Has anyone noticed the Olympian Hiawatha set on the home page of the Kato USA web site? I don't see it for sale anywhere yet.
There is an article about it here:
Kato Posts Photos of First Painted Samples of Milwaukee Road Olympian Hiawatha
Here's a vintage video from The Old Milwaukee Road in case anyone is planning a layout that will show the sites along the way.
Looks great IMO.
It's great to see the Hiawatha in N scale (even though I don't model in N). I can tell that'll sell out fast! Those Super Domes, man...
I'm all for prototype accuracy but in the case of the model I hope Kato re-thinks the aluminum frame on that, what I suppose is, an emergency exit window.
Sometimes attempting to replicate every detail on a model can backfire.
As far as I understand it, these emergency windows came along as a result of the FRA mandate on shatterproof glazing. I don't believe the "as built" car would show this detail. I believe CN made this modification.
On the model it just sticks out like a big wart...
Otherwise, Kato did a fine job. I remember seeing a pair of Skytop cars sitting on a barge in Erie, Pa. then I guess they were moved to Buffalo, NY and eventually scrapped, along with the ferry Lansdowne, that they were sitting on. Pieces of the cars have been salvaged, but not much remains:
Thank You,
Ed
Thanks for the video. That set actually is available but if you get the 2 piece locomotive set 106-0430, and the 9 piece car set 106-082, it will cost in the neighborhood of $400.
Then if you really want to go whole hog there is another FP7A locomotive 176-2301, that you can buy without the FP7B unit, with road number 95C for another $80-$90 depending on where you look. So, to have one of everything will run you closer to $500.
There are also alternate number boards available 11-650 (#90A and #90C) in case you want to have even more locomotives in your layout and give them their own numbers.
These are all prices without DCC and Locksound.
I remember reading that the Skytops were cut to make them easier to move by truck, an aid to preservation and not as alarming as it looks. I believe the big McKeen car now in restoration was done the same way. They will be welded back together when the time comes...
When I was watching the video I was thinking that they probably cut it to fit on the truck.
Those aluminum window frames are accurate for the Olympian Hiawatha.
They were hinged frames for loading stretcher-borne passengers. They're shown in Pullman-Standard drawings as hinged sashes, and show up - like sore thumbs - in builder's photos.
Eric
If Kato were modeling present-day cars with FRA mandated window modifications, wouldn't we see two of them on each car?
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27