as one piece they can't mold on treadplate. And if they're not molded as one piece I can't imagine why they didn't mold on treadplate.
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Post by thebessemerkid on Jul 19, 2014 14:46:20 GMT -8
You can do it in one piece molds, but it requires secondary actions in the tooling (slides/pulls). More $$$.
With separate sills at least it leaves the window open for aftermarket products.
Inflation is here, and corners are being cut. C'est la vie. :/
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Post by roadkill on Jul 19, 2014 15:04:04 GMT -8
I don't have any personal experience with injection molding, but my understanding is if the walkway and hood are molded as one piece they can't mold on treadplate. And if they're not molded as one piece I can't imagine why they didn't mold on treadplate. I looked closely at all the samples Athearn has at the show and did not see any seam between the hood and the walkways/sill assembly. No treadplate detail is far from a deal breaker for me, for the rest of the model is sweet. And, straight from the horse's mouth, there WILL be undecs, but no timetable yet. The SDP40 variant is being considered too.
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Post by grabbem88 on Jul 19, 2014 15:13:01 GMT -8
You can do it in one piece molds, but it requires secondary actions in the tooling (slides/pulls). More $$$. With separate sills at least it leaves the window open for aftermarket products. Inflation is here, and corners are being cut. C'est la vie. :/ This is how we change core hole chambers and cover plates at my plant and since the owners of my plant first started out as tool & die makers for st.louis I don't see the tread plate an issue even as a whole cause in injection molding it will be an overlay.. I know we are all bugging on the tread plate or lack of we must remember its not a Genesis lol. But sure is better than a kato...yikes!
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 19, 2014 16:35:29 GMT -8
The SDP40 variant is being considered too. As it should be! And a few more !!!!!!! Ed
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Post by roadkill on Jul 19, 2014 16:49:48 GMT -8
SD38 and SD40 come to mind
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Post by carrman on Jul 19, 2014 17:02:49 GMT -8
Come on SD39...;-)
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Post by jbilbrey on Jul 19, 2014 17:21:38 GMT -8
Was just confirmed there is no tread plate on the new SD40. Dave Thank you for clarifying the issue of whether tread-plate detail would or would not be on the new SD40. While a disappointment shared with other (especially after their SD45T-2's, SD50's, and SD60's), it alone will not keep me from buying one. While I am not a huge N&W fan, the announcement of the N&W SD40 interests me as I have a kitbashed N&W caboose that needs something to pull it. James Bilbrey
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 19, 2014 17:47:24 GMT -8
I've spent some time today researching Athearn's BNSF and UP offerings and must compliment them on their choices--interesting! I'll be gettin' some.
Ed
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Post by drolsen on Jul 19, 2014 21:03:47 GMT -8
If they plan to do a plethora of diesel versions, that might be why the tread plate was left off? Most likely, not all were the same, and having the tread plate might have limited some of the options. There were, in fact, two different styles of tread applied to SD40s walkways. I think the prototype units were built during a transition period from an older style to the current tread. Railflyer actually produced both styles in HO, and I was able to get examples of each. Of course, I'd have to get them out and look with a magnifying glass to tell you what the difference is... Dave
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Post by fr8kar on Jul 20, 2014 1:56:12 GMT -8
I wonder if all the UP SD40s will be offered in the as-delivered scheme worn by the sample model or will they come in any of the repaint schemes? I love the look of the sample, but I'd have to repaint it to fit in with my other models. Here's hoping for some variety...
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 20, 2014 7:51:38 GMT -8
I wonder if all the UP SD40s will be offered in the as-delivered scheme worn by the sample model or will they come in any of the repaint schemes? I love the look of the sample, but I'd have to repaint it to fit in with my other models. Here's hoping for some variety... That ain't the UP delivery scheme. The locos in these number series were delivered in "Dependable Transportation" in early 1966. "We Can Handle It" was applied starting in about 1972. It sometimes feels that UP never changed the paint/lettering scheme, they appear to have changed things frequently. But it sure prompts the purchase of MANY different UP loco models. Ed
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Post by riogrande on Jul 20, 2014 7:59:55 GMT -8
I don't recall seeing those rotating beacon lights in the twin arrangement - each side of the cab roof. But I don't follow UP that closely.
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Post by grabbem88 on Jul 20, 2014 8:16:17 GMT -8
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Post by riogrande on Jul 20, 2014 9:32:10 GMT -8
As I said, I don't follow UP that closely but an interesting detail. It makes me wonder how much those were used as I have never noticed that before and frankly it's something normally I'd remember considering how unique they appear. There are photo's here at carrtracks website of that UP SD40 with the twin beacon lights - I never noticed them before: www.carrtracks.com/Soldier-Summit.htm
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Post by fr8kar on Jul 20, 2014 9:32:10 GMT -8
I wonder if all the UP SD40s will be offered in the as-delivered scheme worn by the sample model or will they come in any of the repaint schemes? I love the look of the sample, but I'd have to repaint it to fit in with my other models. Here's hoping for some variety... That ain't the UP delivery scheme. The locos in these number series were delivered in "Dependable Transportation" in early 1966. "We Can Handle It" was applied starting in about 1972. It sometimes feels that UP never changed the paint/lettering scheme, they appear to have changed things frequently. But it sure prompts the purchase of MANY different UP loco models. Ed Thanks for the info, Ed. Since those schemes are all out of my era, I never paid much attention to them. I'm interested in the pre-Mopac merger scheme with the large number on the side. Having said that, if any of the "We Can Handle It" locos ended up in the post-merger 80s, I'd be interested in one of those, too.
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Post by TBird1958 on Jul 20, 2014 9:52:38 GMT -8
It'll be interesting see if the get the Farr radiator grill right on UP 3000.
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Post by thebessemerkid on Jul 20, 2014 10:04:28 GMT -8
Why not just make a modular shell, and sell unassembled undecs to those who want the extra detail? All the parts are there, and it saves the cost of having people assemble and paint it?
That is what I am going to request for the c636 from bowser. If I have to buy a bunch (within reason), so be it.
Sell more product, make happier customers.
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Post by riogrande on Jul 20, 2014 10:28:29 GMT -8
Why not just make a modular shell, and sell unassembled undecs to those who want the extra detail? All the parts are there, and it saves the cost of having people assemble and paint it? Sell more product, make happier customers. Athearn has done that in the past with RTR models, such as the SD45 - so people could put the components together to copy some prototype SD45's, for example. www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=SD45+undecorated&OA=TrueIt may be Athearn will include an undec version of the new SD40 in a future run. Here Athearns description copied below for the newly tooled model for reference.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 20, 2014 11:30:39 GMT -8
It'll be interesting see if the get the Farr radiator grill right on UP 3000. From what I can see in photos, the radiator grills on all four subject units look the same. And it appears to me from the Athearn artwork that they're planning on recreating those grills. So, could you provide some background for your comment? I'm not getting it. Ed
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Post by TBird1958 on Jul 20, 2014 12:14:18 GMT -8
From what I can see in photos, the radiator grills on all four subject units look the same. And it appears to me from the Athearn artwork that they're planning on recreating those grills. So, could you provide some background for your comment? I'm not getting it. Ed Ed, look carefully at the radiator grille shot posted up above of UP 3000 and this one, it's not standard EMD chicken wire - it's from Farr, I don't know specifically if all of the '66-67 built SD 40's that UP got had it but I think the first batch did. Later pics indicate some were rebuilt, but for the scheme Athearn is showing in UP it should have these Non Standard radiator grilles
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 20, 2014 13:12:55 GMT -8
OK. Athearn says they're going to do FARR grills on all 4 models. And that's what the prototype shots show for those 4. And the photo of the sample model looks like it has FARR grills, although it's a pretty teeny photo.
So it looks like it comes down to not whether they'll do FARR grills, but how well they'll do them.
Ed
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Post by TBird1958 on Jul 20, 2014 13:22:37 GMT -8
That's pretty cool, I built one from a Kato quite a long time back, I used a nice broadside that was in a 1966 issue of Trains that clearly showed the grilles. '60s -'70s UP was a very cool railroad.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 20, 2014 14:52:38 GMT -8
Having said that, if any of the "We Can Handle It" locos ended up in the post-merger 80s, I'd be interested in one of those, too. For my own utility, I went through Railpicture's 1975 and 1980 photos. For 1975, about 1/3 of the locos were "dependable" and the rest "we can handle it". For 1980, there were no "dependable"s and only a very few "we can handle it"s. The latter were non-fast-fortied SD40-2's--probably because they were the lastish delivered in that scheme. I doubt there would be any "we can handle it"s left at merger, but, ya know, there always seems to be one. I'd go with an SD40-2 not in the 8000 class. Ed
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 20, 2014 14:54:50 GMT -8
As I said, I don't follow UP that closely but an interesting detail. It makes me wonder how much those were used as I have never noticed that before and frankly it's something normally I'd remember considering how unique they appear. There are photo's here at carrtracks website of that UP SD40 with the twin beacon lights - I never noticed them before: www.carrtracks.com/Soldier-Summit.htmOne of my books said the twin beacons were on UP 3000-3004 only. At least, for SD40's. Ed
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