Yes, it is iconic. Yes, it is cool. No, it won't sell like hot cakes. A road specific loco that sells well has to be something that a modeler how doesn't care about the line has an attachment to. Look at the GS4 or the FEF3, they still run, and for many modelers, they may be the only steam engine that the person has seen run. They may bring back memories of a family trip to watch it go by. I am not a UP modeler, but I would love to have the 844 excursion set. The move to model the FP7 makes perfect sense. Kato can now sell a SP FP7, a SP F3/7B, and 6 passenger cars and have nice pike sized set that doesn't look out of place on most layouts
Fine, but it's another covered wagon that's been done by someone else. Sure- it still makes sense, and i'll buy it. As for the arguement about the FEF or GS4 , OK, but 261 is as much 'in that boat' too. By the way if Kato is so switched on , how come they never did the Heavy Mike in Milwaukee Road livery? The Milwaukee had about a 100 of them.
There will be many very hungry and thirsty passengers on that train. Only a 9 car consist... seems as there should be another 3 cars at least... a diner, a tap lounge and baggage. Perhaps an add-on is planned? Sent from my SM-G530T using Tapatalk
Oooppsss... Someone caught on quick! Sweet deal too! I am tempted. But I don't run diesels! Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
I just hope Kato is going to take into account all of the CN/VIA modellers who will want the Lake, Superdome and Creek cars. Otherwise the bodyshells will go fast.
I see a baggage-dormitory car (others already reported the diner correction). Would the tap lounge still be included after the Superdomes were added?
I'm trying to quit buying more rolling stock and instead focus on decoders and metal wheels. This is a nice train, and I will have a hard time resisting.
The Tap lounge cars were in fact removed from the consist when the superdomes arrived however they were added to some of the larger summer trains. Randy
Thanks for the info Randy. Looks like we have a valid/complete consist. I'm a buyer for every prototypical name train that Kato releases. This will be a nice medium size train, with some very interesting cars (plus the FP7's and the B unit with winterization hatch). Looking forward to it!
Randy...Very true. And the SAME situation occurred for some Hiawathas. The 'Taps' were substituted when the Domes were shopped. I think I read that the Domes also were on the Varsity for a short time in 1963-64, but were removed when three were sold to the CN.
The CN bought the six superdomes from the Olympian Hiawatha. The other 4 cars were in the Western Ave. passenger pool for the most part. The CN cars were extensively rebuilt by the CN. The CN rebuilt superdomes are the most desirable to car buyers because of this rebuilding. The 4 Milwaukee Road cars were never really rebuilt. I went to Tacoma years ago to the shop of the old American Orient Express for some locomotive work and saw the Superdome 58 there. It was in rough shape and was scrapped soon after I saw it. The plight of the "creek" skytops is sad because they were thouroghly rebuilt by the CN also. Unfortunately the cars were badly neglected and now I think there is only one left, I think Coffee Creek. CN really saved the cars for us.
Well, last complete. The bodyshells from the two that were on the barge Lansdowne on lake Erie were saved but they are in bad shape.
As complete as they were on the barge. A portion of one side was removed on each car when they were put on Lansdowne. https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/33672589@N08/sets/72157628473240169/
I still do not understand the effort wasted to cut the shells off, instead of just donating the entire car(s).
The entire cars were donated. They couldn't afford a crane capable of lifting them off of the barge in one piece.
