Kato Announces Union Pacific City of Los Angeles Set

[Mark5]

I think I'd have to body mount on these (if I wanted these) - seeing the coupler box so vividly is well .... vivid!

Is it true that these ride high?

Mark

[Sokramiketes]

Tony is right - here are some shots

Pacific View - same series as Pacific Guard

Pacific Ridge (looking a little worse for wear)

Dome 8005

Not really, you need better lit shots to see all the fixed steps that should be on these cars.  Kato has a history of not including them, so I doubt they will be add-on parts.  Cars with skirts have them molded in, but Kato must be afraid to put them on skirtless cars.  So between the lack of skirts, the gray color, and the lack of other end of car appurtenances, ride height and coupler mounting 'things' are jumping out on these cars more than other Kato releases.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I think those ribs were for when it went into tunnels... if you know what I mean

[Puddington]

Not really, you need better lit shots to see all the fixed steps that should be on these cars.  Kato has a history of not including them, so I doubt they will be add-on parts. 

I'm not sure what you think you see but on those sleepers anyway those are not fixed steps to these eyes; they are retractable; can't say about the others.....anyone got a "definitive picture" ?

[Puddington]

I think those ribs were for when it went into tunnels... if you know what I mean

so they were a "Trojan Horse"....?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Precisely... lol.

I love this place.

[up1950s]

Ribs were vents IIRC , very disappointed in Kato that they didn't include such a obvious detail , especially that is in line with the normal model viewing angle .

Edit , maybe the vents are date sensitive , I will need to look into that when I have time .

[delamaize]

I think those ribs were for when it went into tunnels... if you know what I mean

[Sokramiketes]

I'm not sure what you think you see but on those sleepers anyway those are not fixed steps to these eyes; they are retractable; can't say about the others.....anyone got a "definitive picture" ?

Ok, let's take a step back.  You must be talking only about the vestibule steps, the ones passengers use.  I'm talking about all the steps/ladders/stir-ups that railroad personnel use.  The cars look naked without these, especially cars that don't have vestibules like the baggage car, lounges, food service cars, etc.  Coaches, besides the fold up vestibule steps, had a stirup at the vestibule end, and a set of fixed steps/ladders/multi-rung stir-ups at the opposite end.

[Sokramiketes]

Ribs were vents IIRC , very disappointed in Kato that they didn't include such a obvious detail , especially that is in line with the normal model viewing angle .

Edit , maybe the vents are date sensitive , I will need to look into that when I have time .

They weren't on the cars as delivered.  I don't know what they would be venting.  It's probably another crazy snow feature that UP came up with, something to create enough air turbulance to keep the dome windows clean.

[Sokramiketes]

Here's one of the fixed steps I'm talking about, from your first photo of a Pacific Series Budd Sleeper:



Kato did grab the one on the opposite end of the Pacific Series model, because it was part of the partial skirting.  But all the rest of the cars are missing all of the fixed steps.

[up1950s]

Ok here is what I found so far on the domes vs vent thingys or whatever they are .

UP 7001 ... Every shot of it I looked at didn't have them .

UP 8004 ... Only when it was on and painted for the Auto-Train did it have them .

UP 9003 ... Every shot of it I looked at didn't have them .

So they look good as is for the 50's decade as far as I can tell .

[up1950s]

They weren't on the cars as delivered.  I don't know what they would be venting.  It's probably another crazy snow feature that UP came up with, something to create enough air turbulance to keep the dome windows clean.

You are correct on all counts as usual Mike . Here it says they were deflectors on the top of the page .

http://utahrails.net/pa$$/pa$$-q-a.php
Which end is front on a passenger car, i.e., on the diagram sheet, is it right or left? Is it always the same?
For the most part the railroads (Union Pacific) did not have a "forward or rear" of their passenger cars. However, a few cars did operate in one direction as a rule: RPO/baggage cars operated RPO forward due to mail contract. Some coaches operated vestibules forward, and other coaches operated vestibules to the rear. Dinres and kitchen cars operated vestibules to the rear. UP domes had a deflectors on the roof line for better wind flow over the dome. Lounges were vestibules forward. Some lounge cars ran with main lounge area to the rear. In short they had no real set rules on this. The mechanical people will say the direction of travel was marked by the placement of the car brake wheel; but problems have been found with this too. (based on information from Dave Seidel, September 14, 2004)

[wazzou]

I'd guess the ridges were an attempt to keep as much water and crap from the dome windows to keep passenger's views pristine.

[Puddington]

Ok, let's take a step back.  You must be talking only about the vestibule steps, the ones pa$$engers use.  I'm talking about all the steps/ladders/stir-ups that railroad personnel use.  The cars look naked without these, especially cars that don't have vestibules like the baggage car, lounges, food service cars, etc.  Coaches, besides the fold up vestibule steps, had a stirup at the vestibule end, and a set of fixed steps/ladders/multi-rung stir-ups at the opposite end.

yep; that's what I was referring to.... they do need to work on their grabs and ladders, no doubt about that.... right after they body mount the couplers so they CAN put on ladders that it..............