Are any Kato N Scale Japanese steam engines DCC Ready?

[Jack]

Are any Kato Japanese steam engines DCC Ready? Not being able to handle a soldering iron very welll, I was wondering if Kato makes any steam engines, other than the ones for the US market DCC Ready? Thanks

[Kamome]

I don’t believe any of the Kato SLs are DCC ready. AFAIK, they all need to be hard wired. 

[Nick_Burman]

On 7/8/2022 at 5:27 PM, Kamome said:

I don’t believe any of the Kato SLs are DCC ready. AFAIK, they all need to be hard wired. 

 

Confirm, they need to be hardwired. Hobby Center Kato can wire locos for a fee.

 

Cheers Nicholas

[Kiha66]

They are not DCC ready.  While the hardwiring still takes skill, most recent releases I would say are "DCC friendly" where kato has added groves and solder points into the model for wire routing.  

 

Here is a older thread by me on installing DCC into a kato C62.  It is somewhat more difficult as the motor position is reversed from some other models.  I may make another soon for the D51 which will be more straightforward.

 

[Adrian]

On 7/12/2022 at 6:00 PM, Nick_Burman said:

 

Confirm, they need to be hardwired. Hobby Center Kato can wire locos for a fee.

 

Cheers Nicholas

Hi Nicholas,

 

Have you tried? I don't speak Japanese but is it a usual service there? Would Google translate be enough to tell them that I want my Japanese Steam Loco converted to DCC?

[bill937ca]

The first step would be to contact Kato USA.