Kato December 2011 Announcements

[davefoxx]

As one who long pined for my own favorite units, I do hope you get the units in the schemes you want.  Trust me, RF&P isn't esasy to find (althogh better since Atlas of late).

Sorry for going off-topic, but I can't resist.  I agree that Atlas has made it better in recent years.  If only they would run their GP35, GP40-2, or another set of GP40s in RF&P paint (preferably in the same era as the previously issued GP40s), especially for those of us who want to run our motors as the RF&P generally did: even-numbered units pointing northbound and odd-numbered units pointing southbound.  Atlas only released GP40 #122 and 124, so we get to run 'em elephant style, if we want to be more accurate.  This would be somewhat less of an issue, if I could find the unnumbered RF&P GP40s that were offered at the same time several years ago.  Can't find 'em.   

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Dave Foxx

[CBQ Fan]

I would disagree with the use of "obscure".  The MP36/MPXpress is THE 2000's-2020's modern era commuter/passenger locomotive in the United States.  It's the modern F40, and is in use by just about every meaningful passenger agency outside of New York, which is a special case (electrified lines and non-locomotive trains, and a stock of older GE units for Metro North capable of duel-mode operations). 

Going forward, I'd expect to see more in use, and widespread use as commuter rail continues to grow steadily and come to places not currently served, and as the bigger angencies retire their older units for newer, fuel efficient and environmenally more-friendly power.

METRA is also hardly what I'd call obscure either, being the #2 agency in the United States, serving the #2 City in the United States, with something like 300,000 riders experiencing these every day.  VRE, on the other hand, I agree....obscure is rather accurate, 20,000 riders a day for us, another 35,000 for MARC on the other side of DC, although we do have the 3rd largest U.S. inventory of MP36's at 20 units (behind METRA and MARC). 

With 13 agencies currently running MP36's, and more in the pipeline, and the public having direct personal experience seeing and riding these units, and given Kato's interest in being ahead in "modern era" and passenger equipment, it's no shock they decided to get on the MP36 before somone else did.  They'll be lots of roadnames (eventually) and lots of schemes (for collectors), and lots of cities covered, so modern modellers and modellers down the road doing (the late 2000's thru 2020 or so) will have lots of options for their favorite big city.

I won't claim the 36' would be "better" than some alternative freight rail option (plenty of holes in availabillity there), but I'm glad to see modellers who desire one won't have to wait 30 years for it like they did for a decent F40 model.  Of course, I AM biased.

As one who long pined for my own favorite units, I do hope you get the units in the schemes you want.  Trust me, RF&P isn't esasy to find (althogh better since Atlas of late).

This is why I bought the Metra set.  Growing up on the race track but more importantly when my family goes back to visit the my wife's family this is what my boys see.  I think there is value in bringing out a train to run (my Amtrak trains also) that the boys see in person and in use with other people.  Not to mention the runs into and out of the city for a day of family fun!

[ednadolski]

The Maxi-Is will be a staple on my layout if:

1) they ever get delivered (my pre-order for the first set dates to Sep 2010)
2) it (my layout) ever gets built.   

I just wish Kato would sell them without the containers.  I've already got a big pile of containers and I don't need to pay extra for more containers that I don't need.

Ed

[bbussey]

Kato's answer to all of us who think they have a western bias:  Bring out obscure passenger locomotives and cars, and of course more roadnames on the GG1.  Meanwhile, every eastern railroad that had a U30C, C30-7 or an SD40-2 doesn't get represented. 

Or SD45.

I needed Conrail for those and others, so I painted my own rather than wait on the chance that they may do them.  I think the only Kato factory-painted Conrail engines I own are two GP38-2s.  As long as they offer the models and have undec shells available, I'm content.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Wow, so they do a CR GG1 and it's a one off that only wore the scheme for a few months (if not days), and it's the wrong body style to boot.

I don't want to be so harsh on Kato, but...

[ljudice]

I actually liked it better when they announced 6-12 months of products at once. 

[Denver Road Doug]

I just wish Kato would sell them without the containers.  I've already got a big pile of containers and I don't need to pay extra for more containers that I don't need.

This.

That's why I bailed out on the first run.  Too much hassle to sell off the other containers especially when waiting for so long.   I talked to the Kato guy at the OKC show and I don't think we will ever get the MAXI-I's sans containers though.   I can't believe that Kato has released so many containers yet virtually NONE of them are something I can use.  (KLINE's are one exception, and I have a couple of the BNSF 53's which are out of era but close)   I asked about a MAERSK MAXI-I with Maersk containers (both of which I could use) and he got all excited and said "we have Maersk containers!".  Sigh...

But, I have to say I still love the Kato stuff...they're not perfect and they make crushingly head-scratching decision on occasion.  I even have a major beef with them right now regarding a customer service issue with me and one of my F40PH locos.  But without them I wouldn't even be in the game.  (see SD40-2's, C44-9W's, and SD70MAC's...close to half my roster)   Guess we'll just have to deal with sellling off containers and crazy one-off schemes and horrible customer service and so forth.

[bbussey]

Wow, so they do a CR GG1 and it's a one off that only wore the scheme for a few months (if not days), and it's the wrong body style to boot.
I don't want to be so harsh on Kato, but...

Actually, on this one they do get it.  Remember, the primary goal is to sell product.  They are going to sell a ton of the bicentennial units, as opposed to the standard black CR.  Aren't they still sitting on black PC and AMTK units?  I see them on eBay all the time going for under street value.  They'll get to the CR black scheme eventually, but it makes sense to hit the 1976 scheme first.  We might even see 4800 blue before we see the standard CR black.  That's what undec shells are for (or stripping a PC/AMTK unit so that all the plastic add-ons are the proper color).  That's probably what I will get around to doing eventually, before the PC/AMTK units start getting scarce.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I suppose, great news for people who like the new pretty thing I guess, and I know the depressingly high percentage of model railroad sales that those folks drive.

For the rest of us, forgone multiple sales today. I'd say it's a someday project, but I'm holding off because I figure they'll probably do the CR ones down the road, so why buy now?

[Dave V]

The bicentennial scheme is sure to sell to the masses and is certainly in keeping with Kato's business model.  As I have a recently purchased Pennsy single stripe G waiting under the tree I'm OK with passing on the bicentennial.  I'd be tempted to buy the blue 4800 even with the wrong body.  Preference is for a DGLE single-stripe CR paint-out.

[lock4244]

The Bi-Cen GG1 will look great leading a pair of swoosh -9's and a rake of stack cars full of containers that nobody wants 

[bbussey]

The bicentennial scheme is sure to sell to the masses and is certainly in keeping with Kato's business model.  As I have a recently purchased Pennsy single stripe G waiting under the tree I'm OK with passing on the bicentennial.  I'd be tempted to buy the blue 4800 even with the wrong body.  Preference is for a DGLE single-stripe CR paint-out.

That might be the only reason I buy the current broad-stripe scheme, since the lettering and numbers are totally wrong.  They got it right on the red units, but doubt they'll be revisiting the scheme in green anytime soon.  A shame, because that should have been their best seller if the scheme was correct.

[mcjaco]

I would disagree with the use of "obscure".  The MP36/MPXpress is THE 2000's-2020's modern era commuter/passenger locomotive in the United States.  It's the modern F40, and is in use by just about every meaningful passenger agency outside of New York, which is a special case (electrified lines and non-locomotive trains, and a stock of older GE units for Metro North capable of duel-mode operations). 

Going forward, I'd expect to see more in use, and widespread use as commuter rail continues to grow steadily and come to places not currently served, and as the bigger angencies retire their older units for newer, fuel efficient and environmenally more-friendly power.

METRA is also hardly what I'd call obscure either, being the #2 agency in the United States, serving the #2 City in the United States, with something like 300,000 riders experiencing these every day.  VRE, on the other hand, I agree....obscure is rather accurate, 20,000 riders a day for us, another 35,000 for MARC on the other side of DC, although we do have the 3rd largest U.S. inventory of MP36's at 20 units (behind METRA and MARC). 

With 13 agencies currently running MP36's, and more in the pipeline, and the public having direct personal experience seeing and riding these units, and given Kato's interest in being ahead in "modern era" and passenger equipment, it's no shock they decided to get on the MP36 before somone else did.  They'll be lots of roadnames (eventually) and lots of schemes (for collectors), and lots of cities covered, so modern modellers and modellers down the road doing (the late 2000's thru 2020 or so) will have lots of options for their favorite big city.

I won't claim the 36' would be "better" than some alternative freight rail option (plenty of holes in availabillity there), but I'm glad to see modellers who desire one won't have to wait 30 years for it like they did for a decent F40 model.  Of course, I AM biased.

As one who long pined for my own favorite units, I do hope you get the units in the schemes you want.  Trust me, RF&P isn't esasy to find (althogh better since Atlas of late).

Hey look, a rational thought process!

[Dave V]

Yeah, I was bummed about the fonts on the broad stripe scheme.  I found one on eBay sold with a seperate decoder included below my price break point so I bit.  It's always been my favorite G scheme.

[Bremner]

That might be the only reason I buy the current broad-stripe scheme, since the lettering and numbers are totally wrong.  They got it right on the red units, but doubt they'll be revisiting the scheme in green anytime soon.  A shame, because that should have been their best seller if the scheme was correct.

Bryan, Kato has been using the wrong numbers for years, in 1989, they put a U-30-C  Phase I number on my SP Phase II U-30-C....