1. RobertAllbritton

    RobertAllbritton TrainBoard Member

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    A little taste of things to come...

    Enjoy!

    -Rob(A)
    AZL
     

    Attached Files:

  2. zscaler

    zscaler TrainBoard Member

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    Tease!!!!!!!!!
     
  3. Svein-Martin Holt

    Svein-Martin Holt TrainBoard Member

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    Great, looking forward to this engine.
    Will it be prepared for installing DCC? And don't forget the frontlight :). Will light or fibers be installed for the numbersigns? After DCC'ing the Challenger and working with that challenge, it would be nice if BB was prepared for DCC.
     
  4. zscaler

    zscaler TrainBoard Member

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    How did your DCC conversion come out on your Challenger? Any video of it running?
    Sorry to sort of hijack the thread.
     
  5. Z_thek

    Z_thek TrainBoard Member

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    Am I wrong to assume, this will be an injection moulded locomotive with a powerful motor in the tender, and priced just below $400.00?
     
  6. BNSF Dash 9

    BNSF Dash 9 TrainBoard Member

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    I like what he just said. I'd take one in plastic too...
     
  7. DSZ&N

    DSZ&N TrainBoard Member

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    Robs way of saying start saving
     
  8. minzemaennchen

    minzemaennchen TrainBoard Member

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    Plastic yes, brass no...
     
  9. RobertAllbritton

    RobertAllbritton TrainBoard Member

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    We got a bid for the Challenger as an injected project (with the motor in the tender!) but the tooling cost was somewhere in the neighborhood of 4x higher than any other project we have ever done. Even then, the per unit price was well over $400 without any amortization of the tooling. The problem with these big steam locomotives is as much an assembly cost issue as it is a tooling cost issue. We would have cut the MSRP by less than half, and still need to sell thousands of them just to break even. Injection just didn't make sense.

    The good news is we have a new factory working on the Big Boy, so we think the cost will be about the same as our previous steam projects, even though this is a much larger, more complex locomotive than anything we have done before.

    Interestingly, we have gotten quite a few inquires from Non-Z Scale folks about the Big Boy. Seems to have a big fan base regardless of scale.

    Pretty much spot on!

    OK, fine. One more picture for you.

    But then its straight to bed for you, young man, and no more stories! :D:D:D
     

    Attached Files:

  10. Z_thek

    Z_thek TrainBoard Member

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    What about a joint venture with Tenshodo? I bet, a reasonably priced Big Boy could be far the best seller, every serious collector in every scale would buy one.
     
  11. Svein-Martin Holt

    Svein-Martin Holt TrainBoard Member

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    Sorry to continue the hijacking. :)
    I am not 100% ready yet, busy with other projects. Yesterday I reloaded the decoder with the correct sound, så now it sounds like a steamer. The only thing now is to finish the cabling of the frontlight and also figure out how to turn on Aux1 and 2 for the fire. I have taken many pictures, but since I don't know exactly when I can finish it, I have waited to post any pictures. And videos will be made. :) The sound is great!! Specially after I installed the speakers with soundchambers. I have also tried to look at my GS4, but have problems opening the tender. Any ideas? May be a canopener should be the tool? :) The engine is easy to split and the cabling for the frontlights should be easier than in the Challenger, using the boiler for the cables.
     
  12. John Bartolotto

    John Bartolotto TrainBoard Supporter

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    Gents,

    Seems very nice for collectors. Will AZL venture into making the smaller workhorse locos that did the lion's share of RR business during the US steam era?

    John
     
  13. ztrack

    ztrack TrainBoard Supporter Advertiser

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  14. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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  15. John Bartolotto

    John Bartolotto TrainBoard Supporter

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    Rob,

    Nice but I was thinking more like 4-4-2, 2-6-0, 4-6-2, 0-6-0, etc. Shake it up.

    John
     
  16. RobertAllbritton

    RobertAllbritton TrainBoard Member

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    First we crawl, then we walk, then we run...
    ... or at least thats the way I test the engineering samples!

    Lets see how the the Mikado sales do. If they are popular and we can support the investment in the tooling, then I would say that AZL has a very solid record of bringing out new models.
     
  17. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

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    Rob,
    Reminds me of the story about a preacher who was trying to raise money in his church. He said first you had to crawl, then get up and walk and finally you had to run. Then he asked his audience , "do you know what it takes to make a church run?.........it takes money !!!

    An old geezer in the back of the church then yelled out...."Let er crawl preacher, let er crawl"

    Well, you're right, it does take money and if AZL can provide affordable steam that are winners in appearance and operation, then I think the money will continue to come in and the 'next' one can be designed and made. All this to the delight of the Z modeling world.

    At least we hope that is how the story turns out.

    Wishing you complete success in this direction AZL is taking.

    OBTW, you must do a Berkshire for guys like Rob K and me......please? :eek:)
     
  18. John Bartolotto

    John Bartolotto TrainBoard Supporter

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    Loren,

    "OBTW, you must do a Berkshire for guys like Rob K and me......please?"

    You crack me up dude!

    John
     
  19. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

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    John, Rob K and myself may have to start a Berkshire campaign to get this loco done. IMHO, the Berkshire should be in the top three at least.......

    Thinking positive, but realizing the Big Boy and the Mikes come first.
     
  20. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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    It's about time!!!!

    It's about time the rest of us get the option to purchase a fancy steam loco other than Union Pacific or Southern Pacific. Mikados and Berkshires for Santa Fe!!!! If they existed in Z scale, I wouldn't give you Steamer GuyZ such a hard time.

    Convert Me! Convert Me!

    Look! I am jumping up and down!!!!

    Convert Me!!!!!!!!!!

    Maybe I'll put a beautiful Santa Fe Mikado in a tiny park with a micro engineering chain link fence around it!!!!

    -------------------------------------------------------------

    I've already had a call from Jeffrey White this morning, who as some of you know is a HUGE Union Pacific fan. His first sentence wasn't the usual "Hey Dude!" or "How's It Going!" no, it went straight to talking about the new Big Boy announcement!!!! Yep, he is so Union PacificiZed!!!!! If he had it his way, and those of you who know him know this is true, if he had it his way, he'd purchase every Big Boy AZL makes!!!! Food for thought!!! Beware of Jeffrey White!!!!!! He just might do it!!!! :tb-biggrin:
    After all, he is the only Z scaler I know who has DD35A and B's on the brain!!!!!! You can ask and beg all you want but I know for a fact he is posting no photos!!!!! At least not till the Peachtree Express rolls around in July of 2013!!

    [​IMG]

    Anyways, I look forward to the Mikado Releases. As far as the Big Boy's, I will you all fight it out to see who gets one and who doesn't, from Jeffrey!!!!! Hah hah ha!!!!!

    Hobo Tim
     

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