New Kato Psgr Trains!

I am tipping my hat to Arlo, not for writing the song, but for a live performance of his I was able to go to and actually meet him. That train has lingered in my head for decades.......

 

I believe the song is in a way technically incorrect anyway, in pre-Amtrak days wasn't the City of New Orleans a day train and the overnight run of which the song is about the Panama Limited?

 

In one week I collect a nice bonus and will finally grab a CZ set. No idea what I'm going to get to pull it...

 

The VIA E-8 is really odd. They only had 3 that they inherited from CP.

 

You know, I keep hearing this rumor recycled over and over again. But no one ever has any documentation, press release, statement from the manufacturer, or anything. KATO has yet to release any kind of sales figures on any of their products so why does everyone seem to pass on this old saw like a game of telephone?

If there is a glut in the market with BL sets, then why are they still selling used on eBay for just as much as any CZ, UP, ATSF, or SP set? If there was a true glut then you wouldn't be able to give these things away. But that's not the case.

Everyone was saying the same thing of the first COLA set a couple of years ago - then suddenly we have a new COLA set last year. "A friend of a friend who has a cousin who attended a train convention two years ago overheard such-in-such" isn't evidence and shouldn't be the slim thread that this rumor has been hanging on for several years now.

If anyone has proof, then present it. It's nothing more than an urban legend otherwise.

 

It's the only Named Train with only one release and it's still in stock at Kato. If nothing else, that would seem to indicate they over estimated the sales of that set.


Jason

 

Actually, they only had 2. CP Rail E-8 1801 was retired in 1969.

 

here you go : http://katousa.com/N/E8/index.html

 

Uh, I don't know which Kato website you look at, but the one I went to shows the 10 car BL set sold out at the factory. Actually has been sold out since late last year.

 

I looked here:

http://katousa.com/PDF/StockAvailability-CNS.11-02-12.pdf

Where it says the BL is in stock.

edit: I didn't see that sheet was from 2012, it's what the link on the front page of Kato's site take you to.

Jason

 

Acording to Kato's online store, the 10-car base set is "Sold Out."
http://www.katousa.com/Zcart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65_81_134&products_id=587

 

Right, I see that now. I guess they haven't updated the front page link for 'Current Stock List" in a long time.

Jason

 

For the CB&Q, they first had passenger geared A-B-A sets of F3s. Shortly after that, they were using "E" units, often seen running "elephant style."

Andy
Tetsu Uma

 

If you do a google search on Kato 106-068, you may find it in stock at some etailers

 

With all the GG1's and a rerun of Enunits for only one release of the BL I think it is safe to say that sales did not match up to expectations.

 

Because Kato are not making anything new here, just rerunning old tooling and the E8 is the only suitable locomotive they have to put VIA paint on. Unless they pull the old Con-Cor trick and do a PA1.

 

EXACTLY!

I'm not arguing that the BL set wasn't possibly a slow seller (which might explain why no re-issues). But claims that there are warehouses full of these sets collecting dust are, well, unfounded. And I've head this claim.

I personally have a BL set. In fact, I have one of each of the recent 2000's-Present sets and even one of the old NYC smooth-sided sets as well. But I hate to see rumors like the BL claim spread because it gives the false impression that N-Scale is not being supported when nothing could be further from the truth. When these kinds of rumors become widely accepted truth onlookers start to believe them and it can affect future sales and production.

Additionally, I'm anxious to see further named trains produced by Kato. For example I, and others here, are waiting with baited-breath for a true NYC 20th Century Limited. But why should Kato pursue design & development if it's commonly held that these sets don't sell? These kinds of things can start to become self-fulfilling prophecies.

 

Well, they could do a F40PH-F7B combination. I mean, it's not like they are going for 100% accuracy with this in the first place and the F7B is close enough to the F9B units VIA had.

 

Well... I'm a fan of Kato in general... I would support most of their N scale products without question.

However... I'm becoming impatient with their two recent announcements in the passenger car field. For the most part... I have extolled the virtues of Kato making prototypically correct consists of named passenger trains over the past 12 years. I have purchased other manufacturers passenger cars when I felt those manufacturers were creating a consist of proto-correct or at-least close to proto-correct models (Intermountain/CCS). I don't really see myself changing my buying habits at this time to accept what I consider a STEP BACKWARDS in supplying passenger equipment to N scale modelers. As mentioned above... the last four passenger consists are following the footsteps of Con-Cor's... 'just put any damn name on it... they'll buy it'... mentality. I was going to buy the CNW consist just because it looks nice... but... It would send the message that it's okay to make non-prototypical consists. I'm actually concerned at this point that their next announcement will be these same sets... passed off as a Northern Pacific NCL consist. I WILL NOT BUY IT IF THEY DO THAT... and... I would questions Kato's direction toward U.S. model railroaders too.

These are troubling times in the N scale kingdom...