Gang, If this has already been posted somewhere else on the site (and I somehow missed it), my bad, but there are some new pictures of the El Capitain set on the Kato website: http://katousa.com/N/ElCap/106-075.jpg http://katousa.com/N/ElCap/106-7115.jpg Enjoy! Chris
Look at that Unitrack. I'm going to have to build some more T-TRAK modules to make use of it. Pity the add on set doesn't contain two baggage cars as originally announced so I could build up my fleet of head end cars. I've got to complain about something but the more I see of it, that's the best I can come up with. Mine's on the way from Feather River, but Australia Post employees went on strike today, might still get here for Christmas.
Someone told me today that 91 percent alcohol will take off the lettering. Microscale has decals for Amtrak... As Amtrak cars they interest me. As ATSF they don't, though that's kind of odd. I have a number of Kato ATSF cars/locos. Terry
I believe Amtrak only still uses the El Cap transition cars. So if Kato comes out with Amtrak, will they release the transition car only? Or are they gonna have to do the entire set in Amtrak livery (nor prototypical unless we're talking Phase I stripes)?
I would say Kato would just do the transition cars...but thats just a guess. They are not like Concor, painting anything every color they can. LOL
Jerry, I think you are on to something there. At long last, Kato looks to be shedding the one design serves all passenger cars from the past 1993-2004 (or whenever the first Zephyr came out) and focusing more on road specific arrangements. I think it is kind of nice that they are doing all of these new "Named Trains" from scratch. They sure do look a lot better than the older runs of cars.
Anyone from Kato reading this? If so, I'd definitely buy a transition car! I even still have my HO scale transition car from Detail Associates!
David its a little bit of a drive from the bay. But hey I have family in Mather so I might have to take you up on your offer. Hopefully I'll have a nice station module for the march show, for the Daylight, Zephyer, Brodway, Super Chief, and El Cap.:tb-biggrin::tb-biggrin:
Remember that Amtrak operated more than just the AT&SF transition cars ( the step-down high-level coaches...the baggage-dorm cars with the high-level shrouds were long gone) up until the early to mid-1990's. I was on a Southwest Chief in September 1995 (EB from Flagstaff, AZ to KC) that had a transition dorm-coach plus two regular coaches (from the Santa Fe). In addition, it had a brand-new Superliner II dining car. I'd like to see a full set of the high levels done in either Phase II or, preferably, III paint schemes.
All the El Cap cars will all be prototypical in Phase I and III. Some of them will be prototypical in Phase II (most cars went from I to III). Coaches with modified window arrangements (for the Heartland Flyer) and lounges (Pacific Parlor Cars) will be prototypical in Phase IV. Only the Pacific Parlor Cars will be prototypical today in Phase IVb. I don't know if Kato will do the El Caps in Amtrak since there are a few things about them that aren't correct for Amtrak like the plates that have the car numbers and "Santa Fe" wording. Also, I think the diaphrams are wrong. I got two El Cap sets and I am ordering the Amtrak Phase III El Cap Microscale decals to do a few of them up. I am also going to do some in phase I and IV too. Should be a fun project! Chris
Chris, how are you gonna get rid of those improper "Santa Fe" plates? I want to change some of the hi-level coaches to a phase III Amtrak scheme (Microscale decals), but the large plates were gone by then. Problem is, pictures of these hi-levels from the mid-80s to mid-90s are hard to find, IMHO. Where some (or all) of these coaches converted to coach-dorms?
