@Will Ebbert posted:Thanks Dave! I think the 8 car consist you outlined in the spreadsheet is perfect! I am definitely hoping for W of A, AWP, and L&N cars to be available as add ons. I would like to see the 14/4 sleeper produced. Having both name plates included for the obs car would be really nice, and now that you mention it, that might be an option for all cars to be able to do the non Southern road names. Scott could just sell Southern cars, but in each box include name plates for one or two of the other railroads. I am definitely fine forgoing the full width diaphragms.
In regards to the inclusion of an observation car, the question is, if the car is dropped all together, would people rather have a 70s era consist with black roofs. Obviously the majority of the photos of the train come from these late years. This time period also allows the use of green E8s and you could use the Southern dome car Lionel offered a year or so ago.
I have already placed my order and look forward to whatever the end result is, but these are my thoughts on it.
As a side note, I'm also planning on getting a pair of F units repainted with one as W of A 503 and one as AWP 551 since there are many photos of that pair pulling the train through south Alabama.
You bring up some interesting ideas.
First, I think if Scott is able to sell enough 8-car sets and SOU add-on cars to meet the minimum building requirement, and doesn't get enough orders for any other roads in add-ons, then perhaps thats something he could consider. I obviously don't speak for him. There may also be a roadblock in that the factory is thinking its a part and may not allow Scott to produce interchangeable name plates. I guess it all depends on if there are enough email requests for the other roads to get added to the reservation page, and then to see those roads get enough reservations to be made.
Second, as for the roof color, I would still leave them stainless as that would maximize the in-service lifespan these cars had from the 50's all the way up until about 1971/1972. Not every car got a black roof at the same time. It's also much easier to put 4 pieces of blue tape and spray a black roof than it is to take a black roof and backdate the roof with a color that actually matches the carbody. :-)
That will look pretty neat pulling the Crescent. The WofA had a neat blue/silver (gray?) scheme on their locomotives. You know what else would look cool? Some Pennsy modelers buying this train and putting it behind GG1's. This train ran all the way from New York City Penn Station down to New Orleans and it would get switched at Washington DC for some electric power.
I also look forward and will make do with whatever is produced.
