No. I'm firmly set in a modeling era well post-steam years. But far from any thoughts of operating restored steam.
Thank-you for the information Robert. Six or seven years ago I would have been mighty disappointed with this (pseudo-non-official-hearsay) announcement. But since we have been expecting an FEF from a manufacturer for over 3 years... and I've been assimilated into the BORG collective of Union Pacific... I'll be happy to get one. Still... a Northern Pacific NCL is sorely lacking... and as time goes forward I would expect it to be announced. I really thought the announcement would be a Milw Rd Olympian Hiawatha with the F7 Hudson or EP4 Little Joe. An NYC Twentieth Century Limited would do wonders for Kato's image as to the 'eastern road' modelers. But... just the same... THERE IS STILL NO OFFICIAL announcement from Kato. BTW... No mind blowing, earth-shattering or heart-stopping is presently occuring...
Went to the WGH show in Portland, Or today with my Dad, my son, and my nephew. It was a guys day of trains. There were MANY mfg booths. I talked to KAto about the feasability of a NCL and why they dont do more NP locos? The gentleman told me NOT to rule out a NCL as there only really 3 passenger trains that they have NOT done; The Hiawatha, the Empire Builder, and the NCL. However, he said due to the fact that the COLA has not sold well as there is a TON of COLA sets in the Kato warehouse, Kato will not allow anymore new passenger sets to be made until inventory has been reduced. He said that we should NOT expect ANY new passenger sets for anouther 2-3 years.
Sounds like all the rumors about Kato doing UP 844 and the heritage cars is out then... But if they do an Empire Builder, hopefully its a later one with the great dome.
As I've said in other post and threads about the FEF...I'll believe it when I see an official Kato announcement... This is the same Kato that said they would do regular runs of SD40-2s, not 2, and stop being they didn't sell out as they picked odd units.
I bet the COLA sets would of sold well of they were painted the correct UP armor yellow and not orange yellow. I know I wouldn't of returned mine. Unfortunately Kato thinks everything they do is right and nobody can tell them otherwise.
Ill just say that "Superturbine" and I, the guys building 4-8-4 northern conversions from the get go when the GS4 first came out, have a pretty damned good source when it comes to word on an FEF. Its from one company thats in constant contact with loco manufacturers. The question was asked as a favor to Jason LONG before word got onto the forums of an FEF so take it how you will. Those in the know are of a very small community when it came to this late last year and now words out and Kato is talking a bit more now to show goers. Ill leave it at that but yes, its happening and im glad i wont have to make all of my FEFs from casting and reserve my work for Santa Fe northern conversions.
It seems that when something Kato makes doesn't sell it's not their fault for making something we don't want, it's our fault for not wanting what they make.
I have sold all my new C30-7's and SD45's. The color difference was just too noticable. No excuse for that now-a-days in this hobby.
They do a better job with stainless steel than anyone else I know, (Super Chief, El Capitan, CZ), it seems to be plain colours that they mess up, especially yellow.
Since I'm not a rivet counter and the C&NW and UP parted ways decades before the time I model, I don't get how bad the mismatch may be. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1. Can someone post a photo of a direct comparison between the cars and an original dated paint chip that has never been exposed to light, atmosphere or any other condition that may affect the qualities of a color. For the comparison to be proper the two items should be illuminated by the same source at the same time with no shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. How do you guys cope with The Safety (Zeto) Yellow used by the C&NW, considering that the color started changing as soon as the equipment was rolled out of the paint booth and no two pieces of equipment faded identically?
I think the biggest issue is that instead of being yellow...Kato has been making locos and cars orange lately...sure it could be fixed, but the prices that Kato is wanting, they could get the color alot closer to real colors. For me, I plan on fading the locos and bit and weather them.
I talked with a Kato rep in Chattanooga awhile back and the only reason the color has been off is because they got it cheaper. Again....there is no excuse for this from a company like Kato. I am still a fan of Kato and think they run the best in N Scale, but they should not rely on that alone. To be the best does not mean cutting a couple pennies on cheap paint.
Reading between the lines, I'm wondering if "got it cheaper" could have really meant "we had to use the closest commercially available, durable, plastic compatible, environmentally acceptable, reliable source paint we could find." The alternative, some sort of unique, custom manufactured with little assurance of delivery/performance paint at twice the price. I don't know anything about the paint industry, but as with most I'm guessing things are more complicated for those on the inside and not others looking in. Just speculating..... (I'm not at all a UP fan, however I did buy the COLA and matching E8s and am glad I did)
There seems to be a sense on their part the manufacturer determines the market. If so, it's way off base. A market is determined by the consumers. You don't do what the buyer wants, you fail. To then blame the market is simply way out in space.
Here is a comparison of the original Kato UP smooth sides and the newer COLA cars: Your monitor and gamma may vary a bit...
