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How can I tell it's "new better Kato steam"?


kmcsjr

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I've heard Kato redid some of thier Japanese steam and really improved it. Does anyone have part numbers for the new good ones? thanks, I'm really hoping for Japanese steam that runs as nice as the Kato Mikados. Detailed cabs would be nice too...  :cheesy

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Martijn Meerts

1 thing to look at, is whether it has a motor in the cab or not. It looks like the newer ones all have the motor hidden in the boiler, whereas the older ones have the motor in the cab. Not sure if it's a sign of new vs. old though.

 

The Tomix C57's run real nice as well btw, and definitively have great detail.

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Martijn Meerts

Yep, but I guess someone who mentions "detailed cabs" wouldn't be interested in cabs filled with motor ;)

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The 'new' Kato steam are D51 498 (2016-1), the C62 (2019-1, 2019-2) and the 9600 2-8-0 (2014, 2015).

 

Thanks! I was almost going to just PM you, but I figured it might be something others wondered. Any word on a new C57, or are they still trying to negotiate your likeness for the engineer?

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Just take a look at the following pics:

 

d51-4985.jpg

 

d51-4987.jpg

 

This is the "new & improved" Kato D51 498! Hard to tell that this is N scale.

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The 'new' Kato steam are D51 498 (2016-1), the C62 (2019-1, 2019-2) and the 9600 2-8-0 (2014, 2015).

 

Thanks! I was almost going to just PM you, but I figured it might be something others wondered. Any word on a new C57, or are they still trying to negotiate your likeness for the engineer?

 

 

Tomix makes a C57. It's their only steam engine currently offered and is part of their premier "High Grade" line.

 

Rich K.

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The price is not bad and the old D51 was OK until the new one came out, but if your budget stretched a bit further I'd buy the coaches separately and get a new C62 or D51 498 to go with them.

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Just take a look at the following pics:

 

d51-4985.jpg

 

d51-4987.jpg

 

This is the "new & improved" Kato D51 498! Hard to tell that this is N scale.

The glossy finish makes it hard to photograph but the real 498 is kept in spit and polished condition for excursion service. I'm trying to work up the courage to give mine a coat of flat and a bit of weathering but it's one of those models that you're hesitant to do such things to.

 

I'm hoping that when Kato exhaust their stocks of the old D51 they might do a few more variations of the new one, even if it was just with a standard tender and a few different numbers.

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The 'new' Kato steam are D51 498 (2016-1), the C62 (2019-1, 2019-2) and the 9600 2-8-0 (2014, 2015).

 

Thanks! I was almost going to just PM you, but I figured it might be something others wondered. Any word on a new C57, or are they still trying to negotiate your likeness for the engineer?

 

A C57 would be nice but no sign of anything in the 2011 catalog.

 

They could use the same engineer for D51 498.

post-218-13569927023194_thumb.jpg

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does it run well? I want to get a realline premium model but hw and hs will not order the premium model I want said they won't order it .....

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The Kato D51 is really a gem! It does not only llok good, it runs like a Swiss watch - it´s got a coreless motor with double fly wheels. I understand that RealLine locos are about three times the price - is it really worth it?

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thats the thing no one has purchased one here from what we know.

 

only info i could find was one japanese blog in japanese with a different older model who mentioned it was not a smooth runner.

 

not sure about newer models fly wheel seems to be the go for most manufacturers now so i would expect for $400 it would be a good runner

 

i basically decided i would be the guinea pig for the forum to give my opinion on one

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...Is that another manufacturer, or the Kato?...

 

It's another manufacturer... here's another D51 by them: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10126977

 

And the rest of their products available via search: http://www.1999.co.jp/search_e.asp?Typ1_c=104&scope=1&urikire=1&andor=0&scope2=0&sortID=0&SFlt_f=0&SFilter=Manufacturer&ItKey=RealLine

I'm sure it's nice, but yikes Fleischmann Japan!! With those prices

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thats the thing no one has purchased one here from what we know.

 

only info i could find was one japanese blog in japanese with a different older model who mentioned it was not a smooth runner.

 

not sure about newer models fly wheel seems to be the go for most manufacturers now so i would expect for $400 it would be a good runner

 

i basically decided i would be the guinea pig for the forum to give my opinion on one

 

At $400 you're dealing with someone building for looks or rarity. I think you'll find a lot of poor runners at the upper end of the price range - lots of hand made (not in the good way) drive systems with a spider web of soldered wires and parts made to fit together with a small mallet. There are good runners, but I would definitely not associate price with drive quality for N trains over $200, rather price = rarity + # of press on parts.

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