Kato - New Releases

[Yavianice]

Kato Shop Kyoto is releasing a limited edition D51 in Akita "Deer and Moon" livery. If you have money to burn and live (or happen to be in) Kyoto.

 

https://www.katomodels-kyoto.com/d51-882

[Martijn Meerts]

That actually looks really interesting 😄

 

[gavino200]

On 10/4/2019 at 3:01 AM, lighthouse said:

Next Newsletter:

 

https://s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/kato-model/poster/pdf/201910021624145d94509e04d69/2020-2c.pdf

 

Nice to see the container-plattform based on the unitram!

 

I don't really understand what the product is? Is it a ramp for loading cars onto a car carrier?

[Kamome]

6 hours ago, gavino200 said:

 

I don't really understand what the product is? Is it a ramp for loading cars onto a car carrier?

It’s a series of plastic plates, much like the unitram or Diotown plates to make a container yard, Essentially it gives a raised base up to the rail head to represent a JRF terminal. There’s also some ramps for car loading the Ku 50000s and the Waki 10000s on something like the Car Train Kyushu. Also a sticker set.
 

Looks like Kato have based the track separation on existing Unitram of 25mm. Common sense would suggest Kato make a new point to give this spacing but they’ve gone with the Unitram to Unitrack converter. This makes it look a little untidy on the yard threshold.

[Sheffie]

I think that if Kato were going to make a new track piece to make the freight yard, it would be a concrete slab double track straight with 33mm spacing. I think the problem with this kit is that they didn’t want to make a new piece. 

[Kamome]

I would suppose it’s a risk creating something like this if new tooling is required. By using existing molds, there’s little to no extra investment. I’d assume that the track will be Unitram pieces without the paving printed on it. Shame a little more thought hasn’t gone into it but we’ll await to see the finished product.

[railsquid]

It might also be a way of testing the market with something that can be tooled quite easily, with the possibility of following up later with more options.

 

Like Kamome said earlier, the target market is going to be mainly people who set up layouts on the floor at the weekend.

 

Personally I'll stick to Tomix tram track and two 3mm foamboard sheets stuck together for all my embedded track needs.

[Das Steinkopf]

Posters for the March releases are now up with a mixed bag of JNR and Tobu passenger stock as well as some containers, there is also an 8 car E4 Max which my son might like to add to his Joetsu/Hokuriku Fleet depending on how they rate compared to the Tomix version. There is also the Foxes and Raccoon Dogs on offer but sadly those are in 1/87 HO scale so they are no good to me. I am really happy Kato is bringing out 19G containers (14,762 built) as they are the second most numerous JRF 12' containers currently in service after the 19D's (34,066 built) and are barely represented in model form other than by Tomix in limited quantity, I'm a little bit miffed with the announcement of the JOT UR19A with the Pink Sakura banding as I have already ordered the way more expensive Hogaraka Dou versions.

 

https://s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/kato-model/poster/pdf/201911071907555dc3ecfb5885a/2020-3a.pdf

 

https://s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/kato-model/poster/pdf/201911071908585dc3ed3a95282/2020-3b.pdf

Edited November 8, 2019 by Das Steinkopf

[Kiha66]

I am happy the oha 50 detail parts are being re-run, I've been wanting that close coupling set for a while.  The DD54 is also a welcome addition, as the one I have suffers from poor power pickup.

[Kamome]

I too am happy at the DD54 blue train version release as it’s the only type I don’t yet have. Also be good to have a 20系Izumo formation. 
 

The 

2 hours ago, Das Steinkopf said:

there is also an 8 car E4 Max which my son might like to add to his Joetsu/Hokuriku Fleet depending on how they rate compared to the Tomix version.

I have this Kato version already and it’s a nice model much like its older liveried predecessor. I find because the motor unit has the motor over the pick up bogie and uses gears and a drive shaft to power the other, they can be a tad noisy. This does allow the lower deck to be observed through the windows and also lit, which I don’t think is the case with the Tomix. You also forfeit all wheel pick up with Kato shinkansens. The nose cone splits and opens to reveal the coupler on the Kato model which looks very prototypical but it can be a little annoying at times. The E4 one is a lot more robust than the E3 ones which always seem to pop off. 
 

Personally I’m a big fan of the E4s plus I generally favor the Kato’s over Tomix when both release the same model. Not wanting to start the old debate but for me I like Kato’s colouration and finish over the equivalent Tomix.

[nah00]

On 11/7/2019 at 11:29 PM, Das Steinkopf said:

 I'm a little bit miffed with the announcement of the JOT UR19A with the Pink Sakura banding as I have already ordered the way more expensive Hogaraka Dou versions.

 

Let's be honest here, you're also slightly happy because now you'll have 8 of them (at least that's how I looked at it). Hopefully they don't have the same numbers though. 

[Das Steinkopf]

15 hours ago, nah00 said:

 

Let's be honest here, you're also slightly happy because now you'll have 8 of them (at least that's how I looked at it). Hopefully they don't have the same numbers though. 

 

On the upside they don’t have any repeats number wise, that said I will have close to 40 JOT UR19A’s in my pool of which 8 will have the Sakura banding. I would like to see a little more variety such as more of the Dark Blue banding or the Green band with wings, 

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10272220/20/1

Edited November 14, 2019 by Das Steinkopf

[chadbag]

I just got an email from Amazon JP that my KATO Twilight Express Mizukaze would ship sooner than expected and they would let me know when it ships...  We are getting closer.

 

[EdF]

Kato says the 27th, they published that on the 21st.

[EdF]

I've been watching because the e655 keeps slipping, and the e233 slipped and at least this didnt.

[EdF]

Woot!  The e233 and e655 are releasing 12/3.  Now if i can get Ami to ship all 3 together.

[Kiha66]

New releases up!  Nothing too exciting for me, I already have the EF62 (an excellent model), and nothing else is too tempting.

 

[Yavianice]

Wait, is that the Harajuku version of the Chiyoda line? Seems like it is! Guess I’ll be buying a second 16000 series!

 

and cool they are releasing a 789 but I kinda wished they would make different liveries too...

[Kamome]

Quite interested in something JNR to throw behind my EF62 and EF63s.

 

Not surprised about the HO Hokutosei after the EF81 release. There seems to still be a scattering of this stock around independent hobby shops here but the 4 car set is less common. I’d prefer some more JNR 24 series coaches in HO 

[JR 500系]

Here's the official poster

 

I am VERY interested in the 789, even though it is JR Hokkaido… Until... it didn't seem to come with the tilting system... say what? Even the older Kiha-261 comes with the tilting mechanism... They are somewhat similar moulds, right? 

 

The Chiyoda line is pretty interesting... and what amazed me was the re-release of the 205-3100 series which was released quite a long time ago... 

[lighthouse]

@JR 500系

 

The 789 series has no tilting system installed, for what, it drives the almost straight-line electrified lines? You can compare the KIHA 261-1000 with the 789 series. In the KIHA 261-0, the head shape is much rounder

[gavino200]

I'm very tempted by that 789. I think it looks really cool. But I'm going to hold off and buy up some Shinkansens that I'm missing from yahoo auctions. 

[gavino200]

On 11/23/2019 at 6:48 PM, chadbag said:

I just got an email from Amazon JP that my KATO Twilight Express Mizukaze would ship sooner than expected and they would let me know when it ships...  We are getting closer.

 

 

Hobby search haven't shipped mine yet. I think they're waiting to recombine it with the Nagomi that I also ordered. Funny thing is I'm still not sure I'm glad I ordered it. I don't know if I just want to see one of these fancy special trains in my hands? Or the special box presentation? The train itself I think I could take or leave. I wonder if there's a demand for it. I may pass it on at cost and shipping to someone who wants it more than me. 

Edited November 29, 2019 by gavino200

[bill937ca]

Japanese grass

 

 

[cteno4]

The shaking in the plastic bottle seems to give the short grass a bit of static charge to make it stand up better than just sifting it on.

 

jeff