Kato N scale El Capitan passenger set

From their sleek, silver, fluted sides to their detailed interiors, this N scale El Capitan is an accurate model of one of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry.’s most famous long-distance trains. The ready-to-run Kato passenger cars make it easy to operate a full Hi-Level El Capitan consist on an N scale layout.

Prototype. The El Capitan was an all-chair-car train that ran on the Santa Fe main line from Chicago to Los Angeles. Launched in 1938, the El Capitan provided passengers a less expensive option to the railroad’s all-Pullman Super Chief.

In 1956 the Santa Fe re-equipped the El Capitan with Hi-Level cars, including coaches, diners, and lounges, built by the Budd Co. With floors eight feet above the rails, the Hi-Level cars gave passengers a better view and a quieter ride.

The two-level coaches were the same length as a standard height coach, but could carry 68 or 72 passengers. (A standard height car carried 48.) While the top level of the coaches was dedicated to passenger seating (or dining room or lounge compartments in those car types), the lower level was used for baggage, air conditioning, and other equipment. A kitchen occupied most of the diner’s lower level.

Some of the cars, called step-down coaches, had stairs at one end, leading to a lower vestibule that matched standard height cars. The so-called “transition” dormitory car had a fairing on the rear of its roof to give the train a consistent streamlined look between the Hi-Level and standard height cars.

The Santa Fe combined El Capitan and the Super Chief trains beginning in 1958, although the two trains continued to run as separate consists during the summer and Christmas seasons. The trains ran until the advent of Amtrak in 1971. The Hi-Level cars inspired the Amtrak Superliner cars that still serve in long-distance trains today.

The models. The dimensions of the Kato models match prototype drawings in The Passenger Car Library Vol. 5 by W. David Randall (RPC Publications). The 10-car set includes baggage car no. 3513, baggage-dormitory no. 3477, two step-down chair cars (nos. 528 and 530), four chair cars (nos. 700, 704, 716, and 719), diner no. 652, and lounge no. 576. The two-car add-on set includes baggage-express car no. 3527 and chair car no. 723.

The 10-car and 2-car sets provide enough cars to model a typical El Capitan consist from 1956 or 1957. Kato also sells an N scale Super Chief passenger set and F7A and B units in Santa Fe’s red warbonnet scheme (See the April 2006 Model Railroader for a review of the Kato N scale Super Chief set and F7 diesels), so you could also model a later combined Super Chief/El Capitan consist from 1958 through the 1960s.

All the window arrangements, fluting, vent placement, and other molded detail on the N scale cars match prototype photos. Kato equipped the diner with the correct six-wheel trucks. As on the prototype, all the other cars have four-wheel trucks. The injection-molded truck sideframes are crisply detailed and painted silver.

The silver paint on the models’ body shells is especially well done. The finish is metallic enough to do a convincing job of simulating stainless steel. All lettering and car numbers match prototype photos. All the window gaskets are correctly painted black.

Construction and performance. The Kato models are built mainly of plastic. I removed the press-fit body shell of one of each car type using a toothpick to avoid scratching the models’ paint. All the cars have interiors molded in torquoise-colored plastic. The individual seats, tables, equipment lockers, and other details are clearly defined. All the interiors match prototype floor plans.

In each car there’s a metal weight between the interior floor and the chassis. Most of the cars are 1/4 ounce too light according to National Model Railroad Association RP-20.1. The baggage-dormitory car is 1/2 ounce too light.

All the cars are equipped with Kato magnetic knuckle couplers, but the trip pins must be installed by the modeler. The cars couple with .060″ between the diaphragms. The N scale El Capitan ran smoothly around the 11″ radius curves of our Salt Lake Route layout.

The factory-installed lighted drumhead tail sign and marker light are two of my favorite features. The tail sign is colorful and well-rendered and the marker light is a red light-emitting diode (LED). All the cars have metal contacts on the trucks, and Kato sells interior lighting kits that use white LEDs. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the kits is $10 for one or $50 for a set of six. The tail sign, marker light, and interior lights work on DC and Digital Command Control layouts.

Enough Kato Unitrack sections are included with the 10-car set to display all those cars, the 2-car add-on set, and a pair of F7 diesels. Detailed inside and out, El Capitan in N scale is a great-looking model of its famous prototype.

N scale El Capitan
Price: $250 (10-car set), $50 (2-car add-on set)

Manufacturer
Kato U.S.A. Inc.
100 Remington Rd.
Schaumburg, IL 60173
www.katousa.com

Features
Illuminated tail sign and marker light on observation car
Kato magnetic knuckle couplers at correct height
Low-profile metal wheels in gauge
Minimum radius: 11″
Nine Unitrack 93/4″ straight
sections and one 2″ straight
section with bumping post
Weight: 11/4 ounces (Hi-Level cars), 1 ounce (baggage and dormitory cars)