Good to see Walthers produce this train as I'd been hoping for years that a manufacturer would produce a Metroliner. Back in those days when I was a kid, the prototype Metroliners were the closest thing we had to bullet trains and inspite of their mechancal problems, they attracted a lot of attention.
I am disappointed that Walthers is not offering the units in
Penn Central, as a number of prototype "Metros" remained in the PC scheme through the early 1980s. For prototype modelers, the PC version would be correct running coupled with Amtrak schemed units. I would purchase a pair if offered in PC to supplement my current units. As pointed out on another forum, Walthers may wait and release a PC version, or may have decided that "PC won't sell". But only Walthers can answer that.
The HO 1970s Bachmann Metros are crude by today's standards. I have 11. Nine with the single truck/motor unit and two have the single motor/driveshaft set up with metal pantographs. All are poor runners but I'm "slowly" hopping them up. I've scrapped 3 of the units and have been using the shells as ALCLAD Test beds (I'm one of the volunteer testers for the new Alclad-2 railroad metalizers that will be released this year).
As always, I keep an open mind. I first felt that Walthers should consider offering the units in the SS scheme/red stripes/white cab with the Pennsy Keystone herald and PC Worm herald decals to let customers decide which version they want. I thought that would have been so simple............but I was reminded by a modeler on another forum that today, modelers might have a "fit" if they purchase units that require "additional work" such as decal installations. For many of us back in the day, that was the norm.