New Kato Poll

[djconway]

 No intrest in any of the units.

[High Hood]

Even though I have no real interest in any of the options I cast a vote for the Bipolar.

They're all niche prototypes with limited appeal - and none for me so I won't bother voting. I don't understand manufacturers' obsession with one-railroad prototypes, particularly ones that had a limited operating territory.

It's a real pity that Kato didn't ask our preference on a new production in an out-of stock model as they did in the HO survey.

Doug

 

This is one reason why I wish Kato would do the E33 (EL-C) electric. It ran on the Virginian, N&W, New Haven, Penn Central, and Conrail. It actually ran in several different locations under several different roads, unlike many North American electrics. I even think the mech could be used for the E44, but I'm not too sure.

[squirrelhunter]

Yeah, I think the fix is in, they will announce the DD40AX and 4-8-8-4 for delivery by May for the 150th festivities.

That said, I voted for the Little Joe.

[thomasjmdavis]

I have a 4014 coffee mug that I picked up in Ogden several years ago.  IIRC, it was being sold to raise money for restoration. And a Little Joe would be great because it isn't yet another GG1. 

But....I won't be shelling out several hundred bucks for any of these- just not on my radar.

I have never understood the thing manufacturers have for very small and VERY BIG locomotives.  Given the number of Big Boys already out there, how about some Hudsons and Santa Fe's?  Especially Santa Fe Hudsons and Santa Fe's.

[u18b]

I voted for the B&O Cincinnatian.

oh wait.......

DANG.   

[nkalanaga]

I went with the Little Joe, too, simply because the BiPolars were retired long before my modeling era.  What I would really have liked is a set of MILW Boxcabs, which have never been done in N scale.  They were the first electrics on the system, and at least one set lasted until the very end.

[robert3985]

The FEF is slightly ahead.  Which means we will probably not se the grinder.  But i voted for it anyway.

I hate to break it to ya, but it's not an FEF...it's a Big Boy, and I voted for it because I can always use several big boys on my layout.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[robert3985]

Since I'm looking at what engine I would buy if Kato produced it, the only one in the list is the Big Boy.  I need about 6 more, and if Kato can make one that is as good as their FEF-3, then I'd open up Mr. Wallet and spring for half a dozen....or more.

However, what I'd REALLY like to see, since Kato evidently doesn't have qualms about making extremely road-specific motive power...I'd like to see an early "Baby Turbine" with tender.  They've already got the tooling for much of the tender (trucks, frame, etc.) but, it'd be a completely unique engine that's never been made in N-scale before.  If they thought ahead with it, they could offer it with several different side vents styles, to depict the changes that particular engine was quickly given to improve its performance on the Wasatch Grade.  Hopefully they'd etch the parts that need it (walkways, vents, etc.) and go the extra mile with separate grabs, windshield wipers etc.

Photo (1) - "Baby Turbine" laboring up the Wasatch Grade, no tender yet, with a 3700 Class oil-fired Challenger smokin' up the rear:


THEN, in a couple of years, they could design a Veranda Turbine body to snap on to the Baby Turbine frame & running gear since that was identical between the two versions...and they were in the same era...with the same tenders sometimes.

Photo (2) - Veranda Turbine with cylindrical tender at Curvo just west of Wahsatch:


Yeah, I know I'm dreamin' BUT, I never thought they'd even consider manufacturing a Big Boy.

Truth is, the best two engines they could offer would be a deskirted GS-4, and best of all, an FEF-2 without the Worthington Feedwater heater...with a single stack and the bolt-on pilot.  Then, they could produce proper two-tone gray engines for the 1946 through 1952 era, and make a bunch of proper two-tone gray cars, or a mail train, or specific heavyweights to be pulled by it. The running gear would remain the same, as would the tender and most parts other than the smokebox, the main boiler, the fireman's side running board and the associated Worthington compressor and piping which would have to go...and the pilot.

Either an unskirted GS-4 or a non-Worthington equipped single stacked FEF-2 would be much less costly than any of their present candidates, and sell at least as well as any of them...with more passenger cars to be made and sold to go behind both engines.

Making the parts for the FEF-2 would make Kato able to produce their present FEF-3, a modernized FEF-2 (with the only difference being the pilot), an FEF-3 that hadn't got the Worthington Feedwater Heater yet, and an FEF-2 that hadn't got the Worthington Feedwater Heater yet.  That's 4 (FOUR) different engines for different eras, different paint jobs, pulling different passenger trains from just making a new smokebox, a new boiler, a new left-side walkway, and a new pilot.  One other part that would add even more diversity to the FEF's would be a smokebox with a triple stack and no Worthington box in front of it for the FEF-3's and FEF-2's that U.P. experimented with in the late 40's and early 50's...and then left the stack on!

Photo (3) - An FEF-2 with its welded twin stack, no Worthington Feedwater Heater appliances either in front of the stack, or the compressor hanging below the left walkway.  Bolt-on pilot vs the FEF-3's cast-on pilot:


Time to go to bed...dream on!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Lemosteam]

What?? No PRR K4????     

[muktown128]

Yeah - I want another K4.  If we can get 4 GG1's, then why not another K4?

[muktown128]

meh to the 4 options

I'd buy a Dreyfus Hudson and a matching 20th Century Ltd because it is so stylish.

[peteski]

meh to the 4 options

I'd buy a Dreyfus Hudson and a matching 20th Century Ltd because it is so stylish.

Here ya go!   



Unfortunately it is the wrong paint scheme for the upcoming Kato cars.  But it will be close enough for me. 

[DKS]

Am I the only one bothered by the sight of a gorgeous model posed on @#$! Unitrack?

 

[peteski]

Am I the only one bothered by he sight of a gorgeous model posed on Unitrack?

There are probably few more . . .  Bob Gilmore would likely be one of the pack, but not many T-TRAKkers would. 

Go ahead and Photoshop some better track under that beauty.

[arbomambo]

The Big Boy is one of Mr. Hiroshi Kato's favorite engines...he, personally, has been wanting to do this engine for a while. And the Big boy is also one of the favorite NA prototype engines in Japan; they are fascinated with it. So, a Kato Big Boy has plenty of appeal in the Japanese market as well (The majority of Kato's market)
I reminded Mr Kato that UP had plans to travel to Ogden, with the 844 and the 4014, to re-enact the driving of the Golden Spike, for the 150th year anniversary, and he immediately replied, "See!...we should do the Big Boy!"
 The problem is, doing a Big Boy would exhaust Kato USA's entire annual R&D budget (and then some)...so other releases/projects would have to simmer on the back burner for quite a while. However, I would imagine tht any of these other 'large' engines in this poll, would also eat up a significant amount of the annual Kato USA R&D budget.