I like the turn this thread is taking! Any time steam is released, we need to rejoice. Some of us want it and tje next release might be the one you want.
The Spring 2013 issue of Classic Trains has a photo, taken by Stan Kistler at Cheyenne in November 1956, of FEF-2 #820 leading (as a helper) an ABB set of E-units on the COLA. He mentions that he saw the same thing the previous day, so it wasn't just a one-off occurrence.
Oh, absolutely! In the last few years of service, the 800's ran out their lives on freights, sometimes double headed, and as helpers on diesel powered passenger trains over Sherman and elsewhere to keep the speeds up. Lots of pics of that. But they would not have been used as road engines on the COLA, which I thought was the intent of the original question. But, strictly speaking they did "pull" the COLA, as helpers... Otto K.
Back in 2012 when I reported what the Kato rep at the WGHS said to me and several others (FEF-3 along with the appropriate cars for a UP Excursion Train due by the first quarter of 2013), I was plenty excited about the prospect, but had lingering doubts about whether is was "real" or not. 1.5 to 2 year late could be better, but I'm not complaining! I hope Kato decides to do an extra pilot so this model will accurately pass for a late 40's thru 50's FEF-2 and FEF-3. By this time, nearly all the single-stacked FEF-2's had been fitted with either the FEF-3 double stack or an experimental triple stack, and all 2's and 3's had smoke lifters by this time too. All 2's and 3's were oil-fired by the late 40's also, so only the pilot would be different between FEF-2's and FEF-3's with most of them being equipped with the Worthington SA Feedwater Heater, which required a new smokebox that was 18" longer than what the engine had when delivered from Alco. That modification was accompanied by equipping the older FEF-2's with the newer FEF-3 smokebox door to make them even more similar. During the late 40's and through the 50's, as Otto has correctly stated, FEF's headed up non-Streamliner passenger trains, additional sections of Streamliner trains, and daily mail trains. Interestingly, after they'd been shopped, they were regularly coupled to freight trains for a "break-in" and would have been freshly painted and clean. Many passenger trains were pulled by double headed FEF's over portions with grades such as Cajon Pass, Weber/Echo Canyons, and eastward out of Cheyenne. At one point in the 40's, all FEF's (along with several other types of UP steam engines) were painted TT gray, the first paint job being with aluminum/light gray stripes, and later with Armour Yellow stripes to compliment UP's having decided to paint all passenger cars Armour Yellow. The TT (two-tone) FEF's were repainted to black as they were shopped in the early 50's, so it was common to see double-headed trains with one FEF in black and the other in TT gray for a time. Several FEF's as well as other types remained painted in TT gray well past the middle 50's and were used on freight trains east of Cheyenne. There are several photos of FEF's in TT gray as well as black in Don Strack's book about Ogden ("Ogden Rails"), and most of them are dated, with the latest TT FEF photo being 1953 with a TT 844 on the head of the San Francisco Overland with TT cars behind her. Another interesting photo shows TT FEF-2 823 doubled headed with a yellow E-6 A/B lashup in 1952 on the head end of the Gold Coast ready to tackle the Wasatch Grade headed east. What is also interesting is that a TT gray 844 could also be used to pull a modern excursion train as she was painted TT gray for a few years in the late '80's I believe. So, Kato would be wise to offer more numbers than 844/8444 (there were only ten FEF-3's numbered 835-844) and could conceivably offer each number in both black and TT gray (with both aluminum/light gray and yellow stripes). If they opt to offer an FEF-2 (with a correct bolt-on, drop couplered pilot) they could do the same with each of the 15 engines in that class. Hopefully they'll also offer water bottles and sell them separately with numbers and names correct for both FEF-3 844/8444 and Challenger 3985, along with the correct special modern cars present in UP's excursion trains. I think it's an obvious excellent marketing move, and it pleases many modern modelers and transition era UP modelers. It's also a great vehicle for selling additional Kato passenger cars which were pulled by these locos as well as Athearn's Challengers. Cheerio! Bob Gilmore
TT What? Aw yes, my favorite paint scheme the Greyhound. I didn't know they had Traction Tires.:wideeyes: COL I got it, I really did. Actually the FEF's did pull passenger trains and most likely pulled an early version of the COLA drink. The ones dedicated to passenger service arrived in what is known as the Greyhound paint scheme or the less flattering two tone grey. I better duck for cover.
Umm Rick, I don't know if you can duck enough... don't even know where to begin.... Yes the FEF-3's did pull passenger trains, account they were 80" drivered PASSENGER engines. They were ALL originally dedicated to passenger service. They all arrived in BLACK during WWII, and only in 1946 and later got their TTG scheme, to complement the TTG secondary trains then in vogue on the non-Streamliners, i.e non-"City" trains. They most certainly not pull the "early version of the COLA" account they weren't around until years after the COLA was inaugurated...... Other than that, we're like totally on the same page:teeth: Otto K.
Behold what? Is this new or different information? Did you skip page 6? http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?158527-Kato-UP-4-8-4-844&p=985322#post985322 http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?158527-Kato-UP-4-8-4-844&p=985324#post985324
Well this is a rare steam where even modern-era modelers want it, because this loco is still an actual loco and not a museum piece or scrap metal!
I will buy one for the very same reason! Plus I need something stalled on the other track when my ATSF Texas Type 2-10-4 cruises by on the other track.:teeth: But seriously good steam is nice to have regardless of road name. Kids at the shows love the steamers so why not have some extra steam for such occasions........ And if you look on the Kato website, under N North American Locomotive they have a New Steam Locomotive - Coming soon So time to accumulate some hidden cash to pay for one or more....... I hope they follow the trend and have a DCC Sound installed version.
Hard to quote on tapatalk, but I Think newer Japanese prototype kato steam is DCC friendly. I know thier European electrics are, so..... fingers crossed. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
I notice that Kato now has an announcement on their US website. They say they are not taking reservations at this time. This seems to be a reliable indication the locomotive is coming; they say late 2014 early 2015.
Still has to be hard wired but a whole lot more DCC friendly than the USRA Mikado and the new D51 Mikado and C57 Pacific have cut outs in the tender weight for a decoder and speaker, so they are getting there. Hopefully they will go a step or two further with a new loco for the more DCC oriented American market.
Otto, you could loan it to the Sugar Land Route Model Railroad Museum and Preservation Society For Homeless N Scale Steam Locomotives.
