|
|
Post by Spikre on Sept 16, 2014 10:31:07 GMT -8
 Kelly, will they be dusting off the ACF Covered Hoppers ? see an opportunity for an RTR single car,maybe even give it an Etched Roofwalk that is common on RTR cars now. and KITS,not sure the 3 pack was the best way to market them, but a Single car,or Double kit should work . and with the Recent ACF and GATC Articles in RP CYC,there should be plenty of Correct Roads that havnt been done by the Factory . would like to be able to get more roads someday. Spikre 
|
|
|
|
Post by nightmare0331 on Sept 16, 2014 10:43:04 GMT -8
not a chance.
Kelley.
|
|
|
|
Post by Spikre on Sept 16, 2014 11:45:41 GMT -8
 Kelly, sure You don't want to give this more thought ? the Kato ACF car was better than the E&B/ECW cars. the Kato ACF car is better than the Bowser car,too many problems with that one,too narrow body, too low on the trucks body, some odd detail choices. not sure about the Intermountain cars, none here yet, but they look good in pictures, but cost about 2/3 of what the Kato 3 pack cost. the Undec is about $20.00 list if they can be found,havnt found any in this area since they came out. stay away from the big roads and do the small batch lease cars, or shortline cars,they will sell. main problem is using the 50Ton ASF A-3 trucks,the cars really need some 70 ton AAR trucks,or Barber 70 ton S-2 trucks. change the coupler pocket to Screw On Lids. at least have the kits available as Undecs ?? Spikre
|
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Sept 16, 2014 15:21:46 GMT -8
Shame. The KATO 2-bay covered hopper was the most well engineered kit trio I have ever built. They literally fell together and no glue either.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2014 15:28:00 GMT -8
Shame. The KATO 2-bay covered hopper was the most well engineered kit trio I have ever built. They literally fell together and no glue either. But for stores they were a tough sell. At my friends store he sat on a few three packs for a long long time. Another knock at least from the CB&Q side was the gray used by Kato was way too dark. Some of the cars, like GE Lamps, were some of the early build dates and that seemed to be a problem. Maybe the steam to diesel transition era isn't as popular as some magazines claim? Also, if memory serves me correctly the the MSRP was $39.98, which pushed people away and the three pack also wasn't a big hit. One GE Lamps is great, three GE Lamps is overkill to some. |
|
|
|
Post by nightmare0331 on Sept 16, 2014 15:59:49 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by atsfan on Sept 16, 2014 16:34:00 GMT -8
Price was $45 for three.
I have some.
Transition era cars don't sell as well as modern cars.
The transition era is 60 years ago, at least two full generations of people.
|
|
|
|
Post by Judge Doom on Sept 16, 2014 17:45:56 GMT -8
Some did last longer on railroads in restricted loco sand and cement service, IIRC. Many older hoppers tend to.
I have a pair of Bowsers, despite their flaws they were cheap and quite easy to build.
|
|
|
|
Post by drolsen on Sept 16, 2014 18:46:08 GMT -8
I really do think the 3-pack was the downfall of these cars when they were first released. It seemed like people at my local shop just didn't want to buy, and build, three of them all at once. I think if three numbers had been available individually, people might have come back to get the others after building their first one, but the 3-pack just turned them off for whatever reason.
Dave
|
|
|
|
Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Sept 16, 2014 19:06:33 GMT -8
Bought a 3 pak last winter at a train show and I agree they were a great car. 3 paks work well for ops type layouts as traffic in and out of a facility on your layout.
|
|
|
|
Post by thebessemerkid on Sept 16, 2014 19:10:00 GMT -8
Agreed, the 3-pack was an oddball and out of reach of impulse purchase territory.
I'd like to see Kato run some SD38-2 shells in undec.
|
|
|
|
Post by GP40P-2 on Sept 16, 2014 21:39:10 GMT -8
The Kato wasn't a bad car, but the Intermountain is much nicer, and one of IMs better efforts. They are even better when they can be found in kit form (as are the R-70s), something IM seems to be slacking on lately. We need Kato to focus on getting the GP35s out, and maybe revisiting some SDs, or fixing the F40PH.
|
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Sept 17, 2014 3:47:28 GMT -8
I agree with Dave (below) - probably the fact that they only came in 3-packs drove people away. My D&RGW 3-pack was a very dark shade of gray also, way darker than the photo's of the cars. Between the dark shade and the 3-pack and cost, I avoided them for years. Finally about 8 or 9 years ago I saw a pack for sale for $20 and got them. I finally built them 5 or 6 years ago and it was a big pleasure. I really do think the 3-pack was the downfall of these cars when they were first released. It seemed like people at my local shop just didn't want to buy, and build, three of them all at once. I think if three numbers had been available individually, people might have come back to get the others after building their first one, but the 3-pack just turned them off for whatever reason. Dave Like Dave noted, if they would have been sold in singles, more would have tried them and discovered how well engineered they are. If KATO offered more western road names, I'd buy more. Mostly what is left is all eastern stuff.
|
|
|
|
Post by mlehman on Sept 17, 2014 11:14:05 GMT -8
I agree with Dave (below) - probably the fact that they only came in 3-packs drove people away. My D&RGW 3-pack was a very dark shade of gray also, way darker than the photo's of the cars. Between the dark shade and the 3-pack and cost, I avoided them for years. Finally about 8 or 9 years ago I saw a pack for sale for $20 and got them. I finally built them 5 or 6 years ago and it was a big pleasure...SNIP I held mine for years. A few years back, I realized I had more Rio Grande 2-bay LOs than I could ever use, so sold them off. I wonder how many 1:1 containers of these were produced...?  |
|
|
|
Post by Spikre on Sept 17, 2014 11:26:08 GMT -8
 Kelly, just tried that link and got "About Blank". is there a better link ? also seems I'm not the only fan of these cars. and also think that 3 packs may have not been the best way to market all of them. liked the Erie and EL 3 packs but with some roads may end up repainting one or 2 of the cars eventually. James, some of the Burlington cars were painted a Darkish Gray. and Cotton Belt cars were a Greenish Gray when built. thought most of the paint colors used were close to some as built runs of cars. Burlington built their cars over a 20+ year period,but they originally did use a Mineral Red color. Spikre 
|
|
|
|
Post by tom on Sept 17, 2014 12:29:20 GMT -8
Even when new I never thought that the Kato car was that great. They did assemble very easily but the end result was pretty basic.
When the Intermountain car came out I removed the ASF trucks from the Kato car and threw the rest away! The trucks were the best part of the car.
The Intermountain car (either RTR or kit form) is a much better car.
|
|
|
|
Post by Spikre on Sept 19, 2014 11:08:27 GMT -8
Tom, the Kato ACF car is a good train filling car. the Intermountain is a higher detailed car at about 3 times the price for RTR,go for it , its Your Piggybank. this is like comparing the Atlas PS-2 2003 CUFT car to the higher detailed Kadee cars,that havnt had enuff numbers of any road yet to do a full train of NYC cars, or Yer favorite road's cars yet. the Hobby is big enuff for the 3 ACF Type 1958 [or MP 1892 CUFT] style cars for all price ranges. Spikre 
|
|
|
|
Post by dti406 on Sept 19, 2014 13:12:50 GMT -8
According to posts on the MFCL, the Kato Car is closer to a GATC produced car rather than an ACF produced car.
"As for the Kato model, the side posts are definitely not squared off
hat section like the ACF cars, yet not rounded off like the GATC
cars, but more sort of beveled, which makes them look more like the
GATC posts. However, they are cut straight at the bottom, not at an
angle, yet there is a vertical row of rivets flanking the center
post. On balance, this is why I contend that the Kato car is closer
to the GATC cars than to the ACF cars."
Rick
|
|
|
|
Post by Spikre on Oct 11, 2014 16:38:35 GMT -8
 in going over the pics of GATC cars and ACF cars in RP CYC, the model may be closer to Generic AAR plans in late 40s and early 50s Car Builders CYCs. in any event a mix of Kato, Intermountain and Bowser cars may be good for Sand or Cement trains of the 50s and early 60s. add some PS-2s,or GV-2s and then all that is needed is a good ACF CH-29 car. Spikre
|
|
