Santa Fe built and retrofit most/all of their F units with stainless steel panels as well as their E units... Bruce
Even though it seems like the natural thing for Kato to do an E7 diesel... I just don't think they are committed to something that isn't on the point of a well known passenger consist. PERHAPS... they are considering doing a completely new Great Northern Empire Builder... but then what other named train could they use the E7 tooling for? Of course that arguement doesn't hold water when you question why a GS4 was made for the Morning Daylight.... or a GG1 for the Broadway Ltd... other than those models had not been done in N scale before... whereas the E7 has been done by a few other companies (even Kato/ConCor). The EMD "E" series of diesels will be done by a company with "industrial sized ball bearings" willing to take a chance to do ALL of them from the EA to the E9 and do them true to the prototype. I ventured a guess it would be Intermountain... and expected them to announce that new series after doing the last of the "F" series of diesels. So... anyway... when will Kato be formally announcing the Olympian Hiawatha with the EP-4 Little Joe's?? wink: laugh:
As mentioned, the E5's were stainless steel. Also, I think you're confusing two distinct methods for painting stainless steel finishes on models. The first is Alclad II Chrome paint which is applied over a gloss black base coat. The other method, authored by Marlin Cox and referenced by Mike Danneman in NSR over the years is a regular silver base coat with either Tamiya gunmetal diluted with clear, or Tamiya's clear smoke further diluted, and sprayed over the silver base coat to give the finish depth and shadow, better simulating stainless steel.
They would have to build a new chassis. Not that it would be that hard for Kato. The plastic clip that holds the front truck and electrical wipers would stick up and be visible, taking up most of the interior of the cab. On my E5, I modified a Life Like E3/E6 to create the model. On a whim, I bought a Broadway Limited E7 with decoder and sound to try and repower it. The cab on the shovel nose E's sits quite a way back from the position of the cab on the E7-E9. However, a really neat feature of the Broadway Limited chassis is that the cab interior can be easily moved back and plugged into a ready made location to sit under the Life Like shovel nose shell. I test fit a Life Like shell onto a Kato chassis. It could be made to fit but like I said, you would have to live with no cab interior. Here the shell is still riding a little high and already the cab is about full.
That brings up a point I am POed about, which is, I prefer the streamliners of the 30s and early 40s. Kato has completely ignored these (Thank you FVM!) I would love to see a UP 10002.10004,10006...
the problem with the streamliners like UP 10002, 10004, 10006 is they are very specific, and the cars and power can't really be used for anything else, where the NCL and Oly Hia cars could all be painted in several diffrent schemes and railroads.
I would venture a guess that most Oly Hi cars would not be usable outside of MILW. The "porthole" end windows are distinctively MILW. http://www.trainweb.org/hiawatha/proto480-494.jpg http://www.trainweb.org/hiawatha/proto172R.jpg http://www.trainweb.org/hiawatha/tap lounge164L.jpg http://www.trainweb.org/hiawatha/lakekapowsin.jpg The NP North Coast Limited cars as Delamaize alluded to might be usable for GN, and other Hill lines.
I think that the argument FOR making an NCL is better than ANY of the other classic passenger consists... but... logical doesn't seem to fit the whims of Kato. That's not to say any of their previous releases were illogical... but... the requests for an accurate NCL has been out there for at least the 10 yrs I've been on these model railroading boards. Just the same... there are several good options still left that would have the "WOW" factor. Maybe the unexpected is what we should expect from Kato. That's one of the reasons I'm saying that the next release is going to the the Olympian Hiawatha... it's a consist that is very Milwaukee Road specific... and not something we would expect from a manufacturer. Furthermore... an EP-4 Little Joe would likewise be a stunning 'curveball'... in light that they already did a GG1 and its following has been somewhat lukewarm despite many requests in the past 10 yrs. My only other call on the motive power for the Oly Hia would be a Hudson class F-7 (Otto Kuhler???) steamer. I really can't think of any other 'western' road that is left to do with that "WOW" factor consist and motive power. If Kato really wants to surprise us... it would be a Twentieth Century Ltd with a Dreyfuss Hudson.... but... I don't think this is the one they're going for this time around. Any of the above choices would interest me... I'd just like to know as soon as possible so I can start saving my lunch money.
I believe my Sunset Limited is safe for now. Although, my Sam Houston Zephyr is in danger of being copied. biggrin:
The F7 hudsons didn't haul the Olympian Hiawatha-certainly not west of Minneapolis, the Olympian was the domain of the FM Erie builts, Quill electrics, Little Joes, Bi Polars, 4-8-4s, FP-7s E-7s the E-6 set, E-9s Randy
The Oly Hi was launched in June of 1947. Out west was "The Gap" and any steam there would have been two F6 4-6-4 engines converted to oil, or an "S" class 4-8-4. Otherwise, it was Diesels, Bipolars, Joes, the two converted Boxcab sets.... East of Harlowton could have also seen an "S" class used. If an F7 4-6-4 went west of the Twin Cities, it would have likely been a little bit unusual. I won't say never... Quills were usually found on #17 and #18, The Columbian. If they pulled the Hi, I'd believe by 1947 such would have been as substitute power, rather than a regular assignment.
BoxcabE50... Since you're online... I was wondering about the different 'classes' of Milwaukee Road passenger steam. I saw a picture of a Pacific class (4-6-2) which looked a lot like the Hudsons. I think it was called 'Chippewa'... and had road number 152. Where did Milw Rd use these Pacific class steamers?
As I recall, there were three such 4-6-2 locos. #150 Class F3 and #151, 152 as Class F1. I can't say for certain where all they might have been used. The Chippewa ran as Train #21 between Chicago and Ontonagon, Michigan- Then as Train #14 return trip. I'd guess use was similar type runs in the Wisconsin-Illinois region.
Mr Straw, is that Sunset obs a ConCor 10-6 with a Rowa PS Obs rear grafted on? Please tell as it looks fantastic! Gerry
Busted. Wow, you have sharp eyes. It does not quite line up but it was all I could find. I also added Kato trucks to the Con Cor car so as to pick up power to light the lights.
Thanks Russell, what a clever way to create this ubique blind end obs. I've often thought it would work but my painting skills are rubbish. I have a few of the old Rowa cars and would love to use a dome to sub (with smoothed sides) for a Wabash dome..... By the way for 'busting' you I'll take a stainless E5 please! ;O))) Gerry
Okay, so it sounds like it will be the Olympian Hiawatha. Not my first choice..... (actually, not in my top four; NCL, Denver Zephyr w/E5, Empire Builder, 20th Century), but I would still buy it. The good news is that Kato still sees a viable market for accurate, reasonably priced, high quality complete "name trains." Let's hope that when the economy picks up, and before us boomers disappear, that they'll finally get around to the others I mentioned.
