Nobody on the list ever took the time to do a report from St. Louis regarding
Q stuff so I'll give it a whack.
Bachmann had FT a unit on display. Shell is for the train set line but looks
like it might be a cheap alternative to Stewarts. Detail around fan intakes
falls short but rest of shell looks okay for a cheap model. No B units.
Walthers had pass. cars on display. Impressed with underbody detail. 60 ft.
doodlebug on display also. Side note: Rivarossi C&O 2-6-6-6 Allegheney is
spectacular!
Overland: Gallery cars on display and C&S bridge in Cheyenne over UP (Cool,
my motel back in November was right by the bridge - Motel 6). Signal bridges
were on display. OMI is very open to doing other designs for their signal
bridges. They need drawings to be able to consider them.
Stewart: Nothing at this time... demo VO1000 was a Q running laps!
Challenger: Announced M2a coal hog 2-10-2s for Q to be done in the future.
O3 Mikes are already announced. #5623 O5a pilot model on display ... just
beautiful! Same look, quality of the M4a and S4s. Baby Zephyrs are
scheduled for June, 2002. Ballast cars are coming also. Side note: SP
cab-forwards were also shown ... Wow! I found several dealers that still had
OPEN RESERVATIONS on Q 4-8-4s if you still want one and have not gotten one
reserved yet ... due in October.
Shoreham / Railway Classics: Q drovers waycars and WW2 waycars are still
coming.
Oriental Limited: Showing all four versions of their O5 4-8-4s. Very nice
as well but not the quality and finish of the Challenger O5s. Had the chance
to run one with a Soundtraxx decoder at Mt. Vernon Shops booth and got a kick
out of the sound system that Roy had installed. Oriental has the first of
the home built Northerns available which is a version Challenger is not
producing.
That's about it. Not a heck of a lot of Q brass stuff on dealers tables
either. Some Challenger waycars are still out there for around $175 a shot.
Drooled all over a PFM O5 Crown (way over $2000 and NO ASHPAN detail
either!).
If anyone can add to this smattering of a report go ahead ... I'm sure there
is a bunch of stuff I missed!
Mike Martin / Peoria Heights, IL
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