Availability: This project is in the design and development phase. If you are an existing client you will automatically receive update information regarding this project, but if you are not a current client having purchased from us previously, please let us know if you are interested and we will be happy to add you to our update list. Please feel free to use any form of contact from our Contact Information. Price: TBA Versions Offered: 8 Production Quantity: 100 8/09/11 - Since early in this year, our production efforts for locomotives have been targeting our UP Challenger project trying to recover some of the time lost in previous months. We are now at a point where we can start moving more seriously towards getting our class A into production. With that in mind, our updates will increase in frequency as we get closer to starting the reservation process. In the time since the last update, I have received a number of new suggestions for this project which are being taken into serious consideration and some of those suggestions will be the subject of future updates. 1/25/11 - Just a brief update to advise that following my recent visit to Korea, the price and scheduling for our class 'A' project have been set. More detail will be provide moving forward with our next more extensive update. 11/21/10 - Our class A research and development is continuing, with most of that effort targeted at addressing inquiries and special requests that current or prospective customers have made regarding this project. A unique variation that has come up in discussion again is 1226 shown below, notice the cooling coils mounted on the fireman's side of the locomotive boiler, just above the running board. As a result of the additional interest, I am pursuing more detailed information that may lead to offering 1226 as another limited special version. In doing our projects, rather than simply trying to duplicate a prototype as shown in photos, I prefer to base our models on a firm understanding of the railroad's intent and the relationship of the different variations to one another. As I have always said, I sincerely appreciate the feedback that I receive from my contacts. Many individuals are still surprised that I encourage customer feedback and actually respond to it personally. The process is time consuming, but it has made a real difference with our model projects. 9/23/10 - There has been a very exciting development regarding our class 'A' project which will likely affect all of the remaining N&W projects we anticipate producing. I have been contacted by the family of a retired N&W engineer that very recently passed away, they have offered to make available all of the photo scrapbooks and notes that their father had accumulated over the almost forty years of his carrier. I was very flattered by their offer and from what I have seen already, the information will prove to be invaluable. I look forward to sharing more information about this opportunity as I am given clearance to do so, I believe that a published volume may well result from the families efforts. This material in addition to the already accumulated data will likely make this project the most thoroughly researched to date. 3/21/10 - An additional subject of inquiry has come up with the class 'A' project, that being the inclusion of 'CTC' (Centralized Train Control) equipment on any of our model versions. That is an issue that I am researching currently and why I have not addressed further the subject of my last posting. If it is determined that 'CTC' equipment should be included, it would be good to target an existing version if possible in hopes of not creating a new one, much the same as I did with our Y6a and Y6b projects. Stay tuned for further developments as our otherwise simple project becomes more complex with every step! 3/01/10 - Based on looming support, I am reviewing the possibility of adding at least two addition versions to what has already been outlined for this project. First, I am considering the addition of a lagged smokebox version, just as with the Y6a and Y6b, there were a limited number of prototypes with this configuration. Secondly, there have been several inquiries asking about including an earlier version locomotive equipped with the Westinghouse aftercooler similar to our late series version #7 model. There are two other possibilities, but I will give them more serious consideration before mentioning them, stay tuned! 2/14/10 - The third tender version drawing has been added the the Tender Version page. If you compare the three tender versions, you can see how they transitioned from the first and earliest to the last and most modern version. The mid-version tender has a combination of design elements present on both the first and third versions. The changes can be attributed primarily to the advancement in build technology. 2/06/10 - Additional information has been added regarding the three tender versions to be included in our production. One drawing has not yet been finished, but it will be posted very soon. These three tenders represent an evolution in construction from rebuilds to freshly built new units, this provides a range of interesting and varied detail for each version of the project. It may be helpful in understanding the tender versions to refer to the model photos for our Y6a and Y6b projects, correlation for doing so is provided on the Tender Version page. Additional information will be posted very soon so keep checking back if this is a project of interest for you. 1/14/10 - It has been requested by one of our great supporters that I include photo dates for this project, so I will do this where ever possible. The obvious reason for dating the photos is to help in selecting a model for an appropriate time period, it also helps to document the development process of the prototype. The feedback is greatly appreciated, thanks Stephen!! More photos are in process and will be posted very soon. 1/13/10 - I have started adding more prototype photos that will help to illustrate the various versions that are to be included in our production. The photos may be accessed either from the Prototype Photo page or by clicking on the 'Prototype Photo' link associated with each version on the Project Information page. There are many more photos yet to be added. 1/09/10 - Our updates for this project have fallen way behind, but the project has not been sitting idol. The versions to be offered have been posted to the Project Information page and are available for your review. There will certainly be questions generated by our version selections and I will do my best to provide photographic and drawing reference on this project site to illustrate the differences between each version, these postings will begin very soon. The references listed on the Project Reference page are also a great source to help achieve a better understanding of this prototype class, if you are in need of copies of these two books, the Norfolk & Western Historical Society is a great place to buy them and it helps to support the society which does a great job. Our updates will become more regular from this point forward as I prepare to officially launch the project, so if this is a project of interest, check back regularly. 10/12/08 - We have had several inquiries about the development of our class 'A' model, in particular how it will compare to the gauge one model also built by S.J. Models. Our project is a unique design from the railhead up, working from our own design reference package we rely only on our own research and quite frankly, we do not even look at previous models unless significant feedback so directs us.. The easiest way to avoid the mistakes of previous efforts is not to directly consider their results. The most common reason why you see so many like models being imported that have common mistakes is due to the fact that most importers supply samples of previously produced models to be used by their builders as a guide, we never have and never will. 10/09/08 - We are very happy to announce that the preliminary design work for our class 'A' project is complete. You will see small samples of the design scattered among the pages of this project site and we will be posting larger and more detailed drawings in the next couple of days. We are now working on the design of the various versions that are to be included in the production, as previously mentioned, there will be a unique 'A' tank for this locomotive. More detail will be forthcoming very soon. 9/10/08- We have begun posting prototype photos which will help explain the versions of this project that we will be offering. We will be producing only those locomotives that were rebuilt and equipped with modernized tenders or that we built new post World War II. We have not heard enough support to justify producing the class A's as originally built in the early 40's. We will be updating this project site more frequently as our design process moves quickly towards completion. If there is specific information that you would like to see about this prototype be sure to let us know. 6/02/08- The class 'A' project is now in the active design phase and the production schedule has been set. There will be four primary versions produced, all post-war variations including the rebuilds and new power. We will also be offering a new 'A' tank (auxiliary tender) and it will be a different version than the one produced for our Y6b project. The Norfolk & Western Historical Society archives lead by Jim Gillum has again been a tremendous help in providing the reference necessary to do justice to this prototype, we have several hundred copies of railroad drawings on hand for our design effort. We'll be making postings on a regular basis from this point forward as the project continues to develop. 7/06/07- The Norfolk & Western class 'A' is announced as an upcoming project to follow the Union Pacific Challenger into production. We are soliciting feedback now regarding which versions should be produced, certainly the last production order is in line for development and that is already underway, but we do not want to overlook the earlier versions if there is a demand and we believe there is, at least for the second production group. Please let your thoughts be heard on this issue before it is too late. In addition to the Class 'A' we will be producing two new versions of 'A' tanks (auxiliary tenders) versions different than the one we produced for our Y6a and Y6b models.