Kato - New Releases

[Yavianice]

While it’s cool KATO will release the PBA this year, as they promised to do, I am not a fan at all they will make the newest color. I like the second color the most with the different reds. I think many people do so this version will become more rare and sought after.

 

also I’m confused by the E5. Sure it will have blocked out windows, which is good and current, but it will also have Shin-Hakodate Hokuto destination boards. Does that mean we will never see a re-release again of the H5?

 

also the lack of special stickers is still lame.

[serotta1972]

oooh nice, another TGV.  

[chadbag]

2 hours ago, Yavianice said:

also I’m confused by the E5. Sure it will have blocked out windows, which is good and current, but it will also have Shin-Hakodate Hokuto destination boards. Does that mean we will never see a re-release again of the H5?

 

I don't think they are related.  A good proportion of the Shinkansen going to Shin-Hakodate ARE E5s and this just recognizes that.   The H5 seems to be a minority compared to E5 on that run.  When we went to Hakodate last summer we rode an E5 both ways and I watched the Shinkansen coming in to Hakodate for a while while we waited for the train we had reservations on, and all the ones I saw were E5s.  I didn't once see an H5.   So this just reflects the reality.   I don't think you can infer there will be no re-release of H5.

 

 

[Yavianice]

I know chadbag. After all there are only 4 H5 sets in total, and 3 round trips Tokyo-Hakodate per day. Most E5's from Tokyo operate until Sendai or Aomori.

[Das Steinkopf]

Hooray nothing to attack my wallet this time round and I can focus on layout building materials instead, mind you Tomix is bound to spoil that party.

Edited June 5, 2020 by Das Steinkopf

[James-SNMB]

Cool! I think I'll wait for the PBKA (which I gather is coming in "2021", although I can't read Japanese), but I've been hoping for this re-release for a while. Now I just need an orange TGV and a series 0 Shinkansen and I'll be all done buying trains forever...

 

 

 

 

 

 

...Why do I bother lying to myself...

[gavino200]

9 hours ago, James-SNMB said:

Cool! I think I'll wait for the PBKA (which I gather is coming in "2021", although I can't read Japanese), but I've been hoping for this re-release for a while. Now I just need an orange TGV and a series 0 Shinkansen and I'll be all done buying trains forever...

 

 

 

 

 

 

...Why do I bother lying to myself...

 

Just so you know (forgive me if you already know), these are available for pre-order. If you wait for the actual release date, they're usually impossible to get.

[JR 500系]

That's really good news for Hokkaido lovers, with the Kiha-200s and 731s! Luckily for me, I am still trying to steer clear of Hokkaido trains ~  😛

[Kamome]

23 hours ago, Das Steinkopf said:

Hooray nothing to attack my wallet this time round and I can focus on layout building materials instead, mind you Tomix is bound to spoil that party.

There’s some Aeon U48 containers coming that you definitely need.I’m hoping they decide to do some HO too.

 

Nothing spectacular for October for me either. That probably means a few sizeable developments for November and December. Can we expect SL Hitoyoshi in Nov and Alfa-X in December?

Edited June 6, 2020 by Kamome

[James-SNMB]

59 minutes ago, gavino200 said:

 

Just so you know (forgive me if you already know), these are available for pre-order. If you wait for the actual release date, they're usually impossible to get.

 

Really? I only see the PBA on HobbySearch available to reserve right now.

[Yavianice]

@gavino200Nah, I think these will be easy to get. The newest color is not as popular as the second color, and KATO will produce lots of them. All other modern TGVs were also available everywhere for a long time at discount rates.

 

if KATO would ever produce a laposte, then those would certainly be rare, maybe the orange too, since those two are the most popular liveries I reckon. 

 

@James-SNMB the PBKA will be for preorder next year, the PBA is for preorder now. 

[James-SNMB]

Thanks for clarifying. I'll probably reserve the PBKA anyway when the time comes,  but I didn't have to for the TGV, eurostar, and ICE 4 that I have, so I'm kind of with you that they'll make a lot of these. Better safe than sorry though. They certainly got expensive on eBay now that the last run is long gone...

 

As for the orange TGV, I'm kind of wondering if they're gearing up for a release with the recent TGV Reseau re-release, and now this PBA. Plus it would be the 40th anniversary of TGV operation in 2021... Wishful thinking?

[Yavianice]

That’s exactly what they are doing. Depending on corona however they might skip it because it needs a new mold.

[gavino200]

5 hours ago, James-SNMB said:

 

Really? I only see the PBA on HobbySearch available to reserve right now.

 

No. I misunderstood you. I assumed you were talking about this Thalys release. Actually, I've never heard the terms PBA or PBKA before today. 😲

[James-SNMB]

14 minutes ago, gavino200 said:

Actually, I've never heard the terms PBA or PBKA before today. 

Honestly, me neither... Wikipedia got a work out this morning.

[James-SNMB]

1 hour ago, Yavianice said:

That’s exactly what they are doing. Depending on corona however they might skip it because it needs a new mold.

Hopefully it pans out. Whenever it happens, they can have my money.

[Das Steinkopf]

20 hours ago, Kamome said:

There’s some Aeon U48 containers coming that you definitely need.I’m hoping they decide to do some HO too.

 

Nothing spectacular for October for me either. That probably means a few sizeable developments for November and December. Can we expect SL Hitoyoshi in Nov and Alfa-X in December?

 

 I already have the Aeon U48's on preorder, I find it odd that most of the usual suspects don't have it on their international pages, Hobby Search has them listed on their Japanese language page but not on the International buyers page, I don't know if this is due to some sort of copyright issue or some other Japan only release caveat but lets just say with the help of one of our most friendliest and helpful retailers I have got around that problem, they even asked me if I wanted to get some extras too which I said yes as some friends here want some as well.

[disturbman]

On 6/6/2020 at 9:56 PM, gavino200 said:

I've never heard the terms PBA or PBKA before today. 😲

I did, but I'm French. Outside of the concerned countries, I would not expect many rail-interested people to have heard of these terms.

@Yavianice The TGV Sud-Est is great news. I would love to have a model of these. I still don't know why Kato is not producing a La Poste, these things would sell like hot cakes. It was always such a treat to see these seat at the sidings upstream of Gare de Lyon.

[Yavianice]

KATO does not seem to want to take risks like they used to. The "european train" team at KATO seem eager to produce a LaPoste, but the mold cost might be too high (a special mold is needed for the cars that have no windows). In the end you can make many liveries with the SudEst variation (orange, blue, black, if you are daring the dr. yellow version whose french name I forgot), where the orange livery has an iconic status in japan, making it a relatively safe investment and a clear hot cake seller. LaPoste maybe not so much. And not to forget you need special licensing deals with LaPoste also. In the end it's not so straightforward as you may think, especially in these uncertain corona times.

[EdF]

Isn't Kato also dependent on what Lemke are willing to do?  I am under the impression Lemke handles all the lisencing in mainland Europe for what Kato produces.  There was a retailer I was talking to in Florida that said Kato's euro partner was why they haven't been able to do a Brightline train as the Charger and the passenger cars are euro designs and Kato couldn't do them.

Edited June 9, 2020 by EdF
Clarity

[Yavianice]

6 hours ago, EdF said:

Isn't Kato also dependent on what Lemke are willing to do?  I am under the impression Lemke handles all the lisencing in mainland Europe for what Kato produces.  There was a retailer I was talking to in Florida that said Kato's euro partner was why they haven't been able to do a Brightline train as the Charger and the passenger cars are euro designs and Kato couldn't do them.

 

KATO now takes care of the licensing themselves for TGV's and they no longer go through Lemke. This is also why all Lemke brands have been removed and the new TGV's are in green boxes instead of the paper boxes. There have been a few strains between Lemke and KATO, which is one of the reasons KATO instead decided to make their own European KATO division in the form of KATO UK. At least that is what I heard from my KATO sources. It might have also been the cause of KATO now rarely producing european models under the Lemke brand in general, and that Lemke has axed new product lines using KATO parts. Frankly I don't know what Lemke is doing at all, because they just seem to produce stuff and cancel stuff as they please, making them a very unreliable brand nowadays and not worth pre-ordering.

[Kiha66]

Has kato confirmed they'll be doing the original orange TGV again?  Its been hard to keep track of the euro stuff but if so I'll certainly be getting one.

[chadbag]

Does KATO still do anything with Noch?  Noch still lists KATO as a partner and has both Japanese and RhB stuff on their website.  I kniw my ET 425 is a Noch but that is an OOS item.

 

One interesting item Noch has listed is the Bernina Express in a DCC edition using D&H decoders.

Edited June 9, 2020 by chadbag

[Yavianice]

@chadbag Noch is the main distribution partner of KATO in Europe. Also Noch sells stuff in japan through KATO. I am not sure where the RhB trains fall in with the relationship with Noch but I am pretty sure KATO does this (Licensing etc.) themselves. 
 

That being said, when KATO UK opens I can see them also cutting ties with Noch at least for the distribution part and take care of it themselves. 
 

if anyone knows more, let us know.

 

and no, the orange TGV is not yet officially announced. I do know that they are working on it but like I mentioned COVID might be the wildcard here. @Kiha66 

[Steve]

RhB also runs over Noch, inclusive special Liveries of Locos, made in cooperation.

 

Noch increased the number of Japanese Kato Models for preorder in the last two Years in Germany.

 

I doubt, Kato will cut with Noch - Unitrack runs very well in Germany and Noch is an important Partner.

Edited June 10, 2020 by Steve