Bored with steam

[NW Modeling List]

Steve,

I know my post will stir up the pot but good here goes.

Back when the Y6b came I was heavily involved with many manufacturers with helping them with photos and entertained many of them on my home layout due to my layout being close to the old ihobby show that was held in Rosemont Il.

Life like was excited about the sales of the Y3 model and I was asked what else was needed. we decided that an N&W steel caboose was in order due to the various road names that could be done. Well,,, reservations were not up to the number needed to produce. Project canceled! Next Walthers wanted to do another version of the 0-8-0 and wanted to get plans to due the S-1. Long story short the Historical Society was not forth coming with the materials needed in a timely so again the project was canceled!

BLI did the A which we all enjoy and then they did the Y6b with some input from me but I still got grief for doing another Y6b (Rivorossi is not a great Y6b) With my visitors from the states and overseas I was asked if other Y classes could be done as the chassis was close to the Y6b and this was the most expensive part of the locomotive to produce as the shells took less work to rework. With the lack of orders other N&W models no further work was done in this direction.

I recently asked for  info on a project close to my heart I contacted the Society for info, drawing etc to see if it could be done.
Help was forth coming and I know that the great folks at the archives work very hard all the time to get information to everyone and I thank them for the hard work as we have many fine models done correctly coming out.
Not being from the area the cost of the folks at the archives pulling what I needed was not cost effective as I could not visit myself. With the China factory situation we have put this project on hold.

Here another point to ponder,,,, our model hobby is shrinking as we age. Some research I have done we have figured out  that 75 to 90% of the models that are made NEVER hit the rails. This is sobering to us operators who depend on good equipment to make our model dreams come true. This is only a hobby and we should enjoy as a hobby.

Lastly the Society staff have done an outstanding job of preserving the N&W/VGN history and producing a fine publication.

Mike Ritschdorff
nwpoca at hotmail.com

________________________________
From: NW-Modeling-List <nw-modeling-list-bounces at nwhs.org> on behalf of NW Modeling List <nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Friday, February 22, 2019 3:42 AM
To: 'NW Modeling List'
Subject: RE: Bored with steam


There is a face book page for N&W modelers with some excellent photos and models posted to the site.

Some one on the site posted a survey of era or eras that members are modeling with the 70s-80s era being most actively modeled.

The survey got me to think about the era that I model. Having modeled the steam era so many years, I thought how far the variety of models

have advanced. To say the least VERY LITTLE N&W steam models have become available to fill the void of needed models (except for brass) of 0-8-0’s, K’s, Z’s,

Y3a’s, Y4’s, Y5’s, Y6’s, Y6a’s, M’s, E’s, and so on! After 35+ years and very little RTR models available, I have abandoned steam and also moved to the 70’s-80’s era.

So much is available that I can model with so much more locomotive power ( I get tired of just seeing and running a J, Y6b, A, and a Y3 over and over).

Yes I know that there are early diesels, but I need more than a small handful of steam.

Besides, what about all the things that can be done with diesels, that could be done with steam – Lighted marker lights front and rear, lighted cab lights, stoker lights, ashpan lights, etc.

I know some scales even have steam coming out of the whistle when blown. When will we see new steam models or are there enough to support steam anymore?

Just some thoughts -just bored with steam.

Stephen Rineair
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