Kato Announces the El Capitan Passenger Set

[Roger Holmes]

It's good to model Chicago because this "western" train ran out of Chicago and if you East Coast Boys get your 20th Century it ran to Chicago.  Any coincidence that Kato-USA is based in the Chicago suburbs.  ???  Where have you conspiracy theorists been?  ;D

[lashedup]

One other question for the ATSF guys...

Any reason Kato left out the Big Dome cars? Those were built for El Capitan service at the same time as many of the other hi-level cars.

<edit after research>

So it looks like Big Domes were only in service on the El Cap for a short time and were replaced with hi-level coaches in 1955. That sound right?

</edit>

[Sokramiketes]

One other question for the ATSF guys...

Any reason Kato left out the Big Dome cars? Those were built for El Capitan service at the same time as many of the other hi-level cars.

<edit after research>

So it looks like Big Domes were only in service on the El Cap for a short time and were replaced with hi-level coaches in 1955. That sound right?

</edit>

Big Domes were originally built for service on the single level El Cap.  They moved to other trains after the hi-level cars arrived for the El Cap.

[atsf_arizona]

I'm sure it will be a beautiful train but I doubt Kato will be able to match the numbers of previous releases with this one. It just doesn't have the magic of the previous releases for some reason. I think the add on sets could out sell the main set for people looking for head end cars. I sent out an e-mail advising a group of my better customers about the El Cap and so far response has been lack luster. I have a few guys that seem to buy one of everything and they have all passed on this one. It doesn't have the broad appeal of the Daylight or even the Broadway. The non-Santa Fe modelers that wanted a Santa Fe passenger train already have the Chief.

Interesting, SkipGear, how interests vary depending on regional interests.   I gather that Eastern US modelers, understandably, have far less interest .....   I know most of the Southwestern US folks that I know, including myself, that have been jumping all over this one like hotcakes. 

It will be interesting to see how the Kato Santa Fe El Capitan sells.  Hopefully, of course, well enough to keep the Kato passenger train releases coming.   

Keep us posted on how interest goes with your customers, just curious to know.

[SkipGear]

I'm sure it will be a beautiful train but I doubt Kato will be able to match the numbers of previous releases with this one. It just doesn't have the magic of the previous releases for some reason. I think the add on sets could out sell the main set for people looking for head end cars. I sent out an e-mail advising a group of my better customers about the El Cap and so far response has been lack luster. I have a few guys that seem to buy one of everything and they have all passed on this one. It doesn't have the broad appeal of the Daylight or even the Broadway. The non-Santa Fe modelers that wanted a Santa Fe passenger train already have the Chief.

Interesting, SkipGear, how interests vary depending on regional interests.   I gather that Eastern US modelers, understandably, have far less interest .....   I know most of the Southwestern US folks that I know, including myself, that have been jumping all over this one like hotcakes. 

It will be interesting to see how the Kato Santa Fe El Capitan sells.  Hopefully, of course, well enough to keep the Kato passenger train releases coming.   

Keep us posted on how interest goes with your customers, just curious to know.

John,
 I will let you know if anything changes. Another one of my "one of everything" customers came by tonight to pickup his GS-4, GG-1 and ACE. I told him about the Cap and he also shrugged his shoulders at it. He has bought all the sets since the Zephyr, including the Great Northern, Chief, Daylight, UP cars, and Broadway. He also has a few of the older 6 + 4 sets including a CP set I just finished lighting the marker lights on one of the business cars that he found at Columbus N Scale weekend. Just not much buzz in SE Ohio about this set yet.

[Puddington]

The "not much buzz" comment seems to be somewhat universal about this release announcement. Not having any exposure to the ATSF way up here in Canada, nor having found the El Capitan a overly compeling consist, when compared to the Chief, Super Chief et la, I wonder, can any ATSF fans, or others explain the "attraction" of this consist to me ? I've always been lead to believe that Kato pays as much, if not more attention to it's home market when making model selections. If this is indeed the case is there some far eastern facination with this train I'm missing ?

I can only guess that the unique cars would be the prime attraction but an all coach train; unique to one route and road seems an interesting and somewhat risky choice of new tooling dollars to me. But I am sure I'm missing something here.

Educate the poor Canuck......

[Mark5]

Educate the poor Canuck......

They can make more of these:

[3rdrail]

While the "el Cap" is popular among railrfans and modelers because of its unique cars, it definitely did not have the "cachet" with the rest of the world as it was not a first class limited, but indeed only a coach train. People hollered  for the "Super Chief", and the "Broadway Limited" because they were the epitome of luxury in rail travel. Folks can run the "Super Chief" and imagine that Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall have reserved the Turquoise Room to have dinner with Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. You wouldn't find that foursome on the "el Capitan"!

[Puddington]

Educate the poor Canuck......

They can make more of these:

Cynical but undoubtably true...........

[Puddington]

While the "el Cap" is popular among railrfans and modelers because of its unique cars, it definitely did not have the "cachet" with the rest of the world as it was not a first class limited, but indeed only a coach train. People hollered  for the "Super Chief", and the "Broadway Limited" because they were the epitome of luxury in rail travel. Folks can run the "Super Chief" and imagine that Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall have reserved the Turquoise Room to have dinner with Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. You wouldn't find that foursome on the "el Capitan"!

"Cachet" is exactly my point; it's a "pedestrian" train - in Canada the "Canadian" envokes romance while te "Super Continental" envokes.... um.... transport.... So; would I be safe in assuming that it is the unique nature of the equipment that is the attraction.... ? And; if so then isn't this a risk as the tooling has limited uses, that being the current consist and perhaps an Amtrak livery.....?

... and it sells F7's....I forgot !  ;D

[SkipGear]

Educate the poor Canuck......

They can make more of these:

Cynical but undoubtably true...........

They could make more of those if they would just release more Super Chief sets. I still have customers looking for various Super Chief car sets, especially the A set.

[Dave V]

I want a 1970 Penn Central Broadway Limited with mismatched peeling E8s and a good healthy mix of Tuscan, gray, stainless, and puke green cars.  Pre-rusted, of course.

[oakcreekco]

I'm guessing that it'll sell very well. May not "sell out" as quickly, or like the MTL SP caboose, but it will sell well.

I think it's kinda funny, but how many pages were "filled" on this forum about the new MTL caboose, and "all its' faults"(for at least CR), and by the time the thread was winding down, dealers were pretty much sold out before they got them. The SP version looks very good IMO.

Most forget, but the ATSF was Mr Kato's inspiration into the world of model railroading, so it really shouldn't be a suprise when more ATSF/BNSF stuff comes out.

Here's a little Japanese fellow sitting in Japan, dreaming about the ATSF................so he makes models of them.

OK, take out the "bats" ;D

[Mark5]

Here's a little Japanese fellow sitting in Japan, dreaming about the ATSF................so he makes models of them.

He must dream about U P too.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I'm guessing that it'll sell very well. May not "sell out" as quickly, or like the MTL SP caboose, but it will sell well.

I think it's kinda funny, but how many pages were "filled" on this forum about the new MTL caboose, and "all its' faults"(for at least CR), and by the time the thread was winding down, dealers were pretty much sold out before they got them. The SP version looks very good IMO.

Most forget, but the ATSF was Mr Kato's inspiration into the world of model railroading, so it really shouldn't be a suprise when more ATSF/BNSF stuff comes out.

Here's a little Japanese fellow sitting in Japan, dreaming about the ATSF................so he makes models of them.

OK, take out the "bats" ;D

I agree.