Looks like Walther's leaked the next Kato announcement...

[conrail98]

I guess I wonder if this locomotive and car set (and the obvious future releases) are something of a "further shift" in Kato's market stratagy away from supplying "modeler oriented" products (ie: SD 40's, SD 40-2, SD 45, F7, classic named trains....) and more towards collector oriented consists.....?

I don't thinks so. The Superliners and even the Viewliner consists were originally marketed the same way, as "starter sets". I have a feeling, with all their newer locomotive releases, the people buying them have given feedback that they need commuter coaches to complete a modern layout based in and around Chicago (real or freelanced). To me, it's in line with the modern locomotive releases and also gives them the flexibility to expand to other transit systems in the future,

Phil

[Hyperion]

All the levity aside; I can't get my head around this announcement. This is a big city communter train; and by "big" I mean massive; impossible to model big.... So; I'm wondering how one uses this consist ? I guess there will be a very small number of modelers out there who might have a pike that represents Chi-town in 2011; maybe some who model an outlying area that this communter service serves but that number is going to be small.Just a thought............... :-\

I think you're forgetting the biggest market of all -- the "average joe".  (Unless you're thinking of them as "collectors", but I think of MT guys and 'factory air' when I think of that term)

Most "modelers" can't use SD80MACs, but that didn't stop them from making about as many or more runs of those than SD40-2s.  Because, for most people, it was a really cool, really big locomotive.  Multi-Track viaducts have gotta be rarer than commuter trains, they're like hen's teeth in the US, but I'd put money on Kato selling more pieces of that viaduct of theirs than Atlas sells #7/#10 c55 switches to 'modelers'.  Because, for most people, it's just 'cool'. 

These are the makers of UniTrak, one can't be too surprised if they market products aimed at the 'casual' model railroader.  And if the volume there allows one to keep unit prices as low as these are, and subsidize other units so those remain as cheap as they ahve been, more power to 'em.

[Bendtracker1]

....and by "big" I mean massive; impossible to model big.... So; I'm wondering how one uses this consist ?

Don't forget the Modular layouts!  I've seen quite a few modules that have a Union type station, or bigger city scenes where they would be right at home.  It's not uncommon to see a modern UP coal drag being overtaken by the Broadway Ltd. on the adjacent track.

I'd be willing to bet, once they have been released, you'd be hard pressed to go to a show and NOT see a set running on a modular layout somewhere.

So there will be a market for them.

Allen...

[John]

So; can we assume that Kato is aiming this not so much at modelers as collectors ? The colours are "collectorish"; the consist is unique; it's very modern and I believe would meet the general guidelines they have set for their own domestic market releases.

This will get lots of play on the NTrak Layouts where just about anything goes ..

[tom mann]

I will gladly model Metra if Kato also makes kits of all the stations up the old CNW North Line (at least from Highland Park to Northwestern Station).

Since a lot of us are in the DC area and are familiar with Marc or Metro stations, I invite you to do a search on the Internet to learn about the architecturally beautiful stations in the Chicago area.

Compare the Kenilworth station to anything in our area:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marof39/2207322979/in/photostream/

[SirTainly]

Out of interest, are there spotting differences between the MP36PH-3S (Metra) and the MP36PH-3Cs as used by 9 other roads?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPI_MPXpress

[CVSNE]

I wonder if we'll see them in MARC.

Or VRE???

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I was just in DC Union Station for the first time in a while and it was absolutely crawling with these things in MARC and VRE.

And yes, it does look like there are some spotting differences. Of course Kato did the unit that had ONE operator, instead of the one that has NINE. Maybe they'll do a second shell without the gyralight?

[DrifterNL]

Out of interest, are there spotting differences between the MP36PH-3S (Metra) and the MP36PH-3Cs as used by 9 other roads?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPI_MPXpress

Not a complete answer to your question but post #2 / #11 / #12 / #20 here -> http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=123997

[SirTainly]

Thanks for that, if it was just the plow and number board it's be a fairly easy conversion but it also seems there's a grill difference too - the WCE ones have an extra grill towards the rear.

http://www.locophotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=46604

[DrifterNL]

Thanks for that, if it was just the plow and number board it's be a fairly easy conversion but it also seems there's a grill difference too - the WCE ones have an extra grill towards the rear.

http://www.locophotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=46604

Good catch!
Probably because the MP36PH-3C uses a separate Caterpillar engine to generate head end power while the MP36PH-3S uses a static inverter.