Ahhh, well . . . but I do wish that Kato could do a little better job of research from time to time. Preferably soon.
Case in point: Their much-heralded, long-awaited and (in spite of the nit-picking I'm about to put them through) much more than well worth it model of Santa Fe's Super Chief. The cars are nicely realized, more than accurate enough for mass produced models, they track nicely and carry correct numbers and car names for the prototype.
Kato advertises the three 4-car consists combine into a "typical" Super Chief consist for summer 1953. Well, er, ah . . . almost, but not quite. To quote the late Don Adams' 'Maxwell Smart,' "Missed it by that much." Literally, that much. One car. The 12-car consist is actually spot-on for a "typical" trainset from the 1956-62 time period.
In 1953, however, ATSF featured a baggage-lounge-barber car, which followed directly behind the RPO car (which, in turn, was directly behind the full baggage car), making the "typical" 1953 consist a 13-car trainset. Oops #1.
ops: And actually, this is the only egregious oops of the trainset itself.
The Kato F7s, once they arrive, will apparently supply Oops #2. They'll be beautiful without a doubt, and equally doubtless will run like little gems. Unfortunately -- and here's where Kato's R&D really fell down -- the engine numbers Kato decided to furnish (#303 stock, with numberboards for several others in the 300-series) reflect Santa Fe's re-numberings which occurred in the early 1960s . . . which makes for a really oddball Super Chief if you're looking to model either 1953 or the later fifties.
Oops.ops:
Why am I surprised that Kato did this, though? They're the ones who came out with passenger car sets for SP's Lark . . . complete with vistadome car. (Yeah, that Coast Route was really a scenic delight between the hours of sunset and sunrise -- which is precisely when the Lark made its nightly run.)
And so, all this having been said . . . I can hardly wait for those F7 A's and B's to arrive. That train is absolutely beautiful . . . but it's getting a wee bit tired of its prolonged station stop at the (more-or-less fictional) city of Monte Vista. But then, come to think of it, the good people of the (more-or-less fictional) city of Monte Vista are getting more than a wee bit tired of waiting for me to put a station there!
Oops!ops:
-- Paul
Case in point: Their much-heralded, long-awaited and (in spite of the nit-picking I'm about to put them through) much more than well worth it model of Santa Fe's Super Chief. The cars are nicely realized, more than accurate enough for mass produced models, they track nicely and carry correct numbers and car names for the prototype.
Kato advertises the three 4-car consists combine into a "typical" Super Chief consist for summer 1953. Well, er, ah . . . almost, but not quite. To quote the late Don Adams' 'Maxwell Smart,' "Missed it by that much." Literally, that much. One car. The 12-car consist is actually spot-on for a "typical" trainset from the 1956-62 time period.
In 1953, however, ATSF featured a baggage-lounge-barber car, which followed directly behind the RPO car (which, in turn, was directly behind the full baggage car), making the "typical" 1953 consist a 13-car trainset. Oops #1.
ops: And actually, this is the only egregious oops of the trainset itself.The Kato F7s, once they arrive, will apparently supply Oops #2. They'll be beautiful without a doubt, and equally doubtless will run like little gems. Unfortunately -- and here's where Kato's R&D really fell down -- the engine numbers Kato decided to furnish (#303 stock, with numberboards for several others in the 300-series) reflect Santa Fe's re-numberings which occurred in the early 1960s . . . which makes for a really oddball Super Chief if you're looking to model either 1953 or the later fifties.
Oops.
ops: Why am I surprised that Kato did this, though? They're the ones who came out with passenger car sets for SP's Lark . . . complete with vistadome car. (Yeah, that Coast Route was really a scenic delight between the hours of sunset and sunrise -- which is precisely when the Lark made its nightly run.)
And so, all this having been said . . . I can hardly wait for those F7 A's and B's to arrive. That train is absolutely beautiful . . . but it's getting a wee bit tired of its prolonged station stop at the (more-or-less fictional) city of Monte Vista. But then, come to think of it, the good people of the (more-or-less fictional) city of Monte Vista are getting more than a wee bit tired of waiting for me to put a station there!
Oops!
ops: -- Paul
