I'm surprised nobody has started a thread on this yet. http://www.katousa.com/N/Pass-Amtrak/index.html http://www.katousa.com/N/Pass-PC/index.html http://www.katousa.com/N/E8/176-5341.jpg http://www.katousa.com/N/E8/176-5343.jpg That PC E unit looks really cool. It would be nice if they expanded the release to include two or three different road numbers.
Check out the full poster with four Amtrak trains in different eras. I believe most of this was already announced but some new? http://www.katousa.com/cgi-bin/dl/dl.pl?dl.mif,Amtrak40th-11x17-poster.pdf Are there any new body styles being released in these sets?
Interesting trains. I don't know how many folks will want the PC ones considering how short a time span they represent. Still, there are those in the NTRAK crowd who are always looking for something different to run. I personally don't get the warm fuzzes when I think of Penn Central. I guess I was upset about the deal when it went down and the two arch competitors merged and lost all their corporate identities. I was still a kid and did not understand the financial realities of the era. However, the Amtrak "Pointless Arrow" era does bring back fond memories for me. Is the 21 roomette sleeper a new car for Kato, or is that from the Broadway Limited set?
I believe these are repaints of the Broadway limited cars. Kato trying for a larger return on it's investment. I had no love for the PC at the time. However, it represents the last gasp of the old way of railroading. Though more profitable, railroading is much blander these days. In retrospect, a rather neat railroad. I'm getting a set, and adding a couple of Walthers NYC coaches. My first Kato purchase in years. Will probably redo my railroad concept. Still debating the locomotive, which is about as much as the consist. A proto E-8 repainted may be the way to go for me. Not exactly a challenging paint scheme. Frank.
OK, answered my own question. They are from the Broadway Limited 4 car add on set. Something rings a bell about them like PRR converted them all to coaches before the PC merger. Anyone up on PRR passenger cars?
I'll be getting a set of the Penn Central cars and the E8 for my desert southwest Southern Pacific layout. My first train set was a Marx with an 0-4-0 lettered for the Penn Central. That may help explain my total disregard for accuracy on my layout.
Not a PC GG1??!!!! :tb-biggrin: I'm not sure what I'll be buying, but as a big passenger fan, it's always hard for me to pass up a nice Kato offering, especially if it includes E units!
I am kinda happy they are doing amfleet cars! I wish they would go ahead and do the Horizon cars style.
According to Brian at Eastern Seaboard, who photographed the ex-PRR cars for Kato, they were converted to coaches, but the window arrangements stayed the same in most of them. I believe the same holds true for many converted Pullmans. Frank
Russell, These were converted by the Pennsy in 1963 or 64 into coaches for the NE Corridor (although they did show up system wide). They also converted a number of Budd 10-6's into coaches, including all of the N&W Budds (I believe they had 18 or so cars). Hell was getting a windowless seat in one of these cars!
Cool, even if Kato does not make new interiors for them, then they will still look right on the outside.
If I bought some of the Penn Central cars I would have to get a new locomotive to pull them. This old Arnold Rapido freight beater would just not look right pulling them.
The conversion was actually more like 1961-1962, the N&W sleeper conversion into Snack bar Coaches was 1964-1965. The windows remained the same on the 21 roomette cars but the interior became a 60 reclining seat, and 12 lounge chair smoking lounge. It's a shame they didn't do a 10-6, although the 12-4 is right on as is the green 4-4-2. The coach in the drawing resembles the UP coaches bought for the PC Broadway (General) when the 44 seat ACFs were withdrawn due to structural failure. This is what HO modelers can expect from Walthers in the future.
Interesting, that the Kato poster has the PC train routing along the ex NYC James Whitcomb Riley. Most of those cars ain't even close though.
Ugh! So I understand the business argument behind the PC and Amtrak Ph I releases - they both allow Kato to repaint existing models for greater ROI. What I don't understand, however, is why Kato is tormenting me by offering these right now when I am trying so hard to be loyal to Z scale? Were they reading my mind, do I need to start wearing a tinfoil hat? Seriously though, I'm overjoyed at these announcements by Kato - as well as the Amfleet II and Viewliner set also due out early next year. Oh but Kato, as Norseman Jack called for, let's see some additional road numbers on those E units! If they offered additional road numbers, maybe we would order more of them - hint, hint. Plus, on those paint schemes additional road numbers would be a snap.
