Kato Announces the El Capitan Passenger Set

[Chulvis]

Delivery in the fall...

10 Car Set
2 Car Add-On Set
F7 A & B Units

10 Car Set:
1 - Baggage Dormitory (Transition Car)
1 - Hi-Level 68 Seat Coach
5 - Hi-Level 72 Seat Coachs
1 - 80 Seat Diner
1 - Lounge (2 Bars)
1 - Hi-Level 68 Seat Coach (With Tail Light Sign)

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh man, I have no interest at all in this, but those hi-level cars are cool and I'm betting a bunch of people are really going to dig this.

If I can't have a NY-FL streamliner, or Amtubes, I'm glad somebody's getting something really cool.

[Chulvis]

I wish (hope) that the hi-level cars will someday be available as single units. That would be cool.

[Ryan87]

Cool... a combined Super Chief/El cap pulled by a pair of FP45's would be boss... too bad it doesn't even come close to fitting...  

Kato told someone at one of the shows there next two passenger trains would be from the west and from way up north
well half is true so far  

[oakcreekco]

This will be cool, but all I really want is a DGRW "Ski Train"

[skytop35]

Awesome, I've been waiting for this. Good thing I just put decoders in my Santa Fe A-B-B-A F-7's. I guess it also means it's time to start speculating on the next release 

[ljudice]

Way up north...  The North Pole Express???

This is great news for those hoping for this train  -  I actually remember as a kid hearing advertisements on TV for the El Capitan - I think Santa Fe used to sponsor the weather reports on WNBC-TV.

I still wonder why Kato doesn't do the UP Heritage Business Car train - a lot of those cars are already tooled and it's a train that could be found anywhere in the US...

[wcfn100]

With this and a Canadian train next, that'll be at least seven years between passenger sets for me.   I never imagined that was going to be the case when Kato said they were going to do one new train per year.

Countdown to 2011 starts now. 

Jason

[John]

Are the cars the Superliners with the Santa Fe markings?

[Chulvis]

The original Santa Fe Hi Level cars were lower than modern day Amtrak cars. Santa Fe cars were used in the early Amtrak days but I don't know if there any still in use.

I spoke to Kato today and they told me this was all new tooling, so I think no is the answer to your question.

[ljudice]

Chuck, so did you ask Kato when the GEVO-AC's are coming to go with the SD70ACEs???   ;D

[Chulvis]

Chuck, so did you ask Kato when the GEVO-AC's are coming to go with the SD70ACEs???   ;D

Yes, but I can't tell you!!  ;D ;D ;D

[ljudice]

I'll take that as a maybe.....     :

[Denver Road Doug]

Cool!  I hope they eventually do the Amtrak versions of the cars as well.  Specifically, they could easily model the Amtrak "Heartland Flyer" set: Two Hi-Level coaches and a Superliner Coach/Cafe. (and a P42 on each end!...or the Cabbage)

[Puddington]

Well bully for the ATSF gang.... glad you got your wish.... what kinda bums me is that I had hoped that Kato would make a new locomotive to go with their yearly passenger train offering - the El Cap has F units.... If they are indeed going "way up north" (read CN or CP) for their next one AND they want to tool a new loco then they have many options, CPR 4-6-4 Royal Hudson, 4-8-4 CN Northern; FP9 and/or FP7 (already done by IM) to name a few but if they follow the ATSF model then all they got in the bank is the Canadian National Super Continental because it was pulled quite often by F7's, not FP7's ........and that's an odd choice as it's not as well know as the "Canadian" and it's being done by Rapido trains (in pieces that is).....

If "way up north" is true, then Kato may feel "way up north" is Puget Sound..... Correct Empire Builder, North Coast Limited.... Northern NY state with an NYC consist (going to Montreal that is)........could we see the Hiawatha with a streamlined Husdon or dare I say it, an Atlantic..... does Milwaukee, Wisc. count as "way up north".... not to a Winnipeger... that's for sure !!!!!

I'm holding out for a Royal Hudson myself....(ya right Pud)