KATO UP FEF official announcement

[up1950s]

Thanks for the shots Robert . The handrails look a bunch better in these shots .

[EspeeGoldenState]

Don't understand why Kato released those shots instead of some closer , crisper , nitpicker dream shots . Yeah , that headlight yellow is yellin' at me too , and I'm seeing some thick tender railing , otherwise very nice .

How about they weren't exactly released by Kato? I seen these shots last night, and they came from a Japanese website that was not Kato based nor was the twitter that they retweeted earlier this morning.

They also had a picture of them comparing the ISH (Columbine ) and OSH (City of Portland) trucks. Really going to hope they sell them both separately as I have about 13 cars that need new trucks.

Chris

[sirenwerks]

So did anyone notice that the ad on the back cover of the latest NSR indicates Kato is offering a FEF-3 (at top of ad) and FEF-2 (at bottom of the ad, next to red shipping blurb)?  Typo? Or product announcement slip?  MUwahahahaha!

[up1950s]

So did anyone notice that the ad on the back cover of the latest NSR indicates Kato is offering a FEF-3 (at top of ad) and FEF-2 (at bottom of the ad, next to red shipping blurb)?  Typo? Or product announcement slip?  MUwahahahaha!

Oh boy , oh boy , you got my drivers at full slip now . That would be ground shakin' news especially is they used the original composite double stack and not the cast FEF-3 double stack .

[robert3985]

Oh boy , oh boy , you got my drivers at full slip now . That would be ground shakin' news especially is they used the original composite double stack and not the cast FEF-3 double stack .

One FEF-2, the 832, had an "experimental" triple stack applied during the 1946 to 1954 "Greyhound" era, which they kept until they were retired, so check the number. Externally the triple stacks didn't look much different than the double stacks.  Several FEF-3's (three or four) were also equipped with the triple stacks between 1946 and 1955 but I don't remember their numbers.

Yup, the ten FEF-3's were equipped from ALCo with a "huge gun-iron casting" double stack (quoting Kratville-Ranks).  FEF-2's were converted from single stacks to double stacks before 1955, and from the photographs I've looked at, some look like the straight-up castings, and some are obviously the "composite" welded and bolted versions that had a slight flare to the top of the structure.  The "composite" stacks were also noticeably narrower in appearance because, instead of having two stacks inside a housing, were simply two stacks with a "filler" piece welded on between them on either side to streamline their looks.  Smoke soot would collect on this spacer so if you see a photo of an FEF-2 with a double stack that has a rough black rectangle in the middle of the stack assembly, it's a "composite" stack.
 
Interestingly, all this FEF research led me to closely look at all of my Key FEF's, and I discovered that one numbered 843 by Key and labeled "Union Pacific FEF-3, Coal" has a bolt-on-drop-coupler pilot...which would make it an FEF-2, with a double stack.  After I construct a brass oil bunker top and remove the ash pans, it'll get renumbered to 833, which is an FEF-2 on display at the Utah State Railway Museum at the Ogden Union Station half an hour away from my home.

I'm already thinking of ways to make the Kato FEF-3 more finely detailed...FUN!!...even as to how to make a triple stack, which would be plainly obvious from an operator's viewpoint.  Yeah!!

[arbomambo]

I'm already thinking of ways to make the Kato FEF-3 more finely detailed...FUN!!...even as to how to make a triple stack, which would be plainly obvious from an operator's viewpoint.  Yeah!!

When you discover those 'ways', let us in on it; I'd love to super detail mine!
~Bruce

[Chris333]

What is the technical reason (on the prototype) for 2 or 3 stacks?

[up1950s]

What is the technical reason (on the prototype) for 2 or 3 stacks?

Experiment in draft .

[robert3985]

What is the technical reason (on the prototype) for 2 or 3 stacks?

FEF-1's and FEF-2's came from ALCo with single stacks, and immediately, the crews complained of smoke and gas in the cab at low speeds.  The U.P. Steam dept. was always trying to improve the performance and comfort of their engines, so they tried several things, including double and triple stacks...which, along with other modifications, made a positive difference in the smoke/gas problem, along with the "elephant ears" smoke lifters.  It made such a difference that all of the FEF-2's were converted to double-stacks (except the 832 which got a triple stack) and many of the smaller-drivered, smaller-tendered FEF-1's also received them when their stacks wore out.  Converting all the FEF's to oil in 1946 kept the stacks from wearing out, so not all of the FEF-1's got double stacks...but they all got smoke lifters.

Another spotting feature which cements the time period of the engines is the last mod made to them, which was the Worthington SA Feedwater Heater, which all of the FEF-3's got after 1954/1955 as the engines were shopped and painted in glossy black again, and most of the FEF-2's also got the SA Heaters, which included an 18" extension of the smokebox.  If you see a rectangular appliance under the fireman side running board and a box in front of the stack with plumbing on top of it, then that FEF has the Worthington SA Feedwater Heater.  And, unless it's the 844(8444), it will also be painted black, not in the two-tone "Greyhound" scheme (1946 thru 1952-1954).  Fewer of the FEF-1's got the SA Heater, but the Kato model doesn't represent the FEF-1's.

[Chris333]

Ah cool    wonder if that was also the reasons for large dia. stacks. I remember once Richie was working on a UP steamer with a pretty large honkin' stack.

[peteski]

As we were discussing the redesigned GS4 drivers with Kato USA personel (info posted in another thread), I also learned some interesting info about the upcoming FEF.

Other tidbits worth mentioning since this driver design will be utilized on the upcoming FEF...the FEF will not utilize the EM13 decoder (more gray hair explaining this one to Hiroshi) and it will be a new board design that incorporates the headlight LED into it and will fit into the boiler.  I tried to get even more, but this is still a step in the right direction.  TCS will be making a DCC board for the DCC versions we announced, and I would hazard to guess several other manufacturers will also.  Besides the ones we are installing, TCS should have this as a separate available part at some point (I am not a fan of OEM single source items like the EM13 and wanted to make sure this wasn't an odd part only carried by us).  There will also be slots for running speaker wires and enough space in the tender for a standard rectangular speaker housing.  Until we get physical samples to TCS, ESU, Soundtraxx, etc, I refused to commit to building sound units, although I would hazard to guess at some point on future releases we will offer Kobo sound equipped versions.


Looks like lots of good stuff is happening at Kato USA! 

[Leggy]

Haven't seen this image posted yet.

[robert3985]

Haven't seen this image posted yet.

I'm loving the close coupling of the tender!  That might have something to do with the "articulation" of the tender...which, if I'm right, is turning into an asset, much to Kato's credit!

[Leggy]

Could the articulation be partly due to a drawbar like the kitchen-diner in the Broadway Limited set and partly a pedestal bogie with a big of play in the axles?

[robert3985]

Could the articulation be partly due to a drawbar like the kitchen-diner in the Broadway Limited set and partly a pedestal bogie with a big of play in the axles?

I would conjecture that the drawbar has something in common with the kitchen-diner in the BL set, but I'm thinking Kato would not be satisfied with a tender that goes down the track sideways, which is what lot of slop in the pedestal axles would encourage.  Maybe some of the axles would have "big play" but I'm betting the lead truck is not attached directly to the tender body, but is connected by an arm with a pivot point either past or near the center of the lead pedestal axle, allowing the lead truck to swing side-to-side easily past what would be possible with a slotted attachment over the center of the truck directly to the tender underbody. 

I'm betting the articulation of the drawbar will automatically center the tender the larger the track radius becomes, and one fairly tight axle at the pivot point somewhere on the tender pedestal would center the rear automatically.  I'm betting that would be either the rear axle or the second-to-the-rear axle.  You don't want the rear of the tender swinging out too much...which would allow the tender to negotiate tight radii, but might pull the first car off the track...so, I'm betting on the rearmost pedestal axle not allowing much side-to-side motion.

But....I could be totally wrong!