Kato Trainfest announcement! YAS!

[ryan_wilkerson]

Thanks for the info on the 3 cars I was interested in. Looks like I'll just wait to find an individual sale for a super dome.

[davefoxx]

Milwaukee repurposed FP7s into freight service, too.

Probably a lot of roads did.  The ACL/SCL and the RF&P did, too.

DFF

[Angus Shops]

All of Canadian Pacific's F units were FP's, mostly FP7's. When purchased they were intended for dual service, both freight and passenger, and they were all equipped with boilers and numbers in the 4000 series. When The Canadian was introduced, they got divided up into passenger units in the 1400 series with higher speed gearing and icicle breakers on the roof, and freight units, although the 'freight units' were often used in passenger service.

These new Katos are great news. Before Intermountain there were no FP's (other than Model Power, which I didn't think looked right). They were the iconic image of the CPR in the '50's. I have 4 FP7's that have stretched Kato F unit mechanisms, 2 under kitbashed Kato F shells, 1 under a modified Radido (the old Arnold Rapido) shell, and 1 under a Kaslo Kits shell. They run well and look pretty good but the the stretching process left they a little noisy. The arrival of the Intermountain sets pushed them out of passenger service and back to 4000 series freight service, so the new Kato units may retire them completely, or maybe to populate the engine service area in Field.

Geoff

[u18b]

I wonder how this announcement will affect the Rapido Centralia superdome cars.

Weren't the Rapido Centralia cars the Milw prototype?

Sorry.  Corrected.

[sd45elect2000]

CN got the six cars from the Olympian Hiawatha. The Milwaukee kept the four cars from the Twin Cities fleet.

I didn't know Rapido was doing a super dome, I knew about the Centralia announcement.

Randy

[sundowner]

IM/Centralia shops are doing the super domes not Rapido and yes its the same car but we will probably see Kato's first. Now I wonder who will do the Budd big dome that ATSF used?

[Roger Holmes]

Whats the difference between the two? And really that's too bad, was hoping for a Rapids series for use in double duty.

Chris

The "Skytop" glass portion of the car is longer on the Rapids series.

[cjm413]

Milwaukee repurposed FP7s into freight service, too.

Some were rebuilt with HEP for commuter service

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1689/24395563350_cef45f347f_b.jpg

[u18b]

Here is something I hope they make one day with the FP7A.....

[nkalanaga]

Sundowner:  Bachmann has made the ATSF car for decades, although I imagine that you, and a lot of others, would like a state of the art version.

If someone does make them, I hope they also do the GN version.

[skytop35]

The "Skytop" glass portion of the car is longer on the Rapids series.

Actually the glass extends farther forward on the "Creek" series Skytop sleepers and these were used on the Olympian.  The "Rapids" series were parlor cars and used on the Twin Cities Hiawatha.

[Roger Holmes]

Bill--That shows why I should have gone up to the bookshelf in my shop instead of shooting from the hip

[wcfn100]

Here is something I hope they make one day with the FP7A.....[/img]

Now that's got me wondering if I'll ever get the shell I need. 

A Milwaukee release means a passenger pilot and no dynamic brakes. Not the most useful combination to paint in other road names.  UP and WP need freight pilots and DBs (same as what I need).  PRR has the passenger pilot and DB, but vertical louvers.


Jason

[EspeeGoldenState]

Actually the glass extends farther forward on the "Creek" series Skytop sleepers and these were used on the Olympian.  The "Rapids" series were parlor cars and used on the Twin Cities Hiawatha.

So there is a chance that you could fill in windows and create a Rapids series car? Sorry fellas I'm not a Milw historian and they were gone before I was born but I've always like their colors and unique cars.

Chris

[cjm413]

Now that's got me wondering if I'll ever get the shell I need. 

A Milwaukee release means a passenger pilot and no dynamic brakes. Not the most useful combination to paint in other road names.  UP and WP need freight pilots and DBs (same as what I need).  PRR has the passenger pilot and DB, but vertical louvers.


Jason

I wouldn't be surprised to see WP FP7's with a re-release of the California Zephyr passenger car set.