New Locomotives

[Cody J]

When will the pictures become available of the new HO DC SD40-2s? Also, the Wheeling & Lake Erie one, #7375, it was once leased by GATX and is still in the GATX blue paint scheme... why would Bachmann make a model not accurately showing WLE's locomotives? I think that is just stupid... I was thinking about buying one but not now.

http://www.wle.railfan.net/roster/WLE7375.jpg    WLE 7375

cody

[jward]

are you sure about the 7375 being in gatx blue?

one of the locomotives used in the movie unstoppable, currently being filmed, has 7375 in the number boards, and is itreportedly a w&le locomotive masquerading as awvr 1206.

how much you wanna bet that when filming is over, this locomotive gets painted black & orange?

[ebtbob]

Good Morning All,

      Cody's comments reminded me of something we were talking about last week at my favorite train store and that is how marketing decisions are made in repect to what engines to produce and more importantly,  in what paint schemes.
       As I understand business,  the purpose of marketing is to generate ideas for products that will sell.  With that premise presumed to be correct,  I would love to know how decision are arrived at,  for instance,  at Athearn.  They brought out an SD40 in the Maresk paint scheme for NS.  In the real world,  I was told this engine was painted,  lasted about three months and was repainted.    How much of a market could there be for this engine?     Another was for a shortline in Kansas,  green with yellow lettering,   sorry cannot remember the road name.   But agan,  how much market can there be?
         Now,  I am not supporting that idea that only big names such as NS,  UP,  BNSF,  are the only products that should be produced.   What I wonder about,  is simply,  how are these decision decided upon.

[edhorm]

The NS Maresk SD40-2 was actually running around in that special paint for years. As far as the W&LE unit goes, I have never seen a 7300 in Orange and Black. I do not think one has yet to be re-painted from the old GATX scheme.

[ebtbob]

edhorm,

         I thought the Maresk engine that was around for quite a while was a four axle unit.     I never saw any pix of the engine that Athearn produced.

[jward]

bob,
the ns maersk unit was in the altoona helper pool for years and rarely made it out onto through trains. later, it was assigned to mingo jc ohio and was a regular on the allenport trains. i saw it many times, it was painted maersk in 2000 or 2001, and lasted until 2007 before getting the horsehead paint. my latest photo of it was may 11, 2007 on an allenport train (c32)....email me if you'd like a photo.

[ebtbob]

Jward,

      Thanks for the offer,  if you have a photo,  please send it to ebtbob@verizon.net

[Cody J]

I think that they're were actually two Maersk engines. A Santa Fe (I believe) GP60M and a NS SD40-2. I may be wrong though.

cody

[jward]

you are correct. the santa fe one was repainted shortly after being used for publicity photos, and most people never knew it existed.

the ns unit, on the other hand, spent much of its time pushing trains up the mountain from altoona, and many saw it on horseshoe curve....

the original post referred to the wheeling and lake erie. i saw one of their locomotives of interest the other day. it was lettered rio grande, but was obviously painted by the w&le, the orange was brighter than rio grande's, and the lettering slightly different.....

[Cody J]

the original post referred to the wheeling and lake erie. i saw one of their locomotives of interest the other day. it was lettered rio grande, but was obviously painted by the w&le, the orange was brighter than rio grande's, and the lettering slightly different.....

I wonder why WLE would paint some of their locos in Rio Grande paint?

cody

[ABC]

Because DRG&W was the original livery for the particular locos that are painted up for DRG&W.