GEVO "Mystery Ad" Manufactuuer Outed

[TrainCat2]

BTW, I have heard that Kato is announcing something else at this show - besides the El Capitan train.

SP Bay Window Caboose!!

[ljudice]

TopGons

[asarge]

So I am to suspend reality and believe this will be a ball hit out of the park on the first hit?? 

if you believe Kato is going to do a GEVO, you just might be suspending reality.

Yeah, I know the underdog thing - but in a sense Kato is the underdog here, since everyone roots against them.

You might want to consider electorshock treatments. Lou. Nobody is rooting against Kato. Based on how they are operating in this environemnt 2 newly tooled projects this year is about what could be expected for this market. Matt is probably not thinking about just one version and unless he appears to drop the ball, Kato is going to move on to other projects of which there are plenty to do.

[nscalesteve]

BTW, I have heard that Kato is announcing something else at this show - besides the El Capitan train.

yeah, laser cut kits and metal wheel sets...

[nscalesteve]

So I am to suspend reality and believe this will be a ball hit out of the park on the first hit?? 

if you believe Kato is going to do a GEVO, you just might be suspending reality.

Yeah, I know the underdog thing - but in a sense Kato is the underdog here, since everyone roots against them.

You might want to consider electorshock treatments. Lou. Nobody is rooting against Kato. Based on how they are operating in this environemnt 2 newly tooled projects this year is about what could be expected for this market. Matt is probably not thinking about just one version and unless he appears to drop the ball, Kato is going to move on to other projects of which there are plenty to do.

ok, and why on earth should Kato not produce a GEVO ? that would be the logical next engine in their line of modern engines. beside that, Kato has the market for modern engines. who knows about FVM in Japan or Europe ? (how many know about FVM in the US of A ?) where is the trust in a new manufacturer who announces a GEVO after some laser kits, metal wheel sets and box cars ? if you buy a Kato you know what you get, if you preorder a Kato you know what you'll get... FVM who ? just because we on this and other forum know Matt and FVM means not all that much. we, we are just a little part of the whole group of potential buyers of model train stuff...

I wish Matt all the best with his GEVO project and yes I will preorder one... (hopefully they will be available for the UDRR)   

[ljudice]

I would guess that if the SD70ACE came in June, the El Capitan in December, then the GEVO could follow in June, 2010.  Wanna bet the Kato GEVO is in my hands before the FVM?

And thanks Steve - you said calmly what I was thinking!

[bbussey]

I would guess that if the SD70ACE came in June, the El Capitan in December, then the GEVO could follow in June, 2010.  Wanna bet the Kato GEVO is in my hands before the FVM? ...

I'll take that bet.

There were about ten samples at the NSC show today, all different variations.  I suspect that the units will be here according to schedule.

[Mark5]

Yeah, I know the underdog thing - but in a sense Kato is the underdog here, since everyone roots against them.

For some of us, Kato is a love/hate sort of thing. There's a decent chance that if Kato does something it'll be decent - the downside is they might make it all in western roads, then not produce them again for a dozen years (if at all).

I think despite their flaws, the Kato SD40-2s are pretty nice, but good luck getting a fleet of them (early versions for example).

These kinds of things tend to annoy some of us.

Mark

[Chris333]

What schedule?

And where are the damn pics!   

[Chris333]

Don't all Kato's run on the fast side? Not that it might matter with a non-switcher.

[ljudice]

I think I heard December, unless that's slipped already.

Sorry to play the devil's advocate here... Obviously I'm interested in seeing Kato ES44AC's (or whatever the UP designation is) and I'm certainly concerned that a challenger could impact this. I have no financial or emotional stake in this - but I've generally been disappointed by most locomotive models not made by Kato. Some of the Atlas GP's and the new C40 are exceptions.

As I said, FVM has made some nice cars - but certainly not spectacular ones. A lot of the printing is incorrect - wrong fonts, wrong sizes, strangely sized cosolidated data boxes. Yeah, you can fix any of it, but it shows sloppyness somewhere along the line.

If these locos are nice - if the paint matches Kato - and if the handrails can withstand picking them up without disintigrating, I'm in for a batch. But no preorders - been there done that with Tunnel Motors!

That it from me on this subject, I'm obviously pissing too many people off...  Having some friends here to BS about this is far more important than the models anyway...

[Puddington]

Sorry if I don't buy this Kool-aid....  

My record on loco purchases is 95% positive with Kato;   50% with Atlas and  0% with IM. It took Kato and Atlas years to get to where they are now.  The Tunnel Motor was going to be the end all be all of all models of all time.  Ha!

FVM has done a couple of boxcars - with lots of questionable graphics and a major ride height issue. Nice - and worth the money, but not earth shattering - and really not as nice as the IM boxcars which at least have the doors done correctly. Definitely not as nice as ExactRail, or Atlas or Deluxe Innovations or Kato or MicroTrains though.

So I am to suspend reality and believe this will be a ball hit out of the park on the first hit??  

Come on!

Oh man..... this is EXACTLY what I've been a one man band against for months - announcement followed by a pot shot based on no facts..... and to boot, it's the "Kato is damn near perfect, Atlas is 50% and the rest are doggie dirt theory"....................ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! New record too - less than 8 hours before someone is killing it....

More than a few rookies pop one over the fence in center field their first time at bat in the majors; not a significant percentage but a few each season..... maybe FV will be one; maybe they will wiff at 3 pitches and sit down.... but why can't you let them get to the plate before dismissing them...... WHY ? I want to know exactly why people feel the need to dismiss anyone who isn't Kato or Atlas.... Bachmann sucks right....we all know they are pathetic.... I give you the 44 tonner..... nice piece of work.... where's Kato's...?

I have crap Kato engines; wanna buy a piece of junk E8 or a less than thrilling set of F3's......? Kato isn't perfect; no one is.... so can we stop praying at the "Kato is King" shrine when talking about new offerings ..... PLEASE !

Fox Valley's cars are well received - not perfect, but who's are - Kato..... ? ummmmm I think not..... wanna go through their passenger cars until the last few years; couplers that don't, liveries that were wrong; cash grab foobies.....maybe we should reflect on the GS 4 and it's little issue - oh, I forgot, they got a free pass on that because they posted a "note".... anyone else would have been BBQ'd by the Railwire pundents...... but I digress; we know Kato is King..............Fox Valley is a solid company producing solid models and the fact that a few people here are unimpressed isn't a make or break for me; nor should if be for others......Why can't you give em a chance to deliver ?

I hope FV does well and, with no other facts to go on, I will assume they will....and wish them well.... so do many people...........or maybe we should just kill this offering now, and save the time later, cause FV isn't "King Kato" ?

Unreal................ ???

[soo]

Here here pud!!!!!!!!!

adios wyatt

[ljudice]

As I said over on the Atlas forum, none of my FVM cars came with the Kool-Aid packet.

It's funny, people pay me to rip their ideas to shreds, maybe I should find a way to put my talent to work in this industry too...

[asarge]

Oh man, I sure fell bad about going and helping set up for my parents 50th anniversery tonight. This thread was so much more fun.

Yeah Lou, I'll take that bet any day of the week.  There will be NO Kato GEVO's announced for delivery in '09 or '10, and if Matt does the job right, Kato won't be doing the job for many years after that. My guess is that Kato will not have any more new tooling to announce this weekend or at the NTS. I would expect that we will see them announce the next Roadname or 2 in the ACe's and another version of the ACE's before Fall. Maybe more Dash 9's and another SD40-2 version too.

And as far as Kool-Aid goes. I used to make a Kool-Aid based hunch-punch that quite literally took the wax off of Wendy's soft drink cups. So the Kool-Aid comment was a compliment. Besides it won't be too long before somebody starts looking at Gensets.