Kato - New Releases

[200系]

KATO will be releasing a newer version of the E2 Hayate: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10170384 which will be released in March to coincide with the 1 year anniversary of the earthquake and Tsunami. I have already placed in an order for this 6 car set.

http://katomodels.com/distribution/poster/poster2012_3a.jpg

 

Saw it this morning, was about to post it but you already did.  It's nice to finaly see the Tohoku crest on a model Shinkansen, even though the reasson is less so off course. Just be aware though that this appears to be a 10 car set, not a 6 car set as HS advertises. the poster (if my limited Japanese reading is correct) and the price (exactly the prize of the original E2-1000 plus add on set) confirms this.

 

-Sander

[CaptOblivious]

From the translation it appears to be a transition from street track to railway track (25mm to 33mm spacing).

 

Yes, the larger image in the link below clearly shows the transition...

http://www.katomodels.com/cgi-bin/nmi_pictureview.cgi?id=unitram&num=10

 

 

Saw these at the Kato Osaka store. They do in fact include a special transition plate for moving between track spacings. Very nice plate, and I imagine very welcome!

[jappomania]

Interesting... I assume it's mechanically the same? The only difference looks to be the logo...

 

Yes, the original 10-278/79 E2-1000 is already DCC friendly (plug-in on the bottom), with flywheel and retractable nose coupler

The price for special 10 cars set is the same (with 20% discount around 20000JPY) like 4+6 set, it's only a commemorative set (maybe part of the price going to pay earthquake damage)

but this time I need a new reseller, R10 close before releasing...

 

Ciao

Massimo

[clem24]

Well it's still not totally up to "current" Kato standards - suspension (I don't think it has any), the newer E3/E5 scharfenberg coupling system, and I THINK it still has the old style trucks that use a screw while the new style clips on. But still... Not sure if REALLY want this set ahahaha. I am more waiting to see actual pics of the MA TEC300 set before I decide on it.

[Guest Closed Account 1]

KATO will be releasing a newer version of the E2 Hayate: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10170384 which will be released in March to coincide with the 1 year anniversary of the earthquake and Tsunami. I have already placed in an order for this 6 car set.

http://katomodels.com/distribution/poster/poster2012_3a.jpg

 

Saw it this morning' date=' was about to post it but you already did.  It's nice to finaly see the Tohoku crest on a model Shinkansen, even though the reasson is less so off course. Just be aware though that this appears to be a 10 car set, not a 6 car set as HS advertises. the poster (if my limited Japanese reading is correct) and the price (exactly the prize of the original E2-1000 plus add on set) confirms this.

 

-Sander

[/quote']

 

Year 2011 (2011) East Shinkansen overcome difficulties caused by earthquake that occurred on 11 March, "by connecting the rails as soon as one day, to this fine country," the result of that ambition, April 29 play to resume operation on the day between Tokyo to Shin-Aomori, contributed greatly to the recovery and flow of people.

40 minutes at 6:00 am, No. 1 train down from Tokyo to "Hayate No. 115," to the new Aomori, departed dreams put the future hope of recovery in order to bring back a blast northeast of Tokyo.

To keep us in remembrance of excitement and hope of recovering all lines, KATO, the No. 1 train recovery "Limited Edition" will be commercialized as.

 

Limited Edition Series E2 Shinkansen "Hayate" Train No. 1 will be released 10 recovered both sets all lines.

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Is 10-868 same as the original with a different logo decal?

 

I suppose one can run both or with an E5. That makes for a very long consist.

[keitaro]

ngi blog has pics of the new subway due this month let me say it's hawt the front has the lights and the station display lights.

 

 

I gotta say Kato are really kicking it up a notch in detail. Tomix is going to have to step it up a notch soon.

 

no link sorry as on phone but google ngi blog and it's on of the firs posts.

[clem24]

I suppose one can run both or with an E5. That makes for a very long consist.

 

That would just be ... Weird... ;)

[KenS]

ngi blog has pics of the new subway due this month let me say it's hawt the front has the lights and the station display lights.

 

I gotta say Kato are really kicking it up a notch in detail. Tomix is going to have to step it up a notch soon.

 

You mean the new 10000 from:

 

http://ngi.blog.eonet.jp/n_gauge/2011/12/kato-e265.html

 

Yeah, that's one beautiful model.  I have a reservation for one, and I can't wait to see it in person.

[bill937ca]

Another new subway train.  HS started taking reservations for the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line Series 16000 December 28.

 

 

 

[The_Ghan]

I'm going to wait and see what the Yen does before I order this one.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[clem24]

ngi blog has pics of the new subway due this month let me say it's hawt the front has the lights and the station display lights.

 

I gotta say Kato are really kicking it up a notch in detail. Tomix is going to have to step it up a notch soon.

 

You mean the new 10000 from:

 

http://ngi.blog.eonet.jp/n_gauge/2011/12/kato-e265.html

 

Yeah, that's one beautiful model.  I have a reservation for one, and I can't wait to see it in person.

 

What am I missing? Sure it looks nice but what station display lights? They look pretty standard to me. If anything the rooftop details with separately molded wiring seems to really catch my attention (although Microace beat everyone to the punch with the detail wiring on their trains - how they even manage to mold such intricate plastic is beyond me).

[KenS]

I think "station display lights" is a reference to the destination indicators.  On this train, Kato pre-applied them rather than providing stick-on decals. The end result is more polished looking.  Although I find them hard to see due to the curved window over them, which catches glare from overhead lights.

 

My 10000 just arrived, and overall first impressions are good. Compared to the Greenmax 10000 it seems subtly "better", but the two are very close in appearance (Kato, as always, has the edge mechanically).  Kato seems to have done this one to an even higher standard of detail than usual, but some of that may be to address inevitable comparisons with the Greenmax model (e.g., both have "glass" end doors with printed markings on them, something I've never seen Kato do before).  It has the usual beige interior molded seats and the sockets for Kato's custom DCC decoders (and the instructions are marked for DCC support).  I haven't taken it apart to try installing an EM13 yet, but that's going to happen shortly.  I'll have more to say after I've played with it a bit.

 

One very interesting observation: the head/tail lights don't flicker AT ALL.  Kato must have a capacitor in there, as my track isn't this good.  The Greenmax, like most of my Kato trains, flashes like a strobe light on some of my track.

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Kato tends to make ok track better.

[clem24]

I think "station display lights" is a reference to the destination indicators.  On this train, Kato pre-applied them rather than providing stick-on decals. The end result is more polished looking.  Although I find them hard to see due to the curved window over them, which catches glare from overhead lights.

 

Hang on, front of train or side of train? Front of train, both Tomix and Kato have been providing full spare windshields or plastic pieces with pre-printed destinations in even some really old releases. I don't think I've seen stick-on end car destination boards in ages! But Kato HAS been applying the decals to the side of trains, and that I have liked quite a bit. Tomix for some reason still refuses to do this and leaves the side of trains as blank windows with no destination boards included whatsoever... 

[IST]

I saw on the 4/2012 Kato poster that there will be available a new E231-500 Yamanote line train on number 10-890. Do you know what is the difference compared to the 10-578 set?

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Looks like a re-release with different road number?

[KenS]

I think "station display lights" is a reference to the destination indicators.  On this train, Kato pre-applied them rather than providing stick-on decals. The end result is more polished looking.  Although I find them hard to see due to the curved window over them, which catches glare from overhead lights.

 

Hang on, front of train or side of train? Front of train, both Tomix and Kato have been providing full spare windshields or plastic pieces with pre-printed destinations in even some really old releases. I don't think I've seen stick-on end car destination boards in ages! But Kato HAS been applying the decals to the side of trains, and that I have liked quite a bit. Tomix for some reason still refuses to do this and leaves the side of trains as blank windows with no destination boards included whatsoever... 

 

It depends on the train, although I've never seen a Kato model with a spare windshield. You either get one pre-printed destination or a sheet of options. But I only buy commuter and limited express EMUs, so I don't know what Kato does for other kinds of train.

 

Kato's recent Ginza subway had pre-printed destinations. Their commuter EMUs, even this year's E217 (10-843) which was clearly a new design, come with stickers. It's probably because commuter trains have more potential destinations. Although you'd think that logic would apply to the 10000 also.

 

The Kato 10000 does have pre-printed signs front and side, which appear well-done (although without interior lighting the side ones are very hard to see; I'll have to see if that improves).  That's another difference from the Greenmax 10000, which comes with a large sheet of destination sign stickers/decals (not sure which) for front and side.

[keitaro]

Looks like a re-release with different road number?

 

 

It's definately not a re-release.

 

complete new model sporting all the new tech and mold.

 

you definatley will notice a difference in the old to new one.

 

The main difference is now it has only 4 doors for the upgrades to the stations with station gates for the 4 doors (to reduce jumpers)

 

I think also the seats no longer fold (not that that will be shown in the model  )

 

Also now you will be able to see through the front past the driver and right into the passengers.

[westfalen]

Looks like a re-release with different road number?

 

 

It's definately not a re-release.

 

complete new model sporting all the new tech and mold.

 

you definatley will notice a difference in the old to new one.

 

The main difference is now it has only 4 doors for the upgrades to the stations with station gates for the 4 doors (to reduce jumpers)

 

I think also the seats no longer fold (not that that will be shown in the model  )

 

Also now you will be able to see through the front past the driver and right into the passengers.

So we'll have to put some railfans inside the train looking out?

[IST]

It's definately not a re-release.

complete new model sporting all the new tech and mold.

 

Thanks keitaro!

Now I have to start thinking what to do: buy the 4 and 3 cars add-ons to my existing 4 car basic set before it went sold out status, or waiting until April and buy a complete set and sell the old one...

[KenS]

Kato seems to re-release the Yamanote E231 every two years or so.  The last set (10-578/579/580) came out in 2009 with the six-door cars and the new four-car starter set approach to packaging.  Then they released a pair of four-door cars (10-577) last year after JRE added gates and eliminated the six-door cars.  But even my original 10-261/262 version, a 2007 release I bought in 2008 or early 2009, had the DCC-compatible newer tooling for the under-body (I think that may have been a change from some earlier models bearing the same model number).

 

This model sounds like a more significant re-design, but perhaps it is merely a rearrangement of the 10-578 set with all four-door cars.

 

However, the comments about the window confuse me.  Even the older cars had a "window" from the cab into the car (both a small one and a large one where the door would be).  I think this is a reference to the fact that one of the new four-door cars has a different window arrangement from the older cars:

 

Extra window:

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB:L25_T231-4651_N5346.jpg

 

Other new car with standard window arrangement:

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB:JReast_SahaE231-651.jpg

 

The HS description says: "Car Saha E231-10 is characterized by a window placed in the base set the series lineup 4600.". I found this description on one site: "The main and basic set, Saha E231 4600 series incorporate the distinctive arrangement of Car Window 10, plus a set A and you hematopoiesis, both in 8 cases for storage of vehicles. " I think both are describing the side window arrangement on the 4600, one of the two replacement cars, as in the 4651 illustrated above.

 

One thing I hope they will have changed is to make the interior more suited to the new interior lighting kits.  The old cars had four solid posts that holds up the old interior light diffuser.  In my new 10000, the posts narrow at the top, and fit into slots on the diffuser, holding it more firmly in place against the LED. I would expect any new tooling to do the same, the only question is whether they re-did the interior mould for that.

 

I'm torn. I already have two Yamanote trains. But it is my favorite of all the commuter trains. I'd really like to see some close-up photos or more info on what's changed. Keitaro, what info do you have that indicates it's all new?

[clem24]

Re. the destination signs - I think it's very inconsistent what they've released. I am taking as an example my very, very old Tomix 209 Keihin Tohoku set, which came with pre-printed signage.

 

Re. Kato Yamanote, looks like it's completely new, although I wouldn't be surprised if only the chassis were upgraded and everything else remained the same (like the body shells, aside from the new car). It looks like they are bringing this set up to their newest spec/features.

 

Also, Tomix released that Yamanote car with the extra window and squared off door windows as a limited edition release for their set in early 2011:

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10129488

[KenS]

Re. the destination signs - I think it's very inconsistent what they've released. I am taking as an example my very, very old Tomix 209 Keihin Tohoku set, which came with pre-printed signage.

 

You're probably right. Kato seem to standardize some things, some times, and then do the same thing a completely different way on some models, for no apparent reason. Perhaps they're trying out different methods to see which is the most cost-effective or something.

 

As I noted in a separate thread, it turns out the 10000 does have replaceable head/tail destination signs. They're pre-attached to a bit of white translucent plastic that snaps into the cab assembly, and several sets are included in the package.  The side signs appear to be non-replaceable. My Keiyo E233-5000 (10-862) turns out to have been done the same way, which makes me think this is their new approach for EMUs.  I expect the new Yamanote E233-500 will be the same, unless they stick with the old tooling for some reason.

[linkey]

Reading this via the KATO Japanese website in regards to the Limited Edition E2 Hayate:

 

株式会社関水金属は、被災された皆さまへの支援および被災地の復興にお役立ていただくため、売り上げの一部から日本赤十字社を通じて義援金を寄付させていただいております。

 

(Google translation)

Sluice Metal Inc., in order to help us support and rehabilitation of affected areas were affected to our proud to bring donations will be donated through the Red Cross from a portion of sales.

 

I have already placed my pre-order for this and anything that helps rebuild Japan, I will be happy to help out in anyway.