Postby Pacific Limited » Fri Mar 06, 2026 9:44 am
The choice was based on the reservations that determined the era detailing on the models. There were only 21 models built that includes B units. Rare is an understatement. And nearly canceled due to lack of orders. A few of us ordered extras despite our bank accounts saying otherwise. I had 2 sets, it was easy as usual after the models come in to sell them.
The decision in black nose was mine mostly, 1941ish through about 1945.... depending on maintenance stops, skirts on of off or partially missing.. no FRA grabs yet but modified hinged pilot coupler doors. 1st run Phase1 units matched with B units, all but 1 red nose was built. Roger did black nose at Wastach and Dave did the red. The red nose was very different than the 1942ish models. Right down to the slurry of stainless used to fill the cut lever holes and steam generator vents among other appliances added in the early 60s. Truly the red nose are amazing. I never had one, almost did as a local man dropped his order at Caboose and it went up for sale. I simply didnt have the money. (2012)
FM wouldn't do certain things. Like making the correct panel covers for the radiator vents and painting flat aluminum silver around the windshields on the black nose. Strange, but it was anti glare flat aluminum paint added weeks after delivery in 1940. But you could do this if you have a steady hand. They did however paint the black on the red versions. For me it was preservation of the original headlights and truck skirts and minor but commonly found modifications after delivery but still in mostly original condition.
I seem to recall a HUGE fight erupted between the shelf queen collectors on the ATSF E1s and the operators.. shelf queen buyers were convinced the E1 was going to be off the EMC erecting floor detailing, that lasted a month or less in typical ATSF fashion. Once they hit the Super it was mods and mods, like coupler doors! Haha. More guys ordered these with mods than without but Dave in his awesome ways offered a second run of E1s for these shelf queen display case collectors. And they got thier E1 without any mods. But what about that awful pilot? Some of these models were perfect and some a total disaster like my beloved 1 of a kind Rocket E6... oh good grief. A model is only ever as good as it's researched data. And when research is done its an absolute fight, and amended details were skipped and redo and redo and redo, oh they forgot, and on and on. Korean language barrier, Frustrating. Basically my Rocket E6 was the heaviest modified version, 1970s Golden Eagle with back dated details and paintwork that was handled through photos of the restored unit in Illinois. Riddled with errors. I did not do any research on this model, the Golden Eagle was a fabulous success and rare as hens teeth. 3 built i think. The full Rocket, not so much. Sad.
So in the end the E5 was detailed based on the names ordered at 2 eras 1942-1945ish, and red nose 1960-1963ish... photos for each set of mods were discovered and some came from shop master in Denver. Great, but like all good things omissions occurred over costs and numbers built. In the second run 3 sets of black nose FWD units were built. Im happy with them, very. I have HO and O, OMI (ajin), Challenger (sam) HO versions and I finally bought a plastic set from Sunset which are phase 2 and a phase 1 b unit. They are super nice but I cannot deal with the BLI windshield sculpt. Blows it for me. They spoil in photos immediately.. still very nice models, but nope. I tried to get Scott to use Key windshield data I sent him the data package all offered and he disregarded everything i submitted and went with his own people. Ive never been allowed to input on any Sunset project despite my offers. A Club .. for me, I could give two smelly dumps about buddies or not, you want a model right, do it right and pull in on all the resources of the community. Are you listening Jay? Ask Drayton at Scaletrains, done right. I love my models from Drayton, even though they are HO. Haha (best in most cases in any scale) -ever. Medium, as we call it in the arts, brass, plastic, wood, 3D print, cast, etched, whatever its made of, if its right, its right.
Does that help?
Erik Lindgren
[/url]Westbound leaving Omaha for Denver by Erik C Lindgren Fine Art, on Flickr[/url]
[/url]
