Why Kato needs to do the Empire Builder and North Coast Limited...

[OldEastRR]

Speaking of which, the eBay listing that started this thread is no longer available so we can't see what you guys were talking about.

[NorsemanJack]

Speaking of which, the eBay listing that started this thread is no longer available so we can't see what you guys were talking about.

It was a photographic slide which had a high bid up over $60.  IIRC, it was a sixties era Northbound combined Morning Zephyr / North Coast Limited / Empire builder running along the East bank of the Mississippi on the way to the twin cities.  There were four E units (the first three running "elephant style" with the fourth appearing to be facing rearward).  The three running elephant style all had Chinese Red nose stripes.  I don't remember the lead unit's engine number        .

[wcfn100]

This link should work for a while longer.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/YzsAAOSwUxhbMncd/s-l1600.jpg

Jason

[Ike the BN Freak]

Is Lowell Smith really planning on doing all of the cars required for a complete NCL and EB - including dome and observation cars - as part of the initial releases?
Or, is he simply going to offer the existing cars (for which he now has the tooling from Walthers) in the NCL and EB paint schemes - whether or not the cars are prototypically correct for those trains?

He plans on doing new tooling as time goes on. As for the initial releases, they will be in single or 2 car packs. Not an entire train in a box like Kato does.  As for the cars, some will be prototypical accurate cars, others will be stand ins.  See here on how he plans on it, https://lowellsmith.net/railsmith-plans-revealed/

[nkalanaga]

The NP 10-6 sleepers were in "general sleeper service" in the 1960s, and ran in Amtrak service in the 70s, so they could very well have been in the late 60s NCL.  As far as I know the Seattle-Portland "Pool Trains" didn't have sleepers, so about the only NP trains they could have run in while in NP green paint would be the NCL or Mainstreeter.

[NorsemanJack]

He plans on doing new tooling as time goes on. As for the initial releases, they will be in single or 2 car packs. Not an entire train in a box like Kato does.  As for the cars, some will be prototypical accurate cars, others will be stand ins.  See here on how he plans on it, https://lowellsmith.net/railsmith-plans-revealed/

If others like this approach, then it's great for them.  Personally, I'll stick with the entire, fully prototypical "train in a box" from Kato.  Nothing against this guy (or any other manufacturer who perceives a market and trys to profit from it), but I just have no interest in trying to piece together a passenger train over who knows how many years from cars that may or may not match each other.  I wish more modelers demanded full prototypical trains, released all at once, so that we didn't have the noise in the market from all these single car releases.

[Point353]

He plans on doing new tooling as time goes on. As for the initial releases, they will be in single or 2 car packs. Not an entire train in a box like Kato does. 

That's different from what your earlier post stated.

[CBQ Fan]

If others like this approach, then it's great for them.  Personally, I'll stick with the entire, fully prototypical "train in a box" from Kato.  Nothing against this guy (or any other manufacturer who perceives a market and trys to profit from it), but I just have no interest in trying to piece together a passenger train over who knows how many years from cars that may or may not match each other.  I wish more modelers demanded full prototypical trains, released all at once, so that we didn't have the noise in the market from all these single car releases.

I also like the entire set in a box all at once approach. I do have quite a few of Lowell Smith’s NP cars in both schemes as a fun secondary train. Fills the gap now until Kato steps up. 

[atsf3751]

I also like the entire set in a box all at once approach. I do have quite a few of Lowell Smith’s NP cars in both schemes as a fun secondary train. Fills the gap now until Kato steps up.

One drawback to this is that you have short trains. In the heyday of American passenger trains, 20+ car trains were not that uncommon. Boxed sets that large would be very expensive. Building a train over time is easier to afford.

[CBQ Fan]

One drawback to this is that you have short trains. In the heyday of American passenger trains, 20+ car trains were not that uncommon. Boxed sets that large would be very expensive. Building a train over time is easier to afford.

True on the extreme long Trains. I think Kato has done a nice job of 9-11 car main sets with 2-4 car add on sets. Especially for those budget conscious buyers you can plan for the annual purchase.

[thomasjmdavis]

I think it is also true that only a rather small percentage of model railroaders, even in N scale, have layouts large enough to support 20+ car passenger trains.  Those who do can buy multiple sets, or add on cars of other manufacturers or built from kits or sides.  Plus, 10+/- car sets are still within my budget- so I like them just fine.

[Ike the BN Freak]

That's different from what your earlier post stated.

No where in my initial post did I say how the trains were going to be released.

[NorsemanJack]

Also speaking to Lowell Smith, his new line RailSmith is planning on doing both of those trains are part of their initial releases.

"Doing a train as part of an initial release" does suggest that an entire train would be released.  That said, I highly doubt that any reader would believe that any manufacturer other than Kato would release an entire, prototypical passenger train in N scale.  Nobody is going to touch Kato on this.  They have us all at their mercy and (fortunately) they rarely disappoint.  Looking forward to the 20th Century and beyond!!!

[Point353]

No where in my initial post did I say how the trains were going to be released.

What, then did this statement of yours mean; " Also speaking to Lowell Smith, his new line RailSmith is planning on doing both of those trains are part of their initial releases"?

[nkalanaga]

And then there's modelers like me.  I don't NEED a full 1950s or 60s passenger train, as I model the early Amtrak era.  Most of the cars in a given train, unless it was the NCL or EB, wouldn't be seem on my modeled area, and at least some of the cars from those trains were rare.  It's very handy for me to be able to buy a single car.

As an example, the Kato Olympian Hiawatha is a nice train.  But the only car in it that I can use is the full dome, and it would have to be repainted for Amtrak.