Kato Passenger Set - whats the next one?

LehmanNWMS Mar 10, 2010

  1. digisnaps01

    digisnaps01 TrainBoard Member

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    "Kato ? How about some Southern Pacific Passenger Cars in Silver & Red ?"

    Hmmm, yes please. The Sunset Ltd is one of the few passenger sets I'll now buy, along with anything in DRGW paint such as The Prospector/Royal Gorge.
    Whilst I think/hope the Sunset is a possibility in time, I suspect if I want a DRGW train, then it's time to start on the Car Sides & Core kits, and custom decals....................

    Paul
     
  2. Calzephyr

    Calzephyr TrainBoard Supporter

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    If not for the IMRC/Centralia Car Shops releases of the Southern Pacific / Rock Island Rocket 4-4-2 & 6-6-4 sleeper cars last year... I'd also be clamoring for Kato to make that consist. The IMRC cars are very nice... but also quite expensive as compared to the Kato consists (on a per car basis). The problem with IMRC/CCS models is that we don't know when (if ever) an entire consist will be completed. If something were to happen to these two companies... we may all end-up with partial consists. I really wish that IMRC/CCS would be more diligent in delivering full consists within a year of the first car in the set.
     
  3. Calzephyr

    Calzephyr TrainBoard Supporter

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    I normally don't bump threads... but... most of us have become accustomed to an announcement from Kato for either a new locomotive (not re-runs) or new passenger consists (not re-runs) on an annual basis.

    The last announcement was for the American Freedom Train GS-4 and another Daylight GS-4 with slight change to numberboards (basically a re-run). I think I saw something about a new SD90 or similar modern diesel (again re-run). Looks like the holiday season is not going to be as cheery for me as it has been for the past 8 years. Granted... given the economy... maybe we should be glad.
     
  4. NorsemanJack

    NorsemanJack TrainBoard Member

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    Yep, and based on Kato's website, it looks like they've sold out of their inventory of all Super Chief and CZ sets. They still show all of the El Capitan and Broadway offerings, as well as the base Daylight set. I wouldn't be surprised if when the new release of GS4's show up, that they also replenish the add on sets for the Daylight. That would give anybody their choice of three different complete passenger consists to ask for under the tree. Granted, we would be much more excited about something new, but business is business......
     
  5. Kevin M

    Kevin M TrainBoard Member

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    Although I am NW themed guy one set I would buy would be a 20th Century with a streamlined 4-6-4. That is a very good looking engine and the two toned gray is stunning.
    Kevin
     
  6. NorsemanJack

    NorsemanJack TrainBoard Member

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    I think pretty much all of of passenger fans would buy it, and I wouldn't be surprised if Kato was aware of that as well. They've figured out how to maximize the cash flow (i.e. from my wallet to their sellers), but I'm not complaining.
     
  7. Calzephyr

    Calzephyr TrainBoard Supporter

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    I bought a Broadway Limited set... though I am strictly a western roads modeler. I didn't pre-order... got it from the LHS after seeing it. I would probably do the same if the 20th Century Limited were to be announced... with a Hudson Class... of course. :) ;)
     
  8. Thieu

    Thieu TrainBoard Member

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    So, my friend was right: What's new! Current Pre-Order Items - KATO USA : Precision Railroad Models

    The City of Los Angeles.
     
  9. Westfalen

    Westfalen TrainBoard Member

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    Did the originator of this thread know something we didn't.:tb-wink:

    Now we know, who's going to kick off the guessing what the next one will be?

    I'd like a San Francisco Chief to round off a trio of Santa Fe trains.
     
  10. NorsemanJack

    NorsemanJack TrainBoard Member

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    For reasons unknown to us, Kato has tended to stick with a collection of their "favorite" roads. The fact that they've done Empire Builder schemed cars in the past, along with multiple releases of same, suggests to me that a proper Empire Builder may be on their short list. If you look in the rearview mirror, Kato has been somewhat predictable.
     
  11. to2leo

    to2leo TrainBoard Member

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    For all that we now know, Kato has 3 categories for its US/Canada Passenger Releases.
    1) North American Name Trains or 'Classic Train Series' (Golden Age)
    2) North American Passenger Cars (1950s onward)
    3) Packaged Train Sets (1990s onward)

    So anything is possible for Golden Era Name Trains, Amtrak focus for Passenger Cars and Packaged train sets to test the market.
     
  12. Charlie Vlk

    Charlie Vlk February 5, 2023 In Memoriam

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    You have to understand that the products that Kato produces, while influenced by the input of the Kato USA staff and North American consumer requests are largely driven by Tokyo and Japanese North American prototype modelers.

    In Japan trains are run as (largely) fixed consist trainsets. Therefore you get boxed sets of "name trains". I imagine the City of Los Angeles train took longer to decide what train to call the set and what the contents would be than to do the research on the cars. The idea of offering the "City of Everywhere".... just a sampling of UP cars that can be used for any of the 1950's trains... would not pass muster. An "official" consist had to be produced... the idea that the composition of the train most likely changed most days is foreign to the Japanese.
    It may be that the concept of mixed car sets did not work as well for Kato as the complete train offerings (although I don't know what the sales figures are.... the numbers when we did the Budd Corrugated cars were huge and I suspect today's market supports only a small fraction of what was done 10 years ago).

    It will be interesting to see what happens with Kato when the rapidly approaching Brick Wall of Diminishing "Name Trains" that can be commercially viable takes hold. While there are maybe 4-5 strong choices left they're rapidly getting into marginal roadnames from a sales perspective.

    I can maybe see the following before Kato sees sales drop off for complete trains to the point they won't do them any more:

    Canadian (CP)
    City of New Orleans (IC)
    North Coast Limited (NP)
    Twentieth Century (NYC)
    Empire Builder (GN)

    The following are maybe a stretch...

    Sunset Limited (SP)
    Twin Cities Zephyr *CB&Q)
    Olympian Hiawatha or Twin Cities Hiawatha (MILW)

    These are good from our perspective but maybe off the chart:

    Capitol Limited (B&O)
    Crescent Limited (SOU)
    Congressional Limited (PRR)
    Florida Special (FEC)

    Before this starts a storm of protests from followers of certain roads you have to understand that the there must be BROAD support for a roadname and paint scheme to tool and produce a passenger train. From what I've heard the PRR Broadway was not a great seller compared to the Super Chief, Daylight, El Capitan and California Zephyr. Past sales predict that the City of Los Angeles will sell well, but we'll see.

    Charlie Vlk
     
  13. NorsemanJack

    NorsemanJack TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for weighing in Charlie. I really hope you're correct with the above, as I would be delighted to buy all but the Canadian.
     
  14. to2leo

    to2leo TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks Charles for your thoughts,
    I and many past VIA Rail passengers/modelers would like to see the Canadian especially in VIA Rail scheme. The ride and the scenery is very memorable. Also, the fact that many Japanese tourists begin their rail trip from Jasper to Vancouver might gain attention and support in Kato's home country too.
     
  15. thenightfly

    thenightfly TrainBoard Member

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    I get the feeling that if they'd produce a Hiawatha set with a beautiful streamlined hudson or atlantic, with that one off streamlined observation car that no other roads seemed to have, it would sell quite well. I don't think there's a more beautiful steam engine than their F7, not to mention they'd be able to make it do a scale 125 mph with no arguments about prototype speed. Someone named 'roadie' on the nscale site converted a Hallmark ornament into quite a beauty, even though it was supposedly not quite perfectly accurate in detail. The pics on that site are gone, but you can google hallmark hiawatha ornament to see what he started with.
     
  16. Westfalen

    Westfalen TrainBoard Member

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    Fox Vally Models has beat them to the post with that one.
     
  17. Calzephyr

    Calzephyr TrainBoard Supporter

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    I figure now is as good a time as any to 'resusitate' this Kato 'next passenger set' thread.

    We've just read that the next two items comming after the COLA (City of Los Angeles) set will be:

    The fifth re-incarnation of the California Zephyr...

    and an inter-urban set to be headed by a completely new (modern) passenger diesel.

    So... we still wait for the North Coast Limited... the Golden State... the Colorado Eagle... the Panama Limited... the Twentieth Century Limited... etc etc etc....
     
  18. RatonMan

    RatonMan TrainBoard Member

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    Western roads SELL!
     
  19. SP-Wolf

    SP-Wolf TrainBoard Supporter

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    Since I've gathered up all the components (Kato cars,car sides, Wheels of time RPO & baggage, and core kits) to do a prototypical 1956 "Lark"-that'll be next. Since the other train I had done that with(guess which one) just came out. As did the "Daylight". I did manage to complete a correct "Golden State". So- who the heck knows.

    Just sayin,
    Wolf
     
  20. lashedup

    lashedup TrainBoard Member

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    I think we'll see one more big announcement before the end of the year. The Metra set and the additional CZ set aren't the big name train announcement this year.
     

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