New Kato Tease!!!!

[arbomambo]

The upside to an early Amtrak train is that Kato could mix and match every passenger car sitting in old inventory, and be relatively accurate.  Choose baggage cars, coaches and sleepers at random.

that's the beauty of releasing this iconic 'Amtrak' diesel....

Or they could just re-release the Amtrak phase I El Capitan, maybe with the stripe in the window area, it was odd to release the original run with the short live yellow bonnet F7.

I'm expecting a re-release of the high level cars...easy enough...

I don't model this era at all...and I don't own any Amtrak locomotives, but I've always been tempted to acquire all of the Kato examples just for historical purposes....as much as I detest what Amtrak has become (comparatively), I actually started my railfan photography when Amtrak was formed, and still have 110 Kodak prints of Red nose SDP 40Fs with a train at the Santa Ana station back in 1972, Bloody nose Southern Pacific  F units pulling the Amtrak Sunset Limited through Morgan city, LA, Amtrak 'Pooches' with the Sunset Limited at Houston's Amtrak station in the late 70's...

[Sokramiketes]

I don't know what more likely after the SDP40F started being used, but there are many shots of these pulling the Builder.

I'd also accept a North Coast Hiawatha. 

Jason

Excellent

[bbussey]

Were SDP40Fs used exclusively Chicago and west?

[Puddington]

The Kato "tease" is actually a few guys in the Kato USA board room killing themselves laughing at how much buzz they can create with a cryptic, yet meaningless tweet..... it's free marketing without having to make anything.....

[Bob Bufkin]

These units were also used on the Florida trains.  During the 70s I spent a lot of time behind them going to and from Charleston, SC and Alexandria, VA.

[bbussey]

Any chance they were used at the other end of the Corridor as well, on the Boston leg?

[Mark5]

Were SDP40Fs used exclusively Chicago and west?

No. Definitely was used on the Mountainer and other trains as well. Found a bunch of pix in Mass too.

Mark

[Sokramiketes]

The Kato "tease" is actually a few guys in the Kato USA board room killing themselves laughing at how much buzz they can create with a cryptic, yet meaningless tweet..... it's free marketing without having to make anything.....

Nope.

[Puddington]

Nope.

Vapourware until otherwise proven....

[muktown128]

Nope.

Do you know something?
Are you sworn to secrecy?

[wcfn100]

Wow, these even went to Duluth, MN on the Arrow Head.  I'm even more intrigued.


Jason

[Puddington]

Do you know something?
Are you sworn to secrecy?

It's the 2015 version of the -2 project.... those that know, know...... and that turned out so well..........

[Ngineer]

Wasn't the early (Amtrak) Builder mostly pulled by ex-SP and GN F units?  These seem likely for an Amtrak Chief, maybe Lonestar?

Yes. F units from GN in BSB and EB orange (mostly simplified), F units from NP, F units from BN, E units from Milwaukee road and even Penn Central and the first attempts of Amtrak paint (E units with a red nose).

The Pentrex DVD "Empire Builders to Milwaukee" is GREAT if you like that period of time. It doesn't get more colorful.

 Javier

[jmlaboda]

Right coast ops are easier to find if you start with Page 51 and move backwards...

http://rrpicturearchives.net/modelthumbs.aspx?NumCols=4&mid=260&View=1&id=AMTK

[CPR9009]

There are pictures of them on both the Broadway Limited and National Limited through Altoona in a couple of old books I have.  Looks like they didn't last long.  I bet they were swapped out for electrics in either Harrisburg or Philly.

Scott