Kato - New Releases

[Kamome]

There was an article in RM Models a few years ago of someone who scratched  built these 3 coaches in HO from existing stock. 

 

Any new HO addition is always welcome news, especially from Kato, who usually add rolling stock that compliment their existing lines. 

 

The price is a little high for Kato but looks like the detailing and colour schemes require a lot of tooling set up. Not silly money though, roughly ¥10,000 per coach if you buy from the usual discount retailers, so similar to Tomix prices. 

[disturbman]

2 hours ago, JR 500系 said:

Makes me wanna search for a Yume kan now!

The Tomix is usually hard to find but the MA used to sell for relatively cheap. Don’t know if this announcement is not going to make their price climb up with the amount of frustrated n scalers

[Aleks]

On 12/22/2022 at 6:17 PM, JR 500系 said:

 

 

Interesting to see the gangway for the front cars of E353 finally being released! I recall it was SUPER expensive when it was released as a two car set by Kato store exclusive... Now i wonder if they will also do it for the Sunrise Express...

 

The price for this new version of E353 Azusa/Kaiji is also up around 1,000-2,000 Yen (for each set) compared to the previous version that sold out everywhere. 

 

I am sure there will be more releases in 2023... as to be announced on Kato site.

Edited January 1, 2023 by Aleks

[bill937ca]

This is for those that understand Japanese. The speaker talks about the "Slotless motor correspondence method" and wears what appears to be an official Kato shirt, but this video is not on an official Kato You Tube channel. Just curious what's going on.

 

 

Edited January 1, 2023 by bill937ca

[katoftw]

You can buy that t-shirt.  He only is wearing it for his Kato videos. Just another you-tuber.

[DenshaTen]

1 hour ago, bill937ca said:

This is for those that understand Japanese. The speaker talks about the "Slotless motor correspondence method" and wears what appears to be an official Kato shirt, but this video is not on an official Kato You Tube channel. Just curious what's going on.

 

That's not Japanese!

[JR 500系]

1 hour ago, bill937ca said:

This is for those that understand Japanese. The speaker talks about the "Slotless motor correspondence method" and wears what appears to be an official Kato shirt, but this video is not on an official Kato You Tube channel. Just curious what's going on.

 

That's actually Cantonese, probably the youtuber is from Hong Kong, there seemed to be quite a large fan base there as well ~ 

 

I actually like that T-shirt! Maybe i'll get myself started to re-create personalised T-shirts on all the makers of train models 😛

[Kamome]

On 12/24/2022 at 6:15 PM, disturbman said:

The Tomix is usually hard to find but the MA used to sell for relatively cheap.

Speak of the devil. I didn’t purchase, and with the large amount of glare from the plastic wrapper, couldn’t tell which manufacturer these were. 

 

¥12000 for this “Junk” item at Hobby Land Pochi in Hakata. 

[JR East]

On 1/1/2023 at 2:44 AM, Aleks said:

 

The price for this new version of E353 Azusa/Kaiji is also up around 1,000-2,000 Yen (for each set) compared to the previous version that sold out everywhere. 

 

I am sure there will be more releases in 2023... as to be announced on Kato site.

 

Hi, 

 

28-261 (doors) are sold separetely so that I suppose it'll be easily installed on my existing E353 (10-1523 / 1524). 880 Yens ... looks far more affordable than the Kato Kyoto offer. 

[disturbman]

@KamomeItems at HLP are always insanely priced. It's not the place to buy a cheap second hand things. The MA used to sell for 6 to 8K. The Tomix much higher.

By the looks, I think this is the Tomix set.

Edited January 2, 2023 by disturbman

[Welshbloke]

On 12/23/2022 at 11:41 PM, roadstar_na6 said:

They seem to be going all out on it tho:

https://www.kato-start.com/yumekukan

I am kind of tempted, can't preorder though as I have no idea whether the pound will be used in a short-selling scam yet again (which would turn a non-cancellable preorder into something I really can't afford, thanks to the resulting devaluation). Will have to see what they cost come release date.

[Yavianice]

The E353 doors just attach with double sided tape @JR East.

 

I wonder if they fixed the derailing issue with the second edition E353, and reverted to the first edition E353 design.

[Aleks]

What was the derailing issue?

[JR 500系]

On 1/2/2023 at 10:33 PM, Kamome said:

Speak of the devil. I didn’t purchase, and with the large amount of glare from the plastic wrapper, couldn’t tell which manufacturer these were. 

 

 

The Yumekan!!! oh wow 12k for just 3 cars and not the entire set! 

 

My guess is the Tomix one as well, partly due to the price. The MA ones on Yahoo auctions are going for about 8000 - 12000 yen for an entire used set, so for just 3 cars it should be the Tomix one. 

One sure fire way is to observe the rear car that is in green. The Tomix one has lighted table lamps, so you should be able to see the table lamps quite clearly proturding, while the MA ones doesnt, so they are more flushed to the surface:

 

MA Version 

 

Tomix Version

The detailing is also more evident on the Tomix version, probably hence the more demand for it.

[JR East]

On 1/3/2023 at 3:47 PM, Yavianice said:

The E353 doors just attach with double sided tape @JR East.

 

I wonder if they fixed the derailing issue with the second edition E353, and reverted to the first edition E353 design.

 

It's what I understood @Yavianice, thanks. 

 

I've no issue with derailling E353 on my Kato V11. What is this derailling issue ? 

[Yavianice]

17 hours ago, JR East said:

I've no issue with derailling E353 on my Kato V11. What is this derailling issue ? 

detailed here https://www.orientalexpress.jp/10-1522_e353_2020-1/

[Welshbloke]

I would not be surprised to see the green end car from the Yumekan pop up in the First Car Museum series. We've had vehicles from the Hokutosei and Twilight Express there after all. Or even all three of the unique vehicles as there's clearly ample demand (and I think the real ones have been preserved?)

[bnicolas1987]

Kato Yumekukan pre-ordered, i can't wait to get it...

[ED75-775]

On 1/7/2023 at 10:19 AM, Welshbloke said:

(I think the real ones have been preserved?)

Yep, all three of them! You can find the OShi 25 901 dining car and OHaFu 25 901 lounge car at different locations within the LaLaport Shin Misato shopping mall complex, while the ORoNe 25 901 sleeper is now additional space for a restaurant in Kiba, Tokyo.

[JR 500系]

New (or not so new) releases from Kato:

 

 

 

Well, good news i can dodge this bullet ~~ The Seven stars will surely bring down the price of the 2nd hand market ~

[Kamome]

Yes, not sure the 7 stars can be classed as “Specially Planned” product if they’re running it for a second time. Wonder if they’ll eventually do that for the other cruise trains. A little birdie told me they were looking at doing the Toro-Q. There seems to be a lot of focus on Kyushu, perhaps with the diorama exhibition being held down this way as well as Tokyo. The same little bird also mentioned a possible HO D51 release but still nothing on that front yet. 

 

Thankfully quiet month for me too. Even the HO Kiha 81/82 stuff still seems readily available on the 2nd hand market although the buffet cars (Kishi 80) are more difficult to locate. I have 19x Kiha 80 coaches in various guises making up a 7 car Tsubasa and a 12 car Matsukaze. Not sure I need a Inaho or Kuroshio on top and certainly not convinced with the price hikes. They’re nice looking models but the 81/82 prices have gone up by 22% on the last time these were released. 

 

The 7 stars price has gone up by 10%. I know the cost of things is increasing but 20 odd percent seems quite a jump. 

Edited February 3, 2023 by Kamome

[Aleks]

I was just checking their side earlier today, was nothing, so wondering when we would see first announcements of 2023, and there we go. Nothing really exciting for me though in these releases... 😞 On the price thing, I was checking some links to some layout materials on this site, from a couple of years ago. Today's prices for those as much as 40% higher than the prices from then, as noted on this site... All prices are crazy going up. 😞 

[marknewton]

1 hour ago, Kamome said:

The same little bird also mentioned a possible HO D51 release but still nothing on that front yet.

Even though I already have a small fleet of D51s - eight from Kato and two from Tenshodo - I could be very tempted by a re-release. The Kato D51s are a very nice model with a lot of detailing and modification potential. 
 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[disturbman]

1 hour ago, Aleks said:

I was just checking their side earlier today, was nothing, so wondering when we would see first announcements of 2023, and there we go.

Kato announcements are always on the Friday before first Sunday of the month.
 

2 hours ago, Kamome said:

A little birdie told me they were looking at doing the Toro-Q.

If you meet often that birdie, do they have any news about the TGV Sud-Est rerun? There has been rumours going round for a while, would be nice to know if it's still being planned or not.

[Aleks]

4 hours ago, disturbman said:

Kato announcements are always on the Friday before first Sunday of the month.

Oh that's why no announcement in January... first Sunday was January 1, so the Friday would have been still in December. Well, I'll wait now until March 3...