Kato - New Releases

[Kamome]

That's not the best way to gain confidence in speaking English as a second language, talking with people in and around Glasgow. Definitely one of the more difficult accents to understand for anyone semi-versed in the Queens. Maybe he read a few Irvine Welsh books before his trip to become better prepared.😄

 

Fair play to him though and nice showing off his own mini diorama front and centre.  Quite excited to see the new narrow gauge track and hopefully announcing some other options other than just a loop. "It dis'nae have any points, pal!"

[MeTheSwede]

While watching I was thinking of how the video played out almost like something made for language learners - both for English and Japanese. 😄

 

Usually I get lost right away listening to Japanese model train videos, but Kato-san's slow and clearly formed sentences was a joy to listen to.

[Welshbloke]

The logical move would be to add something like the 150mm radius points they do in N, but with the gentler curves to match the new narrow gauge track. That would work well with a tabletop railway idea (I can see Kato and Peco teaming up to offer starter sets, Peco Ffestiniog "bug box" coaches with Kato providing loco/track/power unit). Just tool a typical narrow gauge buffer stop to go with it and you've got the first Variation set for the new range.

[Kamome]

New posters for Kato have been uploaded, covering products for April to August.

 

• Tokyu Corporation 5050 - Shibuya Hikarie
• E353 (Best Range) production -no changes
• E7/W7 Shinkansen
• 683 series Thunderbird (renewal)
• 225-100 series A-Seat blue band as well as 3rd Edition Rapid
• Yo 8000
• 9mm Narrow gauge track announced but not point-work currently. There is a starter set with controller plus flexi-track and road bed ends to combine Unitrack and flexi.
• Unitram points are back - That's taken a while.
• HO - Cold area DD51 in red and JRF livery with JRF mark (the latter formerly only available in 3-001 HO starter set.) 
• New flex track and cork roadbed for HO and N including Unitrack compatible roadbed ends to connect to regular Unitrack.

Edited March 1 by Kamome

[Welshbloke]

The 009/HOe Unitrack has been added to the Kato website:

 

https://www.katomodels.com/product/oo-9/unitrack_narrow

 

And the new batch of RhB Allegras/Bernina Express/observation cars has been bumped yet again. April now!

[ED75-775]

Just on break at work and via Hobbysearch email, Kato has announced some more 'new' items for 2024, including a rerun of both variants of Hokkaido D51, matching SeKi 3000 coal hoppers and a new Hokkaido version Yo 3500 brake van. Since I haven't found posters online through the social channels, I won't attempt to post them.

 

Certainly I'm very excited about the Hokkaido D51s coming back as they're one of the few Kato SLs that were only out for a short time, and therefore command less than reasonable prices online. Plus this time they'll have actual spoke wheels on the leading and trailing truck, plus 'plastic handrails' which has me puzzled, were they not already plastic in the first place?

 

Alastair

[SL58654号]

9 hours ago, ED75-775 said:

Just on break at work and via Hobbysearch email, Kato has announced some more 'new' items for 2024, including a rerun of both variants of Hokkaido D51, matching SeKi 3000 coal hoppers and a new Hokkaido version Yo 3500 brake van. Since I haven't found posters online through the social channels, I won't attempt to post them.

 

Certainly I'm very excited about the Hokkaido D51s coming back as they're one of the few Kato SLs that were only out for a short time, and therefore command less than reasonable prices online. Plus this time they'll have actual spoke wheels on the leading and trailing truck, plus 'plastic handrails' which has me puzzled, were they not already plastic in the first place?

 

Alastair

That Giesl ejector D51 is certainly on my list. 

[Kamome]

On 4/7/2024 at 3:28 PM, ED75-775 said:

plus 'plastic handrails' which has me puzzled, were they not already plastic in the first place?

Material has always been the same, yes, and think this is Kato just highlighting that they’ve modelled this asymmetrical ( i assume freight) front handrail on the D51, not present on some other variants. 

 

 

Kato have also announced a 273 in Yakumo orange (bronze) livery for..... wait!      Spring 2025? I hope it’s only the date that’s an “April” announcement and they will actually produce this. 

 

I would expect it sooner than that since it launches in Spring 2024. I would hope a special card sleeve is coming. 

Edited April 11 by Kamome

[RS18U]

Is there something I am missing?  I was looking to order a Kato 20-202 and 203 and got this at Plaza Japan:

 

Does this mean the turnout is being updated?  For out of stock items, Plaza Japan shows different wording.

Edited 21 hours ago by RS18U

[katoftw]

Probably a new batch run by Kato since the bar says pre-order.

[brill27mcb]

Basic things that you would not expect to ever go unavailable, like common track pieces, power supplies, wiring cables and controls, etc. actually do go unavailable in this market. Among vendors that we foreigners generally deal with, Hobby Search Japan seems to have very shallow inventories and often runs out earlier than other vendors. Generally, manufacturers like Kato and Tomix schedule new product runs on a recurring basis and most of these things come back into stock. HS just announced a re-stock of the right-hand Kato "No. 6" track switch, for example, and it looks like the left-hand version is coming next. This can tax your patience.

 

Very rarely is the item updated. Sometimes items are and they get a new product number. Sometimes only the packaging/quantity changes and they get a new product number just for that. If the product number stays unchanged, the item is probably unchanged, too.

 

The unexpected surprise comes occasionally when some item never gets announced for another production run, and suddenly you discover that you can't get that item any more. Then you are caught short...

 

Rich K.

[bill937ca]

20 hours ago, RS18U said:

Does this mean the turnout is being updated?  For out of stock items, Plaza Japan shows different wording.

Probably out of stock and the their wholesalers don't have stock.  Therefore the reservation process starts again. Warehouses on the North American scale are rare in Japan because of the high cost of land and (scarcity of land)

Edited 1 hour ago by bill937ca

[RS18U]

Thanks everyone.  I was just confused by the different terms being used by Plaza Japan, so this clears it up a bit.