Model Railroading > Now how about some DD35's

Seems that if Scale Trains can produce and make money on SD45X's, then they should be able to make money on an arguably more popular DD35"A" and a DD35B.    The last giant "hole" in big road power.

Richard.

I don't know about more popular, but a updated model would be nice. SP didn't like it's three DD35 B units and were mostly relegated to transfer service in the LA Basin then quickly scrapped when the 15 year lease was up.  So it's only going to have limited demand among SP modelers. They were far more popular on UP who acquired 27 B units and 15 A units. UP's interest in the big units had waned by the late 70's so the B units were retired as soon as they came off lease. The A units followed as the 1980 recession set in. EMD initally didn't think the 8-axle units with the big trucks could lead and used smaller units as leader, hence the inital orders was just for the B units. But that view quickly changed and the later units and the DD40's were all A units.
The challenge here is there are differences in the units that will drive production costs up. The A units used a longer frame and had flared radiators. The units were also retrofitted with sand boxes on the walkways as the internal sand boxes were blamed for getting sand into the electrical gear making them unreliable.
I'm sure the models would be a hit with UP fans that model the 1964-1980 timeframe. So it would probably be worthy of a museum quality Scale Trains model, but I suspect the price tag on those models would be north of $500.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Hi Ted;   Ya, I know they would be that kind of money.    I wonder what the latter runs of the Athearn GEN DDA40X sold for.   I think I paid around that much for mine, with noise, a few years back from the local hobby shop.   I got two of the ST SD45X's, no noise, with shipping they were just under $600.    I am NOT an SP guy, in fact I mostly hated that railroad, my 45X's are in demo paint.    As you can tell from my Ebay nickname I am an ATSF guy but pre Amtrak UP is my number 2.  I have the PNWR bodies for a DD35A and a B, but man a live do they need a lot of work, well no more so than any other plain generic shell anyway.    To build them so they run nice is a major undertaking, and then I am afraid to try and upgrade details like the fans.   I have not worked with resin castings but I am told they are very brittle, so it seems changing fans would not be a good idea.    And, it just goes down hill from there to the point where I likely will never do it as it is just too much work.

Richard.

While I think the DD35A' and B's are a great idea, I would like to see the UP U50C. They already have the trucks from the turbines. IMO, should be a no brainer. 

If Scale Trains and only Scale Trains were to offer any of the three units mentioned there would be no hesitation on my part for at least 4B Units and two a units, and the minimum of four of the U 50 Cs.
I had them in brass when I lived in Albuquerque and would truly love to have them again. 

Jon Fink
Schenectady, NY

IF they did these I have a friend who it would absolutely break him. He has a bunch of DD40Ax  and U50s and
even a scale width hood DD35b I got for him a long time ago. 
He likes those monsters to the end of all his money
I am sitting on a C855 that I picked up for him that he owes me huge on. So the DD35 would
just make him collapse LOL
we all have our foibles.

Athearn should do the DD35s & the U50C in the Genesis line. Why? To go along with their DD40X & U50 offerings. Adding the other two models would only increase interest and demand as all four co-existed and were consisted indiscriminately.

Posted from iPhone

Like the post earlier about Scale Trains doing U50C's as they are same trucks as the triple unit turbines, then ATH GEN would be choice for the DD35A and B as the trucks are the same as the Centennials have.   And, now days the big guys making this stuff have no quams about doing phony baloney paint jobs so what the heck DD's for everyone!!!    As an aside I do have an ALCO Models U50C on hand and I did get a set of turbine trucks for it from Scale Trains so when done it will run nice and quiet and exactly the same as other current plastic diesels.

Richard.

Speaking of U50's, am I right that the early Athearn models only had two trucks powered, and later ones had all four powered?

If you build it, we'll buy it.
Especially with all the extra lift rings, mu cables, and cab shades.

Athearn has built multiple runs of the GP40P-2 (only 3 real life units built).  How crazy everyone said they were.  I suppose those naysayers wanted more F-units LOL
Scale Trains did Turbines, SD45X, SDL39, etc.  Keep going with those "few of a kind" units.