Model Railroading > Kato AC4400CWs in pre-wings UP scheme?

Has Kato ever offered their AC4400CW in the UP pre-wings, pre-lightning stripe scheme with just the small shield on the nose and "UNION PACIFIC" spelled out on the long hood, as shown in the attached pic?  I tried the Kato site and Ebay, but haven't found any evidence of them.

I have one of the flag units renumbered/detailed for UP 5966, but the older scheme was far more common on the trains that detoured on the IAIS, so I've been thinking of selling the flag unit and buying one in the older scheme if I can.  If the pre-flag units exist and someone's interested in trading shells, I'd be open to that as well.  

I considered Athearn - perhaps even swapping their shell onto the Kato drive, as this unit will be run with a Kato SD9043AC, and would need to perform just as well.  I've also considered de-motoring an Athearn AC4400 in that UP scheme and installing a Tsunami to create a sound dummy, as I think the SD9043AC could handle the 21-car coal empty and a dummy unit by itself on my 1% grades.

Joe Atkinson
Council Bluffs, IA
www.iaisrailfans.org/../Sub4WestEnd



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/15 11:13 by iaisfan.

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Joe-

Not that I'm aware of.

37-6433 AC4400CW UP 5714 (Building America-Flag unit, first run, Feb 2004)
37-6434 AC4400CW UP 5799 (Building America-Flag unit, first run, Feb 2004)
37-6435 AC4400CW UP 5727 (lightning bolt, winged logo, first run, Feb 2004)
37-6436 AC4400CW UP 6436 (lightning bolt, winged logo, first run, Feb 2004)
37-6437 AC4400CW UP 5780 (Building America-Flag unit, Nov 2011)
37-6438 AC4400CW UP 5791 (Building America-Flag unit, April 2012)

Hope this helps!

Kelley.

The Kato model of UP 5727 from the first run has the spelled out "UNION PACIFIC" while the 5714 has the flag.  Kato didn't offer their UP runs in the earlier lettering.  Most reviews mention that the Kato units were close to the later C45ACs used by UP and these came in the "wings and lightning" cheme.  Athearn did do several numbers of C44ACs in the original UP scheme.

Gary B.
Waverly, NE

I do believe the HO scale Kato AC4400CW model lacks the tooling to accurately model earlier run AC prototypes with (among numerous other things) those pilot mounted ditch lights seen in the pic above. One could possibly take an early Kato C44-9W walkway (with pilot mounted ditch lights) and swap it out with the AC4400CW cab and long hood shell?

Are there any earlier run AC4400CW prototypes with the wings? Gotta be a few repaints over the yrears, right?


Mr. MRL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/15 17:26 by MrMRL.

Thank you gentlemen.  I forgot about the Katos representing later phase C44s.

I have an Athearn BB SP C44AC that's a de-motored sound dummy, so my plan is to try it out with that Kato SD9043AC on the coal train and see how the Kato does as sole power.  It's a bit of a beast, so it wouldn't surprise me if it could handle that train without breaking a sweat.  If it does, my plan is to just buy and de-motor an Athearn UP C44AC in the older scheme and upgrade it with a Tsunami, ditch lights, etc.

Thanks again!

Joe Atkinson
Council Bluffs, IA
www.iaisrailfans.org/../Sub4WestEnd

The Kato AC4400CW is accurate for the last couple hundred Union Pacific AC4400CWs built in the older paint scheme.  The 6499 in the background of Joe's photo is an example.  I think there are a small number of warranty replacement units in the mid-6000s and many 7100-series and 7200-series AC4400CWs that match the Kato shell.

neilgross Wrote:
> The Kato AC4400CW is accurate for the last couple hundred Union Pacific AC4400CWs built in the older paint scheme.  The 6499 in the background of
> Joe's photo is an example.  I think there are a small number of warranty replacement units in the mid-6000s and many 7100-series and 7200-series
> AC4400CWs that match the Kato shell.

I've never been much of a student of modern UP power, but as I dig further into this project, it's been interesting to see the variety in even the five C44ACs on the two coal empties that detoured on IAIS during my era.  The first had UP 6863 (low ditch lights and number boards), 6391 (high ditch lights and number boards, wings, lightning stripes, UP lettering), and SD9043AC 8209, all up front, while the second had UP 6666 (low ditch lights and number boards) and 7296 (high ditch lights and number boards, UP lettering) up front, with C44ACCTE 5903 (high ditch lights and number boards, flag scheme) as DPU.  

I still need to examine the details more closely, but at first glance it appears as though I'd need a modified Athearn leader on each with Katos trailing.  With my 21-car trains, though, I'm thinking I'll more likely make do with just two units per train and no DPU on the second.

Joe Atkinson
Council Bluffs, IA
www.iaisrailfans.org/../Sub4WestEnd

Kelley wrote:
>37-6435 AC4400CW UP 5727 (lightning bolt, winged logo, first run, Feb 2004) 
>37-6436 AC4400CW UP 6436 (lightning bolt, winged logo, first run, Feb 2004) 

Thanks a lot for providing those details Kelley.  The above two offerings get me closer for the UP 6391, but those early UP lightning stripe repaints each seemed to have a lot of variance in the details, and it doesn't look like the placement of the lettering and striping on the 6391 is a good match for the units Kato chose.

By the way, are details like you posted available on the KatoUSA site and I just couldn't find them?  If not, they'd be handy to have if they ever consider a site update.

Joe Atkinson
Council Bluffs, IA
www.iaisrailfans.org/../Sub4WestEnd

...welcome to the joys of modeling GE toasters Joe. They used to poke fun at EMD saying it meant 'Every Model Different', but GE takes that and runs a lot further. The list of possible variations is almost endless because it changes with the release of each new production run. There's the placement of the basic stuff like number boards, ditch lights, and headlights, but then you have the incredible differences to the radiator and exhaust areas, varying steps and ladders, AC placement, antennas, vents and access hatches, mods to the trucks, the list goes on and on. You have two basic choices when modeling a modern GE, you can use an available model as is if it fits into your era or you can use it as a starting point to make your own modifications to match specifically what you have in mind...

Cheers...and have fun, after all, this is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby...;)

>You have two basic choices when modeling a modern GE, you can use an available model as is if it fits into your era or you can
>use it as a starting point to make your own modifications to match specifically what you have in mind...

I try to get as close as I can given how few units I have to model, but UP is my secondary road, so there's probably quite a bit that I miss out of ignorance.  I'm more of a 1970s and '80s guy, so I haven't kept up with everything that's come out since, oh...the GP50. :-)

So what am I doing modeling 2005?  I just couldn't resist the IAIS.  It's like a 1970s class 2 that refuses to age.

Joe Atkinson
Council Bluffs, IA
www.iaisrailfans.org/../Sub4WestEnd



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/15 09:52 by iaisfan.

Athearn sells their Genesis motor with a light board as a package in the $50 range. You could probably upgrade the older Athearn locomotive and find it will run with the Kato if you find you need a second powered unit on the layout.

Posted from iPhone

They did the 9997 in N scale.... It was later renumbered. It was from the first order of AC locomotives for the UP....

Posted from iPhone

fbe Wrote:
> Athearn sells their Genesis motor with a light board as a package in the $50 range. You could probably upgrade the older Athearn locomotive and
> find it will run with the Kato if you find you need a second powered unit on the layout.

That's a great idea.  Thank you!  I've been really impressed with the performance of recent Genesis offerings (GP38-2, SD70ACe), so this could be a great way to go.

Joe Atkinson
Council Bluffs, IA
www.iaisrailfans.org/../Sub4WestEnd