disturbman Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Why allways Kato? Does nobody like Microace stuff? Link to comment
bill937ca Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 That is bizarre looking! (With all the new release Bill, I thought you were posting that Kato is releasing it. Darn.) There is an extra coach in the R655 set that can be used for the Emperor or state guests. As it has been added onto a regular train I presume it is carrying guests of the state. Link to comment
alpineaustralia Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Why allways Kato? Does nobody like Microace stuff? Becuase they are easy to instal decoders into and they work. Link to comment
bill937ca Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Why allways Kato? Does nobody like Microace stuff? I like MicroAce and Greenmax. Kato I can take or leave them, but have no real problem with them. Tomix I mainly have buildings and track. The Tomix trains I do have run smoothly and quietly. Link to comment
Bernard Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Why allways Kato? Does nobody like Microace stuff? Vincent - This gets into the old discussion of DC vs DCC. There are some manufactures that make it easy to convert a DC train to DCC. Apine & I both have found Kato to be the easiest and MicroAce isn't too bad but not as easy as Kato. Tomix trains are very good if you are running DC but Apline & I have had too many problems with converting Tomix trains to DCC. Now where ever I see a train I really, really like and then I find out it's a Tomix, I say Too-Bad. Link to comment
Martijn Meerts Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Why allways Kato? Does nobody like Microace stuff? Vincent - This gets into the old discussion of DC vs DCC. There are some manufactures that make it easy to convert a DC train to DCC. Apine & I both have found Kato to be the easiest and MicroAce isn't too bad but not as easy as Kato. Tomix trains are very good if you are running DC but Apline & I have had too many problems with converting Tomix trains to DCC. Now where ever I see a train I really, really like and then I find out it's a Tomix, I say Too-Bad. 2 words... Kato C57-180 ... Now tell me again its easy to install decoders into Kato trains =) Link to comment
bill937ca Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 2 words... Kato C57-180 ... Now tell me again its easy to install decoders into Kato trains =) If it's a Kato steam engine you are lucky if it runs. Link to comment
Martijn Meerts Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 It's an older one with the motor in the engineer's cab rather than hidden away in the boiler =) Link to comment
Bernard Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 2 words... Kato C57-180 ... Now tell me again its easy to install decoders into Kato trains =) Can't argue with that. I also have the C57, that was my "impulse buy". Marti I remember your Decoder install and was very impressed, but this train I might put up for sale or trade at the forum. You can also add the Kato C11 to that list. Link to comment
to2leo Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Yikes, that's good to know about Kato Steam...I have been bitten too but I will keep them for now. I like MicroAce but I found that my JR 371 Series is running faster than any other TGVs or Shinkansen I had. Link to comment
Bernard Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Leo - I have the Kato C11 & the C57 steam engines and they run beautifully better than my Minitrix engines and have a lot more detail. If you're not running DCC you should be fine. Martijn has a photo by photo tutorial in the forum on how he did his decoder install but it's not easy. As for which you like better Kato, Tomix, or MicroAce it's like buying your favorite car. Some people like Fords some Toyotas, etc. No ones wrong it's what you prefer. Also there are cases where one manufacture is the only one that offer a certain prototype like MicroAce with the Rapi:d, I would have bought that in a NY minute if I knew about them when they first came out. Now they're hard to find and very expensive. Link to comment
disturbman Posted October 10, 2009 Author Share Posted October 10, 2009 True, it's a question of liking. I was just taken aback to see so many people asking for Kato where as I found Microace's stuff so much better in overall quality. Link to comment
Bernard Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 True, it's a question of liking. I was just taken aback to see so many people asking for Kato where as I found Microace's stuff so much better in overall quality. I would say that Kato & Tomix are more popular in the foreign market than MicroAce. My example would be go to ebay and look up the three manufactures and see who has the most listing and who has the least. Plus Kato does make N. American prototypes whereas (I believe) Tomix & MicroAce don't. I do know that some modelers who do the steam era really like the MicroAce engines and kitbash them and turn them N. American trains. Link to comment
alpineaustralia Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 I recently bought the Kato GS-4 SP Lima Daylight express which takes the Kato "plug-n-play" EM13 decoder. Decoder install was easy as it fits into the tender, 5 min work tops. However, the tender is linked through a swinging arm that is as fragile as anything and I have had to pull the engine apart to reinstall the swinging arm back into it the cabin section of the engine. It also doesnt like Kato elevated viaduct as the transiton from flat to elevated causes at least some of its wheels to de-rail. Having said all that - when it runs on straight track, it is as smooth as silk. Thanks for the ehads up on the other steam engines. How is the C-62 to install DCC? What other steam locos are there that are easy to install decoders into? Link to comment
to2leo Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Thanks Bernard for the pointers. Hey Alpine, I got the GS 4 and the trainset too. It is one of my favourite along with the Orient Express. If you haven't already, I would highly recommend you to get the kinetic couplers from Kato for your Morning Daylight set. Link to comment
Martijn Meerts Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Purely based on external looks and small details and such, MicroAce tends to be the best. However, both Tomix and Kato have releases that look incredible as well. I'm still amazed at how good my MicroAce Dr. Yellow looks, as well as the 200 series shinkansen. Also, MicroAce is very good at steam engines. Kato has some incredible ones as well, the Orient Express (especially the cars), and the EF58-61 is actually the best running N-scale locomotive I've seen, and even outperforms many Marklin H0, especially if you compare price/performance. Tomix's main advantage is the insane amount of different trains they make, while I can't really pick out a single train that's really good (even though the DD51 is 1 of my favorites, I have 3 of them by now, all Tomix ;)), all of the ones I have are good performers so far, and their newer shinkansen releases with power pickup over the entire train are real nice. No more problems with dirty track =) Personally, I'm not stuck to 1 or 2 manufacturers. If I see a train I like, I buy it, regardless of the manufacturer. Link to comment
westfalen Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I recently bought the Kato GS-4 SP Lima Daylight express which takes the Kato "plug-n-play" EM13 decoder. Decoder install was easy as it fits into the tender, 5 min work tops. However, the tender is linked through a swinging arm that is as fragile as anything and I have had to pull the engine apart to reinstall the swinging arm back into it the cabin section of the engine. It also doesnt like Kato elevated viaduct as the transiton from flat to elevated causes at least some of its wheels to de-rail. Having said all that - when it runs on straight track, it is as smooth as silk. Thanks for the ehads up on the other steam engines. How is the C-62 to install DCC? What other steam locos are there that are easy to install decoders into? From what I gather from the Kato Japan website the C62 takes the same decoder as the NW2. For Japanese steam the TCS Z2 decoder could be worth a look, I easily installed one in the boiler of a Micro-Ace 2-8-0. Link to comment
jappomania Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 just my opinion... I think the best manifacturer is Kato and I would explain why, Normally Kato details for me is better because respect the right scale, Microace sometime reproduce more details but are all to much big in 1:160 and appear like "glue attacched" (I don't know how explain, it's not perfectly integrated with the rest of the chassis). Microace painting is not everytime so good, sometime colors don't match the real prototype an appear like "orange surface", not smooth like Kato or Tomix The latest Tomix release suffer the "cina production", the difference between normal and high grade release is very high (and the price follow) normally all use unpainted details, plastic was directly molded in the right color, for me Kato is the best because the quality is everytime the same (details, color and surface finishing), Tomix "high grade" is perfect, normal or re-run production sometime appear a little bit much light, Microace use more details but overscaled and the plastic quality is not so good.. maybe, is someone have the same model released from Kato and Tomix or Microace can see better (obviously the difference is not so big, all the models are very good but if I will one model and I have a limited budget I prefer Kato) about DCC apply, I think is better if the comparison is between new release and not re-release, Kato C57 appear in my 1984 Kato catalog, I don't think DCC was a problem for the engineer... ciao Massimo Link to comment
disturbman Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 Normally Kato details for me is better because respect the right scale, Microace sometime reproduce more details but are all to much big in 1:160 Maybe because the Japanese N Scale is generally 1:150 and not 1:160. ;) Link to comment
jappomania Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Normally Kato details for me is better because respect the right scale, Microace sometime reproduce more details but are all to much big in 1:160 Maybe because the Japanese N Scale is generally 1:150 and not 1:160. ;) of course, 1:150 sorry... only for example if you have both DF50 loco (Kato and Microace), excluding the old Tomix (you can't compare one 20-30 year old project whit a new one) Microace apply to one side one grid and this is right if you see the photo but this is to much big (and the color in the red version is different compared to chassis), Kato reproduce another sub-series without grid and for me the final result is better (and much simple to mold) you can change the original grid with another one in brass from Tavasa but you need to remove the oldest and paint the new and that's not so simple for everyone... another example, if you have the latest 383 released from Kato and Microace you can compare better wich have the best quality (paint, boogie, lower chassis) ciao Massimo Link to comment
alpineaustralia Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I cant comment on MicroAce as I dont have any at all. I understand that the quality has improved over time. Is there a MicroAce train that anyone would describe as excellent? Link to comment
Martijn Meerts Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 MicroAce's Dr. Yellow, 200 series, most steam locomotives, DD16, Rapi:t... I can go on a while ;) Link to comment
Bernard Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I cant comment on MicroAce as I dont have any at all. I understand that the quality has improved over time. Is there a MicroAce train that anyone would describe as excellent? I do have one MicroAce set the E751: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10029695 It wasn't that hard to convert to DCC. The weight of the cars on this set were generally lighter than Tomix or Kato and are set lower to the track leaving less clearance. (It was my test car after I ballasted or did an incline with a bridge in the middle, if this set could clear it all my other sets would have no problem.) As I said earlier I know a lot of steam era modelers live the MircoAce engines. But it's hard to evaluate on just one set, I was very impressed with Martijn's MicroAce Dr. Yellow and the Rap:T is unque. Link to comment
disturbman Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 I can't really compare, since I don't have much experience, but my all Microace's sets are very good and impressive. Link to comment
bill937ca Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 [ The weight of the cars on this set were generally lighter than Tomix or Kato and are set lower to the track leaving less clearance. (It was my test car after I ballasted or did an incline with a bridge in the middle, if this set could clear it all my other sets would have no problem.) i've experienced low bellies with MicroAce also, but this isn't unique to Micro Ace. This is the Tomix Kiha 120. http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10019256a2/20/2 Link to comment
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