Is the Kato EF-210 always this good?

[gavino200]

This is an odd question. Let me explain a bit. I recently bought a Kato EF-210. I'm amazed by how well it performs. It's my fastest loco by far. It can outrun every other loco I have by a decent margin. Also, it can pull the longest train I can assemble up and down the incline with zero change in speed. It's running on DCC and I'm using a decoder brand I've never used before. It has a D&H PD05A. I'm curious whether everyone has this experience with their EF-210?

 

If not then maybe.

 

1. It could be a freak. I've long wondered about the amount of variability within sets of supposedly identical industrial products. 

 

2. Perhaps the D&H decoder runs trains faster than all my other decoders.

 

Any opinions on this?

 

http://www.katomodels.com/n/ef210_100/

[chadbag]

I have that same engine, and also an EF64-1000 (3024-1).  Under DC, the EF64 is actually faster than the EF210.  I have that same decoder, D&H PD05A to put in each of them, but have not done it yet.   I have DH05 and/or DH10 decoders in a Kato 800 Shinkansen and a HobbyTrain DB BR110.  The Kato 800 Shinkansen runs well, but I have nothing to compare it to.  The HobbyTrain runs well, but seems slower.  I assumed that it was some sort of default speed table in it.  I have not investigated the details or tried programming either one.  I have several more DH05 on their way (well, almost on their way -- in the shopping cart waiting for one other item to get back in stock), both socketed and wired, for various Fleischmann and HobbyTrain locomotives and several PD05A for some Kato EF510 (2 different ones) and a different KATO EF64 that are supposed to  be here around March 7-11 from amazon.co.jp. 

 

Once I get all the Kato installed with the PD05A I'll see if I can compare.  I'll run all the engines on DC and see how they do and then install and run with the decoders.

 

[Kiha66]

I don't have this specific engine, but I have 2 C62s, 2 EF30s, and 2 ED16s.  All are kato, and I've noticed all run at different speeds with one being noticeable faster than the other.  Not a huge problem, but they can come uncoupled and then the faster one will run away while the slower one lags behind.  It seems that some just run differently, and I cant find any reason why.  Cleaning, running in, all makes no difference.

[nah00]

My Kato freight locomotives are by far my most consistent runners (with the exception of my DE-10). My silver JRF EF-510 or EH500 are probably the best ones though my first edition Tomix EH-500 will pull two dozen takis with no problem. 

[Claude_Dreyfus]

I don't use DCC, and am not too fussed about speed, but find the Kato EF210 to be my best runner. Very smooth and responsive, with enough power to pull a full-length train at a good speed.