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Post by ztrack on Aug 17, 2023 7:19:54 GMT -5
AMERICAN Z LINE August 2023 New Releases Part 2 EMD E8s – UNION PACIFIC Since AZL has released the City of Los Angeles passenger sets, the question has been when will we have locos to pull this trains? The time is now! We have singles and A&B sets available.  62600-5S UP EMD E8A & E8B 938 & 938B Set 62600-6S UP EMD E8A & E8B 939 & 939B Set 62600-7S UP EMD E8A & E8B 942 & 942B Set  62600-5 UP EMD E8A 938 62600-6 UP EMD E8A 939 62600-7 UP EMD E8A 942  62640-1 UP EMD E8B 953B 62640-2 UP EMD E8B 963B 62640-5 UP EMD E8B 940B 62640-6 UP EMD E8B 945B The EMD E8s feature AZL’s 7mm motor, dual flywheels, metal steps, directional controlled LED lighting, optional front truck with mounted coupler, blackened metal wheels, AutoLatch couplers and they come DCC ready. Both the A and Bs are powered. HEAVYWEIGHT COMBINE COACHES – SOUTHERN PACIFIC For August, we have Southern Pacific combines, in two versions. The first is the Daylight version with three-axle heavy-weight trucks. The other version is the more common Pullman green version, with two-axle lightweight trucks.  74004-1 Southern Pacific Heavyweight Combine 3177 - Daylight 3 axle  74004-2 Southern Pacific Heavyweight Combine 3176 2 axle 74004-3 Southern Pacific Heavyweight Combine 3178 2 axle 74004-4 Southern Pacific Heavyweight Combine 3179 2 axle Orders now can be placed on AZL Direct: azldirect.comRob Kluz Ztrack Distribution |
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Post by cwrr on Aug 17, 2023 9:33:17 GMT -5
Beautiful E-units!!  |
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Post by fulingyu on Aug 17, 2023 15:03:41 GMT -5
Finally B units are available separately. Now on to A-B-B and even A-B-B-B rather than just A-B or A-B-B-A.
Hopefully this trend will continue. Hint. Hint.
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Post by Scott on Aug 29, 2023 9:26:37 GMT -5
Three different retail prices for the E8.
UP E8 costs 37-percent more than a PRR E8. Both are August 2023 releases.
I wonder why this is.
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Post by cwrr on Aug 29, 2023 22:18:05 GMT -5
Might be the paint costs, more pad printing, or even the royalties to Union Pacific for using they're likeness?
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Post by zscalehobo on Aug 29, 2023 23:53:30 GMT -5
Per Rob K answering me for the same question
"This is the 2023 run of E8s. It matches the (pricing of the) PAs. The PRR and other E8s are from the previous run."
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2023 10:20:50 GMT -5
So, on the 2 axle heavyweights, do the stairs move with the trucks or are they attached to the body?
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Post by Scott on Aug 30, 2023 11:10:16 GMT -5
Per Rob K answering me for the same question "This is the 2023 run of E8s. It matches the (pricing of the) PAs. The PRR and other E8s are from the previous run." Thank you, Frank. Appreciated. However, per your quoting Rob K, I say: No. As of this writing, only the 2023 UP E8 matches the pricing of the PAs. The 2023 PRR E8 and these other 2022/2023 E8s: VIA, KCS, B&O, and C&O are not from the previous run. Looking forward to learning the rationale. Appreciatively, Scott |
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Post by Curn on Aug 30, 2023 12:56:16 GMT -5
That Pennsylvania scheme is vastly easier to paint than the others. It needs no undercoat to prevent light bleed. It is one coat of paint and then some straight forward pad printing in one color - gold. The MTL F7s are the same way where the price difference between the Pennsylvania and UP version is $20.
Alot of other AZL manufacturing is done in batch form, where the factory makes all the units at the same time in multiple paint schemes and they are all priced the same per unit. So you see no price variability between paint schemes. But for these E8s which are done as individual re-runs, they are likely costed based on the complexity to produce individual units.
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Post by cwrr on Aug 30, 2023 13:19:10 GMT -5
So, on the 2 axle heavyweights, do the stairs move with the trucks or are they attached to the body? Looks like they're attached to the body, some of the pics show the trucks turned, but the stairs are in the same position. |
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Post by Scott on Aug 30, 2023 14:08:37 GMT -5
That Pennsylvania scheme is vastly easier to paint than the others. It needs no undercoat to prevent light bleed. It is one coat of paint and then some straight forward pad printing in one color - gold. The MTL F7s are the same way where the price difference between the Pennsylvania and UP version is $20. Alot of other AZL manufacturing is done in batch form, where the factory makes all the units at the same time in multiple paint schemes and they are all priced the same per unit. So you see no price variability between paint schemes. But for these E8s which are done as individual re-runs, they are likely costed based on the complexity to produce individual units. Much appreciation. I see. Individual production vs. batch production. Other variables. Scott |
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Post by Curn on Aug 30, 2023 15:07:53 GMT -5
There are two videos I have seen that show the factory painting processes. The Micro-Trains factory tour and the Rapido factory tour. Both show what is involved with creating a final painted model. When you look at the UP paint scheme, think of all the paint masks, likely individual masks for each color on each side of the shell, and painting steps are needed to create that. Think of all the red pinstriping lines that are likely all individual pad printing setups for every side of the body. It is alot of extra steps to go through. Then the Pennsylvania shell is one color, masks for the silver grills, and probably just a handful of pad printing steps, mostly with the same color except the number boards, PRR herald, and EMD builder plates.
I remember a long while ago, MTL made a Pan-Am box car, and they mentioned that the white logo on blue paint took 3 separate pad printings to build the white layer up enough that the blue undercoat didn't show through. So there are also some variables like that at play.
I'm not sure if AZLs factory is using any direct to object printers, which are giant inkjet printers that can print paints on any 3d object. Some of their micro-printing seems to be too fine to be pad printing. Even the little EMD builder plate is at least 3 colors. I have no clue if this is 3 different pad imprints or a single pass on printer.
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Post by zscalehobo on Aug 30, 2023 15:58:20 GMT -5
Per Rob K answering me for the same question "This is the 2023 run of E8s. It matches the (pricing of the) PAs. The PRR and other E8s are from the previous run." Thank you, Frank. Appreciated. However, per your quoting Rob K, I say: No. As of this writing, only the 2023 UP E8 matches the pricing of the PAs. The 2023 PRR E8 and these other 2022/2023 E8s: VIA, KCS, B&O, and C&O are not from the previous run. Looking forward to learning the rationale. Appreciatively, Scott ... ONLY the UP E8 was announced as a "re-run" per Rob A in a post I cannot recall during the COLA announcement. Re-run, as Curn says, is a small batch special run (nee "2023 run"), lower quantities, higher cost per unit. And I'm very certain that the roads listed are from a previous run - no matter release date as AZL releases via "trickle" method as opposed to Intermountain shotgun blast method. |
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Post by Rob Albritton on Aug 30, 2023 17:36:02 GMT -5
Looking forward to learning the rationale. Depends on when they were made. The latest PRR release was from the previous production run that was done about 18 months ago. The new UP release is from the current production run. Our prices are a direct percentage of our manufacturing cost. We all know how inflation has hit in the last 18 months. Unfortunately, we're no different than anyone else. |
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Post by Rob Albritton on Aug 30, 2023 17:41:51 GMT -5
I'm not sure if AZLs factory is using any direct to object printers, which are giant inkjet printers that can print paints on any 3d object. Some of their micro-printing seems to be too fine to be pad printing. Even the little EMD builder plate is at least 3 colors. I have no clue if this is 3 different pad imprints or a single pass on printer. All pad printing on our products. This is where the difference between manufacturers really shows. Pad printing quality is highly dependent on the operator running the setup for the pad printer. It's done by experience, sight, and feel. Similar things can be said for paint mask production and application. We go with factories that have highly experienced workers in the paint and decoration departments because there is no room for error in Z scale. |
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