OMG... on the Kato website, the picture attached to the tweet shows a beautiful E5 unit. It really looks fantastic and will be a great model to have.
Amazing!!! Are those side grills etched?! Obviously, all CB&Q fans are lining up. How about you guys from other roads/eras? Does that photo make you decide to buy? http://twitter.com/KatoUSAInc/status/243456664307630080/photo/1/large
I need at least two. One to change the nose badge and lettering to "Sam Houston Zephyr" and the other to leave as "Silver Streak Zephyr". The Silver Bullet, 9909 served on both trains. I am assuming the trucks can be changed out with standard E-8 truck to represent its configuration after the skirts were removed. Although it did have its skirts yet in this photo.
Russell, you might like this photo then. Less modeling for your to do. http://pbs.twimg.com/media/A2HzT_5CMAAMiy_.jpg:large
Wow! Is that for real? Is there a Silver Power B coupled to the rear of Silver Speed? Am I asleep and just dreaming??!!
Kato is bringing out the 9909 with skirts. They are also bringing out the 9910 & 9911 without skirts to run with their CZ!!
Brian - do you have a source or is this just unbridled speculation? If the latter, you won't be allowed at the next silver fanatic meeting. (jk)
Jingle Bells... Jingle Bells... jingle all the way... oh what fun we're all going to have getting a bunch of E5's for Xmas Day... YAY!!!! E5 Diesel Locomotive #9909 Silver Bullet as part of the following 5 passenger car bookcase set Baggage ----------Silver Light Baggage/RPO ----Silver Sheen Coach ------------Silver Gleam Coach ------------Silver Glow Observation -----Silver Sprint Individual E5 Diesel Locomotive #9910 -----------Silver Speed #9911 -----------Silver Pilot BTW... the above information was listed on one of the N Scale Supply'ers website today.
I decided after seeing the photo that I posted the link for above, that I will leave the skirts on. I noticed the dynamic brakes are more correct on the Kato model than the ones on the life like shell I kit bashed.
Try these links out. I got an email from Kato with all the details. Bookcase box that will hold all three locos and the five cars. I would never tease about such a serious topic! http://www.katousa.com/N/SilverStreak/pics/GlamourShot.jpg http://www.katousa.com/N/SilverStreak/pics/SilverBullet-Side.jpg http://www.katousa.com/N/SilverStreak/pics/SilverSpeed-Side.jpg http://www.katousa.com/N/SilverStreak/pics/Roofs.jpg http://www.katousa.com/N/SilverStreak/pics/CouplerConnections.jpg http://www.katousa.com/N/SilverStreak/pics/Loco+Car.jpg
I do not believe you could get a dynamic break on an E unit until the E8 came out. The roof vents are for the radiators.
Original releases were: [TABLE="class: cms_table, width: 396"] [TR] [TD]Corrugated RPO[/TD] [TD]Silver Sheen[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Corrugated Baggage[/TD] [TD]Silver Chest[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Corrugated Baggage[/TD] [TD]Silver Light[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Corrugated Coach[/TD] [TD]Silver Birch[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Corrugaged Coach[/TD] [TD]Silver Cloud[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Corrugated Observation[/TD] [TD]Silver Fountain[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] So, it looks like we have two duplicates and three new. Not to worry, I'll buy anything they decide to release.
Now I'm 99% elated. The addition of the other two E5A units is fantastic, especially since it includes Silver Pilot (for the casual reader, that is the only E5 still in existance and it can be visited at the Illinois Railway Museum and even observed in operation on select dates). The other 1% would be a matching B unit. The two separate A units BEG for releases of their missing halves (Silver Power and Silver Mate). THANKS KATO!!! You have absolutely made my day/year/decade for N scale. Also, may just be coincidence, but I'm going to assume otherwise. The Kato website has been down for the last half hour or so. Could it be that interest is so high that we've overloaded their servers? Edit: back up now and the photos are great. I'll be placing my pre-orders as soon as my favorite vendor has them listed.
And if all of this wasn't good enough, check this out! http://www.irm.org/events/zephyrexcursion.html A chance to get pictures of this fine passenger train on CB&Q rails in Illinois? Yeah I'll be there!
I'm going to miss not being able to get pictures framed by those lovely Q signal bridges out on the Mendota sub.
There is no doubt in my mind that this will be my first (and most valued) Kato box set. Those photos say it all!! Add a sound decoder & car lighting and you've got a true beauty there. I am enamored with the detail on these locos; onlything more I could ask for is standing grabs, but that's not Kato's bag....
What was wheelbase and truck type and frame configurations for other E units ? Were they all the same as the E8/E9? If so, Kato has a goldmine on their hands -- as they could do UP E2s (SF1/2/3, LA1/2/3), maybe even the ATSF 1 (with shovelnose) and B unit 1A. The B&O EA and EB? Even if they don't do those last two roads, the UP E2s would sell like crazy. I'd buy one just because its so extreme. And what about a separate shovelnose CB&Q Zephyr loco? Of course if they make UP E2s they need the complete set of 1937 passenger cars to go with them.....round windows!!
