Kato "Rainbow Era" Amtrak

[peteski]

Contrarily, I've always liked that scheme, and disliked the red-nose+pointless-arrow scheme.  It was indeed an ex-PC (originally PRR, I think) unit.

LOL!  Different people have different tastes.
It wouldn't be bad if the blue line did not have those diagonal (safety?) white stripes.  Those just seem out of place!  Or better yet, get rid of all that blue/white stuff, and just have black  loco with the arrow.  Maybe also a small arrow on the nose, or just the word "Amtrak" in small white letters.

[nkalanaga]

I always thought that the Phase I scheme looked odd on F units.  That said, Amtrak ran very few of their own Fs on the Empire Builder.  Almost all of the power there, before the SDP40Fs appeared, were leased BN Fs, mostly still in GN and NP paint.  To me, the SDPs looked better in Phase I than in the later all-stripes schemes. 

I also think they looked better than the F40s, regardless of paint, but I can understand why the F40s took over.  But, then, the GN/BN were one of only two roads to buy F45s, and I liked them as well.

[EspeeGoldenState]

How much different is Kato's 4 PC cars different than what was run just a month prior to start of Amtrak based on this shot from Marty Bernard? Granted you can't tell names/numbers in the pictures, but from a comment, appears to be "former NYC baggage car, three former PRR sleepers, a former PRR sleeper-lounge, a former NYC diner, and two PC (ex-UP) coaches".

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02d5ehTUJtiDuJaBbJr1VaQt3qiKpmZRqc27SJLpEehNu2syk5PHwmb7MLxkJPz4fvl&id=100008458391209

I hadn't yet gotten into N scale when the original pair of 4 car sets were offered, so this rerun, however unfortunate, has my interest in purchasing even if has multiple use elsewhere as well for some of the cars in rainbow consists.

[CBQ Fan]

I am disappointed in the car selection. I was hoping for something with some western schemes.

[nkalanaga]

I was hoping for an AMTRAK set.  I have plenty of pre-Amtrak cars!

[Wardie]

If it was new names and numbers I would love another set of PC and Amtrak cars

[cjm413]

How much different is Kato's 4 PC cars different than what was run just a month prior to start of Amtrak based on this shot from Marty Bernard? Granted you can't tell names/numbers in the pictures, but from a comment, appears to be "former NYC baggage car, three former PRR sleepers, a former PRR sleeper-lounge, a former NYC diner, and two PC (ex-UP) coaches".

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02d5ehTUJtiDuJaBbJr1VaQt3qiKpmZRqc27SJLpEehNu2syk5PHwmb7MLxkJPz4fvl&id=100008458391209

I hadn't yet gotten into N scale when the original pair of 4 car sets were offered, so this rerun, however unfortunate, has my interest in purchasing even if has multiple use elsewhere as well for some of the cars in rainbow consists.

It's my understanding that the coaches converted from Budd 21 roomette sleepers were assigned to commuter service. 

According to one of the comments, the Broadway Limited consist was basically the same as the General and used 10-6 sleepers (not included in the Kato set), which just leaves the ex-UP coach...

[nightmare0331]

random funny story time about that set and how the 'rainbow era' marketing came to be...

A lifetime ago there was supposed to be a 4 car phase I Amtrak set on the schedule to go with the Amtrak GG1 using a mix of cars that had been tooled up from name train sets.

In a meeting on a production schedule 'passenger car' was abbreviated 'PC.'  My Japanese boss at the time (who wasn't a train guy let alone understood the nuances of North American equipment) was confused when I said 'we're doing Penn Central cars?  Awesome!'  Our R&D guy at the time chimed in 'sure...we can easily do a 4 car Penn Central set to go with the Amtrak and PC GG1s...some of that stuff lasted into the Amtrak rainbow era'

Somehow with that confusion, both the Amtrak and Penn Central sets got done utilizing cars from various sets.  (it's a bit more complicated than than that, but if you understand Kato, they like themes)

For the people knee deep into this stuff, it's obvious it was a bit of a ....stretch some of these cars would have ever run together and may have razor blades by Amtrak time.

That said, with some clever marketing of combing the two sets along with PC and Amtrak E8's the sets did very well.  It was something different at the time and it worked.  The PC and Amtrak GG1's are another story and those...may have languished for a while.

What I would hazard happened here is with Amtrak's 50th, someone got the idea to combine these sets and toss in the first day E8 and they'd have another name train set not fully understanding how those PC cars came to be in the first place.  I am mildly suprised they combined the two sets into one, but this would cut down on the number of pieces being handled plus then they can have a nice display box (they're big on that) and cuts down on packaging time and costs (don't need 8 seperate jewel cases).

Ah memories!

Enjoy!

Kelley.
www.dufordmodelworks.com

[Sokramiketes]

This all jives with the Kato I know through old Charlie Vlk stories and I love it.  Thanks for offering a "Season 2" list of episodes, Kelley. 

[learmoia]

Between the City of LA, Super Chief, Daylight, Cal Zephyr, Hiawatha, 20th Century Limited, Broadway Limited, and more generic smooth side and corrugated Budd cars, they could do some AMAZING Rainbow and Phase 1 trains.

Plus there are a few versions of patched El Cap cars that could be mixed into a combo Santa Fe/Phase 1 Train.

As it stands, you could buy all 7 of these trains and a few phase 1 Amtrak cars and put together 9-10 'rainbow train sets'

~Ian

[cjm413]

random funny story time about that set and how the 'rainbow era' marketing came to be...

A lifetime ago there was supposed to be a 4 car phase I Amtrak set on the schedule to go with the Amtrak GG1 using a mix of cars that had been tooled up from name train sets.

In a meeting on a production schedule 'passenger car' was abbreviated 'PC.'  My Japanese boss at the time (who wasn't a train guy let alone understood the nuances of North American equipment) was confused when I said 'we're doing Penn Central cars?  Awesome!'  Our R&D guy at the time chimed in 'sure...we can easily do a 4 car Penn Central set to go with the Amtrak and PC GG1s...some of that stuff lasted into the Amtrak rainbow era'

Somehow with that confusion, both the Amtrak and Penn Central sets got done utilizing cars from various sets.  (it's a bit more complicated than than that, but if you understand Kato, they like themes)

For the people knee deep into this stuff, it's obvious it was a bit of a ....stretch some of these cars would have ever run together and may have razor blades by Amtrak time.

That said, with some clever marketing of combing the two sets along with PC and Amtrak E8's the sets did very well.  It was something different at the time and it worked.  The PC and Amtrak GG1's are another story and those...may have languished for a while.

What I would hazard happened here is with Amtrak's 50th, someone got the idea to combine these sets and toss in the first day E8 and they'd have another name train set not fully understanding how those PC cars came to be in the first place.  I am mildly suprised they combined the two sets into one, but this would cut down on the number of pieces being handled plus then they can have a nice display box (they're big on that) and cuts down on packaging time and costs (don't need 8 seperate jewel cases).

Ah memories!

Enjoy!

Kelley.
www.dufordmodelworks.com

There are plenty of people that won't question the inclusion of the 4 car PC set and 4 car Amtrak set into a single 8 car set, but they'll also lose a good number of sales from those that already bought one or both of the prior sets with the same roadnumbers/names...

[cjm413]

Between the City of LA, Super Chief, Daylight, Cal Zephyr, Hiawatha, 20th Century Limited, Broadway Limited, and more generic smooth side and corrugated Budd cars, they could do some AMAZING Rainbow and Phase 1 trains.

Plus there are a few versions of patched El Cap cars that could be mixed into a combo Santa Fe/Phase 1 Train.

As it stands, you could buy all 7 of these trains and a few phase 1 Amtrak cars and put together 9-10 'rainbow train sets'

~Ian

A four car set with some UP Budd 10-6 Roomettes would be useful to both UP and early Amtrak modelers.

Unfortunately, a good number of the 20th Century Limited cars that Kato offered were gone before PC, let alone Amtrak

https://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/NYC-MODELS-PASS-LIGHT.htm

[EspeeGoldenState]

Between the City of LA, Super Chief, Daylight, Cal Zephyr, Hiawatha, 20th Century Limited, Broadway Limited, and more generic smooth side and corrugated Budd cars, they could do some AMAZING Rainbow and Phase 1 trains.

Plus there are a few versions of patched El Cap cars that could be mixed into a combo Santa Fe/Phase 1 Train.

As it stands, you could buy all 7 of these trains and a few phase 1 Amtrak cars and put together 9-10 'rainbow train sets'

~Ian

I'm sure I'm not the only one like this, but I own 2 1/2 CoLAs, Super Chief, 2 Daylights, 1 CZ, 1 TCL and 1 BL plus some other Kato UP smoothsides for the City trains. As well as the Amtrak Southwest Limited and El Cap. So I've started to to do this myself, but the biggest issue is tracking down the consists. Yes I buy the books and on the Groups.io groups, but not always complete per say. Still plenty of cars needed to fill some holes, as well as needing a yellow/gray Hiawatha.

A four car set with some UP Budd 10-6 Roomettes would be useful to both UP and early Amtrak modelers.

They've done 3, they still have 40ish more names they could choose from in UP colors.

Lots of things Kato could do for a good rainbow era, but like others have said, they won't/don't.

[cjm413]

I'm sure I'm not the only one like this, but I own 2 1/2 CoLAs, Super Chief, 2 Daylights, 1 CZ, 1 TCL and 1 BL plus some other Kato UP smoothsides for the City trains. As well as the Amtrak Southwest Limited and El Cap. So I've started to to do this myself, but the biggest issue is tracking down the consists. Yes I buy the books and on the Groups.io groups, but not always complete per say. Still plenty of cars needed to fill some holes, as well as needing a yellow/gray Hiawatha.

They've done 3, they still have 40ish more names they could choose from in UP colors.

Lots of things Kato could do for a good rainbow era, but like others have said, they won't/don't.

Good source of ATSF (pre-Amtrak) consists here:

https://santafe.gmbus.com/

[learmoia]

A four car set with some UP Budd 10-6 Roomettes would be useful to both UP and early Amtrak modelers.

Unfortunately, a good number of the 20th Century Limited cars that Kato offered were gone before PC, let alone Amtrak

https://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/NYC-MODELS-PASS-LIGHT.htm

I was going to suggest Hickory Creek, or did that only survive because of Ringling Brothers Circus..

Similarly Milwaukee's Cedar Rapids survived because of CN if I'm not mistaken...

Now that I'm home from work, I'm going to try to find group photos of these sets and do a little cut and paste..