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Post by Rob Albritton on Jun 8, 2024 23:25:27 GMT -5
Just FYI: Hans and I are following this thread with interest. We are looking at some new products with existing tooling, and the possibility of refreshing some of our older tooling, so please keep the ideas flowing. Thanks Rob(a) Good Evening Hans and Rob, Would a "tooling refresh" mean you could update loco molds such as GP 38-2 for a possible release of a GP 40 or 40-2? How about taking the SD 40-2 and making a "straight" SD 40 or SD38 / 38-2? Just brainstorming... Mr. B Was thinking of freight cars, not locos or passenger. The ACF 3 bay is one of our oldest tooled products, and we have never been completely happy with the ends. 4 bays, and the PS2 4750 are interesting candidates. I’m really curious to see what you guys are interested in.
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einot
Engineer
Posts: 178
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Post by einot on Jun 9, 2024 0:53:54 GMT -5
Just FYI: Hans and I are following this thread with interest. We are looking at some new products with existing tooling, and the possibility of refreshing some of our older tooling, so please keep the ideas flowing. Thanks Rob(a) Well it sounds like I need to figure out ways of saving more money 😅 -Eino
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Post by Hans Riddervold (AZL) on Jun 9, 2024 2:54:22 GMT -5
Robert is correct on the hoppers. It will take us some time to figure it out and then there is the lead time at the factory. So it is not going to happen before next year. We have 4 other freight projects in the works. All new tooling. 3 of these still unannounced. So a lot to look forward to. On top of that we are about to release the Airslide Hoppers.
As for the GM locomotive wish list. SD40-2 conversion to SD40 will not happen. And our old GP38-2 mold does not lend itself to a GP40 or GP40-2. We would use brand new tooling if we pursue more modern Geeps.
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Post by mrbarlow on Jun 9, 2024 8:20:49 GMT -5
Good Evening Hans and Rob, Would a "tooling refresh" mean you could update loco molds such as GP 38-2 for a possible release of a GP 40 or 40-2? How about taking the SD 40-2 and making a "straight" SD 40 or SD38 / 38-2? Just brainstorming... Mr. B Was thinking of freight cars, not locos or passenger. The ACF 3 bay is one of our oldest tooled products, and we have never been completely happy with the ends. 4 bays, and the PS2 4750 are interesting candidates. I’m really curious to see what you guys are interested in. Hans / Rob, Understood on Locos. YES on a PS2 - CD '4750 release. I'd be interested in the following paint schemes: ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) - blue BN - green Central Soya - white CNW - green or yellow Erie Lackawanna - grey Erie Western - white GM&O - grey ICG - orange MKT - green Rock Island - grey with big, slanted ROCK ISLAND between ribs Santa Fe - grey with blue letters Santa Fe between ribs Santa Fe - Mineral brown with white letters Santa Fe between ribs SOO Line - white Color mark Thank You, Mr. B
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Post by Scott on Jun 9, 2024 11:33:46 GMT -5
Somewhere I recall reading criticism of the ends of the Z scale ACF covered hoppers. Perhaps it was on this forum. I remember it caused hesitation in my buying decision. No current plan to replace a current fleet of AZLs. Of the four-bay ACF beauties, there could be a generic (spartan or plain jane) line called ubiquitous. ’Cause that’s what those cars are. They are ev’rywhere, present and past. Look at aerial photographs of railroad yards. Big and long, they’re just recognizable. I don’t remember commuting past a railroad yard without passing a line of ACF 5250 cuft four-bay hoppers. After a line of them line went by the window, another line of them appeared several tracks over. They’re generally off-white or gray in my travels on the east coast. Those experiences influenced my conquest for those AZL ACFs, a four-pack, of course. Also, I am not without an AZL four-car set of ACF 4650 cuft three-bay hoppers. For some reason I find the Canadian National of three-bays to be everywhere. While we’re at it, I am not without an AZL four-car set of ACF 4750 cuft PS2-CD covered hoppers. In fact, gots me the two singles in addition to the four-car set for a uniform consist freight train. A photo of Norfolk and Western PS2-CD covered hoppers rounding Helmstetter’s Curve was the inspiration of that AZL six-car purchase. (Photo attached.) Admittedly, I have used Western Maryland coffee grinder F7A/Bs on point as in the photo. Incidentally, Eino, just as Western Maryland and Norfolk and Western shared the tracks in the yards at Hagerstown, your Union Pacific could share the tracks with an adjacent line. I mentioned Frisco. Zdave, Mr. B, and Eino are quite right. Four-bay ACF hoppers must come ’round ’gain. (’Cause they’re ev’rywhere.) Scott PS: Unable to upload a 492K image: “Error: This forum has exceeded its attachment space limit.” No picture. Link: www.flickr.com/photos/railphotoart/31300908815/in/photolist-XCsMw7-TWWGjs-NsyhvF-TK1Ufb-2ghviP-FFvKfM-TipZtz-aa6RRV-4zAj7Z-PFXkFD-TWWy9Q-aa6YFV-dpxYUp-iP62J-93xn4s-9uaQYK-9uaRAn-6js9o3-6pcLUS-4HDFY1-TiqiU2-UhRc7S-UkrNUc-UkrQ1F-9udTms-9uaSqa-UhQVvm-6jnXEa-6k8ELP-TWWLpm-UtkR6L-6js599-6jnXkZ-EfGnaE-TiqaxH-6oXQig-DSDZfF-CeXBob-JQcEEJ-LaR82r-E5k2Mg-JQcx5d-GEv1eG-VTSsfi-otxJ4A-phLrKg-aa9ELL-9udSQd-6pLBNd-2ghviH
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Post by Guba on Jun 9, 2024 17:28:03 GMT -5
AZL could always retool the 4 bay ACF cars...there are several different versions of the ends and the current (past) released models have unvented hatch covers. Vented hatch covers would really be noticed and are pretty much the norm nowadays. There were also 4 different versions of hook ups to unload the cars. AZL's version is the one I hated most because it was difficult to operate.
I've had the opportunity to unload plenty of these cars, so I know what they look like.
Oh but wait! There was an earlier version of the 4 bay ACF car that was rib sided. That would be an entirely new car to the lineup! Even some of those were upgraded with vented hatch covers.
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n2z83
New Member
Posts: 12
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Post by n2z83 on Jun 13, 2024 18:48:07 GMT -5
I’d like to see “patched” PS2CD or any cars really. Also, I would love to see a “primed for grime” (Took that from Athearn) on a few cars. Gives you a non glossy model to weather yourself, but that will probably never happen.
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Post by mrbarlow on Jun 24, 2024 15:41:35 GMT -5
Robert is correct on the hoppers. It will take us some time to figure it out and then there is the lead time at the factory. So it is not going to happen before next year. We have 4 other freight projects in the works. All new tooling. 3 of these still unannounced. So a lot to look forward to. On top of that we are about to release the Airslide Hoppers. As for the GM locomotive wish list. SD40-2 conversion to SD40 will not happen. And our old GP38-2 mold does not lend itself to a GP40 or GP40-2. We would use brand new tooling if we pursue more modern Geeps. Hans / Rob, A good foundation for covered hopper to produce would be these three. They would cover the late 60's into the early 2000's: ACF 3560' 3 Bay (smooth side) center flow: mostly Chems, Ag Commodities and Class 1's had these ACF 4650' 3 Bay (smooth side) center flow: mostly Chems, Ag Commodities and Class 1's had these ACF 5250' 4 bay (smooth side) center flow: Some Class 1's and most Chem's and Refiners had these Thanks, Mr. B
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toml
New Member
Posts: 1
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Post by toml on Aug 1, 2024 15:03:49 GMT -5
Greetings,
I have been looking for tri-level autoracks, I assume they have already been out. Will there be any more runs soon? I'm not too picky about road names, as long as it's not too specific (like Amtrak).
Thanks
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