Duplicate trains but different manufacturers.

[Bernard]

How many of you have duplicate trains but by different manufacturers....and which one do you prefer (if any) and why? I have 2 sets, the 800 Tsubame and the Furano Express and the manufacturers are Tomix and Kato. In the case of the 800. it's a toss up both run smoothly but the decoder install was easier on the Kato. As for the Furano, I just ordered the Kato version and I'll have to wait and see which I prefer.

[cteno4]

I have tomix and kato 16 car 500s. like both, slightly different coloration, both run about the same with 2 motor units in each.

 

i had both tomix and kato n700 and a huge difference between these two IMHO. I sold off the kato n700 as it just ran horribly, derailing all the time. the tomix n700 has the all wheel pickup, two motor cars and runs like a dream!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[jappomania]

Hi!

I have a lot of duplicate trains, sometime the same loco from all manifacturers (eg. DD51 or DE10), or all the duplicate Shinkansen.

(an example but incomplete http://picasaweb.google.com/massimo.biolcati/DE10#  )

Which one I prefer? it's an hard question..

For me the quality depend from single model and not from single company, sometime Kato is better and sometime Tomix, normally Microace is good but I don't like so much surface painting (sometime is a little bit like orange skin) and oversized add-on parts, (like the side grid on DF50).

Normally Kato engine run very well, the same for Tomix HG items. Sometime Microace require a "pit stop" because the mechanical parts are assembled very bad (made in china  ), I disassemble and control every single part, after i rebuild all and run smoothly like the rest.

About Shinkansen normally I prefer Kato version but only because the Tomix frame coupling system don't like me so much (but work very good compared whit the rest because is much simple).

And don't forget that sometime is incorrect to compare the same model but produced and molded some years ago (like Kato Zero Shinkasen and Tomix or Microace) 

 

Ciao

Massimo 

[Bernard]

Massimo - Since I run DCC, I find that the Kato interior configuration for the motor is consistent, so after you do one it's fairly easy to do other Kato's afterward.

The Tomix models I never know what to expect with each train. My last Tomix E3 totally surprised me when I had to take it apart for the decoder install...something I had never seen before.

[Martijn Meerts]

I have the 800 series by both Tomix and Kato as well, and I also have multiple version of 0 and 100 series. I also have various duplicate steam trains (including 2 which have the same running number but are different brands)

 

I might have more duplicates, but I'm really not sure .. I need to finish Locowerks so I have a decent way of keeping track of my trains :)

 

Like Massimo, I don't believe in 1 brand being consistently better than the others.

 

 

 

Bernard, it might have something to do with the age of the trains. The newer Tomix are all very similar as well. MicroAce on the other hand seems to be all over the place, and Kato is overhauling their steam engines, so knowing how to convert an older one doesn't help much. Of course, there are always train that have a completely different design for some obscure reason that probably no one knows about ;)

[CaptOblivious]

Bernard, it might have something to do with the age of the trains. The newer Tomix are all very similar as well. MicroAce on the other hand seems to be all over the place, and Kato is overhauling their steam engines, so knowing how to convert an older one doesn't help much. Of course, there are always train that have a completely different design for some obscure reason that probably no one knows about ;)

 

That's funny that you say that, because my experience converting MA EMUs is that the motor car, at least, is identical across all the various models that I've converted, meaning that I now have a set procedure for them. That said, I've only touched models manufactured in the past couple of years, so this may not have been the case in the past.

[Martijn Meerts]

Hmm.. Maybe it's only their locomotives that are all over the place. Granted, I haven't converted many of them yet (I really should start actively converting all my trains ;)), but the locomotives I have converted weren't exactly similar. Especially their electronics differ a lot.

[alpineaustralia]

Kato for me.

[Bernard]

Okay I got my Kato Furano and opened it up. It is an earlier version of what Kato produces now but only a very few minor differences. I test ran it, there were no problems and it was smooth and quiet. The Tomix Furano is also an older version with a "spring worm" to drive the gears in the trucks (boogies) I has always been loud when running on the layout. The Kato version will be easy to install a decoder in.