I love to see everybody's opinion on the NS Gevo's and I will love to see FVM look beyond the UP/BNSF locomotives. If they had I feel that the NS Gevo's would've been correct from the start instead of repainting an BNSF Gevo. You created (2) Gevo units which UP/BNSF have plenty of roadnumbers to create custom locomotives; then in turn create NS Gevo unit for the DC Gevo and that would've also brought big $$$$$ along with the AC which everybody in Class 1 railroad run now?!! Simply FVM and Kato along with other manufactures can start looking at how much $$$ they'll make by doing the AC for the UP/BNSF Gevo lovers and the NS and other Gevo lovers in DC.
so what your saying is that with the right cab fvm could have numbered NS 7500-7669</U>GEES40DC 169 NS 7670-7719</U>GEES40DC 49 NS 8000-8023</U>GEES44AC 23 a whole crap load of gevos for us???? 241 gevos instead of 3 each with the wrong cab
Guys,Here's the clincher..You see those NS ES40DC s everywhere and as NS modelers we should have several to pull anything from hot intermodals to coal drags and everything else in between.
Exactly, they'd get about 6 numbers over 2 units (ES40DC and ES44AC) which is about the same as the CSX ES44AC and ES44DC with that low number board cab (and the 3 from CP...)
Think of this..Each consecutive run would have different numbers which would result in more sales which would help offset the tooling costs of doing a correct NS cab.
Assuming the market potential for NS is as strong as UP and BNSF. That's the rub. I don't think anyone here knows for sure if there are more UP or BNSF modelers than NS modelers, but I'm guessing that's part of it. Matt used to work at Intermountain and talks regularly with other manufacturers so I'd have to guess that he would have some idea of the market potential of an NS unit versus UP or BNSF. I think if Matt knew he could make some money on it he would have done it. Just more food for thought...
I suspect that may have to to with the area where one lives and the dominant railroad(s)-one can't drive in this area without seeing NS or CSX and modern modelers have a tendency to model what they see and railfan. Seeing Matt did a NS ES40 then he knows the market. Still a correct cab should have been made and I can't help but wonder how many serious NS modelers passed these by because of the wrong cab?
Thats what he wished he could get. MSRP = Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price If you pay that, you must like to throw away your money. Actual Retail Price is what I pay. 89.95 Do you pay sticker price(MSRP) when you buy a new car too?
All the complaining about the incorrect NS version does no good. FVM has to know they will sell thousands more BNSF and UP Gevo's than NS. If they were to try and please the small percentage of NS modelers and spend huge coin to do so would not be very good business . You guys seem to think they are there to make everybody happy. They are in business for one reason only, $.
??? A Happy Customer spends more money with the vendor that makes them "Happy" The vendor then makes money...he can't and won't make money if nobody is happy. Let me throw this out for comments: I purchased 3 of the first BNSF units and had an awful time with all 3 derailing on broad curves where NONE of my other locos had any problems. I checked the gauge of the wheels-not the issue. I swapped (for test purposes only) KATO 70mac truck assemblies to the FVM locos and NO issues( they fit and run well). The FVM trucks were "my" issue. Long story short... I believe that I fixed the problem. I don't know if this was an isolated issue (all three of my locos had the problem) and I have never seen anybody else comment on this particular problem. Am I really the only one that had this derailing problem?? I'm not a fan of the orange/red color but that can be weathered or even ignored. The hours it took me to fix the truck assembly issue that caused the derailing was a killer. Yes, I did contact FVM. I am a huge fan of FVM for their wheelsets (I switched over 200+ cars) and their freight cars - their quality is outstanding. I have to take a back seat and wait and see on anymore Gevo's. Still, I hope they do sell well. Sorry for the mixed review; just giving some of my first hand experience. Brian
I never said I pay full MSRP for anything. I am just quoting the MRSP which most hobby shops will charge and yes,there are some that insist on supporting their LHS regardless of cost. If you waited woo woo woo will have 'em on blowout for 50% off..I know..I got stung once.
Untill you have market proof I will overlook your comment. And Matt should and more then likely will listen to his customers like Atlas,Athearn and other manufacturers..
larry here is market proof!!! Everybody bought the incorrect kato sd40-2 because it was the only game in town for a NS sd40-2.... Everybody bought the incorrect kato c44-9w because it was the only game in town for a NS c44-9w..... and kato made there money. I know i spent good coin getting my 9 sd40-2's and the same for my 8 c44-9w's ... and if kato dose not make a NS gevo then fvm will be the only game in town for a NS gevo and people will buy the incorrect fvm NS gevo there is your market proof, If your the only game in town then you can paint the loco pink with polka dots and call it correct
The AC wil still be wrong without the correct long hood and handrails that are really close to the CSX AC. Plus FVM could actually sell 9 different CSX locos because the last 100 or so AC units have the BNSF cab.
And if the cab is desigh right it could be used on a future -9 since they already have the truck, fuel tanks, and mech to go under them. Someone else already does that.
Mark,Don't count serious NS modelers in your "everbody"..I am yet to buy any of the locomotives you mention because they are incorrect and I don't consider myself as being a serious NS modelers like most.. You should present fact and figures base on sales. For the record I am not picking on Matt.. I also ripped Atlas over painting the handrails by the steps white instead of yellow on the NS B23-7s..I wasn't the only one either. This is the only way to have mistakes corrected and manufacturers do listen to their customers..
i'm just saying that for a 12 year old loco to still fetch anywhere form $55.00-$150.00 in black paint means that people want them and anybody making black loco can make it incorrect and know there going to sell...