Hey, I just rcved my CZ in N and it is quality. Love it. My guess and hope is the D&RGW in heavy weights.
Just a point of clarification. GN called all of their dome cars "Great domes." The full length, first class lounge dome cars were called "Great dome lounges." I would like either an original 1955 EB with E7 power and sans the great dome lounges or a later consist with the full domes. Does anyone know if the E units were replaced with F units prior to addition of the great dome lounges? I know the E units didn't last long in EB service.
I was going through one of my WP books the other day and saw a couple of photos with the Starlight pulled by SDP40F on the High Line. I think this would make a pretty cool train. Not old, but not new, either.
Honestly; I don't think Kato looks at this, or any other site. They have a internally focused marketing department; don't really worry about the North American market. They aim for a dometic market; know that their N.A railway offerings will sell across the Pacific and are satisfied with "what got them to the dance"..... If they were listening; they'd have redone the SD 40-2'd 100 times.......... and they haven't.
And SD45's and U30C's and F units/E8's/PA's in roadnames other than their passenger sets and more steam (how many of us hoped they'd keep going with steam after the Mikado?) and ..... the list could keep going forever. There hasn't been a new roadname in the NW2 for a while either. As an indication of how insignificant the U.S. market is to Kato here are their monthly release posters for Japan. http://www.katomodels.com/distribution/upcoming.shtml Their U.S. releases for a whole year would fit on one.
I'm not a GN fan, but I'd guess a Empire Builder is in the not to distant Kato future. That or maybe something Amtrak on the new El Cap cars.
Yikes!!!! Now we know why they don't do more U.S. models... they're too busy fulfilling the Japanese market every month. Oh... well... I guess that if the shoe were on the other foot we might find Japanese modelers asking one of our domestic manufacturers to give them more 'Japanese' models too.
Amtrak... for sure... Using the newly tooled El Cap for Amtrak sets would probably be high on Kato's list of new trains.
Count me in although I'd hope their paint matches mine! In addition to the work I've done with painting and using brass carsides for my diner model, I was fortunate to acquire about 12 of the Bachmann auto carriers (those are getting pricey these days) so I'm pretty close to having a full set. Probably about the time I finish painting the sleepers and steam generator cars is when Kato will make the announcement, right? Still haven't fully figured out how I'm going to do a nice U36B however. -Mike
I don't have my facts with me but I'm pretty sure the E7's did not last more than a year or so, I really doubt that they made it into the 50's. The gearing of the E7's did not do well with mountain routes so they kept burning up traction motors. Kevin
Mike, Amazing work on your Auto-Train domes! I'd love to have some of the auto carriers but they're really hard to find and expensive when they do surface. Maybe Kato will do a complete train one day. It would certainly be something unique! Mike C.
It will be a UP train. A friend who talked with a Kato employee asked him what the next passenger train would be. My friend guessed something from the east, but according to the employee, Kato does not trust the sales potential of eastern nametrains. So they will do a western one, and they have choosen for the UP. Which train it will be, he did not want to tell.
Lets see, the COLA, west bound on June 14th, 1947, as it looked departing Cheyenne would be the best one.
If this is true, maybe they can do the Gray scheme, there is enough Armour yellow out already.... Most likely it will be one of the City trains
The 3/4 dome would be a dream come true! If they do a UP train, I'd like to see the modern business car fleet, with the 844 to pull it.
