New Kato "Commuter" F40PHs in N scale, could HO be next?

Unfortunately, these exacerbate the need for a Nippon Sharyo variant. By the time Metra started using this paint scheme, the new wheelchair-accessible cars were arriving. Since the goal was one wheelchair car on every train and most of them were ordered as cab cars, the Pullman cab cars were pretty quickly demoted to trailer service only.

In fact, I rode the first outbound train on the North Central line and it was something like 5 freshly-repainted Pullman cabs and a new N-S/M-K/Super Steel (or whoever it was) cab car. I think the ATS gear, radios, and other stuff were already gone from the cabs by this time. Pretty quickly, if you saw a Metra-painted Pullman it was a trailer buried in a train of new stainless cars. But model railroaders being as we are, I'm sure quite a few folks can happily enjoy these and cope until that fine day when we see some HO scale love.

And I *wish* Kato had done something about those incorrect (Amtrak-style) bolsters on the F40. Drives me nuts to look at it. But I doubt there's enough room in the marketplace for a correct F40. E8, probably. F40, I doubt.

This is pure speculation, but it wouldn't surprise me if Walthers brought out a revised, P2K-quality F40 in the next few years to accompany the new Amfleet models. They're promoting the latter almost as one of their "name trains" (offering the deluxe edition 6-car sets and all), and every other name train has included a locomotive...

ajp31 wrote:This is pure speculation, but it wouldn't surprise me if Walthers brought out a revised, P2K-quality F40 in the next few years to accompany the new Amfleet models. They're promoting the latter almost as one of their "name trains" (offering the deluxe edition 6-car sets and all), and every other name train has included a locomotive...

I'm speculating on a Proto E60CP to compliment the phase II Amfleets and Metroliners...

I recently took delivery of the standard DC version of Kato's METRA F40PH-2, and the METRA PS coaches (as well as a PS coach in the old RTA paint scheme - you often found consists of the differently painted PS coaches and METRA painted F40's on the old C&NW lines - now UP - right up to the early 2000's) and cab coach.

These are BEAUTIFUL models! For those of you buying the non DCC/sound equipped F40's, be prepared!! You have to install all of the grab irons, hand rails, MU and air hoses, beacon, windshield wipers, coupler release bars, etc. (upwards of 50+ teenie, tiny parts). It's time consuming, can be patience testing (especially when you have large fingers like me), but not really diffcult. All parts are press-fit (I had a few that needed a tiny bit of glue just to insure adhesion).

The coaches require 8 grab irons, two handrails and two ladder hangers each be applied. To the cab cars, add four grab irons, two ladders, two winshield wipers, two end steps and a roof beacon. A set of flush-cutting nippers is a must!! With the smaller parts, it's best to leave part of the sprue attached, mount the part in it's respective place, then "nip" the portion of sprue off. I opted to install the "kinetic" couplers included with the PS cars and find they allow prototypical close gaps between the cars on straight track, but still allow operation on less gentle curves.

For those of you ordering DCC/sound equipped F40's, all the bits and pieces come already applied, so no worries for you!

I sincerely hope they do the NS corregated stainless steel gallery coaches in HO. They would look fantastic with the F40's!! With the research already done for their N scale version, I'd really like to see these "up-scaled". Maybe if the HO scale METRA models sell well, we'll see the modern cars produced.

In the Jan 2013 issue of "Model Railroad News" pg 42, there is an review of the current release of the Kato F-40 and Bi-Level cars
in the METRA paint scheme.
Fair use quote,per regs, "Kato's new model is an excellent and a great starting point for creating additional looks
for the METRA F-40ph's"
The review is basicly postive on both the F-40ph and the coach/cab cars.

I wish they would do the F40 in other paint schemes. I need something better than the crappy Walthers Trainman F40 to go with my MBTA coaches.

ST214 wrote:I wish they would do the F40 in other paint schemes. I need something better than the crappy Walthers Trainman F40 to go with my MBTA coaches.

I agree...MBTA would be amazing. And honestly, I think they'd sell a lot of them...MBTA modeling seems very common, at least in New England. Even though the MSRP is $180 for the newest HO scale version with the ditch lights, I've seen them online for $120 brand new! That would be a killer price for an MBTA Kato.

ST214 wrote:I wish they would do the F40 in other paint schemes. I need something better than the crappy Walthers Trainman F40 to go with my MBTA coaches.

While I'd like to see MBTA F40's too, without major retooling, they could only produce the T's earliest F40ph-2's and not the lions share of the F40 fleet which are the Dash 2C (from both EMD and Morrison Knudsen) with a lengthened frame to accomodate the Cummins HEP generator. I would really like to see someone do the Dash 2C and 3C variants in plastic or brass someday, as several commuter roads use them in addition to the T, but am not holding my breath.

I lucked out in that about 20 years I scored two Overland Models MBTA F40ph-2 brass locos at the Amherst show. They were custom-painted and detailed to represent the modified/simplified purple/yellow/silver scheme that debuted in the early '80's.

Two questions about the new F40PH HO model with ditch lights.

1. Will the original Soundtraxx Tsunami KT-1000 DCC/sound decoder operate the ditch lights on this updated version of the model?
2. Is the speed of the motor the same as on the original Kato release? In other words, if I were to consist an older model (without ditch lights) and a newer model (with ditch lights), would they run at the same speed, assuming I use the same make/model decoder, WITHOUT having to alter the speed tables?