Unlike some other manufacturers you love to bash, Kato will not announce until the container is pretty much pried open. Remember the NW-2. 'nuff said. And as far as 'secret stuff'.... if you were investing the THOUSANDS in tooling that most of our manufacturers do, on the long lead times they have to do it, you'd keep pretty darn quiet until it was ready as well.
Kato seem to keep changing there announcement policies. Around the time the first NW2's were released Kato were announcing things when the container hit the wharf, but lately they seem to be giving a few months notice, I recall a fair sort of wait until my Daylight arrived and the Milwaukee NW2's due in February were announced in October. My Santa Fe NW2's if I recall correctly were first announced a couple of weeks before the hobby shops got them. I'm not sure Kato's giving more notice of what their next passenger train is going to be would hurt their sales all that much. In the first place no other major N scale manufacturer seems interested in competing with Kato in the prototypically correct passenger train market. I know if Kato announced they would do a train I wanted in, say five years, and then brand 'X' came out with one in six months I'd still buy the Kato version. 2009's train must be almost ready to go into production, if they told us what it is now I don't think anyone else would have time to get the jump on them anyway.
Going 'North' in 2010... hmmmm I'm with you on the North Coast Limited bandwagon. Since there was the comment of 2010... going north... the NCL would have been my first thought. :thumbs_up: My other thought was a Milwaukee Road Olympian Hiawatha. :thumbs_up: I don't know much about Canadian passenger consists... but... it would seem to me that Kato would do one eventually.
How about the E655, the Emperor's train. Classy looking train with black/brown iridescent paint scheme.
That would go well on display with my Kato EF58 and the previous Emperor's train. I wouldn't be surprised if it's in the works at some stage, Kato do a lot more Japanese passenger trains a year than they do US, and if not them, then maybe Tomix or Micro Ace.
Here's a link to what Kato's doing in the next few months in Japan. If they put out this many trains here in the US every month I'd be sitting in a corner crying because I couldn't get them all. http://katomodels.com/distribution/upcoming.shtml
Westfalen, You're right, if you look at some of the Japanese Online retailers you are amazed at how many Japanese Prototypes Kato manufactures. The only thing that might be a hold back in manufacturing the E655, the Emperor's train, is the iridescent paint design. What do you think?
I model Japanese as well, so I already do.:tb-wacky: Then there's Tomix, Micro Ace.......Arghh. That would be the biggest hurdle, but if anyone can pull it off correctly it's Kato. They got the stainless steel of the CZ and Super Chief looking pretty good, people at shows ask me how I finished the cars and they are surprised when I tell them they are straight out of the box, (and one of those was the dealer I bought it from). Another issue might be getting consent from the Japanese Imperial Household, though with the popularity of model railroading in Japan and the Emperor's use of trains I wouldn't be too surprised if he's one of us. For those wondering what we're talking about, here's a link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:E655-test_run.jpg
Beautiful Emperor's Own paint scheme! And as far as next US train, I'll go for either the Chessie Special OR the B&O Royal Blue OR the Southern's Crescent Limited! I admit, the Crescent because it's the only long-distance train I've ever ridden, and that as an Amtrak run, last May, for the estate sale of my Dad's house and estate in SC. Jim
Thought I had contributed to this thread before, but apparently not. Lots of speculation and wishing for favorites here. Who knows what basis Kato uses for selecting what they produce? The New York Central 20th Century Limited has been mentioned. As one of the world's most famous trains, it would seem to be a good candidate. Then again, Kato released a 10-car set and E-8 locomotives in the NYC two-tone grey scheme some years ago. It was pretty generic - the cars did not even have names. Like the Kato Empire Builder release, it was not a faithful representation of the Century - locomotives and cars had incorrect details. Actually the only car that was correct for the NYC was the observation. Except for the reversed color scheme, it matches the "River-series" observations used on the Century during World War II (when the train was still pulled by Hudson steam locomotives). It was nothing like the high-windowed "lookout lounge" observations of the "Creek-series" that came with the E-8s. I would be pleasantly surprised, but I don't expect to see Kato do a Century anytime soon. The economic situation is a factor. Another is that every car would have to be new tooling, as all the Century cars were unique except for some sleepers that also ran on other overnight NYC trains. Walthers is doing the 1948 Century in HO, but only one car at a time. Kato seems to be doing entire trains. Doing the Century now would seem to be pretty risky.
How about: No? Um, then I want (if I could aford it), undec modern passenger that I see on AMTRAK's Regional out of Boston hauled by AEM-7s. Failing that? Streamlined NYC Hudsons hauling whatever it is they did.
What ever Kato decides on I hope it has a new steamer pulling it.:tb-biggrin:As long as they keep producing steam I'll buy the sets whether it is my road or not.
Hmmm. How about a 1950s City of San Francisco? It would give Kato a reason to sell more E, F, and PA locomotives in C&NW, UP, and SP paint. If they stretched it to post-1955, they could maybe sneak in Milwaukee Road too.
Here is a video of the E655. The paint design acts as mirror. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVf5MTkVOno"]YouTube - E655ãŠå¬ã—電車試é‹è»¢ï¼ˆæ±½ç¬›ä»˜ï¼‰[/ame]
