Kato - New Drive and hints at an HO P42

Well people seem to (and no doubt will) have mixed early reactions to the new HO scale drive design Kato has unveiled. As shown in this youtube video, it's a new 2-motor design that they are starting to use in Japanese models, and plan to introduce to the North American HO market as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLK2tKssj5M

What is also quite exciting though, is that they quite blatantly hint at the end of the video that they will be producing an HO scale P42 very soon. They confirmed this when someone asked in the comments underneath the video, that it is their intent to produce one very soon.

However the drive turns out, an HO P42 from Kato is awesome news! I know I'm not alone here in being rather let down by the badly-in-need-of-an-upgrade Athearn P42, especially with its one-piece windshield, lack of below-frame components, and absence of ditch lights. Even more so, as a VIA Rail modeller, I am disappointed that Athearn has neglected to do any production runs of VIA's P42s, apart from custom limited runs for hobby shops.

If the N scale product is any indication, Kato's HO P42 will be a much nicer locomotive, and will most likely be produced in VIA paint (fingers crossed anyway!). Amtrak guys I expect will likewise be pleased

I saw the video of the new drive (carrying the N scale P42). It seems to me that Kato has reinvented the "Spud" drive that PFM imported from Tenshodo back in the early 1980's. My biggest concern with the Kato setup is that in the video the host shoes how the truck can be snapped of the chassis without disconnecting any wires. I've not been impressed with Katos performance regarding their connectorless setups. Considering that the lighting board or decoder relys on the contacts from the trucks, and that in their recent HO and N locomotives there have been contact problems, I hope that Kato has a bullet proof design in place for this new drive.

Stuart

Kato HO P42DC has been confirmed! First run will be Amtrak PhVb with the new bolt-on nose and coverless headlights.

http://www.katousa.com/HO/P42/index.html

Apparently expected May 2013 for non-sound and June for sound units.

Still hoping to see VIA units some time in the near future, given that the HO market for them has to be bigger than the N scale market (which Kato has already saturated), given that there is actually proper VIA equipment available in HO that isn't in N (i.e. Rapido's LRCs). I've sent an e-mail to them suggesting that they may also wish to consider the more modern VIA variants, which have the extra "third-eye" headlight below the numberboards but still the original nose.

This is great news!

I hope they do Amtrak Phase III and Phase IV P40-P42s as well as a P32ACDM...(fingers crossed).

I also checked out they are also going to release Phase IVb Superliner I cars, but noticed no baggage or transition sleeper. And if they do Amfleets and Viewliners in HO....watch out Walthers!

I doubt they will do P32ACDM's.....as much as I hope they are wrong. They are a completely different beast from the engine compartment back....as well as the chassis/frame. Trucks would be missing the pick up shoe details as well. Also, MN and CDOT units have the escape hatch on the nose. Keeping fingers crossed.