Next Passenger Train

So announce it (them) already!

I find myself going back over the thread and trying to decipher George's clues. (Which is much more fun than working, which is what I should be doing.)

• There are TWO trains in the offing, apparently, one each for easterners and westerners. The eastern train will NOT be cute ("I never said that the 'cute' train was an eastern train").
• The Western train, therefore, WILL be cute. I think this rules out the Sunset Limited, which is not cute.
• The Eastern train won't be the Broadway Limited ("wrong on the consist" AND it could be considered cute).
• Involved a partnership of two or more roads OR had different power sets in its history OR had its power changed out (e.g., due to grades or transition from diesel to electric power) during its run ("Two currently available locomotives were mentioned and one that would need to be developed was discussed")
• Didn't run through Vaughn or ANYWHERE NEAR VAUGHN ("hard pressed to justify how it would get detoured anywhere near the area"). This could be Vaughn, NM (AT&SF), Vaughn, WA (no nearby railroad AFAIK) or Vaughn, MT (Great Northern), but considering that George lives in NM, I'll put my money on NM. So no El Capitan. Also, no Sunset Limited, because conceivably it could have been detoured through Vaughn.

Eastern train: I'll put my 25 cents on the 20th Century Limited. It is not cute and meets the other parameters.

Western train: I've been thinking SP Daylight. Still, there's an earlier Kato version of this. Perhaps they're redoing it prototypically. It is cute and could not have been routed anywhere near Vaughn, N.M. BUT I'm starting to suspect we're going to see UP: the City of (your favorite Western UP destination): sorta cute, and financially feasible now that UP has lifted its licensing fees.

All of these trains are flat-out famous and I for one would HAVE to buy them -- that is, IF they're done prototypically. I didn't buy the Empire Builder, but I did buy the Super Chief (even though I'm modeling the Rio Grande).

--Bryan

 

If they did do a GG-1, wouldn't it require catenary to model the Broadway Limited realistically? What would modelers think about having to do that? Or would it matter?

 

Or waiting until they knew they could start shipping in two weeks.

Ben

 

I'd like the 20th Century Limited also so I can get my correct NYC observation car for my KCS Southern Belle. Sure hope you're right Brian!

Maybe they'll just release a Southern Belle and you eastern guys won't have to worry. I get my train and you save the contents of your wallets.


Rich

 

20th Century makes sense in some respects (it did change power for the run into Grand Central Terminal on 3rd rail power). Would Kato consider modeling NYCRR electrics? They were certainly less attractive than the GG1, and didn't last past PC, so didn't also wear Conrail, Amtrak, or NJT paint like the G. That would make its appeal somewhat smaller.

I'm still hoping for the Broadway Limited. That Kato already has a PRR E8 is, I think, a major motivator. But then, it also has a NYCRR E8...

Dang.

 

I mentioned the Colorado Eagle twice in posts to this thread. I really think that the Eagle would be a perfect train for what Kato has already produced. Many of the same type of Budd cars were found in the 1949 Eagle and perhaps they would only have to tool for two or three other cars. They already have PA2 (circa 1951??) units and E units... however... the E's were a little unique to MoPac.



It is possible that the development of new cars for the Eagle would also fit the bill for other eastern roads as well. I am NOT a MoPac afficionado... but I really like the Eagle and would buy one set if available.

Those of you who have literature/books about the Eagle should see how many of the existing Kato passengers could be repainted in the Eagle scheme and how many would have to be tooled for it. Obviosly the 10-6 Budd would be some of the cars in the consist... what other Kato Budd or ACF cars could be used?

 

It will be announced this week in conjunction withe the show. We've waited so long, a couple more days of patience will be rewarded.

As for the road, does it really matter? Although there were many eastern trains, there were only a couple with the broad appeal that Kato would produce. Broadway, 20th Cent Ltd, or the Cap Ltd. They are all good. If its prototypical, how nice is that gonna be? Blunt end Observations on the Broadway and Cap, or say, the Hickory Creek with the big windows in the Obs on the TCL. Very sharp. How hard has it been to put together a proto consist of any of those trains using quality models?

Is there any reason to believe it could be any other name train than those three?

I think we will all be pleasantly surprised...

 

One thing going against the Broadway Limited is that some of the cars have already been offered.

Atlas/Rivarossi used to offer the Mountain View and a 10-6 sleeper, and Hell Gate Models has the B60B baggage car. Plus, Walthers has announced some Pennsy sleepers that would have been found in the Broadway consist. Will this duplication be enough to dissuade Kato? I hope not!!!

 

The western guys might want to go to:

http://www.nscalesupply.com/KAT/KAT-PassengerSPSet.html


Rich

 

Well, according to the N Scale Supply site, Morning Daylight it is (inc GS4.)
No mention of any Eastern Road (yet?)

 

I just wish anyone would consider modelling more electrics in N.

Depends on your perspective. As I'm not really a fan of Art Deco, I find the P-1/P-2 a better-looking electric than a GG1.

 

Patience, grasshopper!

 

I know very little about the eastern road named trains and their passenger consists. However, my guess is that whatever Kato has 'up-it's-sari' for their next passenger release(s), probably will use several of their already tooled passenger cars in order to save on new tooling costs (and maximize use of existing tooling). If in fact they are doing TWO roads... an eastern and a mid(western)... then I feel that they are going to tool new cars used in both consists together with existing tooling.

Still voting for a Colorado Eagle. :biggrin2:

 

N Scale Supply has just posted information about the next Kato passenger train... the SP Morning Daylight with GS-4 steam engine.

 

So what happened to "Eastern modelers will soon be very happy?"

Oh, well.

 

I was told a few months ago that one train was being produced and we should have it by the end of the year. I was also told that the details for another train---due next year---were just getting finished on the design/pre-production board. That was a few months ago. The decision has already been made as to what that next train will be, and the tooling is probably being produced now (thats my guess). Perhaps Kato will officially announce the SP train for Dec delivery, and announce whatever the next train will be next year---and perhaps that is our eastern train.

 

Whoopee

Looking at the preannouncements (esp at Feather River Trains), it seems evident that Kato is going to do the Morning Daylight correctly -- that is, with articulated cars. Of course, in its latter, unfortunate history, the Daylight ran with whatever flotsam and jetsam could be cobbled together, but I remember riding this train in 1954 or 1955 and marveling at the articulation concept. (Not that articulation is a necessarily a good idea, per se -- in fact, I recall that these cars didn't ride very well.) SP modelers must be in heaven with the last two diesel releases and now this.

--Bryan

 

Wow.... A new STEAMER from Kato... and at a price which makes me scratch my head.... discounted... at about $125 to $150... is fairly reasonable. But this is essentially a duplicate of the ConCor GS-4 which sell for almost twice as much and is <likely> going to be inferior to the Kato engine. Also... the 10 car base set of the Morning Daylight will sell for about $180 to $200 discounted ($18 - $20 per car) versus Centrailia' Shasta Daylight (a somewhat unique but similar consist) which will sell discounted for 50% more per car. How does Kato manage to undercut other manufacturers????
There's no doubt that I'll be a buyer of the this entire set... maybe two... or three.... :biggrin2:

 

It's too bad we couldn't see a K4 as the new steamer, but hey... It's good to see Kato doing steam again!