Kato E127 Question

[scott]

Does anybody know what the on-off switch on the bottom of this thing is for? The instructions are entirely in Japanese, of course, and there aren't any helpful pictures in the section that shows the switch.

[bikkuri bahn]

A switch to turn on/off the headlights/taillights?  That's all I could find from Kato's description:

 

http://www.katomodels.com/product/nmi/e127kei_100_e.shtml

[KenS]

That sounds like the usual Kato "turn the headlights off when operating with another unit attached" switch.  Most,  but not all, of my Kato Commuter trains have those.

[Tenorikuma]

 

Does anybody know what the on-off switch on the bottom of this thing is for? The instructions are entirely in Japanese, of course, and there aren't any helpful pictures in the section that shows the switch.

 

Can you post a scan of the page describing the switch?

[David]

The little switch (white knob, labels for on/off) controls the headlights of that car. Under the plate is a piece of plastic (what the knob is attached to). When you move it to the off position, the plastic seperates the metal strip carrying power from the headlights own pickup strip. The result is that the lights on that car won't turn on (white or red) anymore. The reason is so that you can join more then one 2-car set together; the instructions show the E127 in 2-car, 4-car (2+2) and 6-car (2+2+2) formation. In all of these formations, only the 2 outer cars would have their lights turned on. If you upgrade to DCC using the Kato decoder, it gets put in place of that plastic strip seperating the lights from the power (providing a digital on/off and direction control)

[scott]

Ahah--well, I only have two sets, and they're going to run solo, so I can safely ignore that switch. Thanks!