Kato USA is asking modelers for input on a few HO locomotives:
http://katousa.com/webpoll.html
I like the prospect of a Pioneer Zephyr, especially one that would be of Kato quality.
I used the “send a suggestion” option to request that they do the B&M Flying Yankee" version, too [:D]
Flying Yankee by Edmund, on Flickr
Regards, Ed
I asked for a return of the NW2 with DCC and sound.
Yes, good choice [Y]. These are difficult to install even a silent decoder.
I wouldn’t mind picking up another GE P-42 or two.
Regards, Ed
Well, KATO has yet to make anything I want, and very, very little that even fits my era.
They are an N scale company that occasionally dabbles in HO.
But I put in my vote for the Zephyr and the Flying Yankee.
Hopefully undecorated versions might be included in the production.
Sheldon
Thanks for the link and the heads up, Ed. While I don’t model the CB&Q; nor would I purchase a Pioneer Zephyr for my NYC roster, I think that would be a fantastic model to see released.
I’ll have to mull over another diesel alternative though. I do like the suggestion of a NW2 that is DCC-ready.
Tom
The Flying Yankee might not fit my location/era either, Tom, but I sort of have a bit of a connection to it.
My uncles worked for the B&M and took these photos when the Flying Yankee was something to see. This is my dad’s niece posing here:
Flying Yankee by Edmund, on Flickr
Uncle Stanley is in the background here:
Flying-Yankee at Warren, NH by Edmund, on Flickr
Years later I walked through the cars when they were at the Edaville Railroad in South Carver, Massachusetts.
The Yankee Clipper by Edmund, on Flickr
Just for the memories, you know.
IF Kato decides to produce it, and IF I’m not on life-support by then, I hope they do a good, plated finish on it. Some of their Budd HO stuff is painted in rather matte-looking silver-ish paint [N]
Regards, Ed
I saw the Burlington Zephyr up close when I visited the National Museum of Transporation in Kirkwood (West St. Louis), MO in Apr '18. LOVE the look of the slanted nose and rounded grill! It just screams of the 30s. The B&M Flying Yankee would make a great model, too, and I’d be happy for your sake if Kato did decide to produce/release it.
Tom
I too saw the Flying Yankee while it was at Edaville. I almost bought a Zephyr when ConCor had them out, but got distracted by work and family…
Being an “East Coast” guy, I would rather have the Yankee anyway.
Sheldon
One of the few purchasing exceptions I made a few years back that was out of my era (but not my railroad) was the Con-Cor Aerotrain. They did a very nice job with that model. The National Museum of Transportation has that one also at their facility - albeit Rock Island. It’s funky and the original prototype didn’t live up to the hoped expectation of lightrail travel. However, it’s unique and the look of it has grown on me.
Tom
I am interested in Kato’s proposed HO E5A. Kato mechanisms in some of my older HO diesels are very high quality.
I see Kato has been producing an N-scale E5A along with a short Burlington Zephyr consist.
For HO, I would like for Kato to produce a longer CB&Q train to follow the E5A.
I suggest Kato produce an HO model of the Vista Dome Twin Cities Zephyr. Burlington aquired the vista dome version of the TCZ from Budd in the late 1940’s. It was a seven car train: … One baggage/louunge, one dome coach with flat glass for the dome, three dome coaches with curved glass, one dining car, and one dome parlor observation car.
The cars with flat glass domes were the original vista dome cars (Silver Dome and Silver Castle). These two cars were unique and historic. CB&Q made them in their car shop by modifying pre-war Budd coaches.
There were several publicity photos used by Burlington in the late 1940’s and in the 1950’s with an E5A and E5B along with the 7-car train. … It was very attractive !
If Kato did produce this train, it would be a good idea to include extra cars to expand the train’s capacity. These would be Budd coaches without domes, and Budd parlor cars without domes. Another good addition would be a Budd mail car.
I have owned the Kato Burlington business car for many years. It is well constructed, and I have often wished Kato would make more HO Passenger cars.
Below is a photo of TCZ with E5A and E5B. In this case, the extra coaches behind the baggage lounge are modernized heavyweight cars.
Ed said he used the “send a suggestion” option for his idea of Kato producing The Flying Yankee. … I, too, used that option to suggest Kato produce
Whilst I am not too keen on the Zephyrs I have several Kato units from the early 2000’s and they have my favourite drives of all time… I have both the new Athearn SD90 and Kato. The Athearn is great and a big improvement over the last Genesis I bought in 2007, but the Kato is still king of the drives for me.
Both those cars still exist, Garry. Somehow Silver Dome wound up in Bellevue, Ohio after its stint with Amtrak:
Silver Dome by Craig Sanders, on Flickr
Last I knew, Silver Castle was in Kansas City.
The interior is pure “early-revival Amtrak” purple and red:
CBnQ Silver Dome by Edmund, on Flickr
Yes, those dents in the overhead are from people knocking their heads!
Here’s a few pages from my Zephyr brochure:
Zephyr_0006 by Edmund, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
I voted for the E5, I would love to have one of those, but I would need it undecorated, and that is unlikely.
-Kevin
Nothing on the list of interest to me.
oldline1
I would be interested in the E5, but not without a B unit, and yes preferably undecorated.
Sheldon
I voted for the SD38-2. A nice, compact 6-axle that would fit right in, even on a smaller layout.
Since they were all built for the CB&Q, I doubt that undecorated would interest very many people.
[:(]
-Kevin
Agreed.
C’mon, Pennsy fans, you know what to do.
If that was an option, I would have been all over it.
I doubt any write-in would get enough votes to overcome the listed options.
I am just excited Kato is looking at the North American HO scale market again.
-Kevin
