It is interesting (in a nice way) to see how Kato deviated from their recent business model - they announce this train 5 months in advance, in order to give us time to plan those Christmas hints. Of course, that decision has NOTHING to do with any plans to create demand for E8 re-releases done the normal way...
This is a huge day for N scale. I'm most surprised by their unexpected offering of more N scale steam. Hopefully that chassis can be re-used for other Northern steamers in other roads. It sounds like this will be an all new design, so maybe they incorporated some modularity that will allow re-use of some of the key elements. I'm speculating that the reason the drivers will be driven by the side rods is to free up the internal gear space for solid weight. This will be more complicated to tool and assemble, so they sure didn't do it for cost savings. Their return to a complete passenger consist (w/add-ons) is also very encouraging. After the CZ, the Super Chief (3 sub-sets) and GN sets (not even prototypical) had me wondering. Times are good!:thumbs_up: btw: speaking of Kato passenger stuff, I hope to get some more listed this weekend.
Gotta get my credit card out again Darn, with all the talk of an eastern train I thought I could safely put my credit card away for a while, now it looks like I've got to get it out again. With Kato's reputation, (I've got a lot of Japanese as well as US prototype), I don't think we need worry too much about the loco's running or pulling qualities, also Kato passenger cars are pretty free rolling, we had 52 of 'em behind a single E8 at a show once. The thing I'd like to know more about is how friendly do they mean when they say DCC friendly, will there be a plug in the tender or will a drop in decoder be available to replace a light board or will you have to dissasemble it to the same extent as the Mikado. Will the tender be fitted for a sound decoder (there's already a Tsunami with GS4 sounds, even has the air horn as well as the whistle). Will the mars light function with DCC. Just wish Kato could be a bit more specific here. P.S. Note to Kato: How about a Freedom Train?
I thought I was supposed to be a happy EAST COAST modeller according to WIG-WIG-TRAINS... Its not an EAST COAST train but my wallet will still be hurting.... The retail on both the loco and consist is very promising. The $198 retail on the locomotive is less than the a SALE price of the Con-Cor GS-4 and most likely have better mechanism and more creature features (Mars-Gyra light). The price on the consist isn't too bad considering the cars are articulated and decorated in bright colors (painting bright color on grey is tedious). All in all I'll probably get the complete set for visiting "excursion" service. At the least I'll get the locomotive, I've already sent in my email reservation! T
Patience. We had been told that they were to be announced together. It will happen, but there was a last minute glitch.
It is amazing to me how Kato can do what they do. They obviously have a different mindset over there in Japan, which in the end allows them to visualize, afford and take the (successful) risk in doing all of the expensive tooling to come up with a complete N scale trainset like this. Clearly, us western Americans are going ga-ga over this announcement (me included). Who would have thought 5 years ago that a unique prototype like articulated SP Daylight passenger car train set would come out, let alone a less expensive, Kato-quality 4-8-4 GS-4 to pull the train? It's not like any of us need to have this in order to live....... (or do we? ....)
Which line was it where Atlantics were used as helpers for GS-hauled trains? If it does fit the Niagara, then it should fit UP's FEFs as well. And what about the Santa Fe Northerns? They had 80" boxpok drivers too. Looking at some pictures, though, it seems like the GS-series have shorter-wheelbase trailing trucks than most Northerns.
Maybe the glitch was that they were going to release an Empire Builder set and then realized it wasn't really eastern. I am still chuckling over the Galloping Goose being released in UP, Pennsy, NYC, etc., schemes, over and above the more prototype Rio Grande Southern. It worked. The guy in my NTrak club who is a HUGE Pennsy fan bought one with a decoder and couldn't be happier to have one in his road name. Of course, with the Pennsy, since they seemed to have bought at least one of every type of power ever released, they may very well have had a similar maintenance shop creation on some of their own lines. Adam
you better start saving all those pennies, collecting aluminum cans, and be extra nice to santa... er...uh..Mrs. Santa tha is!
Kudos Kato, those should sell very well. My wallet's thankful neither of those ever ran within 50 miles of Interestate 35.
