Well, Doyle McCormack freelanced his 1:1 model, so I guess anything goes! http://www.pioneer.net/~fitzrr/DLM743.jpg
Hmmmmm...I guess that one could put a Kato SD45 mechanism up under the F45 shell? My experience with Athearn's has been mixed, at best.
it never fails... It seems all it takes is for someone to kitbash one or a cottage indusrty starts producing one then a major manufacture finally gets the clue. At least this way there will be options available for us to choose from. For those of us that are Santa Fe fans I'm sure we will see this (eventually) in every paint scheme imagineable. I can't help to wonder which will come first? Kodachrome is my first choice but hey, cigarband would be cool too! Anyway I look at this it's a win-win situation. As far as how it runs well we'll just have to wait and see. I don't feel Athearns has produced enough N scale for us to prejudge their performance.
It will be interesting to see if Athearn faithfully reproduces the different grill styles for Santa Fe and non-SF F45s, the way Grant's kit does... Plus, for those of us who have the kit, we will have extra grills with which to improve the appearance of what's certain to be non-see through grills on the Athearn... Hope I'm not being too presumptuous. :shade:
If Athearn indeed makes these the first of their Genesis Line in N (with etched metal parts, etc.) I'm not going to worry so much about the mechanism (the second run SD series seem fine) or appearance as about how much glue they use in assembly.
I'm glad George chimed in here, or I'd think this was complete vaporware. I have yet to buy anything from Athearn except some vehicles. And I've spent a lot of time getting my FP45/F45 consist built-up out of Lima, Atlas & Kato parts, agressively invoking the "Randgust Curse". But this time, Grant-Sar will get the award, not me, for angering the Gods of N to produce something after a painful amount of work to build something that everybody actually wanted. As a flea in the elephants myself, I can relate. I'm pretty happy with my fleet appearance and performance. The Kato SD45 drives are just SO quiet and SO powerful and pull like mules, nope, I'm happy. I'd be hard-pressed to retire anything to swap it out. It bugs me that in this DCC-compatible world, it's getting harder and harder to find anything that actually has any tractive effort, because of Frame Air Syndrome. Now, if they'd FILL UP the inside of an FP45 shell with weight, that could get interesting. Wish that Intermountain would get the SD45-2's though.... just as a vaporware reminder. What astounds me on this one is that after reading a LOT of posts on this one, I'm still seeing "Summer 2007". The way I read that, we'll be mumbling in this thread over the next year! Meanwhile, Grant has the stuff, and it's good stuff, and it's here. Support your local cottage!
I have my two from SAR with the details it is as good as brass in my mind. Also because it is on Kato sd 40 dcc ready chassis I don't even think it is a contest. I have run the 70/75 from Athearn and would not run those as the performance does not match the Kato. Remeber I need the looks but running is the most important thing, if it can't haul a train well it goes off the layout.
Yes, that's why it's great that these are cowl units! At least %50 more space inside! We'll see if Athearn takes advantage...even with DCC compatability, it might be as heavy as pre-DCC Katos. I'm also hoping that if I ever put a decoder in my kit from Grant, I can just stick a thin decoder in the space between the Kato SD40 frame and the shell. No milling out weight from the frame.
I would certainly pick up an BN one just because I like them. I am tempted to pick up a GN sky blue one if they make one. My last HO scale loco was an GN F45 Athearn from the 80's. I am not sure how I could justify one in my BNSF era layout though.....I am sure I could find a way
