Don't know about other roads but N&W C30-7s came with the "extra" cab windows. N&W later eliminated them.
Thats not entirely true Allen. Some of us have been screaming for Kato for years to do a North Coast Limited. Now I know NP didn't have any C30-7s but they certainly have had others that Kato has failed to do. Such as the SD 45, F-3, and F-7s just to name a few.
When the FRA instituted mandatory 'bulletproof' glazing regulations on windows. every unnecessrary window on cabooses and locomotives was eliminated or plated over with steel Anything like a U30C or C30-7 was typically built with the 'three per side' GE windows. Pretty much everybody plated over the small windows as a result of the regulations. The magic date was June 1980. http://law.justia.com/cfr/title49/49-4.1.1.1.18.html Any C30-7's build after 1984 would have been required to have been equipped with safety glazing, and I think that's when the small windows were eliminated on factory-built units. Good example is the U36C's, all built with 3-window cabs and in the SF30C rebuild program emerged with single cab windows. http://www.trainpix.com/atsf/GE/SF30C/9513.HTM
That's SO true about the NCL (and in MY opinion, the classiest train to the PNW in the 1960's). I should have said that Kato only likes CERTAIN western roads or so it seems. I remember that they did NS C30-7's fifteen years ago BUT that was fifteen years ago. It'd be nice to see a N&W unit...they could three different "flavors"..the standard 13-D NW scheme, the slightly classier tuscan NW scheme, and the "Claytor" N&W scheme. Never happen, a certain hot locale would freeze over first.
Atlas is really good about parts and they have a B23/36 cab that 'might work'? https://secure.atlasrr.com/mmMOD1/Images/497202.jpg But I suppose if you can't blank cab windows you don't want to paint a cab either.
Seriously though, there are tons of things you could nit-pick on the models. Some C30-7s were built with 4 steps on the ends (stepwells), others with 5. N&W's orders had both, and seemingly randomly. Kato's model has 5 steps. GE fitted these with several versions each of GSC or Adirondack FB-3 trucks. I would imagine Kato will continue with the "one size fits all" strategy. I have one from the original run, which I am decorating (eventually) for one of the N&W red ones (#8010). Changing the end steps is way too much trouble for me, so I will just live with it. Mark
it got down to 17* F this winter in the Arizona desert...:tb-biggrin: and before you crazy people that live in snow regions laugh at us, it will be over 100 before Memorial day and my home town makes money off of the old people that are smart enough to drive south for the winter.
Damn.... I am really trying not to buy any more loco's, but this is getting tough. At least, Ihope I can get some spares for the C30 that I do have. It is so tempting to get another one for my late 80's ATSF train that I am putting together.....
OK just wanted to add my 2 cents. Grant (SAR) and I meet for lunch on friday and we talked about the new GE's. Final decision is I am getting 12 new locos and the 23 older ones what to do? I have decided that rather than dump them i will keep them in the loco tracks for scenery. If the new ones run way better I prbably will not run them that much but they will look good "waiting for the next train". I mean why get say 50 bucks witha DZ123 in them? Grant also sugested making some into dummies. What do you guys think? I would sell but i need about $80 bucks and new ones are around that. Ready tracks or dummies?
