Kato East vs. West?

[skytop35]

I honestly can't see the problem if you are already prepared to paint and finish yourself.  Why does it matter if you have to strip off another paint job?  It costs almost nothing, takes little time or effort.  It does no harm to the shell.

I can understand why those not willing or without time to finish models would want specific road names.  But what is the deal about undecorated units?  They are all undecorated if we get off our  .

Have to agree here. Nowadays it's real easy to strip paint in 91% alcohol. Years ago the paint could be quite stubborn, especially Kato. However sometimes the problem is the availability of decals.

[GaryHinshaw]

I know the Milwaukee made it to Seattle (I've actually seen a switcher working there many years ago) but for some reason never think of it as a Western road.

Neither did most of its customers.   

[PAL_Houston]

Have to agree here. Nowadays it's real easy to strip paint in 91% alcohol. Years ago the paint could be quite stubborn, especially Kato. However sometimes the problem is the availability of decals.

+1. 
All of my F7A's are ex-ATSF paint (except in my case they are all Intermountain  ).

[SkipGear]

I honestly can't see the problem if you are already prepared to paint and finish yourself.  Why does it matter if you have to strip off another paint job?  It costs almost nothing, takes little time or effort.  It does no harm to the shell.

I can understand why those not willing or without time to finish models would want specific road names.  But what is the deal about undecorated units?  They are all undecorated if we get off our  .

Not all paint jobs are created equally. I was comissioned to do a fantasy paintjob on an ABBA set of Kato F's. They started as GN green and orange. After a week of trying to get the orange to strip, I gave up. In desperation I tried straight lacquer thinner in a small spot, it still didn't touch it. Tried priming over the orange but you could still see the edge of the orange paint under the primer. I wasted a week futzing with the shells and still ended up ordering undec shells to finish the job. I prefer starting with an Undec.

[skytop35]

Try easy off oven cleaner. I save this for really tuff jobs but it always works.

[peteski]

Sure, you can strip factory paint but you have to admit that it is a messy hassle. Starting with undecorated model is just that much easier.

[Rossford Yard]

I haven't read this whole thing, and am prepared to agree that Kato has a western bias.

On the other hand, they might have a profit bias, too.  I was on EBay the other night, and noticed the eastern road Kato diesels selling at huge discounts, whereas the western roads not so much.  Ditto MBKlein, where there are CSX units on sale cheap.

So, maybe its not bias, but just building what sells for them in their business model (i.e., not willing to do minimum runs of 300 or so? - Not sure, just guessing)

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I think one of the things about the profitability of various chosen models and their regional attachments has to do with individual model choice too.

For example, would a B&M RDC have sold better than the CNJ ones? What about B&O? It's impossible to tell because Kato ONLY did the CNJ one out of those three.

If you rely on similar road stuff, well, the nearest comparison I can think of would be the Chessie NW2s. How have they done? If not as well as say an NP one, would it be because Chessie is less popular than NP, or would it be because NW2s aren't exactly what you'd call "iconic" Chessie stuff, or even really demanded Chessie power.

Case in point: I have a moderate interest in Chessie, and if Kato made a Chessie SD40-2, I might get a pair because they were common Chessie fare. NWs2? Not so much...

My biggest complaint is that, often Kato expresses that those at its very top don't have the typical (to the extent that we and the rest of my modeling peer group are "typical") American model railroad mindset when it comes to model choice.

Oh, also, this topic really is almost worse than beating a dead horse. It's digging up a dead horse to flog it some more.

[Bob Bufkin]

Good points Ed.  And at least the dead horse is going to use in meat products

[C855B]

Good points Ed.  And at least the dead horse is going to use in meat products

Yeah... gives pause to those storing their stuff in Ikea cabinets, yes?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Good points Ed.  And at least the dead horse is going to use in meat products

I, for one, embrace meat of all varieties...

[Rossford Yard]

Ed,

Your points are a possibility.  I don't really understand, because I am one of those guys who would probably buy every loco in my favorite road, and then some in moderately favorite roads! (providing they are era appropriate)

For that matter, I have always felt that Kato/Atlas starting most production in the second gen diesels of mostly western roads probably fueled the long term production, in that IF modelers are similar to me, early N guys picked prototypes based on what was available in limited supply.  And, what was available was SF,SP and UP, without fail on all locos.

That said, I am proof the modelers do change eras and schemes based on diesel availability, since I went from Cajon Pass to KC Terminal as more roads became available.  Then, I switched to the similar IHB scheme when Atlas came out with those IHB geeps.  But, same idea, I got to run lots of locos from different roads.  Of course, I was formerly affluent enough to afford most of what I wanted, within reason.  I know some guys struggle to buy 2 locos when I have/had 200+.

So, I am not sure either one of us is "typical" and I know the mfgs aren't going to experiement a lot.  If they err, its usually on the side of conservative.  So, if a Chessie SD 40 and/or NW2 weren't as great sellers as ATSF, then we don't get a lot more Chessie from Kato.  Seems pretty simple to me.

[C855B]

I, for one, embrace meat of all varieties...

As long as it tastes like bacon, right?

[Bob Bufkin]

I wonder what horse bacon would taste like?

[Alaska Railroader]

So where exactly, or more likely "vaguely", does the East stop and the West begin? There must be quite a bit over overlap somewhere in the eastern Midwest like say Ohio. Then do you count FEC as an Eastern road? I'm sure it is but aren't there major roads that are more South that don't go up to the northeast? I'm obviously not well versed in my railroads so I am asking this question with genuine curiosity. I'm not referring to small regional railroads but rather the roads that model railroad companies release.