New Kato Passenger Sets

[SkipGear]

Kato is bringing back the bookcase sets. Two sets just announced:

Alaska RR 1990's & CNW 1950's Green/Yellow available in 4 and 6 car sets.

6 car Bookcase set - RPO, Baggage, Coach, Diner, Sleeper, Observation
4 car Bookcase set - Baggage, Coach, Dome-Coach, Sleeper

Engines to go with them-

Alaska - 2 E8A's and an E8B
CNW - 2 E8A's

http://www.katousa.com/PDF/N-E8-SmoothsideSets-August13.pdf

[NorsemanJack]

Interesting news if it is true.  I might bite on the CNW offering if they do a good job with it.  OTOH, I'm a bit nervous at the apparent step backwards from the prototypical consists that they've been releasing.  Hopefully they'll be priced to reflect the lack of new investment (i.e. cheap).

[SkipGear]

Also in the announcement is an HO Hyabusa Bullet Train and a new N scale Bullet train starter set. Distributor sent it to us today, should be official tomorrow. I think this was what they wanted to announce at the National Train show but wasn't ready.

[Ike the BN Freak]

Might have to get the Alaska one...was in AK at the end of the 90s.  Always thought it would be cool to model, but too much odd rolling stock that is impossible to find or get.

[sizemore]

Great this means all the SCNWF's will scream about it being a Foob! At least no one can whine about West Coast bias.


The S.

[jagged ben]

Well Skipgear, maybe you can share some pics?  Seems I haven't been able to successfully reach the Kato website in weeks.

[rogergperkins]

What about THE B&O? 

[Sokramiketes]

Great this means all the SCNWF's will scream about it being a Foob! At least no one can whine about West Coast bias.


The S.

The diner and RPO will be prototypical.  I think C&NW even had 6-6-4 sleepers.  Can't blame Kato for filling in the rest of the train with what is on hand... for those that would want a full matching train.  And those of us that care get the prototype cars out of the deal that Kato must have felt they couldn't release on their own at appropriate sales volume.

Same with Alaska RR, the coach and dome cars are correct.  Any others?

[wcfn100]

There goes the 400 and I'll take this as bad news for a proto EB.

I starting to think my Kato passenger collection will start and end with the one CZ.

Jason

[Puddington]

Nothing on their website yet....... hey guys..... hello....... 

[SkipGear]

http://www.katousa.com/news/Announcements-August2013.html

I couldn't post last night becuase the link I has was to an internal distributor page, not public.

Added the link to the passenger only announcement to the original post.

[Mark5]

I think this was what they wanted to announce at the National Train show but wasn't ready.

So this is the new freight car tooling!

[MVW]

I'm away from my library, but I believe the Dakota 400 was the only 400 to typically carry a sleeper. Not sure if they used sleepers elsewhere, or even if they did, if they were in the green-and-yellow scheme. C&NW never had dome coaches though, did it?

Will probably be in for a 6-car set.

Jim

[jmlaboda - RIP]

"The diner and RPO will be prototypical.  I think C&NW even had 6-6-4 sleepers... Same with Alaska RR, the coach and dome cars are correct.  Any others?"

The coach is also prototypical, though they were sold to Espee once the through trains with UP switched to MILW.  American-series 6-6-4 sleepers were repainted CNW after the switch and later retired in 1963 and sold to Mexico.  Alaska coaches, dome-coaches and diner are correct as well.

This bodes well for folks who are looking for certain car parts, with the hope being that there will be shells available as well.  The observation car, while correct for only a few roadnames, is never the less a real prize even with the DPH observation being available with some looking at buying them and painting them for various roads.  Great to see the re-run of the streamline cars... lets hope that the earlier corrugated cars not used in the Zephyr set will be reran as well.

[skytop35]

There goes the 400 and I'll take this as bad news for a proto EB.
Jason

That was my first thought too but they did the COLA set after the original streamlined cars. So there is hope but I don't think the 400 would be at the top of Kato's list (although who really knows) even though I would buy one.