I'd like to list the products I wold like to see the manufacturers come out with in N Scale,feel free to add to the list.For locomotives,I would like to see the MP15AC.SW1500,an SD40-2 I know Inter Mountain has the SD40-2W,more steam for the steam fans,GP38-2,GP39-2.For freight cars a tri level enclosed auto rack like the bi level enclosed auto rack that Red Caboose makes,a 60' bulkhead flat,more bay window caboose styles,for tack side and signals,more searchlight signals,I know BLMA has some coming,high level operating switch stands,like the ones the Milwaukee Road,Rock Island and other railroads had,operating grade crossing signals with and without gates in all the configurations.I would like to see more birds available like the bald eagle,and more bridges like the swing truss drawbridge at Sabula,Iowa and the one at Clinton,Iowa and other types.More N Scale decals would be nice.That's my list.
I want an SD45 in NP, as well as a U-boat in NP. I would also like a GP9 (low hood) in SCXY, and a full consist of NP heavyweight passenger cars in NP's butterknife scheme. Throw in a 44-ton switcher in NP, and all is right with the world
Nothing. I don't want anything more produced. That way I won't feel bad that I don't have it. Ok, on a serious note: Unitrack - single and double crossovers based on #6 turnouts Unitrack - inside parallel track for their 28" curves Unitrack - solid pre-wired track / terminal rail joiners - without plugs Unitrak - narrower plugs on the #6 turnout wires so they will slip down holes more easily Unitrak - re-railers that I can drop in place like the ones I had for my Atlas snap track Draw-bars for Atlas ore cars with easy conversion Undec two bay smooth side PS2 covered hoppers in white and in black. Red and blue would be great as well. An inexpensive decal printer Advertising that included accurate historical data as to when a given product was in use by the the railroads The winning lottery number Red twisted widgets with white stripes Sound effect "cards" that could be loaded with MP3 files, placed in various structures and remotely controlled or sensor activated. In particular I want one for a flood loader. Inexpensive train sensors Display case system where a train rests on a removable "shelf" that can be dropped into a pre-made "slot" on your layout. Reach up Take down desired train Place it in "slot" Open the end Let her roll There is more but that will do for now.
What happened to making what you want instead of waiting for some company to make it for you. Many of the items listed above can be kitbashed from models already in production. You would probably value them more than a RTR model too.
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Georgia, Verdana]retsignalmtr[/FONT] - Um, Was your question rhetorical? I would counter with "Why spend 10s of hours for a mediocre model?" which would be the results if / when I tried to kitbash anything. I'm sure you feel that scratch building / kit bashing is wonderful for those who can. I agree. The key phrase is "those who can". In my youth I did a small amount of it. Today? If I can buy it off the self I will.
retsignalmtr I would love to be able to do the kitbashing thing. But prior life experiences has left me with damaged hands that can not grasp and hold very well on many days. I would like to have things that I can not make myself. So I guess by your account, you cut the ties and lay and spike the rail in by hand with fishplates and everything. As you say "What happened to making what you want instead of waiting for some company to make it for you" so that should encompass every phase of your model railroad. It must be nice to not need any manufacturer at all. I commend you for your efforts. I do not mind being considered a second-class modeler, I still have loads of fun, and that is the point. My list: ALco S2's 3's and 4's that are DCC easy ATSF Pacifics with the correct oil tenders ATSF Mikados with the correct oil tenders Kato to run more NW-2 releases Just more cars in larger releases. Like 12 numbers at a time if possible. And lots more tank cars...... And in locomotives, it is about time they all came with the DC/DCC lightboard with all of the lights working, so there would be ditch lights, marker lights etc all prewired to DC and DCC.
Ummmmmmm, isn't the GP 38-2 and the SD 40-2 already being made? Yes they are! Or are you looking for a specific version of these locos?
All I have to say to mfg's are 4 locos that I think they could make a home run with. CF-7 Baldwin AS-616 Alco C-415 And last but certainly by no means least, ATLAS are you listening? .......................................................... a EMD GP-7/9 chop nose!
The N Scale want list is very long indeed.I would like to see: SW1500 Alco switchers Gensets CF7 (rtr) 1980/90 era flat bed delivery trucks,cars,reefer delivery trucks. Modern concrete "box" industry buildings as kits or just the walls. Less IPD boxcars.
I get what retsignalmtr is saying, as I'm an advocate of it too. Put the modeling back in model railroading. That's not to say items shouldn't be available, but this is a hobby that started out as with real craftsmen that built whatever they needed. That being said, I think we need more detail parts readily available. - Gong bells (CNW style) - Rotating beacons - Intertial Air Filter panels (so I can finally do a correct CFNR GP15) - plows - horns
I would like a large variety of steam locomotive parts for kit bashing. Things like different pilots, smoke box covers, sand and steam domes, smoke stacks, cabs, compressors, feed water pumps etc. Each steam locomotive was unique, not just between railroads but within any given railroad's stable.
To make it work for #6 would mean using a non-standard curve size (Kato measures in units of 15 degrees). Probably not going to happen, the 19" and 28" curves are sized for the turnouts, which in turn are sized to bridge the track spacing. The regular curves are based on regular intervals of 33mm to maintain side by side spacing. The 28" curve is 7mm off what it should be to fit into the pattern. The 19" curve is only 1mm off, so a 16" (already exists with the double track) and 17" curve might appear. You can make your own from unijoiners and wire without soldering. Not going to happen, Kato's been using the same RC power connector since forever. Even the Kato/Digitrax controller (Kato branded Zephyr) had them on the back in place of screw terminals. I may not be familiar with the Atlas one to understand what you are looking for - what is the difference between what you want and the Kato blue ramp thing? With or without the ability to print white (decals being clear unless you want to hand cut a white backed decal). Yes. This is a big barrier for new modelers. Already exist as an inexpensive chipset embedded into products like record your own greeting cards and sound effect keyfobs. The real challenge would be digitially transfering the sound files - all of these use a custom serial connection of one sort or other to load the data at the factory. On the other hand ThinkGeek and similar geek toy websites might carry one with the correct connection software. If you are talking about block detection, then count me in. There is a company who makes this, minus an exact "slot" to drop the case into. They're basically really long cases with track and ends that can be opened for roll in/out.
SD40-2, with many more roadnames than have been made before. ICE, SOO, CEFX, IC(deathstar), WS, etc. 4-8-4's, at least a FEF, but better yet a DL&W. Amtrak boxcars(some were second hand SP's) Chicago bilevels, both stainless steal and 4 window smooth-side. Horizon cars.
More kits, shells, and power mechanisms in N scale so that I can kitbash the projects I want so I can run them before I die.
I do use flex track and manufactured switches. I do purchase RTR equipment because it is there in the road name and model I want. But there are many things I would like to see that are never going to be made in N. So if I would like it enough I will kitbash or scratch build. I am currently kitbashing some electric mu passenger cars that will never be made and would cost more than I would want to pay for them if they were. I have carpal tunnel syndrom in my hands as well as arthritis in my hands and knees that I aquired from my work. I cannot take painkillers so I have to work through it. I'm also building my own signal system because the available ones don't do what I want them to do. The original poster didn't say he couldn't build from scratch or kitbash. My original answer was not meant for people who couldn't either.
I would like the elves at the North Pole to make me some extra cash for buying many of these goodies. That would be a big help! Boxcab E50
