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Athearn March - preorders April 26 - eta March 2020 GATX Tank Train - Early Lettering / Late Lettering http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/032219/06_N_GATX_TankTrain_032219.pdf 20' Container - American President Line, K-Line, Mitsui OSK Lines, Waters AG, Autstralia New Zealand, Linea Mexicana, SSI Container Corp http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/032219/07_N_20ft_Container_032219.pdf 40' Smooth Side Container - American President Line, Mitsui OSK Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha, K-Line, Neptune Orient Lines, Orient Overseas Container Line http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/032219/08_N_40ft_Container_032219.pdf

Athearn March - preorders April 26th - eta March 2020 Genesis - GP39-2 - ATSF, ATSF (Kodachrome), SOO, BN, D&H Guilford, CSX (ex-Guilford), MKT http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/032219/01_GEN_GP39-2_032219.pdf RTR - 40' Modernized Box Car - D&H, SF, ONR, US Air Force, CBQ, MNS, SCL http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/032219/02_RTR_40ft_Modernized_Box_032219.pdf RTR - 5-Bay Rapid Discharge Hopper - SF, UP, Southern, BNSF, Swindell-Dressler Energy, CO Springs Public Utilities http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/032219/03_RTR_Ortner_5-Bay_Hopper_032219.pdf RTR - 20' Container - COSCO, Hapag-LLoyd, Blue Sky Intermodal, Florens, Matson, CAI, SITC http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/032219/04_RTR_20ft_Container_032219.pdf

Some guesses. As a reward / inducement for taking your holiday in an area served by the ex-SR line exclusively. Or, you can generate Plymouth - Bere Alston ticket revenue for the people from Plymouth travelling to Bere Alston for the excursion.

Maybe because they are the "baby" of the engine world, and we humans seem to have something genetic that means we like babies, whether human/kitten/puppy/etc?

Well, in fairness despite the thread title they are actually a Lionheart project, not Dapol, and they do seem to keep the companies products separate (separate websites, Facebook pages, etc.).

Well, if you don't have to pay the government a significant franchise fee that changes the economics of a service, as does the ability to dictate (within the ability to get paths) the level of service and stops to the convenience of making a profit and not necessarily to serving the greatest amount of public...

Time for #109 with the exciting news that Rapido has 3 job openings, the final order deadline for the RS-11 is April 1st, the new run of gondolas and the official Flexi Flo announcement. A couple of big N scale teasers, and more. https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Rapido-News-109---New-freight-cars--new-RS-11-order-date--and-we-re-hiring-.html?soid=1101318906379&aid=g-SzXvHaIjQ

Not familiar enough with the 7mm market to know whether the Heljan offering was complete or not, but I would point out applying the same thought process used in OO to 7mm really doesn't work. Unless you want to limit yourself to a limited GWR branchline if you want RTR 7mm it is essentially Heljan or nothing as Dapol and the couple of smaller suppliers have produced a limited selection of models.

Rapido have made some announcements - official announcement with details for one, a re-run (available NOW), and a new paint scheme for a model announced last fall. The re-run - 52'6" Mill Gondola - is available now and sold out to dealers in 4 days so if you want one waiting may not be a great idea. Paint schemes are CP (delivery / maintenance / Action Red), CN (maintenance / delivery (either 12" lettering or 9" lettering) / noodle), ONR (progressive / chevron), Union Carbide, BC Rail (2 schemes), TH&B, Algoma. https://www.rapidotrains.com/products/ho-scale/freight-cars/ho-scale-52-6-mill-gondola The trucks are also available separately https://www.rapidotrains.com/products/accessories/trucks-and-wheels New paint scheme - research revealed a dining car was painted for the GTW so 2 new version have been added, the 1954 original and the later noodle. https://www.rapidotrains.com/products/ho-scale/passenger-cars/ho-scale-pullman-standard-lightweight-dining-car The AC&F PD3500 Flexi Flo has now been officially announced. First run paint schemes are FMC Chemicals, NYC (as delivered 941H/963H), PC (Billboard repaint / Ex-NYC patchout), CR (Flexi Flo repaint / Billboard repaint / Conrail repaint), PC/CR Scale Test Cars, MDTX repaint, NAHX Lafarge, US Systems Inc https://www.rapidotrains.com/products/ho-scale/freight-cars/ho-scale-acf-flexi-flo

Being a responsible corporate member of the local community, they have bought / hired / borrowed it for a summer / holiday excursion service to raise money for a local charity...

I agree the numbers are more difficult, but there have been some (presumably) successful 4 car 3rd-rail EMUs done and so the question comes down to 2 things for any manufacturer: 1) does the recent increase in overhead locos translate into a larger overhead electric market as maybe more layouts get built, thus making a viable market 2) do recent external issues change the financials that existed when the 3rd-rail market was deemed to be large enough. (as an aside, while not quite the same in terms of tooling variations recent announcements with their bundling of coaches to force buying of complete trains appear to have been happily accepted by the market, so maybe the market is either different or more diversified than conventional wisdom has long indicated).

From Heljan's Facebook page:

Don't know that Rapido regularly follows this forum so you may be better off emailing them for specific questions. However they are in the process of replacing their website and the new site's product updates page has the following regarding the UK buses (as of February 1st): Birmingham 'Guy Arab' - delivery mid 2019 - final samples stage Leyland Fleetline - late 2019 - currently at tooling stage https://rapidotrains.com/content/product-delivery-schedule

There are also new people entering the hobby every year, and those who leave the hobby (for whatever reason) don't all sell their existing models - a lot end up being thrown away or being put into storage for 20 years. So any new model of an existing product doesn't have to rely entirely on people upgrading. Not a surprise - with new models of the 86/0, 87, 90, 91, 92 all either recently released or coming there is a very good chance that at some point in the next couple of years someone will do the 89 I would guess (similarly I would be surprised if Heljan doesn't continue and do later 86's or someone else announces them). Also wouldn't be surprised, although more a long shot, to see an overhead EMU for the late 80s/90s period be at least attempted given that all the locos are essentially now covered.

Following posted to their Facebook page: http://www.nwsl.com/

Rapido has posted the following to their Facebook page (and Twitter feed). [edit] And their latest newsletter adds 2 more jobs. In addition to the position of Warranty Repair Person listed above they also have: 2) Project Designer 3) Executive Assistant See the newsletter for the official versions and some additional info https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Rapido-News-109---New-freight-cars--new-RS-11-order-date--and-we-re-hiring-.html?soid=1101318906379&aid=g-SzXvHaIjQ

How do they run on a normal piece of track? If other locos run ok then it is doubtful to be dirty track I would think.

Atlas - preorders due April 17, eta estimated 4Q2019 New Model - Master RS-2 - NYC, CGW, D&H, Frisco, Lehigh & New England, Spokane Portland & Seattle New Model - Master 45' Logging Flat Car - MILW, BN, NP, GN, British Columbia, St Maries River Master ACF 89'4" flat car - New paint schemes - APL "Linertrain", BN - New numbers - SP, TTCX, GN, TTX Master 60' Auto Parts Box Car - New paint schemes - Conrail, NW, Cotton Belt, White River Foodservice - new numbers - CN, CP, C&O, Detroit & Toledo Shoreline, WM http://download.atlasrr.com/0319MCPDF/March2019MSRPOnly.pdf

Atlas - preorders due April 17, eta estimated 4Q2019 Master 60' Auto Parts Box Car - New paint schemes - Conrail, NW, White River Foodservice - New numbers - CN, Detroit & Toledo Shoreline, WM Master PS-2 Covered Hopper - New paint schemes - BN, ICG, CNW, PC - New numbers - Chessie, Jack Frost http://download.atlasrr.com/0319MCPDF/March2019MSRPOnly.pdf

Atlas March - preorders due April 17th - eta estimated 4Q 2019 New Tooling - Master Gunderson Multi-Max Auto Rack - BNSF, CN, CP, KCS - $99.95 Master S-2 - New paint schemes - Erie, CN, Chicago Great Western, Maine Central, SP, Frisco - New numbers - Lehigh & New England Master Berwick Box Car - New paint schemes - Nevada Norther, NOKL, Warwick Railway, DT&I, GTW, NdeM, CNW Master 60" Auto Parts Box Car - New paint schemes - Conrail, NW, Cotton Belt, White River Foodservice - New Numbers - CN, CP, C&O, WM, Detroit & Toledo Shoreline http://download.atlasrr.com/0319MCPDF/March2019MSRPOnly.pdf

And he has now added an O scale version of the above to his blog: http://mrsvc.blogspot.com/2019/03/i-mentioned-my-model-railroad-planning.html

blog post about a new system CN is using around Winnipeg to inspect trains https://www.traingeek.ca/wp/cn-rail-inspection-portals/

Don't have time to look at the exact sizes but a layout similar to what you are thinking of has recently appeared in the Layout section that you may want to look at where only part of the platform is included

So perhaps a small branch line terminus, entering the layout through a tunnel. On the hillside above the tunnel are some fields/greenhouses growing tomatoes and lettuce. In the station area, 2 industries. A bakery making bread, receiving flour by rail, and a bacon factory of some sort shipping bacon out by rail and perhaps pigs in by rail. And of course a little cafe, either next to the station or as part of the station, with world famous BLT sandwiches...

Enjoying this. Spent much time waiting for trains at Torre in the late 80s.