Looks like Kato took my advice to run their CB&Q Cal Zephyrs F3s in freight gray - just like the prototype. Yeah, I'm going to be all over that. http://www.katousa.com/N/F3/index.html http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u171/dgbseh/Pictures 2013/czf3abac2_zps623a56f0.jpeg Andy Tetsu Uma
Glad to hear that Kato is taking someone's advice. My suggestion to make more single-headlight units in Eastern US roadnames just seems to go in one corporate ear and out the other. Of course, you can run the ex-CZ F-units in freight service even in the silver paint scheme:CZ F-
I've got the silver passenger F3s, too, from Kato and IM. As for getting Kato to listen, it helps when they already have the tooling and to drag my wife, who is a native Japanese speaker, to the train show to talk to the Kato folks from Japan.
Andy... some of the Northern Pacific folks on our forum may want to 'rent' your wife to speak to Kato in Japanese about the merits of making a North Coast Limited passenger consist and F7A/B sets in the near future. I'm still shocked that Kato hasn't made a single F3 or F7 locomotive in ANY Northern Pacific scheme in the past 25 years.
I understand that MRR has a new N scale project layout in the making, which will be CB&Q. So this might trigger the sales for CB&Q models.
The SP Black Widows are tempting. The F3s did not last long in the mountains of the Pacific Lines because they were ordered with very high gearing. Within months they were all moved to the "flat lands" of the T&NO. I would have to renumber them as it looks like Kato will put the as built numbers on them not the three digit numbers they spent most of the first ten years of service wearing. When SP ordered their F7s they went with the lower gearing.
"Coming as a hanger-style boxed set, Kato isre-stocking the popular N scale "Starter Series" F7 and Mixed freighttrain sets, with a twist - for the first time in more than a decade, the SantaFe F7 will be available in the "Blue Bonnet" scheme aspart of this release. " I'm not seeing any mention of SP black widows being a full decade old. Kelley.
I know. I wasn't expecting another run of them for another two or three years. That's what made this announcement so great when I saw it this morning on BLWs website. I was about to email you about working out a trade for some custom painted units. I'll have to submit a request for funds to the Minister of Finance and reserve a couple of ABBA sets. The numbers announced were the numbers I wanted too. Thanks!
Eras? We don't need no stinking eras! It's the CB&Q!! (And people wonder why I don't use vehicles in my scenes - I'm era free!) I'll get on that but unfortunately, she isn't coming with me to TrainFest this year. Maybe if we put together a briefing package with photos and present how the NSL ran into Chicago on the CB&Q so they could tie-in with current products . . . . (Side note, the Kato Japan folks tend to get behind what they can see which is why we got MP36s and Nippon Sharyo bilevels. That's what they see in the Chicago area. You don't think the Kato USA folks took the managers from Japan to see the E5 at IRM? The other thing is that freight moves at night in Japan and the passenger train has a greater role in everyday life in Japan.) Andy Tetsu Uma
Hmmmm, some SP units may join my fleet. I have a soft spot for the SP, used to watch a video we had(wore the thing out) about 4449. plus GS4 #4450 is a bit lonely being the only Steam engine and SP loco on the roster.
I'm feeling lazy/busy, so I'll ask the group rather than do a bit of research myself.... How did these Q passenger F3's differ from the freight F3's (other than original gearing). I'm guessing steam generators, but anything else? There has to be a reason Kato is releasing these relatively uncommon Q F3's (3 ABA sets only) instead of a normal old Q freight F3. Since all Q F3's had "passenger" pilots, it can't be that. Regardless of the answers, I'm in!
Probably that my two IM units #9961 and 9962, lack the DB fan unike my NP F3 and late phase CB&Q F3's, although #123 has a passenger pilot as well did Q Freight F's have them?.
Kato sure does like the CB&Q... SD40-check NW2-check, multiple numbers F3-check, two paint schemes now E8-check E5-check, CB&Q specific prototype California Zephyr set-check, multiple releases USRA Mikado-check, multiple releases I sure hope they consider doing a 4-8-4 in CB&Q, with the road number 5632, I think would be a good candidate.
Add the F2 to that list!! They also did the original corrugated that were mostly/all CB&Q prototypes (which were reused on the Kato Silver Streak Zephyr set). :goggles:
Ya Nick I sure would like to know why Kato has not produced the F7s in the Black Widow. I would do my part to contribute to Kato's sell out of them.
