ConCor came a little close to making one with their post S2 and GS4 productions using "fantasy schemed" decorated locos for the 4-8-4 pleatform Strangely enough they made a UP model and if I remember it had elephant ears and looked like the 844, but I never saw one up close. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
Don't know if it was 844 specifically, but there was a recent topic here speculating what Kato would produce next. I seem to recall suggestion of the FEF...?
I believe we're talking about the same comments BoxcabE50. Is there any validity to the commment on KATO making any F-E-F or just pure yapping? IIRC, the comment originated over on the Atlas forum. I've run out of "gotta have one's"! Except an F-E-F. Haven't seen one in Brass for sale in quite a while.
As I recall, it is mentioned somewhere in this ongoing topic. Which was started here two years ago. Don't have time to read through it right, now but if my memory is correct, in the past couple of months: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?119209-Kato-Passenger-Set-whats-the-next-one Validity? I wouldn't assign any, until actually announced. Until then, it's somewhere between wishing and hoping.
Right now I would welcome any new addtion to the 4-8-4 wheel arrangement. Other than brass we only have the worn out and seriously needing everything Bmann 4-8-4. Then there is the J which is Bmann's only other entry. There is the GS-4, specifically Concor's version, which with some roadname changes and maybe a headlight change, and a set of elephant ears, is still a GS-4. http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/concors2.html Also there is the S-2, again by Concor. At least it has a straight boiler that can be redone into something else. Other than Kato's version of the GS-4 and maybe the GS-3 that's it folks. So about now anything that isn't a rerun of the above would be welcome. So if this is a wish list I'll get in line with my wallet out for a FEF-1. Nice uncluttered boiler, 77 inch drivers, no elephant ears. I'd have a good starting point with that one.
I'd get my wallet out for at least one of each style, road number, and paint scheme we would be so lucky to get. On a more factual note, what should appear right after I started this thread, a brass Key FEF on ebay for 8 big ones. Ain't happenin.. I just picked up (a few weeks ago) a ConCor S-2. Unfortunately my perception of the performance of the 1st one I owned back in the old days was a little skewed to the high side. I had to work on it for hours to get it performing at an acceptable state. It still squeaks every once in awhile at certain points on the layout. I think I've still got some wheels out of gauge or something binds like a driver against the frame. Anyway, I'm not holding my breath buy I am keeping my fingers crossed. LOL!
I started the "rumor" after the WGH Show in SLC where I talked with the Kato rep on another N-scale blog. My post degraded into another Pennsy M1 sour grapes session and the moderators disappeared it into the off-topic bucket. Here's what happened at the WGH Show. At the show, I had talked with "Mike" the Athearn rep about them following their HO scale marketing strategy, which would be to produce the FEF next in line in N-scale, but he told me flat out that Athearn has no plans to manufacture ANY N scale locomotive in the foreseeable future because they don't make enough money off of them. I asked if he had gone on eBay lately and observed what their Big Boys and Challengers are selling for since they are getting harder and harder to get. He was surprised that I had sold one on a "Buy It Now" in 3.5 hours for $850, and two days later, a Big Boy with the same number (4019) went for $1,200 at auction. He then said Athearn would be re-issuing either the Big Boy or Challenger in "about" a year and a half. I was disgusted, then my son and I went to the Kato booth just south of the Athearn booth and struck up a conversation with the Kato rep. My son asked if they would be producing any de-skirted GS-4's or GS-3's and the rep answered "No. But, we will be introducing a new train at the end of this year, for sale in the first quarter of 2013, and it will also have a new steam locomotive to pull it." I queried, "Will it be an Eastern road?" to which the rep answered, "No, it will be a Western road and NOT Southern Pacific." A light bulb went off over my head and I said to him, "You're going to make an FEF aren't you!" to which he laughed and replied "That would be a very good idea wouldn't it?" While driving home from the show, I called another avid N-scaler friend of mine and asked him if he'd visited the Kato booth and he told me "Yes! And guess what...they're going to produce an FEF-3...the 844 and their new train will be the UP excursion train!" I asked him how he knew that for sure, and he said, "The Kato rep flat-out told me and they were going to use several of their present line of passenger cars, as well as produce new ones to ensure authenticity, and that the UP FEF-3 was a logical choice because it has been seen all over the country since the late 50's so it can be run on just about any layout no matter what road it is without too much of a stretch of the imagination." So, is it a "rumor"? If it is, it's being spread by the Kato rep at the WGH Show...and it will be an FEF-3, and they'll do it right...not cannibalize the tender like Athearn would have. There ya go...a Kato FEF-3 by the first quarter of next year along with new cars (and possibly the auxiliary water tender) to run on modern layouts, and for modelers like me to purchase and run on my 1951-56 era 0gden/Wahsatch helper district modular layout with a little retro-fitting and two-tone gray paint to pull my Overland Limited...maybe two of 'em with different numbers double heading like they often did. What a sight that will be!!
If they do, count me in. I have been in 844's cab several times. Been behind her a few times, too. And a cabride once! I have a huge softspot in my heart for an FEF-3. As much as I dislike the UP as a whole, UP steam is the exception to that rule.
Correction the FEF-1 had 77 inch drivers and was delivered without elephant ears. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/northern/?page=up http://www.athearn.com/ProdInfo/Files/Genesis_FEF_Northern_Manual.pdf
More steam, please! While doing some work for UP on a simulation project, I had a cab ride in 844 in July 2005 during a dry run for Cheyenne's "Frontier Days". I never gave so much a glance toward steam until then, but afterward have been fascinated by everything about it - especially 844 and her Challenger step sister. I would welcome any new steam loco from Kato with open arms (and wallet), and the thought that Athearn might consider a re-issue of their previous steam locos would be fantastic! Here's a shot I took from that day entering Cheyenne yard: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=110715&nseq=0
I am sure many on the Trainboard feel the same as I, how in the world could what is probably one of the most recognizable steam engines in the world have NOT BEEN MADE OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS? I'm not counting brass in the comment. I certainly hope we all don't get disappointed this time around.
It seems someone had mis-informed me:shock:. My apologies. If Kato does do an FEF-1 and stays true to scale, I would be very happy. I would kitbash the ¤¤¤¤ out of it to RI R-67's.
What would be great would be if Kato decided to do this as a series of locos and tap a great market. What I mean is doing the FEF-1 with the original pilot and separate domes then progressing to the FEF-2 in a later release, and finally be followed by the FEF-3 and with two tenders. What Kato would be tapping is the market for a good 4-8-4 that could reasonably be modfied to represent a number of other road's 4-8-4s with the FEF-1 and for the folks looking to have all three versions as UP locos that option would be open. When you scroll down to the bottom of this page and look at the photos there are a number of differences in the versions. http://steamlocomotive.com/northern/?page=up The other option would be to release the loco with a parts sprue that would contain the parts to have several configurations. Now I know this is probably a pipe dream but I would love to see it happen. And the passenger consists could also be released as separate sets also increasing the potential. One note on driver size. Very few N scale steam locos have correct driver size, some are close at times. That is due to the cold hard fact that the oversized flanges, needed to keep these on the rails as modeled, compared to the actual 1 to 1 locos usually mean that a compromise must be made if you try to keep the rest of the loco in scale. So usually a 80 inch driver will be slightly smaller to accomodate the models larger flanges. A necessary evil that I have learned to live with if you want to keep the loco from climbing off the rails in curvature or through switches.
I could use a good 4-8-4 to bash a D&RGW M-68. Unless the ones released have 70" drivers, a 77" drivered model would work for 73". In N scale, what is 4 scale inches, a fraction of a millimeter?
At the risk of appearing picky, the visual difference between 73" and 77" drivers is substantial. Our eyes don't perceive the staightline diameter dimension, they perceive the size of the area of the circle (driver). If you do the math, a 77" driver is over 10% larger in area size than a 73" driver. Put four of them side by side as on an FEF, and the diffence will be an eye opener. This in turn will impact on the locomotive proportions in very significant ways and other compromises need to be made to compensate. I'm not saying we shouldn't accept compromises, given our choices we have to. All I'm saying is that that seemingly minor discrepancies in driver size can translate into major busts in overall steam engine proportions. (A similar argument can be made about boiler and smokebox diameters). Regards, Otto K.
