I was in one of my local hobby shops yesterday and found this interesting GG-1. I know that at least part of the Great Northern was electrified, but did they ever run a GG-1? I cannot find anything online to document this as prototypical.
That is what I thought. This appears to be a factory paint job, it is an IHC model.
From the size of those flanges, it almost looks like a Rivarrossi. The IHC was a good runner, but as was pointed out, they never let history interfere with their offerings.
From the size of those flanges, it almost looks like a Rivarrossi. The IHC was a good runner, but as was pointed out, they never let history interfere with their offerings.
That's because for most of these guys it's about moving product, not prototype fidelity. There is a large part of the market, probably the majority, that doesn't care if it's accurate or not. Did you know that a large percentage of customers still use the old horn hook couplers? There is still a pair in each and every Walthers car box, and they would not do that if it wasn't necessary. Those of us who want it right or not at all are still a minority group, though we get most of the press coverage The good thing is, the people who will buy that GN GG-1 help pay they bills so we can have our prototypically correct models.
All true, and not really where I was headed. I was thinking more simply, such as correct car and loco types lettered for the roads that actually had them, since the original comment was regarding a Pennsy prototype lettered for the Great Northern. The pizza cutter wheels are a subject unto themselves, and pretty much gone from the US market except at swap meets and older hobby shops with dusty boxes There are still plenty of manufacturers that will letter any model for any road correct or not, and that's ok by me. The folks who buy those models keep manufacturing costs down.
As to your position that these models lettered incorrectly for any road keep manufacturing costs down, I would like to see your data. As someone with 30 years of manufacturing engineering and QA experience, I am always eager to learn more.
My experience tells me that manufacturers are keeping costs down by sending domestic jobs (American and European) offshore to China where the average worker makes less in a month than a domestic worker makes in a day.