@GG1 4877 posted:The challenges of producing a mass-produced product at a price that modelers are willing to pay. There were already 52 distinct variations of models on this project, and it was a bit overwhelming for the factory and everyone else involved in the project. The results have been well documented on the pages of this forum. After this project, we decided we will no longer try to achieve so much in one project. A valuable lesson learned in expectations vs. reality of manufacturing.
Not to take anything away from the work of the OP for this project. It is a great looking locomotive and ready for duty on any number of CNJ passenger or freight trains!
You've got to give them an "A" for effort, especially when contrasted with the general "we'll make 1 model, and then paint it for everything we think we can sell, whether or not it ever existed or not" mantra many of the manufacturers seem to follow. Heck, had they fit my budget, I'd have picked up a couple myself. Would have made a nice starting point, and saved me a ton of work. Having just gone through the work researching and designing the parts for a similar upgrade, they seemed somewhat glaring omissions, however I totally understand the realities the market forces on manufacturers.
