Model Railroading > Overlooked 'popular' HO prototypes?

How many manufacturers have mass-produced HO F7's over the years? Maybe a score? How about PS-1 boxcars? It seems that some prototypes have been continually rehashed, presumably because there is that much demand. One wonders… But what about the 'popular' prototypes that have evaded plastic?

I'll start with diesels, because I judge that in this area of the manufacturers' most glaring oversight: the EMC SC/SW. A total of 119 (far more than the higher-HP NC/NW) of these pre war, Winton-engined switchers were produced for about 30 railroads, including many of the most 'popular' roads: EJ&E, Reading, CB&Q, LV, CNJ, MP, NYC, B&M, AT&SF and CGW all bought several SC's or SW's. Even diesel holdout Pennsy bought an SW, its first diesel, I believe. Interestingly, Rock Island bought 29 SW's for pioneer dieselization of branch lines. The locos were popular private industry switchers, as well, and the list of repaints and second owners is large. With interchangeable frames, both SC and SW versions could be accommodated. They're perfect for transition-era modelers and their differences make them stand out from later, 567-powered switchers.

Another example is how manufacturers have overlooked old brass engines that were produced in large quantities, because they sold so well. PFM produced HO D&SL 2-6-6-0's and Sierra 2-6-6-2's for decades, because people could not get enough of them. The 2-6-6-0's were perfect for modelers who liked heavy steam, but whose layouts had tight curves. I've had one for 40 years and still love it. The Sierra Malley was even more popular, because it appealed to more modeling segments: heavy steam, short lines, logging. Everyone, it seems, had a PFM AT&SF 2-8-0 at one time or another.

A road-specific example is Southern Pacific steam (beyond cab forwards and GS-4's). For those of you who don't follow eBay, brass SP steam sells for a premium (in some cases a HUGE premium, if you're talking 2-8-0's) in the used market, over comparable quality models of other large prototype railroads. Any common SP steam class from the transition era is nearly a sure bet in plastic, IMHO, especially a 2-8-0. Those Athearn 4-8-2's surely have been a hit. This is a fairly recent phenomenon. Apparently a significant number of very affluent SP fans have lately joined our ranks.

So what other 'obvious' candidates have manufacturers overlooked? Locos, rolling stock, other? Please don't make this your personal wish list. I'd love to see somebody do a Camas Prairie swing bridge in HO plastic, but that just ain't gonna happen.

EO

 

My perpetual request is for the "slab sided"ACF ballast cars acquired by several roads in the 1930's.  UP had several thousand, also used by CB&Q, CNW, and others.  Some of these were "kit" cars where the RR bought the components from ACF but assembled them in their own shops.  On UP these little 34-foot 50-ton cars were in classes HK-50-3 and HK-50-4.  They hauled ballast, company coal, sugar beets, etc into the early 80's.  An HO scale model was done by Challenger Imports in brass and a tool maker once told me that they had cut dies for a plastic version, but obviously nothing came from that project.  I still keep hoping every year to see an announcement for one in HO plastic.

Gary B.
Waverly, NE

Nice call, Gary! Another car along those lines might be a vintage side-dump gondola along the lines of (& hopefully more accurate than) the metal kit once offered by Model Engineering Works, which is an expensive buy, with lots of bidders on eBay. They were very common. Walther's gon is too modern for the majority of model layouts.

EO
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/23/16 11:36 by hogheaded.

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How about a Harriman 2-8-0; UnPac, SouPac, C&A,, IC, etc. And, make sure that they have 57" drivers. wag216 (and make it quick, I am over 80 years old!)_  wag216



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/23/16 12:21 by wag216.

OOOOHHH, a UP (or UP/SP) 2-8-0!  Oh heck yes!

Another suggestion would be a BLI quality CB&Q 4-8-4 or even a Burlington 4-6-4

Gary B.
Waverly, NE

binder001 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OOOOHHH, a UP (or UP/SP) 2-8-0!  Oh heck yes!

How about Harriman Standard 2-6-0 and 4-6-0 along with the 2-8-0.  Cab, tender and detail parts could be the same.  Differences would be boiler and frame length.
Roundhouse was on the right track 40 years ago - but those kits are pretty rough by modern standards.  I would welcome modernized versions of them (although I prefer the 10,000 gallon tender to the 7,000 one Roundhouse did).

wag216 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How about a Harriman 2-8-0; UnPac, SouPac, C&A,,
> IC, etc. And, make sure that they have 57"
> drivers. wag216 (and make it quick, I am over 80
> years old!)_  wag216

Yeah. Roundhouse's Harriman engines were/are a disappointment. I've decided not to wait for something better, so I have a junker RH Harriman 2-8-0 in the mail from eBay right now. I intend to plop the boiler (after modifying that goofy firebox) and valve chest on a Bachmann 2-8-0 mechanism from the parts box. Unfortunately the Bachmann has 60" drivers, but it'll be "close-enough" for an engine intended for operation. Also, I can think of no better way to telepathically induce a manufacturer to announce one three days after I finish.

The Harriman 2-8-0 ought to be at, or near the top of the list, as far as I'm concerned. With all of the strictly SP or UP steamers plastic steamers out there, a cross-cultural one should have a sizable potential market. It's a natural for Bachmann, since they already have produced credible SP and UP Vanderbilt tenders.

Hang in there, Art! I'm fully expecting the "wash your car and it rains" syndrome to kick-in any day, now.

EO

One factor I'm guessing manufacturers consider first and formost is "will they sell well".  If there is a vocal minority who models 100 B.C., it may not be a good candidate when manufactures find that diesel era sells best.  Or whatever.  We all have our neglected prototype but are there enough customers to purchase those glory day era models.  If so, they may be good candidates.

Cheers, Jim Fitch



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/16 05:01 by SPDRGWfan.

I'll admit I'm biased as being a huge D&SL/D&RGW fan.  However, I can't understand why, when D&RGW Standard Gauge brass steam locos seem to sell well and fast on Ebay, none of the modern hybrid manufacturers (BLI, Precision, MTH, Life Like Proto 2K, etc) want to touch the D&RGW SG steam locos?  Like was said previously, the D&SL 2-6-6-0 should be universally appealing, even today, for the increasing crowd of modelers who can't or won't build big mega layouts.

Further, many of the D&RGW SG steamers were shared designs with other somewhat less popular midwestern or western roads.  For example, their 1800 series 4-8-4's were similar in design to MP 4-8-4's possibly others.  The 1700 series 4-8-4's were similar if not identical to the Cotton Belt''s 800 series 4-8-4's and possibly the Rock Island 4-8-4s.  They could get some mileage out of a single design.

Another design was the 3-cylinder D&RGW 4-8-2's.  They were based on the designs of the UP 9000 4-12-2's (just shorter, lol) and the SP 3-cylinder 4-10-2s and possibly the UP's 4-10-2s.

Just my 2 cents worth....

TrackGuy

How about box cars coverted to MOW bunk cars, haven't seen too many of those.

Tom

How about a B & O C16 0-4-0 Docksider locomotive with full valve gear?  Many years ago, these were produced by AHM, Varney and one or more of the brass locomotive manufacturers (PFM?).  They were popular then and I believe they would be popular now.

I agree with suggestions for a SP (Harriman) 2-8-0, 2-6-0 and 4-6-0.  I would add an SP (also UP?) 0-6-0.

Getting back to the Eastern US, how about a prototype Camelback locomotive (CNJ or Reading)?

In general, diesel prototypes have been well covered.  An SDL39 would be another nice prototype for small layouts.  However, as has been discussed previously on TO, the appeal of this model may be too limited.

For electrics, how about Amtrak's current ACS 64 Regio Sprinters?  Another eastern electric would be the PRR, Reading and SEPTA Silverliners.

We need a Rock Island 4-8-4! I think Rock Island had more 4-8-4s than any other railroad, except for maybe CN.

Posted from iPhone

wingomann Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> binder001 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > OOOOHHH, a UP (or UP/SP) 2-8-0!  Oh heck yes!
>
> How about Harriman Standard 2-6-0 and 4-6-0 along
> with the 2-8-0.  Cab, tender and detail parts
> could be the same.  Differences would be boiler
> and frame length.
> Roundhouse was on the right track 40 years ago -
> but those kits are pretty rough by modern
> standards.  I would welcome modernized versions
> of them (although I prefer the 10,000 gallon
> tender to the 7,000 one Roundhouse did).

Yep. would love to see all of these.  Lots of us could use a dozen of these small, practical steamers.

My voite would be for a 90-ton Baldwin mikado, 48" drivers...lots of them used in logging, shortline, and industrial settings across the nation, yet the closest anyone's come was the handful of 70-ton mikes Toby/NWSL did decades ago. 

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

JDLX Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My voite would be for a 90-ton Baldwin mikado, 48"
> drivers...lots of them used in logging, shortline,
> and industrial settings across the nation, yet the
> closest anyone's come was the handful of 70-ton
> mikes Toby/NWSL did decades ago. 
>
> Jeff Moore
> Elko, NV

The ubiquitous logging/shortline side-rod engine. No doubt you want one in Skunk Train colors.

EO
Sorry, I doubt that plastic Stillwell coaches will happen.

Undec double track snowplow kit would be nice.

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

I would guess the brass generally sells well and fast because there aren't that many availble and they are popular enough.  I don't generally have the scratch handle the prices I typically see but I might make a splurge to have a nice Std Gauge D&RGW steamer that was a commonly used and lasted up to the end in the mid-1950's.  The only plastic D&RGW steam only seems to be the UP challenger types which D&RGW quickly disposed of at the end of WWII, and I've generally don't like to buy uncommon or short lived engines.  Thats why even if a company puts out a Krauss Maffai, as odd and interesting as they are, I don't have any plans to buy any.  A common D&RGW Challenger that operated to the bloody end yes, or a correct 4-8-4 might be nice.  I don't know if any of those would actually make a manufacturer a profit, but I would love to have one or two!

Cheers, Jim Fitch

TrackGuy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'll admit I'm biased as being a huge D&SL/D&RGW
> fan.  However, I can't understand why, when D&RGW
> Standard Gauge brass steam locos seem to sell well
> and fast on Ebay, none of the modern hybrid
> manufacturers (BLI, Precision, MTH, Life Like Proto 2K,
> etc) want to touch the D&RGW SG steam locos? 
>
> Further, many of the D&RGW SG steamers were shared
> designs with other somewhat less popular
> midwestern or western roads.  For example, their
> 1800 series 4-8-4's were similar in design to MP
> 4-8-4's possibly others.  The 1700 series 4-8-4's
> were similar if not identical to the Cotton
> Belt''s 800 series 4-8-4's and possibly the Rock
> Island 4-8-4s.  They could get some mileage out
> of a single design.
>
> Another design was the 3-cylinder D&RGW 4-8-2's. 
> They were based on the designs of the UP 9000
> 4-12-2's (just shorter, lol) and the SP 3-cylinder
> 4-10-2s and possibly the UP's 4-10-2s.
>
> Just my 2 cents worth....
>
> TrackGuy

My vote goes for an HO scale B36-7.   There were several versions from GE, but still - 222 B36-7's were built for North American railroads, which is a large number.  

Seaboard System took delivery of 120 B36-7s; Conrail acquired 60 units.  Seaboard's went to CSX, in several paint jobs.  Add in SP, SSW, Southern/NS, and ATSF, and that's a nice product run.

~RGDave

I think an M420/M420R would sell well, but I've heard rumors that my wish may be granted in the not-too-distant future.

For rolling stock, I'd LOVE to see an early Trinity/RTC/Ingalls 4750cf covered hopper.  These are similar in appearance to the car that Tangent, Intermountain, and Accurail have done, but with a round roof and low-offset end bracing, so they'd add some nice visual variety in grain operations.

Joe Atkinson
Council Bluffs, IA
www.iaisrailfans.org/../Sub4WestEnd

COMPLETELY agree with the Harriman 2-8-0 & 4-6-0.

I've been hoping for those for years. If they were available, I'd return to modeling the SD&AE.

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/16 13:57 by m420.