I agree with a Northern,, and the Milwaukee 261 would be super sweet!!!!!!!. I know I would buy one,, just fer the heck of it and because I was able to be on a train pulled by that great loco. Wyatt
Unless I am missing something here, in the July 2015 issue of Model Railroad News on page 25, Kato is showing a new "N" scale Siemens "Cities Sprinter" ACS-64 Electric locomotive with 4 Budd Amfleet cars painted in the current Amfleet livery, I do not know it this is the Newly tooled one they are talking about being "new" but if this isn't the one they mentioned, then maybe we have another "New" loco coming out besides this one? gene maddox
Look at post #24 from Mike Fifer. http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/n-scale-convention-report.83178/page-2
I think it is in reference to the SDP-45 that folks are saying Kato will produce in the next year or so.
Your joking about the Genesis right? Last I checked, Amtrak sells very well, and the P42 is a staple of modern railroading, at least in the passenger department. More obscure than the Genesis would have to be Metra or VRE... Even the NW2 was pretty obscure imo... That hasn't sold nearly as well as the P42s... Just my couple cents...
Maybe it would help if they offered them in the roadnames of some of the larger owners, such as NYC (57 units), B&O (49), C&O(41), and Erie(27). Note that Chessie doesn't count. Of course, those are all eastern (US) roadnames. They did NP, who had 6 units, and MILW, who had 8. In comparison, B&M had 14, LV had 7, RDG had 8, and last but not least NYO&W had 21.
I wasn't referencing to 'sales'...the FEF3 has sold off the charts as well...I was referencing the 'singularity' of the users...pretty much 'Amtrak'...the GG1-PRR (PC, then Amtrak)...the FEF3-UP... the NW2 isn't obscure...MANY roadnames... Yes, the SDP45 would fall into the 'obscure' category as far as actual users of the unit-that's precisely why I referenced the locos that I did... Bruce
I have no problem believing that somebody at Kato told Mr. Fifer that an SDP45 was in the works. That said, I don't believe that it will ever see the light of day. They are passenger locomotives that came out at the end of the passenger train era. It just doesn't fit with any of their previous marketing strategies. I'll bet over 50% of the market wouldn't even realize that it was a passenger locomotive. What would it complement in the current market? A complete Big-Sky Blue consist never existed in the real world apart from a marketing event, so I don't see a big demand for GN units. SP sells well, but they were never used on any major "name trains." If they're looking to sell CR and BN freight units, why not just spit out a few runs of SD45's (and SD40's as well). I could see them releasing an SDP40F, as that would compliment early Amtrak Kato offerings. IIRC, I think those would use the existing SD40-2 mechanism (with new truck sideframes). In fact, I would be a buyer for sure, as my first long-distance train trip in 1973 was behind a trio of those units.
You might not have to Russell. as Kato might already be planning to release one in addition to the Amtrak version. They have obviously found a sweet spot with Amtrak releases, and the fact that an ATSF version could be released as well just further supports the argument. My guess(?) is that whoever menti0ned "SDP45" to Mr. Fifer just messed up the numbers..... I could be wrong, but I still just can't see an SDP45.
Why would they need to tool up new sideframes? And thought the SDP40F was a bit longer than the SD40-2
SDP40F = HT (high traction) trucks. SD40-2 = Flexicoil trucks. I don't have specifics on the wheelbase. Certainly the carbody was longer, but from everything I've read the SDP40F was essentially a cowl version of an SD40-2.
SD40-2s use HTC trucks, which are the same trucks used under the SDP40F. Only Conrail SD40-2s came with Flexicoils. I have a decently large fleet of Kato SD40-2s, and every single one of them comes with the HTC truck
