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Post by bigblow69 on Apr 2, 2014 18:13:26 GMT -8
True true true! LOL But cars have made their move from square, straight lines in the 70's-early 2000's (30 years!) to the round, streamlined with HUGE headlights and Rims today. The trains have gone the opposite direction from Round & streamlined to the square, straight lines and simple look but I have come to really like the new look of the engines. I will be the first to admit that I was turned off by the look of the SD70M-2 when I first saw it in 2004/05. I remember posting a reply that I was not too sure if it would grow on me and I really did not like it. But as they started to appear everywhere on the web I started to really like the look of the square nose, windows and cab. It was a big design change from the BEAUTIFUL SD60M & SD70M cabs and even the Phase II SD70M cabs. 10 years after seeing the SD70M-2/ACE for the first time it has shot up to one of my most favorite locomotives ever, it is tied #1 only with the Phase II SD70M. The SD70ACe brought in the brand new design unlike the ES44AC which was basically the same look as the Dash 8, Dash 9, AC6000CW and the AC4400CW. We have seen those faces since like 1990!! That is 24yrs now. The new face design of the SD70ACe was only featured quickly on a failed locomotive, a PHASE II or H2 series SD90MAC in 1997/98 and never had many engines to make a presence in the world, but the SD70ACE (the replacement to the SD70M) there are thousands of them that arrived on the rails in force in 2003/04. A brand new look to most of us model railroaders/railfans. I LOVE the gorgeous SD70ACe/M-2 way more than the ES44AC!! The ES44AC ONLY looks good in UP yellow and gray otherwise it is simply a AC4400CW with a bigger radiator. BORING!  LONG LIVE THE SD70ACe!! I really WONDER now what their next generation engine will look like whenever they release it in the future. I wonder if it will be something like a SD79ACe and have a total different look or will it look like the basic SD70ACe with a few changes? Hmmmm.... time will tell.
This ugly thing is supposedly GE's Tier 4 locomotive, the next thing to hit the rails from them:
That will NEVER make its way on my roster. No more horn over the engine compartment. If you watch the below video he calls it a beautiful locomotive. that radiator has a steeper pitch on it than the roof of my house! |
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Post by bigblow69 on Apr 2, 2014 18:41:42 GMT -8
This is how all MODEL trains should sound!
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Post by wmcbride on Apr 2, 2014 19:35:50 GMT -8
True true true! LOL But cars have made their move from square, straight lines in the 70's-early 2000's (30 years!) to the round, streamlined with HUGE headlights and Rims today. The trains have gone the opposite direction from Round & streamlined to the square, straight lines and simple look but I have come to really like the new look of the engines. I will be the first to admit that I was turned off by the look of the SD70M-2 when I first saw it in 2004/05. I remember posting a reply that I was not too sure if it would grow on me and I really did not like it. But as they started to appear everywhere on the web I started to really like the look of the square nose, windows and cab. It was a big design change from the BEAUTIFUL SD60M & SD70M cabs and even the Phase II SD70M cabs. 10 years after seeing the SD70M-2/ACE for the first time it has shot up to one of my most favorite locomotives ever, it is tied #1 only with the Phase II SD70M. The SD70ACe brought in the brand new design unlike the ES44AC which was basically the same look as the Dash 8, Dash 9, AC6000CW and the AC4400CW. We have seen those faces since like 1990!! That is 24yrs now. The new face design of the SD70ACe was only featured quickly on a failed locomotive, a PHASE II or H2 series SD90MAC in 1997/98 and never had many engines to make a presence in the world, but the SD70ACE (the replacement to the SD70M) there are thousands of them that arrived on the rails in force in 2003/04. A brand new look to most of us model railroaders/railfans. I LOVE the gorgeous SD70ACe/M-2 way more than the ES44AC!! The ES44AC ONLY looks good in UP yellow and gray otherwise it is simply a AC4400CW with a bigger radiator. BORING! LONG LIVE THE SD70ACe!! I really WONDER now what their next generation engine will look like whenever they release it in the future. I wonder if it will be something like a SD79ACe and have a total different look or will it look like the basic SD70ACe with a few changes? Hmmmm.... time will tell.
This ugly thing is supposedly GE's Tier 4 locomotive, the next thing to hit the rails from them:
Ha! I kind of like that Tier 4 thing. The rear radiators are interesting. However, I also like Alcos! In terms of beauty I am really partial to E units and F's. I would buy one of these Tier 4 engines. Bill McBride |
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Post by mlehman on Apr 2, 2014 22:57:14 GMT -8
that radiator has a steeper pitch on it than the roof of my house! It could use a set of gutters or it'll be dumping rain on the head of anyone using the walkways in a downpour...come to think of it, give the darn thing a nice overhang, maybe even wider than like over the radiators, the whole length of the rear hood and -- unless the wind is blowing -- you could get to the rear porch of the unit while staying dry, but then you'd have to use your umbrella  Then it would be sort of an odd 21st century cab unit, with the walkways outside a little like on the UP Veranda turbines. I tend to agree that Alcos were better looking locos than EMD, except for the GP30 and the Tunnel Motors.  |
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Post by dti406 on Apr 3, 2014 3:56:20 GMT -8
We could go back, or have we to the Baldwin Brick on a Flatcar Look, which I love by the way!
Rick J
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Post by Gary P on Apr 3, 2014 5:41:21 GMT -8
Well even more are going to be pumping out:
-Overland Models has yet to release theirs -Intermountain is releasing a second run of their ES44ACs in NS heritage scheme -Intermountain is releasing fantasy ES44ACs painted like the NS heritage SD70ACes -Bachmann hasn't released all of theirs yet -BLI is going to release NS heritage ES44ACs
Last but not least, NS is replacing the antennas for all of the heritage units and several manufacturers have expressed interest or intent to replace them and do another run.
So we will be swimming in NS heritage units by the end of 2015 if not sooner!
Imagine the diverse range of motive power we'd have available if just half that capital, effort, and marketing went into producing something different than what everyone else is doing. These Heritage units are getting to be like F units -- everyone's got one. Keep imagining, as I doubt the race towards me-twoism will be over anytime soon. Mike - Agreed, but maybe, just maybe, the buying public has voted with enough of their dollars to indicate to the manufacturers that more Heritage units will continue to sell? I like the Heritage schemes. |
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Post by Gary P on Apr 3, 2014 5:45:31 GMT -8
True for railroads. But as a modeler what makes you want to buy something?[/quote] Good point. Some of us just like the way it looks, and not the real world performance aspects of it. |
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Post by bigblow69 on Apr 3, 2014 6:56:08 GMT -8
I know there are engineers that prefer one or the other based on real world performance(pulling power, acceleration etc) and I have a friend that works for the BNSF out of Gillette WY and used to joke with all the time about GE's. But we as modelers are totally different animals. We like stuff based on looks, but some areas are similar like pulling performance, ease of maintenance etc.
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Post by alcoc430 on Apr 3, 2014 7:34:44 GMT -8
While I do like the look of todays GE and EMD lokies. Fortunately, for my wallet my train era ended with the death of Conrail. 1976-1999
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Post by sd80mac on Apr 3, 2014 7:35:24 GMT -8
In real life, I will take an isolated cab SD70ACe ANY DAY over a Gevo. Not that Gevos aren't nice, but the SD70's are just that much nicer (sooooo quiet). The newest units coming from EMD are far and away some of the best engines they've built since the SD40-2s. Even as a modeler, I prefer the utilitarian looks of the SD70ACe vs. the Gevos which really haven't changed that much since the Dash 8 *yawn*.
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Post by wmcbride on Apr 3, 2014 11:29:15 GMT -8
In real life, I will take an isolated cab SD70ACe ANY DAY over a Gevo. Not that Gevos aren't nice, but the SD70's are just that much nicer (sooooo quiet). The newest units coming from EMD are far and away some of the best engines they've built since the SD40-2s. Even as a modeler, I prefer the utilitarian looks of the SD70ACe vs. the Gevos which really haven't changed that much since the Dash 8 *yawn*. I agree that the GEVOs are pretty much more of the same in terms of looks. I really like the looks of the SD70ACe's; they are just a bit more brutish. I especially like the front compared to the seemingly bland GEVO snout. Bill McBride |
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Post by jlwii2000 on Apr 3, 2014 17:24:47 GMT -8
By the way, what is the lowest price you've seen on Bachmann SD70ACEs and ES44ACs? I see no lower than 159.99.
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