@Ukaflyer posted:Ryan,
being curious, what are the areas that need significant costs for retooling. Are you looking to use the same body shell as used by ACG and Lionel or will it be revamped with greater detail? Or are the costs in the drive train and electronics?
Are you also able to indicate how short the pre orders are as a percentage which might tip others to commit and see this get into production?
Indeed, if the EP5's were going to be upgraded (other than FlyerChief electronics) it would have perhaps been wise to note the improvements in the catalog. Unless it was decided to upgrade after pre-orders trickled in...
Or maybe just the costs of FlyerChief conversion have risen.
The EP5 was always one of the best proportioned Flyer locomotives even though there's not a lot to work with. After all, it's a slab-sided locomotive with two cabs.
The only physical upgrades I can determine in keeping with a FlyerChief locomotive would be adding the side vents per the prototype, a Hancock air whistle and swinging pilots.
Granted, there's little you can do roadname-wise. The EP5 only existed in New Haven and Penn Central paint, (you also can toss in the yellow/black/white McGinnis job that never left the factory and the originally proposed pre-McGinnis Hunter green and gold,) but based on previous releases in both S and O it generally wears fantasy paint jobs well.
Rusty
