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Post by amtrakfl9 on Dec 7, 2018 21:19:10 GMT -8
I was just curious what the current status of the modernized FL9 production run is. I know the site says TBA, but what specifically is the issue? Low pre-orders, or just a busy production schedule?
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Post by catcliffedemon on Dec 8, 2018 5:33:12 GMT -8
I was just curious what the current status of the modernized FL9 production run is. I know the site says TBA, but what specifically is the issue? Low pre-orders, or just a busy production schedule? A combination of things really. We plan on relaunching it early in 2019. -Rapido Gareth |
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Post by The Ferro Kid on Dec 8, 2018 11:29:36 GMT -8
I'll be lining up for several of the modernized version, but have been grateful for the breather between them and my initial run purchases.
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Post by amtrakfl9 on Dec 8, 2018 16:10:19 GMT -8
I was just curious what the current status of the modernized FL9 production run is. I know the site says TBA, but what specifically is the issue? Low pre-orders, or just a busy production schedule? A combination of things really. We plan on relaunching it early in 2019. -Rapido Gareth Ok, that’s good to hear. Well when they come out I’ll be picking up a whole bunch! One minor thing - I know you guys have already decided what numbers etc. you are going to do, but in case you are willing to make any changes I have a suggestion. The three Amtrak numbers you have planned are 484, 488, and 491, but 484 and 491 are actually the same locomotive. 491 was renumbered 484 sometime around 1989. If you were to make three distinct locomotives instead, I know myself and probably other hardcore Amtrak modelers might be more inclined to purchase all three instead of choosing one era for 491/484. And if at all possible, maybe take a quick second look at the prototype for the road numbers you have chosen (488 included). Amtrak was very inconsistent painting them and many have stripes at slightly different heights, and all have a big Amtrak logo at various different places which isn't there on the product drawing you guys have. Just a suggestion. |
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Post by catcliffedemon on Dec 8, 2018 19:36:34 GMT -8
Ok, that’s good to hear. Well when they come out I’ll be picking up a whole bunch! One minor thing - I know you guys have already decided what numbers etc. you are going to do, but in case you are willing to make any changes I have a suggestion. The three Amtrak numbers you have planned are 484, 488, and 491, but 484 and 491 are actually the same locomotive. 491 was renumbered 484 sometime around 1989. If you were to make three distinct locomotives instead, I know myself and probably other hardcore Amtrak modelers might be more inclined to purchase all three instead of choosing one era for 491/484. And if at all possible, maybe take a quick second look at the prototype for the road numbers you have chosen (488 included). Amtrak was very inconsistent painting them and many have stripes at slightly different heights, and all have a big Amtrak logo at various different places which isn't there on the product drawing you guys have. Just a suggestion. I will bring it up with the project manager when we plan the relaunch! Thanks for the information. -Rapido Gareth |
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Post by NS4122 on Dec 8, 2018 19:48:57 GMT -8
491 was renumbered to 484 sometime in the 1993-1994 timeframe to make room for the P32AC-DMs, which were originally planned to start at 490.
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Post by amtrakfl9 on Dec 8, 2018 21:40:23 GMT -8
Ok, that’s good to hear. Well when they come out I’ll be picking up a whole bunch! One minor thing - I know you guys have already decided what numbers etc. you are going to do, but in case you are willing to make any changes I have a suggestion. The three Amtrak numbers you have planned are 484, 488, and 491, but 484 and 491 are actually the same locomotive. 491 was renumbered 484 sometime around 1989. If you were to make three distinct locomotives instead, I know myself and probably other hardcore Amtrak modelers might be more inclined to purchase all three instead of choosing one era for 491/484. And if at all possible, maybe take a quick second look at the prototype for the road numbers you have chosen (488 included). Amtrak was very inconsistent painting them and many have stripes at slightly different heights, and all have a big Amtrak logo at various different places which isn't there on the product drawing you guys have. Just a suggestion. I will bring it up with the project manager when we plan the relaunch! Thanks for the information. -Rapido Gareth Awesome, hopefully it helps! If you need any more info, I made a huge list several years ago (when I was planning a kitbash before you guys announced your FL9) of all the different road number specific details over time with all six Amtrak units. And I stand corrected on the renumbering date (it's been a while since I made the list). Didn't know the P32s were originally supposed to start at 490, that's interesting. |
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Post by nhfl92027 on Dec 14, 2018 12:11:07 GMT -8
Can't wait until the relaunch!! I just reserved 16 modernized FL9's from Hog trainz yesterday.
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Post by amtrakfl9 on Jun 3, 2019 10:21:47 GMT -8
What a blockbuster announcement! This is an expensive one for me for sure.
Question for Gareth or anyone else at Rapido: did you guys ever take a look at that stuff I mentioned? Just asking out of curiosity as it looks like the Amtrak units are unchanged from the original announcement.
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Post by ambluco on Jun 3, 2019 10:25:27 GMT -8
Gareth has moved on from Rapido.
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Post by amtrakfl9 on Jun 3, 2019 12:40:06 GMT -8
Gareth has moved on from Rapido. Oh ok. That makes sense then as to why the Amtrak units are unchanged. In that case, anyone current at Rapido have an opinion on the info I gave Gareth last year? It should be just a few posts back in this thread. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2019 13:28:12 GMT -8
Gareth has moved on from Rapido. Oh ok. That makes sense then as to why the Amtrak units are unchanged. In that case, anyone current at Rapido have an opinion on the info I gave Gareth last year? It should be just a few posts back in this thread. You really are better off contacting them directly from their website as there is no guarantee that they will see/read any specific posting on a social media site. |
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Post by amtrakfl9 on Jun 3, 2019 16:23:42 GMT -8
Oh ok. That makes sense then as to why the Amtrak units are unchanged. In that case, anyone current at Rapido have an opinion on the info I gave Gareth last year? It should be just a few posts back in this thread. You really are better off contacting them directly from their website as there is no guarantee that they will see/read any specific posting on a social media site. They do respond to posts on here fairly regularly, as evidenced by the beginning of this thread. If they don’t see this I’ll eventually just send them an email. But thanks for the advice I guess... |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2019 4:17:11 GMT -8
You really are better off contacting them directly from their website as there is no guarantee that they will see/read any specific posting on a social media site. They do respond to posts on here fairly regularly, as evidenced by the beginning of this thread. If they don’t see this I’ll eventually just send them an email. But thanks for the advice I guess...
Except that person, as pointed out to you, is no longer with Rapido... |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2019 4:32:29 GMT -8
At least two other members of Rapido have accounts on this forum. Gareth wasn't the only one
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Post by gevohogger on Jun 4, 2019 5:45:51 GMT -8
They do respond to posts on here fairly regularly, as evidenced by the beginning of this thread. If they don’t see this I’ll eventually just send them an email. But thanks for the advice I guess...
Except that person, as pointed out to you, is no longer with Rapido... He did say he'd send an email to them, meaning not specifically Gareth. |
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Post by rapidobill on Jun 4, 2019 7:20:36 GMT -8
Well, as the project manager... Currently on vacation... Please send an email to the Rapido contact on the web site and I will see what I can do when I get back next week. As a general comment, it is far more productive to go through standard contact s to the company that. To assume that we see a comment on the forum. To be honest, I missed this one completely until now.... Bill
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Post by Paul Cutler III on Jun 4, 2019 8:32:38 GMT -8
I think part of the problem here is that finding three identical Amtrak FL9's isn't easy. Amtrak only had 12 to begin with, and only 6 got HEP. The variations in red strobe location, grills, HEP/MU connections, fans, pilots, paint, decals, etc. are going to cause heartburn for Bill. Doing the same engine twice (with two numbers) is one way to get around it.
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Post by amtrakfl9 on Jun 4, 2019 10:15:14 GMT -8
The reason I originally posted my question as a thread on this forum instead of as a private email to Rapido is so there could be a discussion about it and people could voice their views exactly like Mr. Cutler has above. Like I have already said, I thought the odds were decent that someone from Rapido would see the thread (and in fact they did - both now and when the thread was first posted) but if not I was going to just send them an email at some point instead. Perhaps I should have left the “Question for Rapido” out of the thread’s title so as to remove the appearance that I was simply assuming that an online forum was the best method of direct contact. My bad...
Now that we have that out of the way, I hope, I’ll respond to the actual substance of the thread. I agree that tooling completely separately for each road number is too much to expect, but there are more compromises that could be made without excessive expense that would make these very expensive models far more accurate. If things like the HEP panels at the rear of the grills or the vertical-mount headlight are too expensive to add, in my opinion it would at least be worth adding things like the correct white-background numberboards, the white sill stripe, or the “Amtrak” text in various places depending on road number, as these are just printing/graphics.
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Post by Paul Cutler III on Jun 4, 2019 12:55:28 GMT -8
AmtrakFL9,
I think what might be most helpful to get the three unique Amtrak FL9's you want is to give Rapido a hand. If you have a yen for these (and clearly, you do), then why not suggest the three best Amtrak FL9's that they could do with the minimal amount of retooling and/or mistakes that you could live with? The goal would be to have three identical units (or as close to identical as possible). And keep in mind that 488 and 489 are the Maine Eastern units, too.
I've helped manufacturers this way. I remember when Atlas announced a couple NH RS-1's, but neither one actually wore the paint scheme they chose. I found pics of units they should do instead, and they changed the numbers.
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Post by amtrakfl9 on Jun 4, 2019 13:12:58 GMT -8
AmtrakFL9, I think what might be most helpful to get the three unique Amtrak FL9's you want is to give Rapido a hand. If you have a yen for these (and clearly, you do), then why not suggest the three best Amtrak FL9's that they could do with the minimal amount of retooling and/or mistakes that you could live with? The goal would be to have three identical units (or as close to identical as possible). And keep in mind that 488 and 489 are the Maine Eastern units, too. I've helped manufacturers this way. I remember when Atlas announced a couple NH RS-1's, but neither one actually wore the paint scheme they chose. I found pics of units they should do instead, and they changed the numbers. Yep. Sent them an email. |
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Post by bnsf971 on Jun 4, 2019 16:06:01 GMT -8
AmtrakFL9, I think what might be most helpful to get the three unique Amtrak FL9's you want is to give Rapido a hand. If you have a yen for these (and clearly, you do), then why not suggest the three best Amtrak FL9's that they could do with the minimal amount of retooling and/or mistakes that you could live with? The goal would be to have three identical units (or as close to identical as possible). And keep in mind that 488 and 489 are the Maine Eastern units, too. I've helped manufacturers this way. I remember when Atlas announced a couple NH RS-1's, but neither one actually wore the paint scheme they chose. I found pics of units they should do instead, and they changed the numbers. Yep. Sent them an email. Follow up in a few days or a week or so. I know emails get buried in Spam folders. |
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Post by rapidotrains on Jun 5, 2019 19:21:32 GMT -8
I'll add a quick note in general, as I am not the FL9 project manager and Bill is on vacation until next week.
Making subtle changes in decoration from unit to unit adds time to production. Sometimes it is worthwhile because the production numbers are large or the difference is huge. So we are doing two variations of the Cornell Red LV RS-11s, for example.
But Amtrak FL9s... The numbers just weren't there in the first run and I doubt they will be in this run to represent the paint shop variations.
Generally speaking, if we totally customize every number to match the prototype variations exactly, the factory will lose money and Rapido will have cash flow problems because production is taking too long.
Specifically speaking, get me 200 or 300 guys to order each Amtrak FL9 and we'll do all the decoration variations needed... But I really don't think we'll reach those numbers. I predict 300-350 in total over the three numbers.
Setting up printing positions takes a long time. It can take an hour or more to set up a new logo position, and that is one hour that the machine and operator are not making stuff. (It takes even longer when the positions are on weird angles.) If we have too many subtle variations, production time can double or triple for the whole project.
That being said, we'll look at the final numbers at the end of October and we will add whatever variations the budget will allow depending on those sales numbers.
-Jason
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