# Amtrak "Taurus"?



## VentureForth (Dec 10, 2013)

One thing I have noticed about G gauge - and something that kept me out of the scale for a long time - is that there are a lot of weird "fantasy" stock. I'm not a realist but I prefer running something that resembles reality. Now that I'm in it, there is plenty of prototypical stuff out there, or close enough. 

But my favorite passion is passenger rail. I grew up in Japan, but Japanese proto is just not out there. In the US, there is Amtrak, and that's about it. There is great stuff around in P42s and F40s, Amfleets and Superliners. 

And then there is this Taurus thing that I've seen at shows - an AEM looking loco with weird space age coaches.

Does anyone have an affinity for these?

Are they weird to just me?


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

The "Weird fantasy stock" has existed for since the beginning of time.. 
HO scale manufacturers are infamous for it.."If it will sell, paint it up"..prototype accuracy is irrelevant. 
The Santa Fe Warbonnet scheme has been applied to virtually ever model locomotive that has ever existed!  
This goes back to probably the beginning of the model railroading hobby..probably well over 100 years.. 

I have never heard of an Amtrak Taurus..so I googled it.. 
huh! made by Piko..never knew it existed! 

http://www.reindeerpass.com/amtrak-taurus-electric-loco-1217.aspx 

That is probably very rare and uncommon.. 
or very new..im not sure which.. 

Im not sure what locomotive that is a model of! something European most likely..painted in Amtrak colors, 
but probably not anything that ever actually operated with Amtrak.. 

does it bother me? not in the slightest.. 
I started modeling in HO scale when I was a kid in the 70's..this is nothing new to me!  
HO scale Conrail steam engines, all in blue, were common then.. 

The most accurate Large Scale Amtrak loco is the LGB Genesis..a very nice model! and accurate for the real Amtrak. 

Scot


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## VentureForth (Dec 10, 2013)

I really do like the LGB Genesis models... except every video I've seen shows the tail lights on at the same time as the headlights. 

I'm not that into exact replication, but I like things that look real. In the Athearn realm of N & HO, they have made their F59PHI into just about every passenger livery known and unknown. But it's at least a real loco. 

This Taurus is unlike anything I've ever seen.


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## VentureForth (Dec 10, 2013)

Ok - MY BAD! What I saw at the shows was an LGB Amtrak Bullet Train. THAT was the weird thing I saw. The Taurus is a kitbash of the Piko Taurus as Scottychaos duly noted. At least this is based off some Euro design and almost looks like Seimen's ACS-64. 

This "Bullet Train" is weird indeed, though.


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

Posted By Scottychaos on 29 Jan 2014 07:10 PM 

The Santa Fe Warbonnet scheme has been applied to virtually ever model locomotive that has ever existed!  

Scot 



So true!!! 
Alan


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

There is a limited amount of contemporary passenger equipment out there, but AristoCraft, Accucraft, MTH, USAtrains have cars and engine that ran from the 1930s through the 1970s on mainline roads and are still running of tourist lines. There are a lot of choices available in slightly older rolling stock; both streamliners and heavyweights.


Here is my B&O train of AristoCraft heavyweights. It could be pulled by steam, or by many of the diesels out there and be reasonably accurate.











Here is a picture of an NHRA excursion on my layout. I mixed USAt streamliners for this train.










Chuck

Note added:

If you want to run modern passenger trains (in another of your posts), you will need a minimum of 10' diameter curves. I have 10' d on my layout, I wish I had made it larger (lower picture). Dr. Rivet's layout (top picture) has 40' diameter or larger, I think.


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## Ltotis (Jan 3, 2008)

There was also a limited custom painted run of NH Genny's. This started with a single unit painted for one of the members of the CCTGG. I am a paasenger train fan as well especially the trains of the NEC (Northeast Corridor). Too bad LGB won't paint up their ALPS engine in NJT colors. It would be a beautiful engine. It seems the G scale manufacturers hate painting up engines or rolling stock for the regional transit authorities. Up here in Northeast you are liable to see Amtrak engines pulling MBTA units or MBTA motive power on Amtrak as a backup. Trollies which is my other like is the only way to get that type of paint job. That's why I have 5 PCC's.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

"The Santa Fe Warbonnet scheme has been applied to virtually ever model locomotive that has ever existed!"

Here in the Roanoke, VA area, we even have a railfan who painted his van to resemble N&W Class J 611. Which makes me wonder whether anyone has ever painted a Hyundai Santa Fe in the Warbonnet livery. I'd love to see a photo if anybody ever spots a Hyundai "Warbonnet" Santa Fe.

Best,
David Meashey


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## riderdan (Jan 2, 2014)

That Piko engine is indeed the Siemans locomotive. And it's in Amtrak service: article

I agree that it looks odd... but google "Amtrak Cities Sprinter (ACS-64)" for more images--the Piko engine looks pretty prototypical to me. Odd, but then so is the prototype 
As far as the LGB train, according to this it's supposed to be a shorter model of the German ICE train imported for Amtrack.


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## Ingar (Nov 23, 2013)

I have been on many trains in Austria pulled by Taurus locomotives. These are actually ES 64U (and derivatives) and look very close to the PIKO model. The Amtrak PIKO model seems identical to all of the other PIKO Taurus models with European road names; however, if the Amtrak version is supposed to be the ACS64 (a American derivative of the ES 64U), I would think it would need more blockish ends. So, perhaps the Amtrak version is a little stretch from the prototype?


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