KATO SD70ACE

woo woo woo got some more SP today.

 

No pictures yet? :-(

I'm just dying to see the GS-4 and Daylight on excursion with the help of the SP Heritage SD70ACe as the helper diesel! Anyone?

 

Kato has one on their website...
(Not horribly detailed, though)
http://www.katousa.com/N/SD70ACe/SP.jpg

 

Got my SP and CNW today, both look good. Now have to find another SP and CNW for my boys. I am getting 2 of each of the Heritage units so I can give each of them a set at their graduations. They are 10 and 8 now.

 

I'll do that when mine arrives, I was thinking the same thing. USPS says it hasn't been shipped yet, woo woo woo usually ship foreign orders on Fridays, and anything I get tends to arrive the Monday after a club running day, so I'm expecting it to arrive on the 20th.

What are the chances of the two prototypes being seen together hauling a train? I believe UP doesn't approve of non-UP steam locomotives, even those of merged roads, running on its trackage, hence most of 4449's trips are on BNSF or shortlines.

 

There is a Kato add in the backcover of the new MR that has the next two roadnames.

 

That is a really cool idea.BTW do you want to adopt me as a child because I have already graduated?

 

I received my CNW and SP a couple of days ago and they look great. Even inspecting them with a magnifying glass the paint job is near perfect. Warning labels are there as well as some other lettering. Typical running for a Kato--smooth and quiet. After putting in the DZ125 decoder it was ready for the layout. 3 more to go. The job Kato has done on these SD70ACe's is amazing. My favorite is yet to come--The Katy.

Dave

 

CNW #UP1995

Just finished painting up my CNW unit.

TCS K1D4-NC decoder fitted to both units now, but I have got to get some MTL 2004 couplers for the CNW. That'll have to wait until after I move now - as will programming the Decoders 'cos the NCE PowerCab is in storage.

 

Some more pics:

 

CNW & DRGW

Lastly, both together:

 

I notice Kato has posted on their site that the MP, Katy and WP units will be shipping in Aug/Sep.

 

Has any one done the conversion to make the ditch lights blink?, cutting the light tubes and installing leds? Thinking about giving it a try using the leds from the factory cicuit board.

 

UP ACe's dont have flashing ditch lights.

 

I believe the ditch lights (and the headlight) on the Katos are illumated from a single LED with light pipes used to route the light output to the different locations. This would require installing additional LEDs to implement flashing ditch lights. The only N-scale loco I know of with separate LEDs for the ditch lights are the Atlas Dash 8-40CWs.

Interesting...I always thought flashing ditch lights were mandated by law and were not a railroad option. However, I just watched a handful of videos showing UP SD70ACes blowing at crossings and sure enough the ditch lights were not flashing. Now I will have to spend some Google time trying to determine why this is.

Jamie

 

Flashing ditch lights are an option each railroad can choose from. UP and BNSF usually have the standard bright ditch lights which don't flash. The NS uses flashing ditch lights. I think the FRA makes ditchlights standard on engines now but some older units are still not equipped with them. This just means they have different sets of rules for occuping crossings.

 

Here's my SP unit with a GS4

 

Sort of like I couldn't help myself and pre ordered the G W Bush unit from Chuck. The wife will love me for sure when that bill comes in.