New HO injected styrene plastic SEPTA Kawasaki LRV in 2013

Hi all,

IHP is preparing our first HO scale injected plastic styrene model for 2013 release. The model is an HO scale SEPTA single-end Kawasaki LRV. It's only the second
US-prototype LRV ever to be done in plastic (the other was the Mehano Boeing LRV sold by AHM and IHC). We have received test shots from the manufacturer in China for the body shell, the frame and the track brake/wheel cover parts. Roof/body details and window inserts are next to be tooled.

We have spent the last 8 months designing, preparing and arranging this project. It represents a major investment in the hobby and in IHP's future. It's not a
'collaborative' or 'assisted' project with another traction manufacturer or supplier; this is all proprietary IHP.

I can't say more right now. More details on the specifics of this project will follow as appropriate. We'll get a page on the website as soon as we have a
complete sample.

Oh, and compliments of the holiday season to everyone!

Mike Bartel
IHP
http://ihphobby.tripod.com

Wow, this is great news. Will this be a painted, RTR model? Please keep us updated in this thread. Happy holidays!

As we annnounced last week, IHP is planning to release an all-new, injected plastic HO scale SEPTA Kawasaki single-end LRV model in 2013. I promised some preview photos of this model and some more information, so here you go:

http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hoimages/IHPSEPTALRV01.jpg
http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hoimages/IHPSEPTALRV02.jpg
http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hoimages/IHPSEPTALRV03.jpg
http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hoimages/IHPSEPTALRV04.jpg
http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hoimages/IHPSEPTALRV05.jpg
http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hoimages/IHPSEPTALRV06.jpg
http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hoimages/IHPSEPTALRV07.jpg
http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hoimages/IHPSEPTALRV08.jpg

What you see is entirely injection molded plastic. Next, the tooling for the roof details and the clear window inserts must be cut.

This model (the whole project, really) is intended primarily for the SEPTA Transit Gift Shop, so it has been designed as a nonpowered display model, with rolling plastic wheels and scale pole/roof hook combo on the roof. This is how it will be sold to the public.

For you traction modelers, the model has been designed with provision for future operational features like a working pole, a beefier metal roof hook, and lighting at the ends, and we are planning a powering option for those who want to power their models. Whether this will come in the form of an optional, drop-in retrofit mechanism or short runs of complete powered models has yet to be determined.

I did the CAD design work for this model myself. (If any details are horribly wrong, I will have no one to blame but myself, but I think I know this car pretty well after producing it in resin in three different scales for 15 years. )

Some details are still to be decided, including decoration, retailers, the price and release date, but that info will be released as appropriate.

Thanks!

Mike Bartel
IHP
http://ihphobby.tripod.com

Hi all,

More photos of IHP's forthcoming HO Kawasaki LRV model. The roof details are now
done and installed on a sample shell.

http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hokawasakilrv/001.jpg
http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hokawasakilrv/002.jpg
http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hokawasakilrv/003.jpg
http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hokawasakilrv/004.jpg
http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hokawasakilrv/005.jpg

Only the windows and clear parts are left to be tooled, and this will likely be
done after Chinese New Year.

Thanks!

Mike Bartel
IHP
http://ihphobby.tripod.com

Hi all,

The HO SEPTA Kawasaki models have been officially ordered from our Chinese manufacturer and are now entering pre-production.

In about a month, we will have the first painted sample, and then full production will begin once it is approved.

Follow the progress of the project and see the artwork for the first run's paint scheme here: http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hopages/hoselrvpage.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Remember that these will be nonpowered display models. We're looking at a powering option for those of you wanting powered models.

Thanks!

Mike Bartel
IHP
http://ihphobby.tripod.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.shapeways.com/shops/ihphobby" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Check out the photos of the first painted samples, which arrived from China today!

http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hopages/hoselrvpage.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The windows need some work, such as dark tinting and the silver transom frames (for this paint scheme), but the rest is pretty much ready.

Maybe we'll have them for sale by the end of this year!

Thanks!

Mike Bartel
IHP
http://ihphobby.tripod.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.shapeways.com/shops/ihphobby" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mike, may I be the first to congratulate you.

Injection-molded commuter models from IHP is a milestone in the hobby - and I'm sure just the tip of many great things to come.

Best,

-Kurt

Mike,
Congratulations on your model, it looks great. I am sure that you are aware that the roof resistors, besides lacking side detail on your model, are not white on the real cars. The tops are stainless and the sides are black, although I am sure that you know this. It's just that the painter went through the trouble of painting the side marker lights, it's a shame that they aren't doing the roof correctly, including the 12 resistor stub outs that should be white as well, to make the model really pop. Now, to be fair, I only have info and pictures of the current version of these cars, although I doubt that they ever painted the stainless white. If I'm wrong, please accept my apologies. I don't mean to come across as petty, if I do, just pointing out some issues with the otherwise extremely accurate model. I am sure that maybe other than you, most people have not put in the amount of hours that I have into researching this model and just trying to make your product better for your customers. There are also very few images of these cars from above on the net, I know, I've searched for them myself! Good luck with your model.

jetfan wrote:Mike,
Congratulations on your model, it looks great. I am sure that you are aware that the roof resistors, besides lacking side detail on your model, are not white on the real cars. The tops are stainless and the sides are black, although I am sure that you know this. It's just that the painter went through the trouble of painting the side marker lights, it's a shame that they aren't doing the roof correctly, including the 12 resistor stub outs that should be white as well, to make the model really pop. Now, to be fair, I only have info and pictures of the current version of these cars, although I doubt that they ever painted the stainless white. If I'm wrong, please accept my apologies. I don't mean to come across as petty, if I do, just pointing out some issues with the otherwise extremely accurate model. I am sure that maybe other than you, most people have not put in the amount of hours that I have into researching this model and just trying to make your product better for your customers. There are also very few images of these cars from above on the net, I know, I've searched for them myself! Good luck with your model.

Hi Joe,

Actually, I did know that about the roof detail. The fact is that the roof details are a mix of colors. The resistor grids are stainless steel, some other details are white, and a couple are grey. (The black sides are actually dirt grime, not black paint.) The roof details on our model were done this way as a matter of practicality. Yes, the resistor grids have more detail but to model them accurately would have been like modeling the resistor grids on the AEM7. One could represent some detail by adding some relief on the sides, but that would have necessitated using slide moulds on those parts. Both of these options are possible but would have increased the tooling cost. Doing the parts in different colors would have increased the cost there, too, and this is already a complex model to paint even using printing and cheaper labour. Since this model was intended for both a certain price point and retail (not Proto 2000), it was given enough detail up there to satisfy the look requirements and keep the manufacturing costs reasonable. I have looked at the roof up close from the catwalk in Elmwood Depot where the cars are maintained and taken photos from there, and I have the roof equipment diagram from Kawasaki, too, so I DO know what's up there. There's a lot of detail up there but most people don't know what it looks like and SEPTA was satisfied with what we did, so I think it will be adequate for most modelers and collectors. And, it didn't break the budget.

We decided to spend time on what people DO see. We did the same with the underbody. There's no interior, either. But, we got the paint scheme accurate from people who worked on the specs for the project and we got the Pantone numbers for the colors. You might be surprised to learn that the overall white is actually a very light shade of grey, not actual white. Still, we did it in white because that's what it looks like to most people. Colors are what really sell most models to the general public. Not that you could just paint a dog turd and it would sell, but most people don't know or care about physical differences or discrepancies when it comes to mass production. They buy it because they remember the colors.

By the way, those '12 resistor stub outs' aren't 'resistor stub outs'. They are base foundation provisions for future installation of pantographs on these cars, which it now seems they will never get.

I will say that doing this model has been a learning experience and it will all be applied to the next train project we do in China. We've already agreed with SEPTA what that will be.

Thanks!

Mike Bartel
IHP
http://ihphobby.tripod.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.shapeways.com/shops/ihphobby" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.facebook.com/Imperial-Hobby-Productions" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Well, I talked with the manufacturer in China and at the very least we were able to get the resistors painted silver! So, the model will look a little more correct from the top, that is if you are familiar with what's up there! It shouldn't hold up delivery of the models, and we'll get them at the same price. All's well that ends well, and all that.

Mike Bartel
IHP
http://ihphobby.tripod.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.shapeways.com/shops/ihphobby" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is a great looking model. Those of us who live in the O Scale world would appreciate something like this. I am sure the 2 rail scale folks would find a use for the shell along with the 3 rail folks who would probably fit in trucks that may not be true to the prototype but would capture the flavor of the car. I hope this sells well and there is some interest in expanding to other scales somewhere down the line.

necrails wrote:This is a great looking model. Those of us who live in the O Scale world would appreciate something like this. I am sure the 2 rail scale folks would find a use for the shell along with the 3 rail folks who would probably fit in trucks that may not be true to the prototype but would capture the flavor of the car. I hope this sells well and there is some interest in expanding to other scales somewhere down the line.

Thanks! I'm not sure about the O scale market for a mass-produced model unless maybe it could be done as a 3-rail model, but we do have a 1:48 resin single-end and double-end Kawasaki body shells available for the craftsman folks. They're shells with roof details. Decals are available, and Q-Car has trucks for 2-rail operation. We did the single-end car originally as a display model, and you can see photos of it on our Facebook page.

If anyone is interested in the O scale shell, contact Mike at IHP. We can still make a few of those.

Thanks!

Mike Bartel
IHP
http://ihphobby.tripod.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.shapeways.com/shops/ihphobby" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mike
Appreciate the response and anything that adds to the selection in the hobby. Actually I think there may be a market in 3 rail since it appears to have a larger potential market than O scale 2 rail. Niche companies like RMT seem to have been successful with their BEEPS and such. WBB certainly did a nice job with their Peter Witt trolleys, so there may be an opportunity there. I will be sure to take a look at the web site for the others you mentioned. Great work in any event, continued success.

IHP's HO SEPTA Kawasaki LRV models are shipping from China in the next few days!

Online Brochure Here: http://ihphobby.tripod.com/holrvbrochure.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pre-order them now at: [email protected]. Tell us how many of each road number you want and give your most reliable email address.

Thanks!

Mike Bartel
IHP
http://ihphobby.tripod.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.shapeways.com/shops/ihphobby" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;