New Kato Poll

[C855B]

I was referring to a hypothetical DD35 chassis, probably should have made that more clear...

Oops.   

I have a new-run Athearn '40X picked up at a swap meet for a ridiculously small sum, factory air and all. Have no idea why the LHS-owning vendor was so motivated to part with it, his shop is in Omaha, for cryin' out loud. With nothing to run on it's a shelf queen, obviously, but a very, very nice shelf queen.

Also have one of Irv's "DD40" shells in a dusty tote somewhere. He sort-of did the middle walkway, but on the dual-motor version you got to see the shaft connecting the two motors he evidently felt was needed. You can see it in the picture of the "PRR" model on the box.

[learmoia]

And Big Boy was the second lowest score on the last poll, so they try to float it again?.. I voted for Milw electric.

[StarCruiser]

Since Athearn's Big Boy (and Challenger) are, by all accounts, pretty darn nice models, I'm not sure why Kato would want to do one..?

[sd45elect2000]

Just a quick E Bay search reveals that I can easily get a Big Boy and DD40X. Since the Loram grinder does not pull trains I disqualify it as a locomotive. Yet the voting says that most people want to redo things that have already been done ??

I'd like to see Kato use the FEF mechanism for other 4-8-4s EVERYONE had them. The Little joe electric could be adapted to a New Haven motor at some point. I think the Bi Polar was great tech for its day and tells a great story.


My vote ( minority) is for the Bi Polar. Something NEW!

Randy

[draskouasshat]

Unfortunately it will be a bigboy most likely. They're trying to generate more sales for the US. I was told that drawings have already been presented of it to japan as the new mr. Kato qants one. Kato japan wants to produce one for the Japanese market. I take it they can't but athearn products? Lol
This is no joke. I ripped into the kato rep when he told me this.
More regurgitated BS.
We will never grow as a scale of all we produce is the same crap over and over and over and over again.
We don't need a berk, a mikado, a connie, challenger, bigboy and so on. Produce something new that would stir more interest! Maybe a different railroad?
Rant over.

[mike_lawyer]

What is really needed in N-scale is a quality 2-10-2 or 2-10-4 mechanism.  There are a ton of roads that had these configurations.  If they did a standard USRA heavy 2-10-2 as an extension of the Kato Mikado chassis, that would be a kitbasher's dream.

[jdcolombo]

Well, as much as I'd hate to see Kato use its resources on another Big Boy, I suspect if they did one it would sell out.  It's Kato; it's BIG steam; it's UP; and even if you have an Athearn one, you'd probably get a Kato one with an ESU LokSound decoder installed.  I just think it is a waste given all the other engines we could use - The Santa Fe 2-10-2; the C&O T-1; the NYC Hudson; 4-8-4's for nearly every Class I that existed, some of which are now restored (the Milwaukee 251).  A USRA Light Mike (the MRC/Model Power one runs well, but no one would claim its detailing is up to modern standards).  An 0-8-0 switcher.  And if you want "really big" steam, how about the C&O Allegheny or the DMIR Yellowstone (which I keep thinking Bachmann could do tomorrow based on its excellent EM-1 chassis, but it seems that no one at Bachmann is aware of this).

For diesels . . . well, I won't go there.

John C.

[peteski]

Well, as much as I'd hate to see Kato use its resources on another Big Boy, I suspect if they did one it would sell out.  It's Kato; it's BIG steam; it's UP; and even if you have an Athearn one, you'd probably get a Kato one with an ESU LokSound decoder installed.  I just think it is a waste given all the other engines we could use . . .

Of course it will sell out - modelers are always hungry for excellent quality models (yes, despite some Karo-haters) they do produce excellent products (and that's not fake news).  Anything Kato produces will sell out (well except the RDCs and the Broadway Ltd., but there were good reasons for that).

As I mentioned earlier, I also wish that they would produce a new steam loco (not ones already produced by multiple manufacturers).  Modelers are hungry for fresh steam!  But I also realize that it is again not to be and Kato USA does what Mr. Kato (in Japan) wants.  But it seems that Kato, as a company, is doing well, so if we wait long enough (and we are still alive at that time), Kato will keep on producing new models. Someday we might even get that Victor Miranda's Atlantic (although it will l likely not be the PRR version, but something West of Mississippi). 

[peteski]

LOL!  That is the most realistically modeled hand-track I have seen!    Could be banner-worthy (with a caption referring to Unitrak?). 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I bet it's going to be either of the big UP engines or the rail grinder.

You guys REALLY need to start thinking like Kato Japan: what's "American Railroading" to people who just like model trains?

DD40AXs and Big Boys: two engines that not only are iconic as emblems of big time American railroading but ALSO are still in existence and running? It's almost a no brainer.

I still maintain that the first model railroad company to break $1B in revenue is going to be the one who starts making regularly available models of the interesting trains that people currently ride on (including coaches): 425, 261, 611, 756, any one of Strasburg's engines, the 2-6-6-2 at WMSR, etc...

They will sell more through the merch shops, gift stores and I bet even regular retailers than they'd EVER sell through hobby shops.

I can't think of a kid who wouldn't want to try and talk their parents into buying them a Strasburg branded train set after a visit there.  And Strasburg sees 300,000 visitors a year. I can't think of a single model railroad manufacturer who wouldn't be thrilled to sell a set to even 1% of those visitors. But yet... nada.

Are you listening @scaletrains  @rapidotrains and @AtlasModelRailroadCompany ?

[sd45elect2000]

I bet it's going to be either of the big UP engines or the rail grinder.

You guys REALLY need to start thinking like Kato Japan: what's "American Railroading" to people who just like model trains?

DD40AXs and Big Boys: two engines that not only are iconic as emblems of big time American railroading but ALSO are still in existence and running? It's almost a no brainer.

I still maintain that the first model railroad company to break $1B in revenue is going to be the one who starts making regularly available models of the interesting trains that people currently ride on (including coaches): 425, 261, 611, 756, any one of Strasburg's engines, the 2-6-6-2 at WMSR, etc...

They will sell more through the merch shops, gift stores and I bet even regular retailers than they'd EVER sell through hobby shops.

I can't think of a kid who wouldn't want to try and talk their parents into buying them a Strasburg branded train set after a visit there.  And Strasburg sees 300,000 visitors a year. I can't think of a single model railroad manufacturer who wouldn't be thrilled to sell a set to even 1% of those visitors. But yet... nada.

Are you listening @scaletrains  @rapidotrains and @AtlasModelRailroadCompany ?

Aren't Decapods impossible to do in N scale ? Didn't Bachmann cancel thiers because of it?

[draskouasshat]

hardly impossible. have you seen katos d51 2-8-2? that style of design would make one very plausible.

[sd45elect2000]

Of course it will sell out - modelers are always hungry for excellent quality models (yes, despite some Karo-haters) they do produce excellent products (and that's not fake news).  Anything Kato produces will sell out (well except the RDCs and the Broadway Ltd., but there were good reasons for that).

As I mentioned earlier, I also wish that they would produce a new steam loco (not ones already produced by multiple manufacturers).  Modelers are hungry for fresh steam!  But I also realize that it is again not to be and Kato USA does what Mr. Kato (in Japan) wants.  But it seems that Kato, as a company, is doing well, so if we wait long enough (and we are still alive at that time), Kato will keep on producing new models. Someday we might even get that Victor Miranda's Atlantic (although it will l likely not be the PRR version, but something West of Mississippi). 

Will someone please send Mr. Kato an Athearn Big Boy ?

[peteski]

Will someone please send Mr. Kato an Athearn Big Boy ?

No kidding!

But I suspect he wants to have the satisfaction of making his own.  It will be designed and assembled flawlessly (without any glue), but with a fraction of the details on the Athearn model.

[mmagliaro]

Aren't Decapods impossible to do in N scale ? Didn't Bachmann cancel thiers because of it?

Yeah, impossible.   
If this can be done from cobbled together Kato parts, then Kato could do it.