FVM: NS and BNSF Gevo are here!

I quote from the FVM site......

Q: Will you do all the absolute 100% correct versions of these locos. Which ones will you do?

Sorry to say, no can do. There are numerous versions on the GEVO Locomotives. There are 10 US roads that own GEVO's with only slightly more paint schemes, while body variations number somewhere above 20. UP has at least 4 versions itself. While it would be neat to do absolute correct versions for every road, and certainly possible , it is simply not cost effective or practical. So what are we modeling? After looking across the board on all variations (which are still evolving on the prototype even today), We decided to model 3 specific locos - 2 AC versions and 1 DC version. We are doing 2 unique cabs. A 3 Window version commonly used on the UP and a 4 window version commonly used on the BNSF. The AC and DC locos use different sills and handrails - so we did those. There are AC bodies with High (UP) and Low (BNSF) rear headlights. The DC body uses the low rear headlight (BNSF). We also opted to add either Hi-Ad or Steerable trucks in the mix. With all these components, we can mix and match parts to get a number of specific prototypes and fairly close on the rest. With these parts, we will be offering 6 different locomotives.

So it is clearly stated that they can not give the fidelity to all roadnames.

As a manufacturer myself, I know what it takes to get product through the shop. And as I said previously, if there was enough business to make a dedicated run of NS or any other road name, I am sure FVM would do it. BNSF and UP are the biggest sellers in the marketplace so it makes sense to do these as close as possible.

The tooling for the revised cab and the revised light tube could cost upwards of $20,000 depending on how they are configured. So with only 500 total units, that cost alone for tooling would be $40. So would it be acceptable to add the $40 to the current price of the locomotive for a proper NS cab configuration? So would you be happy paying $40 more than the BNSF and the UP versions? Or is there really enough of a market to drive the 10,000 unit sales in NS like is found in BNSF and UP? In this case the tooling charge is only $2 per unit.

Perhaps the Vocal NS group would take a collection and pay for the correct tooling on a custom run of NS Gevos.

It all boils down to the cost of manufacture versus the profit margin on the selling price.

Is the marketplace ready for paying surcharges for road names with different configurations?

Perhaps that should be the message you send to Matt.

 

OMG -- Die thread. DIE.

 

Whoa!...not so fast !

I along with 4000 others have been reading this thread with varying degrees of interest. Davids last reply was one of only a few that is fact filled and void of emotion. Yes....our convictions are usually emotionally driven...especially in this hobby. BUT...it's hard to ignore facts straight from the manufacture this thread is all about. I dont like the bickering anymore then anyone else. I have been known to light a flame or two on some threads myself. But when facts are well presented and backed up it always peaks my interest. Just sayin...thnxs

.

 

Or maybe somebody could provide us with the cliff notes version this thread.

I would have waited for a version with the correct positioned lights, nose headlights just look weird too us NS modelers.

 

Nope, that's what happened to the Overland Models Gensets, much to my dismay. Ahh, the price of accuracy...

That included both NS and BNSF units among others that went out the window. Hopefully, Atlas will run these as they did in the "other" scale.

For the current thread, I really hope Kato gets their GEVO's correct.

Brian

 

David,Here's the overlooked rub..

Matt did correct cabs for UP and BNSF-why not take the extra step and make a correct NS cab? Then Matt said: "There are AC bodies with High (UP) and Low (BNSF) rear headlights..Again correct headlights with added tooling cost and again how much easier would it been to tool a correct NS cab? Just as easy IMHO since the basic cab tooling was done..

 

seems to me that fvm is following in katos footsteps
make the UP and BNSF correct and well the rest of the
road names can be foobies....

 

Wish in one hand...

I've sat back and watched this one unfold. For a bit I wished it would just pass into the archives. Business decisions were made, do they make everyone happy? No. I'm sure a cost analysis was done on running other versions. The difference in sales didn't make it worth the changes at this point.

I can understand the NS modelers frustration. Why have we never seen an Kato N scale SD40-2 with a bell between the number boards? Or how about a low nose GP9 from Atlas? Both are very common engines. They will probably never be made commercially. I'll make my own. That is the decision I've made with the lines I've chosen to model. I would pay $40 more for a correct engine, but I don't expect the manufacturers to make that correct engine. There are to many variables to make everyone happy. Paint schemes, era's, some engines have had a dozen different looks during their career, horn placements, bells, winter hatches, sand fill hatches, air filters, patches, door replacements etc.

I commend FVM for the great work they are doing in pushing our scale forward. I hope people buy a ton of engines from them, so maybe someday they will do some more correct engines and maybe someday they will have that SD40-2 with nose headlights and a bell between the number boards.

 

Karl,Its beyond making incorrect NS Gevos..I wouldn't moan and groan if these engines was $40.00-50.00 but,they're $119.95 and at that price I do expect correct NS cabs and I fully believe that's not asking to much in return for my money..As it stands I will pass 'em by just on principles of not getting my monies worth.Had these NS units had the correct lights I would have bought 4 for club use.Now the ball is in Kato's court..What will they do?

I do wish Matt every success and I hope he listens to our concerns as customers.

Guys,FWIW at one time C&O models was none existent and through howls,pleas,badgering we now have C&O models.This is also true for the improvements in N Scale that many of us enjoy such as closed pilots,superior locomotives and freight cars and C55 track..

PS. For those that may not know here's the way those headlights stick out and as you can see they can't be missed..

 

larry

Now the ball is in Kato's court..What will they do?

STIFF US as always unless you model katos two fav's
I still think fvm did a nice job with the gevo and wish
them all the best

 

I got my first GEVO over the weekend and I'm quite pleased with everything about it except the shade of orange on the BNSF unit. Here is a side by side comparison with a recent Kato dash-9 in the same paint scheme:



For my money, the Kato orange is much closer to the mark. I hope Matt will look into lightening the shade in future runs. Also, as has been commented, the nose herald is too small (at least I've never seen a GEVO with a small herald like that).

But look at all the details on the GEVO, that a Kato lacks:

* Painted headlight & cab door window.
* Black gaskets around the windshield.
* White corner handrails.
* Anti-skid paint down the middle of the roof.
* White edges on the corner steps.
* Outstanding roof detail in general.
* The bag of separately applied details parts!

 

Gary,I dunno why but,I like FVM "tone down" scheme better.


There is no doubt Matt did a beautiful job on those Gevos and to be quite honest I been thinking about getting 2 CSX Gevos for club use since I also have several CSX units..

 

But just look at any of the real life locos- you'll see every variation known to man!

Geez! I'm starting to sound like a FVM apologist! How about those cheezy yellow LEDs?

There! Did I redeem myself?

 

Hey Karl,
as an aside, (although I am really not all that sorry to hi-jack this thread:tb-cute I took a little tour through your Skally lines- very nice!:tb-biggrin:

What did you use for the nose headlight on CP 5559? It looks great, is that an old Sunrise part?

my best,
Jan

 

Thanks, but I bought that one done up (lucky eBay find), but I believe it is a Sunrise part (I've been looking for more to no avail.). That is the only engine I have that I didn't detail myself. I still need to get the winter hatch painted up and installed.

Sorry- We'll go back to the regular scheduled program now.

 

Re: BNSF Orange

This is one area where I just don't understand manufacturers. If it were my dime, I'd send a piece of a Kato locomotive and say "match it". Not that Kato is even right, but frankly, these locos are going to be used with Kato models so they might as well not stick out...

[prepared for incoming!!!!]

 

Thats MSRP. Who pays that? $89.99 at ... Thats 25% less.

 

I'm popping some popcorn...:tb-cool:
*I'm still smilin:tb-smile:

.

 

You can get them for $5 less than that at another prominent e-tailer- in respect of Trainboard policy and not knowing if they are advertisers here I will withhold the name- but roughly $9 more than the most recent Kato AC4400 announcement.