New tooled loco from Kato coming....

[victor miranda]

So we are going to ignore the CS-64 announcement and continue wild speculation?

isn't that what we do?


... btw ... announcement?

[Leggy]

ACS-64 was already announced before this email showed up, hence why it has been 'ignored'.

[peteski]

ACS-64 was already announced before this email showed up, hence why it has been 'ignored'.

...and we already had a lengthy discussion about that no-longer-new model (including its unfortunate road number).

[Blackout]

Still no PRR K4....

I seriously question why not. Kato thought that weird little electric would be more profitable than K4 or even a generic 4-6-2?

[basementcalling]

Still no PRR K4....

I seriously question why not. Kato thought that weird little electric would be more profitable than K4 or even a generic 4-6-2?

Remember the ultimate boss here is probably influenced by Japanese railroads, where electric modern is big bucks. Kato USA is a drop in their bucket compared to their domestic Japanese and European production.

At this point I am almost ready to start an N scale loco company that will offer a PRR K4 just to make it impossible for the SPFS to keep begging for one. But my company would use the Intermountain survey method, offer other road names on the Pacific arrangement, then go PRR in the second or third release, but wind up cancelling the road name for insufficient sales once the experts criticize the offering as being too much of a foobie: wrong firebox, Tuscan red paint scheme and full length radio antenna because that's about the limits of my PRR proto knowledge.

<<<<<<<< Flame retardant suit now being worn.

[johnb]

Remember the ultimate boss here is probably influenced by Japanese railroads, where electric modern is big bucks. Kato USA is a drop in their bucket compared to their domestic Japanese and European production.

At this point I am almost ready to start an N scale loco company that will offer a PRR K4 just to make it impossible for the SPFS to keep begging for one. But my company would use the Intermountain survey method, offer other road names on the Pacific arrangement, then go PRR in the second or third release, but wind up cancelling the road name for insufficient sales once the experts criticize the offering as being too much of a foobie: wrong firebox, Tuscan red paint scheme and full length radio antenna because that's about the limits of my PRR proto knowledge.

<<<<<<<< Flame retardant suit now being worn.h

all you need is a website and a domain

[Blackout]

Remember the ultimate boss here is probably influenced by Japanese railroads, where electric modern is big bucks. Kato USA is a drop in their bucket compared to their domestic Japanese and European production.

At this point I am almost ready to start an N scale loco company that will offer a PRR K4 just to make it impossible for the SPFS to keep begging for one. But my company would use the Intermountain survey method, offer other road names on the Pacific arrangement, then go PRR in the second or third release, but wind up cancelling the road name for insufficient sales once the experts criticize the offering as being too much of a foobie: wrong firebox, Tuscan red paint scheme and full length radio antenna because that's about the limits of my PRR proto knowledge.

<<<<<<<< Flame retardant suit now being worn.

Yeah but isnt that electric an Amtrak item? Aimed at us Americans. I just wish they fired a classic American steamer our way. On every forum , I constantly here people gripping about the lack of K4. And what kinds of kitbashes they've done and molds they created in the pursute of an N scale version. Theres a gap waiting to be filled. If I had the capital and resources I'd bring it to production myself.

[pjm20]

<<<<<<<< Flame retardant suit now being worn.

Your going to need CBRN for SPFs. 

[Philip H]

Yeah but isnt that electric an Amtrak item? Aimed at us Americans. I just wish they fired a classic American steamer our way. On every forum , I constantly here people gripping about the lack of K4. And what kinds of kitbashes they've done and molds they created in the pursute of an N scale version. Theres a gap waiting to be filled. If I had the capital and resources I'd bring it to production myself.

Sadly . . . the American, modern, N Scale Heavy electric passenger locomotive market is fairly small.  Just as Bachmann about domestic sales of their HH unit a decade ago.  This was done for a Japanese market that loves all trains under wires.  And since its a foreign designed loco anywazy, I suspect you will see it on the Kato europe site eventually in all sorts of foobie European passenger schemes as well as real ones.  Amtrak is really an after thought.

[victor miranda]

oh man.

we wait patiently to get this thread to go to K4s land
and the electric guys want to re-hijack it...

Kato can make anything they want (dangit)
however, the reason I want Kato to make a k4 is simple.
They are so very good at making model steam engines.
ok they are very good at making n-scale locos of other sorts,
and in that arena they have reasonably good competition.

They are clearly better at steam engines.

so If Kato will make steam, I'll buy it.
If the leaders of Kato would do a K4s and variants
I'd be real pleased and buy to my pocket's limit...

they did a steam engine recently
so I am thinking a diesel of some sort.... *sigh*

victor

[basementcalling]

Yeah but isnt that electric an Amtrak item? Aimed at us Americans. I just wish they fired a classic American steamer our way. On every forum , I constantly here people gripping about the lack of K4. And what kinds of kitbashes they've done and molds they created in the pursute of an N scale version. Theres a gap waiting to be filled. If I had the capital and resources I'd bring it to production myself.

Yes, but my point was that given how much of their other markets DO buy electric, they may assume that modern American electric would also have a similar appeal.

[Blackout]

If we bombard them with request and help them obtain the data and plans they mabey one of their big wigs will consider. Email, Fax them, operate your telephone machines whatever. Lets rally for it. I dont even care what version, prewar, postwar any K4 would suffice.

[Leggy]

Kato won't do a thing no matter how much they get bombarded by people craving a K4. It took them something like 3-4 years before they (they being Kato Japan) used the artwork Kato USA provided for the GEVOs that included the warning labels. Good luck trying tho!

[Specter3]

I wonder what the possibility would be to have a near correct chassis produced for the K4/NH I4/ B&M (insert your favorite 79-80 inch drivered pacific here) and then allow modelers to procure a boiler from another source, such as Jason's castings, to finish their model. Solves some problems, creates others, but you get some models.

[victor miranda]

I wonder what the possibility would be to have a near correct chassis produced for the K4/NH I4/ B&M (insert your favorite 79-80 inch drivered pacific here) and then allow modelers to procure a boiler from another source, such as Jason's castings, to finish their model. Solves some problems, creates others, but you get some models.

I may kick myself for this.

Allow me to introduce you to a Kato C55 ....

here is one I am bidding on.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/252054082246?_trksid=p2060353.m1431.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
it has a little under 80 inch drivers.
the rest is up to you....

victor