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Brodway Limited Cab Forward - What happened to that project?


yvesvidal
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Hello everybody,

I am new to the world of G Scale but have been an avid collector of N-scale (since the age of 12), then O scale for the past 10 Years and I am now looking into expanding my knowledge of Scale Model trains in the G scale arena. I suppose the prospect of being able to run outside is a big incentive about acquiring some G scale pieces.

 

I am a fan of multiple railroad companies (UP, SP, ATSF, C&O, NW, Virginian to name a few) but my primary interest resides with Southern Pacific and Union Pacific, like many people. One of my favorite engine is of course the legendary Cab Forward 4-8-8-4 AC-12.

 

A few years ago, Broadway Limited tried to manufacture an AC-12 in G Scale, entirely made of Brass. That project never came to fruition unfortunately but I have never fully understood the reasons, besides perhaps a decision based on the fact that they could not sell enough of them to justify such an endeavor. BL issued some pictures of their prototype model and I could only find two of them on my disk (I have the other ones on a drive at home): 

Gscale01edtJR.thumb.jpg.1b216259ec6fae6326cd46d2a2588941.jpg

 

Gscale23edtJR.thumb.jpg.88f4f0a6c395db8a3e4777ba87824108.jpg

 

It would have been a fantastic model, perhaps even nicer than the USA Trains Big Boy, but 2008 put an end to that development. I would appreciate if the experts could shed some light on this topic.

Thanks

Yves

 

 

 

 

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If you are a newby to "large scale" consider the real scale for gauge one track which is 1/32 scale. Most garden modelers have aquired considerable stuff in "G scale" usually 1/29th scale which is not accurate for the gauge and often even mix in Narrow gauge rolling stock of 1/20, 1/22 and 1/24th scale, which is not accurate of course, and therefore stick with 1/29th scale.

 I personnally started to model US prototypes in 2010 and stuck to the correct scale -gauge ratio ever since.

 In 1/32 scale you can likely find the Accucraft Cab Forward which was offered in live steam and I beleive electric. Besides Accucraft has done a tremendous effort for SP fans as a good many of their locomotives are available: Daylight, F4 and F5 2_10-2, O6O,mogule and now pacific, cabooses and coaches.

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Welcome to the forums Yves.

 

To add to what has been said, the major issue would be that first the G scale market is already very small and then add on top of that the price point for an item like that would significantly reduce down the number of potential buyers. (I'm guessing that engine would have sold for $8000?)   As was already noted, originally most of the market was 1:29 and the only 1:32 was higher end brass (so much more limited customer base).   Fast forward to today and with Aristocraft out business, 1:32 has a larger customer base and better market penetration due to MTH producing at lower non-brass price points (and included features).  The next item from my view would be popularity of the engine design/prototype... The Big Boy for instance is very popular and is probably MTH's best selling steam engine despite its large size.  (I think for steam the Big Boy is probably the most popular steam locomotive produced in G scale)  In this scale, a good number of the customers I know only own a limited number of engines due to cost and storage space restrictions so they are very selective on what they will buy, and in this scenario the most popular prototypes are what is sold and the further you get away from that the more quickly the demand tapers off.  

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Thank you Rayman4449 for your response and welcome.

 

Yes, I agree with you on all the points(even on the price of what could have been the BLI Cab Forward in Gauge One).

And yes, like many others, I would love to have a USA Trains Big Boy, even though it is at the scale of 1/29. It makes it even more attractive.

 

The O-scale world also suffers from these discrepancies of scales: 

- Officially it is 1/48 or 1/4 inch

- Some people models in 17/64

- Europeans uses 1/43.5

- Finally, the P48 fanatics model in 1/48 but use fine-scale wheels and a different gauge for their rails.

 

Here is a picture of my O scale US Hobbies Cab Forward that I entirely rebuilt and re-motored. That unit is a tank and can pull 64 reefer cars on a 2% slope: 

ac12.thumb.jpg.ab815b79a476366a5d91569143d2fda5.jpg

 

Yves

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While searching to some old magazines, I found the original advertisement from BLI: 

AC-12.thumb.jpg.936424882374853b5327673858b3a46e.jpg

This was published in August 2007, few months before the financial world fiasco created by W, Vice and his cronies. The suggested retail price was $4590 (with an MSRP of $4995). Interestingly, the scale is 1:29th probably to match the USA Train Big Boy.

The model came with two motors, was made of brass (which is of a higher quality than die-cast metal), had a Phoenix sound system with specific Cab Forward sounds, steel rods, sprung drivers, full cab interior, real window glass and was to weight 14 Kg + 5Kg. Interestingly, the company Factory Direct Trains is/was located in Asheville, NC, not too far from where I live. I wonder if they still have the model... :-)

 

Yves

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Hi Yves: I hadn't noted your French name. There is one for sale at the present at this link for around £5900 here is the link: http://steamlocomotivescale.com/2018/07/26/accucraft-132-scale-gauge-1-live-steam-ac-11-cab-forward-4-8-8-4-sp-loco-4274/

 I have a budy who owns one also and he ran it at my steam up in Valmondois near Paris a few years ago it ran swell. It is a very nice model. Of course live steam cannot enjoy the high level of detail (like a scale back head) that an electric model does but then its the real Mckoy! Added bonus you don't have to clean the rails before a run!

 Best Simon

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