According to FRT Kato has two more Sd40-2s coming. New road numbers in SF and BNSF. Problem with me is not the roadnames but the fact that I have 14 of them in the post 2006 model and 5 or 6 in the pre-2006. Now I will have to convine myself that I need a new SF and a new BNSF. "Get behind me..."
the BNSF with road #6746 will be an interesting one... ...a yellow/blue one with a BNSF patch an an orange A/C on the cab roof http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=18880&Page=3
the last prototype picture on the rrpicturearchive page is from 13/8/2007 (sorry, 8/13/2007) - I don't think we will see it in Heritage I
Kato has previously shown CP Rail some love, can't help but wonder if they plan on ever doing so with the SD40-2 again, CP still runs loads of them in a variety of schemes, and going back to as late as 2005 one could still see quite a few SOO Line SD40-2's in the candy apple red scheme with dynamic brakes and cab mounted headlights. Both lines offer a lot of fun, eye-catching schemes: admit it, could you resist a candy apple red Soo Line SD40-2, or a bright red CP rail golden beaver paint job? How about the older, non-pacman scheme with its striking safety stripes or dual flags? Add to that the Kato mechanism... a guy can dream. in all seriousness, not just CP/Soo, NS, CSX, Conrail, FEC, a very popular engine for all, I think they could sell A LOT more of these models, nothing against BNSF, but its been done, and done, and done.
More! SF and BNSF H1 SD40-2's........ Pffft!:thumbs_down: Maybe try some BN Cascade green and Black.(non-white face)
Heck, tons of leasers own SD40-2s, too! More SD40-2s are owned by not ATSF than by ATSF. I think UP is probably a pretty popular road to model... :teeth: Of course, who knows with Kato.
Eh, more BNSF? I know its a slightly different scheme but geez.... how about some CR or Soo? What about some NS high hoods or Seaboard System?
I think we are all forgetting that Kato apparently believes (probably from forum sniping) that we all want perfect proto replicas, and won't stand for "stand ins." So, they are milking this tooling version for all its worth. That said, the SD 40-2 is pretty generic, and I agree that it would seemingly be a great seller overall, even if only a few hundred of each road name was made, because they could have so many road names.
I'm sorry, I'm confused. Is it confirmed that Kato is releasing the blue/yellow SF with a BNSF patch? Just speculation based on prototype? Thanks.
You could be right! So message to Kato: loved your prior CP rail SD40 and SD40-2 even with the headlights in the wrong spot and no cab mounted bell, I will still buy! (although the CN and BN releases are a close shot to the Soo SD40-2's and the BNSF releases are a close enough shot to CP!)
BN owned the largest roster of them, 838 units. As for the rest, UP had a few hundred; so many roads bought them, much less second-hand owners. I wish too, that they'd do other roads. Like Rock Island, Conrail (with Flexicoil trucks), IC, and so many others.
Undecorated? Maybe that is their best solution. Would work for me. Oh, wait, I have two of the CN. I plan to put a bench on the front of the snoot nose. Edit: After they get a coat of flat black with a Pink Fox Logo on it.
BNSF "Swoosh" paint scheme I agree with you, but why not a BNSF "Swoosh" paint scheme for this new release as announced in HO? I need some on my layout as well as ES44's or correct BNSF C44-9W's. :tb-biggrin::tb-biggrin::tb-wink:
More BNSF & SF SD40-2s? Kato could clean up if they would re-release their early version w/chicken wire grilles and create a mid-production version by combining their snoot tooling with a shorter nose (older mech with no ditch lights or AC). I've already cut down a couple of snoots myself, but would definitely buy more (esp. Mopac, MKT & Frisco) - I really don't have the time to modify & airbrush my own nowadays. BTW, Mopac had ~300 SD40-2s according to EuDaly's MP Diesel Power book (232 non-DB, 74 w/DB). Atlas or LifeLike should look into this market that Kato is failing to address. An SD40-2 could be done in a bazillion different schemes covering nearly 4 decades - there's definitely room for another manufacturer to jump in.
