http://www.searails.com/newproducts.html They retooled the PowerMAX! (powered truck) for 0-4-0 and C-C for 3-axle trucks. With that, 4 new locomotives with a very reasonable price (and, discount for filling out the survey and 5% off each 'feature', it says). Alco RSD-5 & PA-1 GE U-30 & AC-4400 Baldwin DR-6-4-2000
Jeff, I'm afraid I read the announcement a bit differently: http://www.searails.com/ The 4/6/19 page said releases would be based on survey interest. and an estimated MSRP of $249, with DCC and sound options an additional 5% of MSRP each. Delivery late 2019 early 2020. Currently he's showing first shot shells for only the Alcos and Baldwins. Regardless it's worth looking at. Mark
I don't think so. There is a wide variation in wheel base of the proposed locomotives and the SD40-2. If I understand the c-c powermax, each truck will have a motor so they would have to be a unique chassis.
Click on the pic of the U30C and you can see in a red band with yellow lettering (MICRO-TRAINS© LINES PROVIDES THE POWER CHASSIS FOR SEARAILS C-C ENGINES) at the very bottom. Is it just the chassis as a frame, or the whole thing? I can't imagine M-T letting someone else use they're product, when they don't let others even use they're couplers anymore.
Cool down, boys. 95% of Searails announcements never make it to the market. A SD40-2 chassis will make the U30C significantly too long, but Searaiks did this with the Sharknose and RS-3 in 3D print as well with using a MTL GP35 chassis.... Will be interesting to see what the redeveloped Powermax will look like, if it’s not a 6mm Motor the use will be very limited again
I receive this email this morning: "Micro-Trains Lines has announced they will not be able to supply their C-C powered chassis and have withdrawn their availability. We will not be able to advance this project without their support. We regret this unavoidable action. We will continue to produce our 0-4-0 Nn3 GE25T and Z scale EMD40 as 3-car unit trains and will announce their availability when in stock. " While I'm certain that MTL has their reasons for pulling the new chassis, I find it unfortunate that the company that gave us American prototype Z seems to have gotten into the rut of recycling decades models with new paint. Remember American Flyer? Mark
Mark, that's interesting about MTL. When I was at the train show in January in Springfield Ma, I stopped by MTL and asked about the F7 redesign I keep hearing about. They said everything was designed and worked out. Just no set time when they would actually get it into production. Now I wounder if that will ever happen. I dont know how well the new SD40-2's are selling. Maybe that's a reason the C-C chassis has been abandon if the SD40-2's are not selling well. But if a new F7 chassis was available and you could add both the old A and B unit shells to it, I bet it would sell like hotcakes both with new F7 shells and as by the chassis itself. Who doesn't have a fleet of cranky F7's they would love to update? -Jon
There's another thread on here about the SD40-2 trucks not being as good as the original run, could be the reason M-T pulled out, they may not have enough now to go around?
