Kato December 2011 Announcements

[sundowner]

No swoosh GG1's this round? WHY OH WHY DOES KATO ALWAYS FORGET THE WEST COAST!!!!!!!!!

Well they did announce some Maxi I in the swoosh scheme. 

[GaryHinshaw]

The Maxi-Is will be a staple on my layout if:

1) they ever get delivered (my pre-order for the first set dates to Sep 2010)
2) it (my layout) ever gets built.   

[m301]

Love the CR 4800 1976 GG1. I had the one Riverosi did for HO.
Although Pennsy  is not my era, I think I may save my money and buy one GG1 with the correct striping.

I can't wait for the NYK containers. They're all over the place and no one has made them yet.  Too bad in real life they almost look black.

[James Costello]

I can't wait for the NYK containers. They're all over the place and no one has made them yet.  Too bad in real life they almost look black.

No?



Hope the BNSF announcement means the TTX Maxi-I isn't too far away. And a detail kit....

[flight2000]

The Maxi-Is will be a staple on my layout if:

1) they ever get delivered (my pre-order for the first set dates to Sep 2010)
2) it (my layout) ever gets built.   

I got ya beat with my pre-order for the 89' TOFC cars from BLMA (all the way back in Feb '10)..... 

We're tied with #2 as well.. one of these days/years I'll retire or at least stop moving.  No comments from Dave V. on military and portable layouts.. it's my excuse and I'm sticking to it... 

Brian

[Mr. G]

No?

Hope the BNSF announcement means the TTX Maxi-I isn't too far away. And a detail kit....

It looks like the TTX Maxi I is already in the pipe:
http://www.featherrivertrains.com/cgi-bin/webstore/shop.cgi?ud=CQgCAQIABQcFABQUEhARHQIBAQUAAQAGBAgSEAAA&storeid=1&sortby=itemid&cols=1&c=detail.htm&t=main.detail.htm&itemid=106-6142

And curiously Chuck is offering the BNSF models cheaper despite having the same MSRP. 

Also, where's the excitement for the SD90/43s?  I thought East Coast guys loved those things.

[Virginia Atlantic]

Odd, why would they release a freelancers scheme like the one on the bottom?

[CBQ Fan]

Odd, why would they release a freelancers scheme like the one on the bottom?

Would it be to go with an engine that they actually had?

[sirenwerks]

Odd, why would they release a freelancers scheme like the one on the bottom?

Huh? http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/dalecaruso/vre1-1.jpg

[ljudice]

V.A. is just pulling your leg, he's a free-lancer, but he's also the person who designed the REAL VRE scheme!

- Lou

[NS-CRE]

Kato's answer to all of us who think they have a western bias:  Bring out obscure passenger locomotives and cars, and of course more roadnames on the GG1.  Meanwhile, every eastern railroad that had a U30C, C30-7 or an SD40-2 doesn't get represented. 

[MichaelWinicki]

Kato's answer to all of us who think they have a western bias:  Bring out obscure passenger locomotives and cars, and of course more roadnames on the GG1.  Meanwhile, every eastern railroad that had a U30C, C30-7 or an SD40-2 doesn't get represented.

Or SD45.

[CBQ Fan]

Ah Ha!!

[Bob Bufkin]

Or SD45.

+1 - you beat me to that.

[Virginia Atlantic]

....obscure passenger locomotives and cars.....

I would disagree with the use of "obscure".  The MP36/MPXpress is THE 2000's-2020's modern era commuter/passenger locomotive in the United States.  It's the modern F40, and is in use by just about every meaningful passenger agency outside of New York, which is a special case (electrified lines and non-locomotive trains, and a stock of older GE units for Metro North capable of duel-mode operations). 

Going forward, I'd expect to see more in use, and widespread use as commuter rail continues to grow steadily and come to places not currently served, and as the bigger angencies retire their older units for newer, fuel efficient and environmenally more-friendly power.

METRA is also hardly what I'd call obscure either, being the #2 agency in the United States, serving the #2 City in the United States, with something like 300,000 riders experiencing these every day.  VRE, on the other hand, I agree....obscure is rather accurate, 20,000 riders a day for us, another 35,000 for MARC on the other side of DC, although we do have the 3rd largest U.S. inventory of MP36's at 20 units (behind METRA and MARC). 

With 13 agencies currently running MP36's, and more in the pipeline, and the public having direct personal experience seeing and riding these units, and given Kato's interest in being ahead in "modern era" and passenger equipment, it's no shock they decided to get on the MP36 before somone else did.  They'll be lots of roadnames (eventually) and lots of schemes (for collectors), and lots of cities covered, so modern modellers and modellers down the road doing (the late 2000's thru 2020 or so) will have lots of options for their favorite big city.

I won't claim the 36' would be "better" than some alternative freight rail option (plenty of holes in availabillity there), but I'm glad to see modellers who desire one won't have to wait 30 years for it like they did for a decent F40 model.  Of course, I AM biased.

As one who long pined for my own favorite units, I do hope you get the units in the schemes you want.  Trust me, RF&P isn't esasy to find (althogh better since Atlas of late).