Kato Trainfest announcement! YAS!

[milw156]

Chuck just posted the consist announcement http://www.featherrivertrains.com/cgi-bin/webstore/shop.cgi?ud=BwkGAgcJBg0CABQUEhARHQUCDgEJCA4ABAgSEAAA&storeid=1&sortby=itemid&cols=1&c=detail.htm&t=main.detail.htm&itemid=106-082

[Sokramiketes]

Interesting.  No word on an add-on set... the missing cars are baggage, RPO, lounge, and 8-6-4 Sleepers.

[wcfn100]

Without those cars, that shuts my wallet pretty fast.  Hopefully there's a follow up.   

Jason

[ryan_wilkerson]

Did they ever say they were going to make the additional cars?
Knowing N scale releases, if the first set isn't purchased when available, it might not be around if they offer an add-on set.
What's the longest train they've released as a single set? They seem to be going smaller to keep the initial investment lower so more people buy in.

[peteski]

Did they ever say they were going to make the additional cars?

Kato California Zephyr set has 11 cars and the SP Morning Daylight has 10, plus a 6-car, and a 2-car add-on sets.

The Kato Orient Express (double-book case set) has 15 cars.

[Sokramiketes]

We know they've been gun-shy the past couple of years on investing in tooling in full name trains.  I wonder if 7 car types, given the added tooling issues with a Skytop, was all the US office could get approved from Japan.

Its still better than nothing, and I can come up with the missing cars, but too bad the set is trimmed.

[nightmare0331]

as of this time, there are no plans to tool additional cars for an add on set.

If these sell well, an additional add-on set may be considered in the future.

Enjoy!

Kelley.
www.dufordmodelworks.com

[wcfn100]

Well that's disappointing. 

Jason

[sd45elect2000]

Interesting.  No word on an add-on set... the missing cars are baggage, RPO, lounge, and 8-6-4 Sleepers.

The Olympian Hiawatha didn't usually carry an RPO. In 1952-1955 that work was done by the Columbian.

The Tap Lounge cars were removed with the arrival of the superdome cars unless the train was oversized.

The 8-6-4 sleepers were Pioneer Limited cars are were not regularly assigned to the Olympian Hiawatha. The 8-6-4 cars had Waukesha Ice engines, not the steam ejection systems used on the Olympian cars. They kept the propane engines out of the tunnels out West.

The Olympian did however usually have a baggage car for passenger baggage however Kato is doing the baggage dorm car and that fits with the facts of the train consist. A full baggage car was not always needed.

Its important to know that in 1948 the Milwaukee only built two 60ft RPO cars, they were used mostly on the twin cities trains. The Milwaukee had a total of four lightweight RPO cars , the other two were built in 1938 and were also used on twin cites trains.

Kato got it right.

Randy

[wcfn100]

Thanks for the extra info Randy.  In watching video and looking at pictures of the Olympian Hiawatha the train seems to vary from 10-14 cars without baggage cars but a single head end car.

For instance, in the following video, if you jump to 23:11 there's a 13 car consist.  Are the extra cars just coaches?

Or here to jump to the the time - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQupCrYLLbk&t=23m11s


edit:  Is the 11th car back an 8-6-4 sleeper?

Jason

[Chris333]

I vote next train is the Erie Limited with a heavy pacific. 

[u18b]

Well, I'm looking on the bright side.

Assuming Kato does not use old cars as fill-ins.... but goes will all authentic round windowed Hiawatha cars....

Then I count seven totally new tooled cars.

I'll be happy to add the other cars myself.

In fact, I'm now really glad I bought a 8-6-4 sleeper casting from Skytop a while back.  Maybe he'll have a reason to make more.

[Missaberoad]

Still very excited about this, and I'm hopeful that it will sell well and inspire someone (kato wink wink) to produce a little joe... 

[Cajonpassfan]

Thanks for the extra info Randy.  In watching video and looking at pictures of the Olympian Hiawatha the train seems to vary from 10-14 cars without baggage cars but a single head end car.

For instance, in the following video, if you jump to 23:11 there's a 13 car consist.  Are the extra cars just coaches?

Or here to jump to the the time - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQupCrYLLbk&t=23m11s


edit:  Is the 11th car back an 8-6-4 sleeper?

Jason

Oh boy, how the world has changed....for better and worse...
Only wish the train videos were  bit more HD
Otto K.

[sd45elect2000]

There is a 8-6-4 sleeper in that consist but again their use was rare. They weren't really set up to service Waukesha cars. Additional cars would probably be coaches and sleepers. Either the "lake" sleepers or the touralux sleepers.

I just saw a Kato flyer for this train. There appears to be a disappearing diner.