Kato FEF

[EspeeGoldenState]

Technically, the flag should be always "Assaulting forward" so, the field of stars should ALWAYS face towards the front of the consist.....

True, but I couldn't think of what it was called. I just knew it was being ran backwards and that it was the same as how a UP flagged diesel looked.

Chris

[daniel_leavitt2000]

The tender and tool car are being run backwards right? I thought that they do have an orientation with the engine, which is why they were printed with flags.

One local PD has flag shoulder patches on both sides with the right patch backwards. Drives me nutty every time I see it.

On a total tangent, it is interesting to see how different states run their flags. TX for example uses the assaulting forward approach. In NY and up here in MA, there is only one correct orientation due to writing on the flag. CA uses a blended approach, the bear always faces the pole, but the wording will change depending on the side shown.

[EspeeGoldenState]

The tender and tool car are being run backwards right? I thought that they do have an orientation with the engine, which is why they were printed with flags.

One local PD has flag shoulder patches on both sides with the right patch backwards. Drives me nutty every time I see it.

On a total tangent, it is interesting to see how different states run their flags. TX for example uses the assaulting forward approach. In NY and up here in MA, there is only one correct orientation due to writing on the flag. CA uses a blended approach, the bear always faces the pole, but the wording will change depending on the side shown.

The orientation of the baggage car doesn't matter and I've notice they run the car either way with no preference. Never understood why they do that, but I don't think I personally will run that way.

Funny thing, I know I've seen it backwards, but I can't find the video of it. Maybe I am wrong too.

Chris

[victor miranda]

been looking for this to appear.

one on e-bay...

NEW KATO N Scale Union Pacific FEF-3 #844 Steam Locomotive

it says it is in stock.

anyone else seen one?

[sundowner]

been looking for this to appear.

one on e-bay...

NEW KATO N Scale Union Pacific FEF-3 #844 Steam Locomotive

it says it is in stock.

anyone else seen one?

The store I frequent has a demo set but it not for sale yet untill the other set appear. I ran the loco today and it is smooth and quiet. The tender has some preaty cool engineering for the centerped part, its using a three axle and a two axle truck to simulate the centerped wheels but the sideframe are part of the truck body so they stay rigid

[reinhardtjh]

FEF's in stock at MBKleins!

72 Kato N 1260401 FEF-3 Steam Locomotive, Union Pacific #844
99 Kato N 106085 Water Tender 2-Car Set, Union Pacific
70 Kato N 106086 Excursion Train 7-Car Set, Union Pacific

Oh, and a limit of 12 each per customer! 

Nothing on BLW yet.  (Being a near East coaster those are the ones I check first.)

[mike in bc]

its 1 per customer

[wm-webb]

It was twelve per customer when I looked at 2am this morning. Which brings up the question, how did I read reinhardtjh post an hour and a half before he posted it?

[sundowner]

Glad I pre-order mine, MBK had like over 90 of all three yesterday afternoon when I first saw them, now there are down to 20 locos, 35 passenger sets and 55 water bottles sets. UP heritage 70ACe all over again.

[basementcalling]

Out of stock listing at Klein's now on the engines.

What I was afraid of when asking for it as a gift.

Oh well.

[victor miranda]

edit to change...
I will post a review in it's own thread.

as a hint, kato has continued innovating.
my initial impression is good.  wow.

the loco is geared at over a calculated 120 to one.

victor

[reinhardtjh]

It was twelve per customer when I looked at 2am this morning. Which brings up the question, how did I read reinhardtjh post an hour and a half before he posted it?

Me and my flux-capacitor.

Interesting though because it really was 3:37AM when I posted.  I'm a 3rd shift person so I'm on at really odd hours. I made an order at MBKlein's that posted at 3:51AM but it was for GLa hoppers, not FEF's.  Although I considered it.  I wonder how many times they will restock.

[EspeeGoldenState]

Technically, the flag should be always "Assaulting forward" so, the field of stars should ALWAYS face towards the front of the consist.....

The orientation of the baggage car doesn't matter and I've notice they run the car either way with no preference. Never understood why they do that, but I don't think I personally will run that way.

Funny thing, I know I've seen it backwards, but I can't find the video of it. Maybe I am wrong too.

Chris

Finally found the video that had the baggage car running backwards. And I don't know why, as I've watched a many videos of this train that I could find as I just love it.

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Chris

[C855B]

It has to be said that the flag forward/backward thing becomes irrelevant once dropped into the operational challenges of running the train in the field. I'm sure they try to leave Cheyenne with everything "the right way".

When you've chased UP excursions as often as we have, you get a pretty good sense of the exasperations and major headaches that come with having an unusual train out on the line. Stuff gets turned around routinely. Heck, Steve Lee and Bob Krieger recalled that when they had the 3985 on CSX, they were "ordered" to turn on a wye too sharp for the centipede tender. After about 8 hours of futzing with it, they ran the loco around the train, coupled on the back, and operated the locomotive at track speed backwards the 60 miles to their next appointment. Unlikely to find footage of it, as it was something like 2:00 a.m. or so.

[peteski]

Nice review Victor!  Isn't it fun to take apart the new loco you just bought? 

Wow!  Looks like Kato is still the innovator we all expect them to be.  Seems that they have again outdone themselves.  The design looks very innovative.  It is also nice to see that they backported (if that is the correct word to use) the newly designed drivers to the GS-4. Wall, except for the main crankpin (which was not really feasible to do).  It also looks like the revolutionary design of the driver suspension system was reused on this loco.  That is excellent!  It should be a great puller.

The gear axles molded as part of the die-cast frame half always bothered me a bit. Seeing that they now use (steel?) pin inserts is one such innovation.  I also hope that the coreless motor they are using will be durable in the long run.  Minitrix has been using coreless motors for a while now (on some N scale locos) but I don't have any reliability info about  motor.  I wonder if the FEF motor is the same one Kato uses on their H0 truck powered P42s.