Kamome Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 New release information is up on Kato's website Not a huge amount of interest from me for April/May 2024 releases. Great for Central fans I'm hoping the continuation of the 211 series will lead to development of JR Kyushu 415-1500s as these were commonly coupled to 415-0s which would complement Kato's version. They are still seen on occasion running a Nippo line shuttle between Yukuhashi and head north from Kokura through the tunnel to Shimonoseki. I own it already but the Sakura formation of the 20 series is a great addition for JNR fans. There is something quite luxurious looking about the 20 series in my view and both my N and HO 20 series coaches turn way more heads at rental layouts than any other series of coaches. The included Kani 22 has the pantographs removed (after the dual power source idea had been scrapped and they were fitted with larger fuel tanks) as well as the Maya 20. Certainly a lot of scope for locomotives such as EF65-500, EF30, ED73, DD51 and C11. Seems like minor updates from the 10-1141/1142 including body mounted couplers and detailing of the Nahanefu conductors room. Is the image of the DD51-0 next to a C57 a hint for the near future? Link to comment
bill937ca Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 (edited) Kato USA has released a new version of its Unitrack and Unitram catalog in PDF format. Download it while you can because it has prices which will change in this environment. https://katousa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Unitrack-Catalog-final.pdf Edited December 22, 2023 by bill937ca 6 Link to comment
brill27mcb Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 Kato produces a really vast selection of track and related products. It's also nice to see they are showing all of the Unitram pieces, including track switches and separately available curves. Hopefully this means that they will become available again soon. Unfortunately the catalog glosses over the fact that only the V60 set has "right-side traffic" roadway markings, and any added roadway pieces that someone buys will be marked for left-side traffic. Rich K. 1 Link to comment
ED75-775 Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 Announced today, Kato will release two new versions of locomotive EF58 150, one as it looked in Joyful Train service while based at Miyahara depot, and one as it looks currently at the Kyoto Railway Museum. To go with it, they're also announcing a four-car set of older coaches including the MaiTe 49 observation coach now displayed at KRM. If I have read the Kato website correctly, the 'museum' version will be a Hobby Center Kato model while the Miyahara 'Joyful' version will be a standard release. 2 Link to comment
Welshbloke Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 I don't know if it has appeared anywhere else yet, but Kato's stand at the Warley exhibition included a sample of a new HOe/009 variant of Unitrak (basically the N scale but with larger sleepers and a wider base). Release date was given as 2024. The video (with Kato-San himself) showed a curved section which looked about R183, a straight about 124mm and what looked like a converter track to connect it to non-roadbed 009 track. It would be a very sensible move IMO, given their partnership with Peco to offer the Ffestiniog locos and also the popularity of Tomytec's HOe range. They also had a layout made up from the N scale micro module/diorama kits. Which would have provoked some amusing reactions from the more-finescale-than-thou crowd! 1 Link to comment
Burtos Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 On 1/3/2024 at 5:07 PM, Welshbloke said: I don't know if it has appeared anywhere else yet, but Kato's stand at the Warley exhibition included a sample of a new HOe/009 variant of Unitrak (basically the N scale but with larger sleepers and a wider base). Release date was given as 2024. The video (with Kato-San himself) showed a curved section which looked about R183, a straight about 124mm and what looked like a converter track to connect it to non-roadbed 009 track. It would be a very sensible move IMO, given their partnership with Peco to offer the Ffestiniog locos and also the popularity of Tomytec's HOe range. They also had a layout made up from the N scale micro module/diorama kits. Which would have provoked some amusing reactions from the more-finescale-than-thou crowd! Did notice all those little separate diaramas in the middle of the layout. Always disappointed with the kato stand. Never have anything to buy, just show a few models Link to comment
cteno4 Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 Kato (as katousa here) never sells here in the us, they rely on their distributors to do all sales. jeff Link to comment
Welshbloke Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 I just wish they'd convince someone here to stock the mini diorama sets at a sane price. You really need a full loop of them for the idea to work, which isn't happening at £20 a kit. As it stands, I'm tempted but the price to get anything useful is too high to justify. Link to comment
cteno4 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 So I was concerned about that as well to try this for newbies here in the us. I looked at cutting my own, but tedious and I didn’t want to have the be the supplier. Other issue is the mini dioramas are just a bit to small to even out a small Tomytec building on. So I’ve been experimenting with using small wooden canvases about 3/4} thick and sizes of 4”x4” up to 12”x12” in different aspect ratios. Dont worry about a bit of track overhang as it actually is nice to separate the mini scenes a little. You can use various radius curves and 15 degree princes between modules to wander the track and scenes as well. more here jeff Link to comment
katoftw Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 On 1/11/2024 at 9:02 AM, Welshbloke said: I just wish they'd convince someone here to stock the mini diorama sets at a sane price. You really need a full loop of them for the idea to work, which isn't happening at £20 a kit. As it stands, I'm tempted but the price to get anything useful is too high to justify. AmiAmi has them in the sale section for 1050 each. 12 each of both curves and straights. Link to comment
bc6 Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 Viewed on Hobby Search Kato introduces new light up vehicles including Japanese Police cars, Reserve them now!!!! Link to comment
cplchanb Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 whats the difference between this new release of the 787 and the previous? seems more like a reissue than a new tool. Link to comment
Welshbloke Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 New RhB freight stock announced. A bogie flatbed which carries swap bodies/containers or logs. Will be available as two four car boxed sets (one with each type of load) and a single wagon (for which a load of plastic logs will be sold separately). All wagons and containers will have unique numbers as usual, so buying one of everything won't leave you with duplicates. Interestingly there doesn't appear to be another loco in the same batch of releases. Previously Kato have been keen to make sure you can obtain something to haul the new releases (or something for the new loco to haul) at the same time. They must reckon the Allegra re-run with a new number (bumped to March) and their previous releases will be plentiful enough now. I still wish they'd go for one of the Stadler steuerwagen. The same tooling can make both the standalone Bt version (run it with the EWIs they've already released) and the At type found in the seven car Alvra push pull sets. They already have CAD for the cab front, assuming it genuinely is identical to the Allegra (it looks the same...) 1 Link to comment
ED75-775 Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 More RhB freight stock is good. I was thinking we could do with more after the container cars in 2022, and then along comes nine new bogie flat wagons! Weirdly enough, Hobbysearch only lists the numbers for the log carrying wagons and you have to dive into the Kato images to confirm that they're actually all uniquely numbered. Phew! My OCD can rest easier! @Welshbloke your reckoning about the Bt cab cars is correct - they do share the same driving cab design as the Allegra EMUs (with a marginally different body/window arrangement), however the newer At cab cars have a different design shared with the new Capricorn EMUs so would need to be a totally new tooling. Personally if a cab control car was to be offered, I'd prefer to have one of the BDt control cars. Sure, they're older than the Bt and At cars, but they'd also sit well with the EW I stock, plus I've seen the one of the prototypes, BDt 1755 in 2013 when we took the Bernina Express from Tirano to Chur. My photo from Pontresina: I will apologize now: my camera wasn't over fond of the cold and kept shutting itself down, so this was a quick grab shot for the record. Alastair Link to comment
Kamome Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 (edited) I do want the new HO EF58 with large icicle cutters and snowplough although it commands ¥7000 more than Kato’s other one. The 12 series coaches again are not hugely exciting but have been out of stock for some time. They’re pretty basic models with large gaps between coaches if you don’t use the drawbar couplers. As for N, nice to see the Kintetsu vista cars although Tomix have done a pretty good job up to now. Not that excited about any of the commuter trains but another run of E235-1000 will quash some of the ridiculous prices out there and more Kokis are a safe bet. Edited February 4 by Kamome Link to comment
disturbman Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 11 hours ago, Welshbloke said: Interestingly there doesn't appear to be another loco in the same batch of releases. Previously Kato have been keen to make sure you can obtain something to haul the new releases (or something for the new loco to haul) at the same time. They must reckon the Allegra re-run with a new number (bumped to March) and their previous releases will be plentiful enough now. I think that's because the Allegra is also used to haul freight cars. Kato made sure to note that in their list of possible consists on their posters. Link to comment
jappomania Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 Kintetsu Vista car 10100..... 787系....EH500.... oh f..k 😭 I bought all these trains around 20 years ago, it was the first run ... that's the sign that I'm toooo old to still play with trains 👴 but the new Kintetsu seem more beautiful, the oldest is like on the stilts (time to put on the bin the old garbage...pre-order to send) Link to comment
Welshbloke Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 21 hours ago, ED75-775 said: More RhB freight stock is good. I was thinking we could do with more after the container cars in 2022, and then along comes nine new bogie flat wagons! Weirdly enough, Hobbysearch only lists the numbers for the log carrying wagons and you have to dive into the Kato images to confirm that they're actually all uniquely numbered. Phew! My OCD can rest easier! @Welshbloke your reckoning about the Bt cab cars is correct - they do share the same driving cab design as the Allegra EMUs (with a marginally different body/window arrangement), however the newer At cab cars have a different design shared with the new Capricorn EMUs so would need to be a totally new tooling. Personally if a cab control car was to be offered, I'd prefer to have one of the BDt control cars. Sure, they're older than the Bt and At cars, but they'd also sit well with the EW I stock, plus I've seen the one of the prototypes, BDt 1755 in 2013 when we took the Bernina Express from Tirano to Chur. My photo from Pontresina: I will apologize now: my camera wasn't over fond of the cold and kept shutting itself down, so this was a quick grab shot for the record. Alastair Yep, I'd prefer an older one too. I can see them making the Alvra sets though, it would fit with their love of matching sets of new stock (and split nicely into three and four car packs). I have considered trying to kitbash a Bt using Kato Allegra spares (ordering the assy parts when another batch is announced), but I think trying to cut and splice the different window layout and extra length in N would be beyond me. I have done similar builds in OO but it's hard enough to hide joints there, and an acceptable paint and lettering finish in N would be fiddly. Plus it looks as if at least some of the windows are different sizes? 1 Link to comment
Kamome Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 Can I just mention how close to the expressway flyovers Kato have created with their viaduct tracks for the Hobby Centre EF81-300 in pink release. Hats off who put this shot together as it looks just like the area west of Nishi-Kokura station. The track is roughly ground level with a road going underneath, the shinkansen line above and the expressway ramps above that. https://www.katomodels.com/product/n/hc_ef81_300 https://www.google.com/maps/@33.8910716,130.8666052,3a,37.5y,120.12h,96.36t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sl9ZmhCACOIqcrClKS7rqAw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3Dl9ZmhCACOIqcrClKS7rqAw%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D209.99786%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu 4 Link to comment
ED75-775 Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 For those who have not already seen, Kato is releasing further new stock for Noch, namely a new Ge4/4 II (#620 in "RhB-Club" livery), a new baggage car as DS4222, and two 'new' EW I four-coach sets. The reason I refer to the EW I coach sets as 'new' is because three coaches across the two packs (B2347/B2292/A1241) have already been released in the standard Kato 10-1413 and 10-1414 coach sets and one (B2344) was included in the 10-1514 'Hakone-Tozan' train pack. Might be a case of getting them both and mixing and matching to create an extra carriage set I don't already have, and then move on the duplicates. We'll see! Also being added to the re-release pile is the Kato 5280 Gourmino dining car WR3811, but I won't be getting that one. Alastair Link to comment
disturbman Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 It could be that these haven't not yet been announced by Kato. The two "painted" Allegra are marked as "exclusive for Noch" but not these releases. I guess we will see soon. Link to comment
bill937ca Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 Model Rail Scotland2024 Hiroshi Kato will guide you through the event 5 Link to comment
brill27mcb Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 What a hoot! Nice to see Mr. Kato himself out at the shows. let alone acting as a tour guide. Rich K. 2 Link to comment
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