Walthers announces Sante Fe El Capitan!

Per Walthers:

Santa Fe El Capitan

The HI-LEVEL Train That's Fun for Everyone!

* Based on Cars used 1956-71

* Real Metal Finish

* Prototypically Accurate Window Tinting

* All Grab Irons Factory Installed

* Six All-new Cars Designed from Budd Plans

* Window Gasket Details as Appropriate

* Matching PROTO 2000(R) Santa Fe 37-Class F7 Locos Available Separately

Based on the 1956 consist with its unique Hi-Level cars, the HO Scale "El Capitan" is a great addition to any collection or Santa Fe layout - and these cars can be run with Walthers "Super Chief," just as the Santa Fe did after 1958!

Our "El Capitan" is complete with all the cars used on the prototype, including Baggage Car, Railway Post Office, Baggage-Dormitory "transition car" with rooftop shroud, Hi-Level 68-Seat Step-Down Coach, Hi-Level 72-Seat Coach, Hi-Level "Sky Lounge," Hi-Level Diner, and Hi-Level 68-Seat Step-Down Coach with Tail Sign to bring up the rear.

Each comes fully assembled with Walthers real metal "stainless steel" finish, factory-installed grab irons, prototypically tinted windows, correct trucks and much more.

Matching Santa Fe 37-Class EMD F7s - perfect for "El Capitan" or the "Super Chief" - will also be available separately. Finished in the classic Passenger Warbonnet colors and highlighted by a plated metal finish, choose Sound and DCC A-B Sets (#920-40687 series) with full-function Tsunami decoders, or Standard DC sets (#920-47687 series) each with multiple unit numbers. Individual A and B units are also available to model the A-B-B-A lash-ups that powered these trains.

PLEASE NOTE: As these cars are the correct prototype length and feature full underbody detail to match the prototypes, a minimum 24" radius is recommended for operation.


Artist renderings can be found under Walthers New Products for May under "Passenger Cars"

This should make Amtrak fans happy as well, I am SURE step-up Coaches, regular Coaches and the famous Coast Starlight Lounge will be eventually produced.

-Tom

Not another Sante Fe! I was hoping that the next train would be the Lackawanna's Phoebe Snow. Or if Walthers really wanted to wow people then they should've done the CNJ's Blue Comet. They've already overdone the Western Railroads. Times to focus more on the northeast after the El Capitan.

The D&LW Phoebe Snow would sell out. I for one would get one.
Odds' are it could be done in both D&LW and EL so 2 versions.
Walthers should do it in partnership with the EL dining car society and a proceeds of the sales gets donated to the good cause to get 1:1scale mock up of the Phoebe back on rails.

I thought i read somewhere that they do a eastern road one year then the next a western road name.

I'd get the Phoebe Snow (Not sure if I should get the Lackawanna or the EL Version) myself along with the Blue Comet should the latter come out. I love the idea about donating some of the money to the EL Dining Car Society. They can sure use the exposure and money to help them with their goals.

Phoebe Snow and Blue Comet are great trains, but they are too regional and would never be mass produced by Walthers. We had this talk last year when they announced the Broadway Limited, and you didn't believe me then.

See also: http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=73092

-otto-

For any modelers out there who either already have Alco PA's, or for that matter, like Alcos better, you'd be prototypically correct also in throwing a few PA's in there as well. I rode the El Capitan in 1966, San Diego to Chicago, as a kid and can attest to the fact that it was pulled by Alco.

Otto Vondrak wrote:Phoebe Snow and Blue Comet are great trains, but they are too regional and would never be mass produced by Walthers. We had this talk last year when they announced the Broadway Limited, and you didn't believe me then.

See also: http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=73092

-otto-

Are the Phoebe Snow and the Blue Comet any more "regional" than the Hiawatha that Walthers did? Now, granted, the Hiawatha ran through Walthers' own backyard...

The more pertinent question is, what became of the cars that were built for the Phoebe Snow and/or the Blue Comet? If those cars ever migrated, either through Amtrak or private ownership, then perhaps there's more market for them than it might seem.

(I honestly don't know one way or the other, just wondering aloud.)

If Walthers did the Phoebe Snow and the tail end Tavern Lounge cars those cars them selves would reach the lucrative markets of Both the MNCR and LI modelers. Which from reading these forums they are out there.
I would expect the cars to be in E/D&LW paint but that's the fun of the hobby. As regional as the Phoebe was it did run Hoboken to Chicago via the NKP so there is the uniqueness to this train to have some NKP through sleepers.
As for the West-East-West order of the streamlines, What about the George Washington (C&O) or the Capitol Limited (B&O)
I know these are east coast trains but they are not so "regional" as the Phoebe.