Sooooo, it's true then that FVM is gonna go whole hog into small steam!!! Excellent!! (I just go tmy first large non Amtrak diesel, a Kato SC80MAC, it's nice, but I'm trying not to get distracted)
In all honesty, I think that a very hot location would have a blizzard of the millennium and freeze over before they'd listen to us and our requests, pleads, etc. I've seen on several threads that the North American market is but a small piece of their world-wide pie. Now if only someone could get Walthers to sell the molds for the LL GP60's, I'd be happy.
That's like saying that since Rhode Island makes up but a small piece of the US population, they might as well not even bother voting. KatoUSA is still alive and importing, and last I checked, they import American prototypes. Their next product announcement will be based on something and if you ask me, the best product to make is the one that the most people are requesting. But hey, everyone who keeps quite based on illogical assumptions only makes my own request hold more weight, so to each their own.
thanks kmcsjr i would love to go and buy a new con-cor hudson but cant find one can some one help a new guy out
thanks marty for the welcome i would love to go to kato and buy more american steam prototypes than just those mikados in burlington no offensive to any body and Gs4's. By the way any one know were i can find a con-cor hudsonhttp://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/images/smilies/tb-cool.gif
Kato last year retooled their Japanese C62 4-6-4 and even made it DCC ready so there is technically no reason they couldn't do a NYC Hudson, the C62 though would probably on its own outsell all their US prototype engines. The boxes might say 'Kato USA' but lets face it, the decisions are made in Japan.
con-cor is selling them http://www.all-railroads.com/instock/nhudson.htm you can find em on ebay as well.
It only took Kato 27 years to issue the D&RGW PA in the four stripe Aspen Gold (Prospector)scheme. In the last 10 years or so... I'd been sending Kato requests for this model. It finally happened for me... but I was concerned it might not happen in my lifetime.
We've been asking for years for more SD-45's also.....Kato are you listening!!!! sometime before I die.......lol
So what is... 'the rest of the story'? There was a rumor... that I have not confirmed with anyone close to Kato... which claims they have misplaced the tooling for the SD45 and the U30C. Somehow I can't believe they have misplaced tooling for such a popular pair of locomotives. I could believe something like: the tooling got damaged; or, a vendor which made some components for these have gone out of business. But... LOSING TOOLING... doesn't quite fit Kato. A Kato SD45 in Rio Grande early scheme (small flying 'Rio Grande') is now on top of my list of 'wants'. Better get back to that letter (email) writing campaign... sigh It's been over 10 years since the last batch of SD45' were made... even longer for the U30C.
Latest rumor I heard was that because of the financial condition of Europe and slumping sales there and Kato highly impressed with sales of its GG1 they were going to do either a K4 or an M1. Has anyone seen any activity around Strasburg, PA? They could get the measurements there as the PA RR Museum has both locomotive types.
Calzephyr, to my knowledge nothing has been lost nor damaged, more to the point they've (SD40/45, C30-7,U30C) been left behind in the rat race(see my original post on pg.2). They'll be back, give it time. People want these units and Kato knows it, but I think they want to do some work to them before they reissue them.
