HST. Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Both sets of my Kato Hokutosei Coaches arrived today.....STUNNING! Dave. Link to comment
Bernard Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Could you show us photos of the cars? Link to comment
HST. Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 As requested, a few pics of the new Kato Hokutosei set. Dave. Link to comment
KenS Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Is this the Kato or Tomix set? I received my Kato set in early December, and I think the Tomix set just came out. Either way, these are beautiful cars, and they look great with the EF510 loco. Link to comment
westfalen Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Have you noticed the dining car has a slot inside for an FL12 decoder so you can turn the table lamps on and off on DCC? Link to comment
HST. Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 I noticed it when I had a quick look at the leaflet that comes with it. I spent most of Saturday afternoon running the set, swapping between the EF510 and the DD51's about every half hour....happiness! I think I will go for the complete Cassiopeia Set when (if) HS get it back in stock. Dave. Link to comment
HST. Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 I've been trying to Post a short Video Clip, but had no joy! This is the Youtube link, if it works! http://www.youtube.com/watch?V=VPg7wESdGXg Ignore this link, got it wrong again!!! If anyone can tell me how to upload a short Video Clip to the Forum (in very easy to understand basics...LOL), I would be most grateful. Dave. Link to comment
KenS Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Just paste the URL into your message on a line of its own (don't know if that part is required, but that's what I do). Link to comment
westfalen Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I noticed it when I had a quick look at the leaflet that comes with it. I spent most of Saturday afternoon running the set, swapping between the EF510 and the DD51's about every half hour....happiness! I think I will go for the complete Cassiopeia Set when (if) HS get it back in stock. Dave. I pre-ordered the Cassiopea + EF510, was sent on 29/12, checking post office every day. Link to comment
HST. Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 Thought I would give it one more try with the Youtube link! Dave. 3 Link to comment
clem24 Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Lovely set. I saw the pics on the Kato website and this is definitely a very nice update on their part, whereas, even Tomix has been guilty of just releasing their same old sets even for all their Sayonara editions. Definitely one of my next purchases. Now I just wish Kato would also update the Cassiopeia sets too to include the new couplers, better painting and underbody equipment (and I also wished that they hadn't followed Tomix's lead of releasing 3 car sets, forcing you to buy the loco and the first 2 cars!!!!). Link to comment
sedril Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 That is really, really pretty. Something else to go on the shopping list... Link to comment
CaptOblivious Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Lovely set. I saw the pics on the Kato website and this is definitely a very nice update on their part, whereas, even Tomix has been guilty of just releasing their same old sets even for all their Sayonara editions. Definitely one of my next purchases. Now I just wish Kato would also update the Cassiopeia sets too to include the new couplers, better painting and underbody equipment (and I also wished that they hadn't followed Tomix's lead of releasing 3 car sets, forcing you to buy the loco and the first 2 cars!!!!). Kato's recent Cassiopeia re-release does include a modest upgrade to the couplers: They remain truck-mount, but now include a good deal more undercarriage detail attached to them. I was really hoping they'd move to body-mounts for the retooling, but alas, it was not to be. Does this release of the Hokutosei feature body-mount couplers? Link to comment
HST. Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 Yes, they are body mount, and they also include an optional part to add to the rear coach which has air hoses and a more scale looking coupler, a vast improvement on watching a Rapido Coupler disappear into the distance! Dave. Link to comment
clem24 Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Yes, they are body mount, and they also include an optional part to add to the rear coach which has air hoses and a more scale looking coupler, a vast improvement on watching a Rapido Coupler disappear into the distance! Yes I think Kato release of these new micro-sized (er, scale sized) couplers was a silent one. No fan fare, nothing. They do look VERY pretty! I assume they aren't compatible with the bigger knuckle couplers on engines and MT couplers? And yeah I did see those clip on underbody details on the new Cassiopeia release. I would think it'd look weird going around a tight curve, but at least it's better than nothing *and* you can remove them if you don't like them. Hehe maybe it's time to buy some new trains (although I don't know when it wasn't time to buy new trains). :) Link to comment
westfalen Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 The couplers are the same as the 'Kinematic' couplers that are optional on the Southern Pacific Daylight cars but mount differently. The don't couple to Micro Trains but they do couple passenger cars close. Link to comment
keitaro Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 awesome I love that. makes me want one haha. Link to comment
Nozomi4ever Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 To be honest... Only the locomotive is stunning.I love the fact that the replaced the old workhorse with a new version which is better looking and more characteristic. The Cassiopeia coaches are nicer compared to Hokutosei.. Link to comment
keitaro Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 To be honest... Only the locomotive is stunning.I love the fact that the replaced the old workhorse with a new version which is better looking and more characteristic. The Cassiopeia coaches are nicer compared to Hokutosei.. They are good, I like these as well though. Link to comment
KenS Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I'm just the opposite. While I like the silver Cassiopeia loco, the cars leave me unimpressed. Perhaps because they look too much like something Amtrak would run. The Hokutosei cars on the other hand look like modern versions of the old Heavyweight cars (without the clerstory roofs), and for some reason I find those more interesting (perhaps because they're less familiar). This is a bit odd, since my favorite trains tend to be more modern ones. Link to comment
spacecadet Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I'm just the opposite. While I like the silver Cassiopeia loco, the cars leave me unimpressed. Perhaps because they look too much like something Amtrak would run. The Hokutosei cars on the other hand look like modern versions of the old Heavyweight cars (without the clerstory roofs), and for some reason I find those more interesting (perhaps because they're less familiar). I really like the Cassiopeia cars but I feel like a lot of modern Japanese trains (including the Cassiopeia) have kind of a "cheap" look to them. They look like big aluminum soda cans. The series 24 blue train cars don't have that look; they have a more substantial presence. I feel this way about a lot of modern Japanese construction - I still like the overall way a lot of Japanese things look, but they do just appear kind of flimsy to me for some reason. Cars, buildings, etc. I know that Japanese trains in general aren't built to be as robust as American ones in an accident (the Japanese rail system is based on accident avoidance rather than survivability), but somehow the series 24 cars look a little more substantial. Maybe it is just that their shape is more traditional. Link to comment
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