Kato - New Releases

[Yavianice]

The HOT features one sided mirrored glasses. Not sure if I like the look of it. What it exactly is can be seen in this video

 

 

[cteno4]

I think kato’s biggest challenge will be on the labor front as population shrinks and as many companies have found you have to have the right folks doing model train assembly and carefully orchestrated or things go bad fast and once you loose your quality image it’s really hard to get it back. It will be interesting to see how japan reacts to their labor challenges into the future here. Automation of course will be key but may not help much on model train assembly.

 

kato has done a very good job of balancing all this for a long time here! Being privately held also helps them be a bit more nimble and not have to be as keen on every quarterly and maybe bureaucracy is lower.

 

im just always amazed how much a bargain Japanese trains are with such good quality. As you say it is the largest market in the world, but still only a handful of competitors.

 

jeff

[Das Steinkopf]

17 hours ago, Madsing said:

So... no Kato N700S this year...

 

Probably a good thing as Tomix does a proper job when it comes to Shinkansen models, Kato tends to just slap some paint on an existing models such as the 500 EVA or the E3 Toreiyu Tsubasa.

Edited July 10, 2021 by Das Steinkopf

[Madsing]

Noted. I don't have any Tomix Shinkansen so I cannot compare. I just buy Kato by default as I need DCC and fitting Kato trains with EM13 decoders is easy. Maybe I should try Tomix once.

[chadbag]

17 hours ago, Madsing said:

Noted. I don't have any Tomix Shinkansen so I cannot compare. I just buy Kato by default as I need DCC and fitting Kato trains with EM13 decoders is easy. Maybe I should try Tomix once.

 

I've done both.  The KATO is easier and I prefer those but the few Tomix ones I've done (500 Kitty-chan and N700 JR west) were pretty easy except they have this shiny steel electric "bus" used for the rail power distribution and it is really hard to solder to.  Ended up using Superior #30 flux and some of the same brand solder with silver in it (forget which blend).  IIRC correctly I posted somewhere here on the forum about the experience.

 

[gavino200]

1 hour ago, chadbag said:

 

I've done both.  The KATO is easier and I prefer those but the few Tomix ones I've done (500 Kitty-chan and N700 JR west) were pretty easy except they have this shiny steel electric "bus" used for the rail power distribution and it is really hard to solder to.  Ended up using Superior #30 flux and some of the same brand solder with silver in it (forget which blend).  IIRC correctly I posted somewhere here on the forum about the experience.

 

 

I totally agree that they're very doable. But they still rob you of a tinkering session that could be spent better working on your layout! 

[Sheffie]

I thought the price was okay for a high quality set with internal lights, because that’s the impression I got from the promotional pics… but the text makes it sound like it’s just a regular train and internal lighting will be extra. 
 

There’s a pendulum mechanism tho’

[Kiha66]

The kato pendulum mechanism is a pretty neat effect, but mechanically is actually very simple.  They have a bend in the brass pick up strips so that when the truck rotates one side is pushed away from the car.  They've had it for years on the 381 series and it does a decent job, espically when paired with super elevated curves.

[Welshbloke]

And they've done it again. A load of stuff which was supposed to be this month (having already been bumped from June) is now showing as August releases. 

 

Wonder if they're having problems with delivery of something or other from a subcontractor? I doubt they make their own motors in-house for example?

[katoftw]

10 minutes ago, Welshbloke said:

Wonder if they're having problems with delivery of something or other from a subcontractor? I doubt they make their own motors in-house for example?

Its called covid.

[GCS]

2 hours ago, katoftw said:

Its called covid.

Yup, kind of crazy how COVID is effecting every industry with lengthy lead times 🤦🏻‍♂️

[Kamome]

Yes a number of releases have been put back but you know that it’s most likely due to reduced numbers on production lines.  It’s still way quicker than you’d wait for British releases though and I’m sure we’d like Kato to ensure their staff are safe through a rise in Delta variant Covid cases. The Japanese government has been relatively slow on their vaccination program compared with many other developed countries so many companies are still being asked to take extra precautions. 

 

For those unsure of the delays, looks like the following are now scheduled for August:

 

Seibu 40000

100 Hikari

Koki 106+107

(HO) EF65 0

 

Also some June releases put back until July and August

 

581/583 - July

 

New Alps releases - August

 

(HO) Taki 43000s - August

 

Gives is a bit longer to save some pennies or more likely, buy something we didn’t intend on buying at this time. Actually July was a quiet month for me apart from a few extra HO Wamus. I’m sure we can expect a few more delays this year. I half expect the (HO) 20 series coaches to be put back due to a lot of other HO being delayed.

[Kiha66]

10 hours ago, Welshbloke said:

I doubt they make their own motors in-house for example?

 

Kato actually do make their own motors in house, or did as of last year.  Its something they're proud of.  I think they must have had the equipment since they started, so I can see why they'd just keep doing it.  Originally kato motors were in a lot of US models as well before that switched fully to china.

[cteno4]

3 minutes ago, Kiha66 said:

Kato actually do make their own motors in house, or did as of last year.

Wow learn something new everyday!

 

jeff

[Kiha66]

I learned it from their Twilight Express release!  Usually they're pretty closed off about what their factory looks like, but they had a few pics of it in production and the motor winding machine was one of them.

[JR 500系]

Better to place the web link from HS as the one from the official Kato always seems to give problems...

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10803615/30/1

 

So.... anyone?  🙂

[EdF]

Torn between the special JRW or the regular JRC version.

 

Has anyone done Olympic stickers for the e235?  

Edited July 30, 2021 by EdF

[disturbman]

2 hours ago, JR 500系 said:

So.... anyone?  🙂

 

Safe as always with Kato, thought that might be one of the most boring announcement I have seen in a while. 🙂

[cteno4]

5 hours ago, JR 500系 said:

So.... anyone? 

Ive been slowly looking sideways at the tomix n700s. Not gotten a shinkansen in quite a while besides painted ones and have most all the main versions but thinking maybe a 700s, but we don’t have the big club viaduct loop now so won’t get much running… we have talked about a viaduct sort of ttrakish thing to interlock with regular Ttrak loop, but pain is it need ALOT of tables for setup… layout 3.0 is stalled right now.

 

jeff

[Kiha66]

Wow, I'm sure the N700S will be a good seller over time, but kinda lackluster release this time.  I wonder if kato will be using the time to catch up on their delayed releases from 2021

[roadstar_na6]

Depressing announcement, 2 new releases and 2 re-releases if you include the Roundhouse ED76

[Kiha66]

21 minutes ago, roadstar_na6 said:

Depressing announcement, 2 new releases and 2 re-releases if you include the Roundhouse ED76

 

1 new release even, if you consider that the JR west version is the exact same just with different numbers 😁

[gavino200]

I'm happy about the E235 re-release. I was bummed about missing it the first time. I already ordered the Tomix N700S, so I don't need this one. The ED76 is also nice but, I don't really need it.

 

4 hours ago, Kiha66 said:

Wow, I'm sure the N700S will be a good seller over time, but kinda lackluster release this time.  I wonder if kato will be using the time to catch up on their delayed releases from 2021

 

I bet that's it. I don't recall ever seeing such a slim offering. Seems like a good idea IMHO.

 

6 hours ago, cteno4 said:

… layout 3.0 is stalled right now.

 

jeff

 

That's a pity. Do you have a track plan?

[cteno4]

Yep but it’s awaiting an article to be written about it and the writer and creator of the plan (not me) has not finished it yet.

 

jeff

[katoftw]

2 hours ago, gavino200 said:

 

I bet that's it. I don't recall ever seeing such a slim offering. Seems like a good idea IMHO.

After the SL Yamaguchi and Kyushu 7 Stars got delays, which was crazy for them to attempt to limited run models only a month apart.  The Jan/Feb/Mar  announcements after that was fairly slim picking also.  Both models also had split release dates has the factory just couldn't supply the demand required.

Edited July 30, 2021 by katoftw