I'll be pulling roadrailers and twinstacks with mine! I don't need no stinking catenaries! Oh, that's cat boxes. This model is going to be on my layout though. I've got to lay off of the Coors light, I'm seeing pink! Bob
The normal practice in japan with modelling N scale electrics is just to have the overhead supports but no catenary and the pantographs are just plastic, my guess is Kato is extending this practice to the GG1. But who knows, we'll have to see what they do, with the GS4 they kept releasing details almost until the day they were shipped. I've tried it on a Japanese interurban layout and it looks ok from a normal viewing distance and you don't snag the wire cleaning track. My guess is the mechanism will be similar to existing Japanese electrics that take the decoder for the E8/PA1. Anyone know if these operated in Texas in the 50's?:tb-biggrin:
I wonder how it's going to look having the GG1 pull my WP, Super Chief, Morning Daylight, An UP Streamliners liner cars? Looks like I my have to buy four GG1's instead of one. I bet the GG1 will outsell the SP Morning Daylight? I am going to have to start an eastern layout. Hope Kato come out with the Hiawatha in N Scale.
While I don't have a real need for a GG-1... It's a cool looking loco and could eventually find its way to my collection. I am happy for the eastern model railroaders who have for so long yearned for Kato to give them some respect... and make eastern rail models.
http://www.spikesys.com/GG1/paint.html A great place for Kato to look incase people get tired of only one scheme in the GG1. I counted: 9 PRR schemes, 5 PC schemes, 4 conrail schemes, 4 Amtrak schemes, and 2 NJT/NJDOT schemes I wouldn't be suprised if they came out with the GG1 in Amtrak since they make most of the Amtrak equiptment already. Lets hope for atleast one tuscan brown GG1.
If I do catenary, I'll just build it myself. The last time I thought about it--say back in 1985 or so--the commercial product(s) available were very expensive. I never liked the way my Arnold GG-1 ran. I built a small test section--the length of one piece of flex track--with four posts. The posts were steel wire bent into an inverted "L." The current-carrying wire was an inverted arch constructed from phosphor-bronze wire. I had a bunch of it left over from a commercial venture (and still have some left) and it was solderable. The test setup never ran worth a damn. My fabrication skills have improved since then, although my patience has degenerated. If (make that when) I do break into the garage, I'll face the same dust and dirt problems as many others. That's not the best case for catenary! I'll probably buy supports, modifying what's available. I'll probably still build the wire, as any extension will have about 20-foot straights. I'll have to google-earth some of the remaining runs in Connecticut to get an idea of the tower spacing. My original plan had an electrified run, but my growing interest in ships made that my harbor!
