Well work stalled on my model of BC Rail 2860 about a year ago. I thought I might get back to it tonight but that didn't happen, so I thought I would bring it up... again. Would a quality manufacturer please release an N scale H-1-E? Puddington, since you are now at Rapido, and I know you want one too, perhaps this could be the first N scale locomotive offering? Thanks, Craig
I agree, Craig The request to me just seems not that hard to fulfill. First, there are three decent mainframes to start with. The ConCor RailBarron Hudson, the older and better ConCor Kato Hudson, and requiring more work the JNR Kato Hudson. I have seen many photos of this grand loco over the years, and it strikes me that not one aftermarket resin maker has seen fit to make a Royal Hudson shell and tender shell. Heck, if one were made available, you can count on me acquiring one myself. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
I need not say "Me too".... everyone knows I'd be lining up for such an animal. I do not think Rapido would be a leading candidate for such a project as we are focused on diesels and steam isn't high on Jason's list of priorities. Now, why no one has brought one out.... ? Beats me; iconic, long lived, multiple liveries and time periods.... seems to fit a wide range of targets but to date, no one has bitten... It is possible that the fact that there are no commercial passenger cars to go behind it is one of the reasons. Short of being a CPR nut like me and putting 100's of hours into Geoff Gooderham's awesome resin shells of CPR cars, the modeller has no real CPR options. So; if you are a company looking to do a consist "al la Rapido's HO "Canadian" or Kato's N scale "Broadway" etc.... here's what you have to tool at the minimum..... Hudson LW or HW baggage LW or HW RPO LW 2200 series coaches (unless you want to really go retro and so a single window HW coach) HW dining car Tourist sleepers (13, 14 section HW) "Glen" series 10 compartment HW sleeper "R" series 8-1-2 HW sleeper "Cape" series HW solarium/lounge/sleeper ... and you could as a ex silk car express baggage, other sleepers etc.... It's a daunting consist; especially the HW cars - ask Micro Trains.... If you wanted to do the BCR Royal Hudson you either go partially foobie (like the beautiful Rapido BC Rails cars we did a few years ago) or you have to tool up some 2200's, LW baggage and a silk car.... As you can see; it's a huge project; and the resulting MSRP on a full consist would give sticker shock to many..... Without having done one oz of research I'd wager way over $ 600.00 for even an 8 car set and locomotive; and that's not DCC and sound..... That's not a price point many could accept.... Soooooooooooooo..... if you're going to commit to a Royal Hudson, you either have to "roll the dice" on offering an "orphan" locomotive or "shoot the moon" on a full out consist and risk the market balking at the MSRP..... I'm just guessing; I haven't discussed this with anyone in the industry but I wouldn't be surprised if many have taken a good, long look at this project and stopped short because of the risk involved..... Just my guess gang ! Now, would someone please bring out the Royal Hudson please !
I did buy a DelPrado but the quality is wayyyyyyyy below what I want. It's a toy. I don't have any use for one, but I'll take a Jubilee... and heck, a Selkirk as well. Pudd, I have a consist of Gooderham 2200's painted and ready to go. The Rapido cars were basically correct (except for a window) for the later BC Rail consist. I think people would buy it even without the accurate consist. She is such a gem. Plus she pulled freight in the end of her career as well. So get to it already! Haha. Craig
Of course it is. But like the N scale locomotives of old, the question is do you want it bad enough to want to make the effort to fix its shortcomings?
I've gone beyond that and started scrtch building my own. I started with a Model Power 4-6-2, (the Concor is way too long). The drivers and wheel base are perfect. The front truck is a foot too long and spaced about a foot too far in front of the drivers but all and all it looks great (wrong valve gear too but I'm not into changing that). I've also fit a Miniatures by Eric pilot and traling truck on it so the chaissis is basically done. The next part is to grind down the MP boiler so I can slide a new brass tube boiler over top of it. Oh I've also built a rolling tender chasis built around a LokSound decoder and oval speaker. It needs a body and a draw bar to the loco. I work very slowly (the project has been in the works since I started collecting parts for it about 10 years ago and I stalled on the current stage about a year ago. I want to get back at it now. The hardest part will be turning a nice looking smoke box front and making a cab. I'm really wishing I could just buy the loco. I work so slowly, certainly someone will make one before I finish. It will happen just as I finish, then I will have one that took me hundreds of hours and one that looks good! Craig
Or alternatively, no one will produce it and you'll spend all your time waiting rather than perfecting your model. As someone who started the classic RS-18 kitbashing project before True-Line trains produced their's, I know the "If I had just waited a little longer." feeling. However, there was no way of knowing that when I started and I also know that it's better to have two locomotives than none in addition to learning and perfecting new skills that come with a kitbashing project. So, do you want a Royal Hudson badly enough that you would risk having two of them, or do you want to buy one bad enough that you want to risk having none?
Somebody already modeled at least one... If you really want one, it's probably easiest to kitbash. I think PWRS did a special set of the cars at some point. I have an old F-unit painted for CP 4065 which is the one the WCRA was running with the Royal Hudson. I'd actually be more interested in RS-18s that have the correct low nose, windshield arrangement for modeling PGE RS18s. I suppose it's only a matter of time before Briggs models does an RS18 conversion shell, but for the Royal Hudson, it's pretty much a craftsman modellers project.
PGE No2, that is great logic. I will soldier on for sure. This is my all time favorite loco. The one you pictured there is a Concor conversion. It gets you close, but not as close as I want. When I was rambling about this last year someone posted a model they had made of a completely custom built brass Royal Hudson. It was a total work of art. As for the RS18s, I agree. I chop nosed a TLT model to make a CRS20 for my dinner train and it turned out nice, or... it will be once it's painted, but for my actual modeling era I could use a couple of straight up chop nose RS18s. I see them coming in my crystal ball a lot more clearly than I do a Royal Hudson. I think since my Dinner Train is almost complete, I'll make 2860 my winter project. Craig
Just an additional point to consider when working on your Royal Hudson. Nowadays, most manufacturers are willing to sell parts. So even if you are disappointed with the results you are getting and someone does offer it for sale, you can probably buy a shell and the parts you need to "upgrade" your project.
On the topic of shells, it also occurs to me that you could design a proper shell and submit it to Shapeways, if you have the talent for doing that. For myself, I have two shells that are supposed to represent Milwaukee Road 261 (someday) designed to fit on a Con-cor 4-8-4. They are custom resin castings, but it's an idea of what you could also do on Shapeways to get a Royal Hudson shell, and then find a proper chassis. Although, it's then up to the individual craftsman as to what is close enough to prototype.
DrMB, good point. PGENo2, I've thought about this but I have no skill with computer drafting, and I have a few FUD models from Shapeways and I don't think the surface is as smooth as I would like. My boiler will be made of brass tube which will make for a very smooth paint job. That being said, perhaps Shapeways would be a good way to get a cab done. Craig
That may well be something someone could convince the West Coast Railway Association to sponsor, as long as the Royal Hudson is sitting in their roundhouse and not doing anything.
