|
Post by rockfan on Apr 23, 2019 9:24:53 GMT -8
You can't sell what your factory isn't making. P2K does sell, but since Walthers bought them they don't seem like they want to release P2K items. Not like in the past.
|
|
|
Post by chessie77 on Apr 23, 2019 13:05:59 GMT -8
I would like Walthers to redo the B&O Capitol Limited in C&O tri-color.
|
|
|
Post by roadkill on Apr 23, 2019 17:00:40 GMT -8
I would like Walthers to redo the B&O Capitol Limited in C&O tri-color. THIS!!!!! I have a Columbian dome (and a "Capitol" combine) that will eventually be stripped and repainted into the the later merger scheme. I was a bit confused that Walthers released the 56 seat coaches in that scheme but none of the other cars. I would like to pick up a 5 bedroom/buffet/lounge to strip and repaint one of these days. For that matter Walthers could also release the modernized heavyweight coach in the merger scheme as well seeing as it's based on a B&O class A20d.
|
|
|
Post by stevewagner on Apr 23, 2019 18:07:44 GMT -8
Roger (I think), thanks very much for that last post. with its confirmation that the Walthers modernized heavyweight coach is based on a B&O type.
Years ago I bought one of those models because in B&O blue and gray years ago iit reminded me of the cars I rode on the National Limited from Cumberland to St. Louis and back from St. Louis to Cincinnati in 1963. That was my first long solo trip, in the summer before my senior year in high school in a Philadelphia suburb. I went by PRR from Philly to Baltimore, then B&O from Camden station to Washington on a RDC, then on a local to Cumberland (standing until Harpers Ferry, along with a priest, as I remember. After a walk into West Virginia and back, I caught the long distance train there. During the night we traveled on lines that hadn't seen passenger trains in years, because the railroad was enlarging tunnels on the mainline west to handle larger freight cars. The B&O passed out nice big, clean pillows to us coach passengers for the night. I was awake from somewhere in southeastern Ohio to St. Louis. A couple of days there, then bus to Lawrence, Kansas for a national high school Latin Club convention at KU. On the way back I spent a day in Cincinnati and Covington, KY. The train to Washington was sent over the C&O and included at least some C&O coaches whose end doors opened with the push of a button by hand or foot, which I hadn't seen before. Then a day walking around DC. The C&O conductor took my B&O ticket to Baltimore and gave me a PRR one good in a parlor car!
|
|
|
Post by roadkill on Apr 23, 2019 18:25:53 GMT -8
I have a mildly kitbashed modernized heavyweight that's almost ready for paint, I blanked off one vestibule door the way the B&O did to add a pillow locker, it will be painted in the B&O/C&O merger scheme. While Walthers is at it they could reissue the "Chessie Club" lounge from the "Pere Marquette" in the sans roadname simplified C&O scheme as well.
|
|
|
Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Apr 23, 2019 19:15:22 GMT -8
I always wished they would do the legitimate Pere Marquette that ran GR to Fort Street and back circa 1946 rather than the post C&O merger mish mash train they put together for the GrRap NMRA convention.
“The Pere Marquette Railway introduced the Pere Marquette between Detroit's Fort Street Union Depot and Grand Rapids on August 10, 1946. Pullman-Standard delivered two lightweight seven-car consists enabling three daily round trips. Each set consisted of a baggage/mail car, baggage car, two chair-observation cars, two chair-lounge cars, and a dining car. The train seated 220 in the four chair cars, and had space for 44 in the dining car.” - Wikipedia....
|
|
|
Post by stevewagner on Apr 24, 2019 1:44:33 GMT -8
And some of us have urged for years that Walthers should decorate its Chessie Club car for the Delaware & Hudson's ex-D&RGW buffet-lounge car that's an exact match. The firm had said it would do that as part of their Pike-Sized Passenger Train series several years ago and then abruptly canceled the series.
|
|
|
Post by fmilhaupt on Apr 24, 2019 2:28:35 GMT -8
I always wished they would do the legitimate Pere Marquette that ran GR to Fort Street and back circa 1946 rather than the post C&O merger mish mash train they put together for the GrRap NMRA convention. Me, too.
|
|
|
Post by lvrr325 on Apr 24, 2019 4:46:14 GMT -8
Save the GP35 some of the newer high end releases have not sold that well. Some of it is maybe not the best choices of roadname or numbering, but some of it is price too.
That last run of GP30s, the Reading particularly a bunch got dumped on eBay and sold for under $75. But they did them in 5500 series numbers, which save 5513 are only good for a few years, they wore the 3600 numbers longer. Chessie sold better but some of those turned up on clearance blowouts too.
And they had Seaboard System SD45s being dumped for quite a while, they got below $75 before the last ones sold. Most of the other roadnames that run sold out, CP may have turned up on blowout once or twice.
|
|
|
Post by sd80mac on Apr 24, 2019 5:50:09 GMT -8
I always wished they would do the legitimate Pere Marquette that ran GR to Fort Street and back circa 1946 rather than the post C&O merger mish mash train they put together for the GrRap NMRA convention. Me, too. Pretty limited appeal for a very region-specific train that really only ran in its as-delivered configuration for a few years.
|
|
|
Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Apr 24, 2019 17:12:09 GMT -8
No argument with that. But....living in that region and era one can wish.
|
|
|
Post by jbilbrey on Apr 24, 2019 17:26:29 GMT -8
Of course they're enamored with Mainline. It's their bread and butter. It's what sells. Take this for what its worth, someone posted on the FB freight car group that the Chinese company Walther uses is a toy company. Therefore, the company prefers the "Mainline" series (easier to assemble?) over the "Proto" series. If so, it is a pity as there are several former P2K locomotives that while nicely detailed, have not seen the light of day following the purchase of L-L by Walthers. Other P2K models (for example the SD50/60 series) have now been downgraded to the "Mainline" series. However, L-L vastly over-produced some of their releases which resulted in us seeing them at "blow-out" prices. I doubt that we'll ever see such prices again for any of the Proto line.
|
|
|
Post by NYSW3614 on Apr 24, 2019 17:56:44 GMT -8
Not that it helps me (the only pax I need are 8-5 and 12-1 heavyweight Pullmans) but...
For the life of me I cannot understand why Walthers has yet do some Florida trains. Multiple railroads, eras, liveries. Some cars are still survive today as well. What gives? Think the Silver Star in particular. How about Auto Train? They've got some PERFECT domes to do it and it would nicely compliment Atlas GEs.
Who knows!?
Joshua
|
|
|
Post by fmilhaupt on Apr 25, 2019 2:22:27 GMT -8
Pretty limited appeal for a very region-specific train that really only ran in its as-delivered configuration for a few years. Yeah, but if I'm dreaming, I want my pony, dammit.
|
|
|
Post by Paul Cutler III on Apr 25, 2019 8:03:49 GMT -8
NYSW3614, There is a perception that southern railroads don't sell as well as northeastern or western railroads. That probably has a lot to do with a lack of basements and a lower percentage of disposable income compared to other regions. As a business, why chase a lesser selling market when one can make more money selling something else?
And Walthers has made AutoTrain car carriers. Perhaps that's why they aren't tooling up a complete pre-Amtrak AutoTrain? If anyone knows how well a pre-Amtrak AutoTrain would sell, I'd think Walthers would know.
|
|
|
Post by bdhicks on Apr 25, 2019 8:18:38 GMT -8
Has Walthers ever done a name train using another company's locomotives?
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Apr 25, 2019 8:31:03 GMT -8
Has Walthers ever done a name train using another company's locomotives? Not to my recollection. They had just acquired the P2K line when the Proto 2000 F7's were first released and used for the Empire Builder train. I don't recall LL ever releasing P2K F units under their own name.
|
|
|
Post by gevohogger on Apr 25, 2019 8:47:37 GMT -8
And Walthers has made AutoTrain car carriers. Perhaps that's why they aren't tooling up a complete pre-Amtrak AutoTrain? If anyone knows how well a pre-Amtrak AutoTrain would sell, I'd think Walthers would know. Maybe they consider the Auto-Train to be a very region-specific train that really only ran in that configuration for a few years.
|
|
|
Post by simulatortrain on Apr 25, 2019 9:22:04 GMT -8
Has Walthers ever done a name train using another company's locomotives? They did the Super Chief with Genesis F7s.
|
|
|
Post by roadkill on Apr 25, 2019 9:40:55 GMT -8
Not that it helps me (the only pax I need are 8-5 and 12-1 heavyweight Pullmans) but... For the life of me I cannot understand why Walthers has yet do some Florida trains. Multiple railroads, eras, liveries. Some cars are still survive today as well. What gives? Think the Silver Star in particular. How about Auto Train? They've got some PERFECT domes to do it and it would nicely compliment Atlas GEs. Who knows!? Joshua Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe a lot of Auto Train's cars were ex-Union Pacific (the domes at the very least) which means Walthers might just have more correct cars to use for Auto Train.
|
|
|
Post by jonklein611 on Apr 25, 2019 10:51:23 GMT -8
Not that it helps me (the only pax I need are 8-5 and 12-1 heavyweight Pullmans) but... For the life of me I cannot understand why Walthers has yet do some Florida trains. Multiple railroads, eras, liveries. Some cars are still survive today as well. What gives? Think the Silver Star in particular. How about Auto Train? They've got some PERFECT domes to do it and it would nicely compliment Atlas GEs. Who knows!? Joshua Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe a lot of Auto Train's cars were ex-Union Pacific (the domes at the very least) which means Walthers might just have more correct cars to use for Auto Train. A mixed fleet: Auto-Train acquired a significant number of dome cars, so many that in 1974 it did not roster any conventional coaches. These included seven ex-Western Pacific dome coaches, each seating 36, which Auto-Train called "Mini-Domes". These had previously run on the California Zephyr. It also acquired all but one of the Santa Fe's Big Domes (six dormitory-lounges and seven of eight full lounges) and the lion's share of the Union Pacific's Astra Dome fleet: seven coaches, nine dining cars, and 14 lounge-observation cars. Two of the Big Dome lounges and two of the Astra Dome lounges were rebuilt as "Night Club" cars. The remainder of the Astra Domes were dubbed "Maxie-Domes", as opposed to the "Mini-Domes". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-Train_Corporation
|
|
|
Post by GP40P-2 on Apr 25, 2019 11:34:40 GMT -8
If I have done my research correctly on the original Auto-Train (TM!!), here is what we have:
700 series ex-UP Dome Coach Walthers 800 series ex-UP Dome Diner Walthers 900 series ex-UP Dome Obs Walthers 542, 543 ex-UP Dome Night Club Walthers 510 through 541 ex-ATSF Full Dome Walthers not a sequential number series 580,582 ex-CZ Buffet Dining BLI 400 series ex-CZ "mini Dome" BLI 300 series ex-UP "Ocean" Sleeper Walthers 250 series ex C&O Sleeper Union Station Prods car sides 200 series ex-ATSF "Regal" Sleeper note that these are ACF cars that Walthers has NOT released in any of their Santa Fe trains. Sides from NKP/SFHMO
Walthers "owns" the bulk of the train, especially when you add in the auto carriers, plus they are the most likely candidate to do the two more common missing sleepers (UP-Ocean, and ATSF-Regal/ACF) as they have done ATSF and C&O. If you want to add in the steam gennies (which would require extensive mods), BLI represents on ex-CZ car, and Walthers would represent the three ex-ATSF P-S bags. Of the leased ex-UP sleepers, USP would provide sides for the 1600 series ex UP "Western" and 440 series P-S coach (were these ever used in service?)
The other area that needs attention are the Movie-Buffet and Kitchen Dorm cars of the 590 series. These are ex-C&O Budd cars, apparently of the "Kitchen" and "Tavern" series on the C&O before moving through ACL and SCL ownership. There are also a number of 600 series sleepers with SAL, L&N, and RF&P heritage that I have not worked through as of yet to identify if any models exist or are even close.
|
|
|
Post by rockfan on Apr 26, 2019 7:19:47 GMT -8
They planned on using Genesis units for the passenger trains, and did until Horizon bought Athearn.
Then Walthers bought Life Like and had the E units, then they came out with the P2K F7.
|
|
|
Post by GP40P-2 on Apr 26, 2019 8:33:27 GMT -8
How about Auto Train? They've got some PERFECT domes to do it and it would nicely compliment Atlas GEs. Who knows!? Joshua Actually Walthers is 75% of the way there on the Auto-Train U36Bs. They have an EXCELLENT U28/30B, with the correct early cab (and with the right contours and window sizes), all they would have to do is tool a new long hood for the 33/36. It would be a FAR better model than the Atlas, as Atlas has been resistant to correcting their messed up cab.
|
|
|
Post by rockfan on Apr 26, 2019 9:09:45 GMT -8
I wish they would do more runs of the U28B (and other locos) as I would like a few in RI blue and white!
Unfortunately since Walthers bought them they aren't making the P2K's as often as they used to.
|
|
|
Post by tony on May 1, 2019 16:22:54 GMT -8
I wish they would do more runs of the U28B (and other locos) as I would like a few in RI blue and white! Unfortunately since Walthers bought them they aren't making the P2K's as often as they used to. The next ones will be even more expensive and you can't count on Walthers to get the ROCK BLUE correct. USA and Mexico should build a toy factory along the southern board and help get off the dependency of China for toys, especially, scale model trains. Mexicans are very artistic and could be trained to create models as well as the Chinese. For those living in cardboard houses or living under galvanized metal panels as roofs and no walls, perhaps they could have a brighter future.
|
|
|
Post by chessie77 on May 2, 2019 21:20:01 GMT -8
Walthers also makes the C&O kitchen/dormitory and the movie/diner cars from the B&O Capital Limited. The AT series was 594, 596 and 598 for the movie/diners and 597 and 599 for the kitchen/dormitories.
|
|
|
Post by tony on May 3, 2019 5:58:05 GMT -8
I love Walthers passenger cars without all the lettering and those superior, high quality, decals. The thicker the better. The colors are a perfect match. It's just doesn't get any better.
|
|
|
Post by gevohogger on May 3, 2019 7:05:25 GMT -8
I love Walthers passenger cars without all the lettering and those superior, high quality, decals. The thicker the better. Just a tip: Those Walthers decals will be a lot more durable and won't crumble if you spray them first with about thirty coats of Dullcoat.
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on May 3, 2019 9:20:36 GMT -8
While not a legendary train, I'd like to see Walthers offer some phase 1 and phase 2 heritage passenger cars. They seem to be pushing mostly phase II and IV these days.
|
|