If the A-unit doesn't have a DB it is unlikely it would be equipped to control DB on a unit that has them, A or B. As for IC, no DB was not applied... and even at the angle of the photo you would be able to see it if it were a 48" fan.
There has been talk that Rapido will be doing both the OB lightweight coach and the Canadian sometime in the near future so just be patient. I feel reasonably certain that we will see these coming out in the fairly near future... as opposed to the PRR K4... which we may never see, heck, even GHQ prefers to offer a Mike in brass instead of shooting for a K4..
I was essentially neutral about the announcement of the Illinois Central passenger train release until Friday, 24 January 2014 when we drove south from Champaign, Illinois on route 45 which runs parallel for several miles with the former IC right of way. At Arcola, there is a large mural depicting one of the IC passenger trains painted on the west side of a brick retail business. I saw that and my interest began to shift.:wideeyes: By the time I got up this morning, I was trying to determine where I had seen the photos of the KATO model of the IC. Thought I could resist this one, however having ridden the IC from Chicago to New Orleans and other part of the route in Illinois many times, this one may be added to the 2014 budget.
Well... what I meant was that the whole DB mechanism may have been removed while in the boneyard... scavenged for parts used on another unit. Your point though... about the unlikely scenario of a NON-DB A unit set-up to work a DB B unit make sense. Come to think of it... I don't even know if Kato has ever tooled a NON-Dynamic E8B unit. Can someone confirm that?
If Kato is going to reuse old tooling I wish they would at least come out with complete sets of something more prototypical like the Denver Zephyr or the City of St. Louis. I didn't start running passenger trains until the 2010's, so I missed out on some of the earlier releases of cars that could make up those trains. As far as new tooling an NCL would probably sell well, but since I model Denver my vote would be for something like a Colorado Eagle or Rocky Mountain Rocket. Those may not be the biggest market but I would not have thought that of Alaska RR either.
I agree that the Alaska RR seems a curious choice. I don't know anyone who models it but I don;t get around much... :wideeyes:
If I purchased one of the new offerings, it will be the Illinois Central one. I have not read whether this is intended to be a model of the The City of New Orleans which per the 1947 schedule left Chicago in morning and traveled to New Orleans in the course of that same day to arrive before midnight. The schedule says 921 miles. I understand the Panama Limited that ran in the 1940s to 1960s departed Chicago and arrived in New Orleans on the morning of the next day. From memory, I recall a trip in May 1957 on the Effingham, IL to New Orleans portion of that route.
Further investigation of these IC name trains has also led me to consider the purchase two of the BLI E6A units to head up the Kato IC 10 car train. The only car that Kato is offering in the set that does not seem to fit from my view is the dome, but I am not a rivet counter.
I have to say that I will be tempted to buy the IC set also - it may just be too good looking to pass up. And Kato did go to the trouble to make the non-dynamic brake E8A body shells so credit them for that. I'm also encouraged at the ACL and RI F units with steam generators; could this mean they have something on the horizon on the passenger car side to go with them? The release last year of the NP NW2 may also mean something, as Kato seems to rarely make locomotives without making cars to go with them at some point. It sure does complicate planning my budget.....
Since I grew up riding this railroad, I will have to buy the train. Here I am posing with the E8 along with my two big brothers.
If they really need to put out some fillers to pass the time for us, I know something simple they could do. I have two passenger sets missing one car. I could really use a Santa Fe "Big Dome", the missing link from Kato. IIRC, there were two body styles, small minor window difference, they could do both and sell them in a 2-pack.
At least KATO built an EL set. I am still waiting for a NP NCL. I have asked Kato about this several times. The excuse that I get from them is that he!! will freeze over first because "you NP modelers are too damn picky." That quote was what the last Kato rep told me. Ryan
How would NP modelers be more picky than any others? Do the cars and do them right like all the other sets released. As for the B-unit grille lettering, figure something out, toss it in the kobo line and charge $175/ B unit? Not sure about the colors? Go talk to the NPRHA then tell the critics to blame them if they don't like the colors. ...(sigh)... excuses. I would love to have a correct Kato NCL.
It does not cost any more to do it right, than slapping incorrect paint on any old thing, as they have done in some past instances. This is 2014, in an era where most modelers expect to pay a price, but also to get the proper product in return for those ever harder to come by hobby dollars! Slapping pink with yellow polka dots on anything handy, calling it NP and smugly believing we are dumb enough to buy it, describes a management system which is defective and needs thorough flushing. Pointing their fingers at the consumer, and blaming us for their own in house ignorance is a fools paradise. Do it right to begin with, and you won't have a problem! ALL the data required is available in what can be a matter of mere minutes, via NPRHA and the NPModelers Group. Just get off your lazy rears, and ask.
I couldn't have said it better Ken. One thing that REALLY irks me about Kato is how many freakin' CZ passenger sets do we need? Why dont they release something new. Okay...they are releasing an Alaska but is it protypical? I am not one to know since I dont model Alaska, but it does look nice. Ryan
Amusingly, what annoys me about the CZ sets is that they don't sell the cars individually. The domes, diner and observation cars can be kitbashed into reasonable looking CP Rail/VIA rail cars.
They've done 5 so 1 more. These aren't really 'new' sets as far as Kato is concerned, they're just restocks with new numbers. With popularity of the CZ, it makes sense to try and keep it in stock. If any of the other Named Trains were nearly as popular as the CZ, they'd have the same thing. Jason
There seems to be an inexplicable reluctance among the manufacturers to consult with the various historical/technical societies.
I totally agree! And the sad thing is, I am sure all of the historical societies would be MORE than glad to work with a mfg to get at least the model colors right. To me it is more important to get the colors right or at least close and sacrifice some minor details here and there on a car or engine than it is to be WAY off on the color. As modelers there are certain things that we just need to accept as "close enough." Ryan
