Kato - New Releases

[Kamome]

That's not the best way to gain confidence in speaking English as a second language, talking with people in and around Glasgow. Definitely one of the more difficult accents to understand for anyone semi-versed in the Queens. Maybe he read a few Irvine Welsh books before his trip to become better prepared.😄

 

Fair play to him though and nice showing off his own mini diorama front and centre.  Quite excited to see the new narrow gauge track and hopefully announcing some other options other than just a loop. "It dis'nae have any points, pal!"

[MeTheSwede]

While watching I was thinking of how the video played out almost like something made for language learners - both for English and Japanese. 😄

 

Usually I get lost right away listening to Japanese model train videos, but Kato-san's slow and clearly formed sentences was a joy to listen to.

[Welshbloke]

The logical move would be to add something like the 150mm radius points they do in N, but with the gentler curves to match the new narrow gauge track. That would work well with a tabletop railway idea (I can see Kato and Peco teaming up to offer starter sets, Peco Ffestiniog "bug box" coaches with Kato providing loco/track/power unit). Just tool a typical narrow gauge buffer stop to go with it and you've got the first Variation set for the new range.

[Kamome]

New posters for Kato have been uploaded, covering products for April to August.

 

• Tokyu Corporation 5050 - Shibuya Hikarie
• E353 (Best Range) production -no changes
• E7/W7 Shinkansen
• 683 series Thunderbird (renewal)
• 225-100 series A-Seat blue band as well as 3rd Edition Rapid
• Yo 8000
• 9mm Narrow gauge track announced but not point-work currently. There is a starter set with controller plus flexi-track and road bed ends to combine Unitrack and flexi.
• Unitram points are back - That's taken a while.
• HO - Cold area DD51 in red and JRF livery with JRF mark (the latter formerly only available in 3-001 HO starter set.) 
• New flex track and cork roadbed for HO and N including Unitrack compatible roadbed ends to connect to regular Unitrack.

Edited March 1 by Kamome

[Welshbloke]

The 009/HOe Unitrack has been added to the Kato website:

 

https://www.katomodels.com/product/oo-9/unitrack_narrow

 

And the new batch of RhB Allegras/Bernina Express/observation cars has been bumped yet again. April now!

[ED75-775]

Just on break at work and via Hobbysearch email, Kato has announced some more 'new' items for 2024, including a rerun of both variants of Hokkaido D51, matching SeKi 3000 coal hoppers and a new Hokkaido version Yo 3500 brake van. Since I haven't found posters online through the social channels, I won't attempt to post them.

 

Certainly I'm very excited about the Hokkaido D51s coming back as they're one of the few Kato SLs that were only out for a short time, and therefore command less than reasonable prices online. Plus this time they'll have actual spoke wheels on the leading and trailing truck, plus 'plastic handrails' which has me puzzled, were they not already plastic in the first place?

 

Alastair

[SL58654号]

9 hours ago, ED75-775 said:

Just on break at work and via Hobbysearch email, Kato has announced some more 'new' items for 2024, including a rerun of both variants of Hokkaido D51, matching SeKi 3000 coal hoppers and a new Hokkaido version Yo 3500 brake van. Since I haven't found posters online through the social channels, I won't attempt to post them.

 

Certainly I'm very excited about the Hokkaido D51s coming back as they're one of the few Kato SLs that were only out for a short time, and therefore command less than reasonable prices online. Plus this time they'll have actual spoke wheels on the leading and trailing truck, plus 'plastic handrails' which has me puzzled, were they not already plastic in the first place?

 

Alastair

That Giesl ejector D51 is certainly on my list. 

[Kamome]

On 4/7/2024 at 3:28 PM, ED75-775 said:

plus 'plastic handrails' which has me puzzled, were they not already plastic in the first place?

Material has always been the same, yes, and think this is Kato just highlighting that they’ve modelled this asymmetrical ( i assume freight) front handrail on the D51, not present on some other variants. 

 

 

Kato have also announced a 273 in Yakumo orange (bronze) livery for..... wait!      Spring 2025? I hope it’s only the date that’s an “April” announcement and they will actually produce this. 

 

I would expect it sooner than that since it launches in Spring 2024. I would hope a special card sleeve is coming. 

Edited April 11 by Kamome

[RS18U]

Is there something I am missing?  I was looking to order a Kato 20-202 and 203 and got this at Plaza Japan:

 

Does this mean the turnout is being updated?  For out of stock items, Plaza Japan shows different wording.

Edited May 3 by RS18U

[katoftw]

Probably a new batch run by Kato since the bar says pre-order.

[brill27mcb]

Basic things that you would not expect to ever go unavailable, like common track pieces, power supplies, wiring cables and controls, etc. actually do go unavailable in this market. Among vendors that we foreigners generally deal with, Hobby Search Japan seems to have very shallow inventories and often runs out earlier than other vendors. Generally, manufacturers like Kato and Tomix schedule new product runs on a recurring basis and most of these things come back into stock. HS just announced a re-stock of the right-hand Kato "No. 6" track switch, for example, and it looks like the left-hand version is coming next. This can tax your patience.

 

Very rarely is the item updated. Sometimes items are and they get a new product number. Sometimes only the packaging/quantity changes and they get a new product number just for that. If the product number stays unchanged, the item is probably unchanged, too.

 

The unexpected surprise comes occasionally when some item never gets announced for another production run, and suddenly you discover that you can't get that item any more. Then you are caught short...

 

Rich K.

[bill937ca]

20 hours ago, RS18U said:

Does this mean the turnout is being updated?  For out of stock items, Plaza Japan shows different wording.

Probably out of stock and the their wholesalers don't have stock.  Therefore the reservation process starts again. Warehouses on the North American scale are rare in Japan because of the high cost of land and (scarcity of land)

Edited May 3 by bill937ca

[RS18U]

Thanks everyone.  I was just confused by the different terms being used by Plaza Japan, so this clears it up a bit.

[chadbag]

Note that US Amazon has this item listed as available for next day delivery

 

https://www.amazon.com/KATO-Gauge-Electric-20-202-Supplies/dp/B0003K1LK0/

 

and is listed for a few days delivery on Amazon.ca

 

https://www.amazon.ca/N-6-Remote-Left-Hand-Turnout/dp/B0003K1LK0/

 

Basic things like Unitrack I tend to look for locally if I need it unless I happen to need a whole ton of it or it can wait until I visit Japan the next time.   KATO is a big force in N American N Scale so things that are not region specific like track are often readily available locally.

 

 

[Kamome]

Kato releases for Q3, Q4 and even Q1 2025 have now been uploaded to their website. 

 

https://www.katomodels.com/posters

 

Taiwanese EMU 3000

 

Koki 105 10 car set Toyota Longpass express (complete with Nippon express new logo Big Eco Liner 31 containers.) Feel like a missed opportunity not to have some Toyota branded ones as another option. 

 

Late JNR 5 car Kaimon/Nichinan set

Collection of cobbled together sleeper and mail coaches to use alongside existing 12 series coaches. 

 

GE4/4 in another livery

 

Alpine red coaches with another run of power car and Gourmino

 

New modern catenary options. Thought for a second Kato were going to produce catenary wiring but once I read the post, they’re not. 

[Welshbloke]

I haven't checked yet, but the RhB power/luggage van may be a new number? I notice the item number has -2 on the end. Think the EWIs and restaurant car are plain re-runs with the same numbers.

[ED75-775]

7 hours ago, Welshbloke said:

I haven't checked yet, but the RhB power/luggage van may be a new number? I notice the item number has -2 on the end. Think the EWIs and restaurant car are plain re-runs with the same numbers.

Yep, the luggage van is being released as DS4222 while the previous version was DS4223. As for the coaches, it’s a mix of new and already-produced numbers while the restaurant car is the same one, WR3811.

 

Noch confirmed all of these models were being made earlier this year, and IIRC I posted about that sometime in February with details of which coaches had already been produced. Still nice to have Kato confirm when they’ll come out though.

 

Alastair

[Welshbloke]

I've pre-ordered the loco and luggage van. Undecided on the coaches, I have the original two packs and the Hakone Tozan set.

 

Should probably order a spare Ge 4/4 II mechanism too, my Hakone Tozan is not a happy loco (I suspect oil has got into the motor). Annoying that Kato won't sell you a motor alone, you have to buy it as a subassembly with the chassis halves, lighting board, couplers, etc.

[bill937ca]

For the steam locomotive guys.

 

https://www.kato-special.com/sl-fuyu-no-shitsugen

 

https://www.kato-special.com/sl-fuyu-no-shitsugen/train

[SL58654号]

2 hours ago, bill937ca said:

For the steam locomotive guys.

 

https://www.kato-special.com/sl-fuyu-no-shitsugen

 

https://www.kato-special.com/sl-fuyu-no-shitsugen/train

I might just get the engine, but that set is gorgeous. KATO really are delivering what they do best.

[bill937ca]

I just read the Hobby Search newsletter and there is also a Sound Card available for the C11 171 + Series 14 `SL Fuyu-no-Shitsugen Train.

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/11103136?utm_source=nsl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20240705_104_news&utm_content=11103136_en

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/11103093?utm_source=nsl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20240705_104_news&utm_content=11103093_en

[Kamome]

SL tourist trains seem a good draw. Good balance between old and new so easy win. Not really my area of interest but it’s a lovely train and will probably join my fleet. Even nice to have some of the red crown cranes.

 

Yet another 211 and still no Kyushu 415-1500. 

 

Surprised at the mish mash livery 381 Yakumo. Seems more like a MA type release than Kato

 

Really pushing the HO Yume Kukkan. Think some people have held off as has been almost impossible to build up a train. Still see many 3 coach sets in almost all model shops. 

 

The 2 coach set orone and orohane 25 seems a very good idea considering how hard these have been to find. All consist info uses at least these 2 Hokutosei coaches and I was very luckily to find some on the used market but they are like hen’s teeth. Quite like the look of the HO figures. With the larger windows of the observation car, you definitely need some people. 

[Welshbloke]

I'll admit I was hoping more for the individual OroNe and OroHaNe as released before. The OroNe is one of the three vehicles missing from my Hokutosei, so I could do with one for that as well. I've ordered the two car set to complete my Yume Kukan anyway.

 

One thing I have noticed between the Yume Kukan releases and the Hokutosei series is that the aircon pods are different colours - the Hokutosei has them in metallic silver while they're grey on the more recent models, the two car pack looks as if they'll be grey. Hopefully they'll do another batch of Hokutosei coaches with the silver pods at some point.

[Kamome]

Interesting. Although, from the images, it looks like the 2 car set has silver air conditioner parts, same as the original Hokutosei release. I assume these were manufactured specifically for the Hokutosei service compared to the generic Ohane 25 0s which were updated with automatic doors amongst other things. 

 

The whole service is a cobbled together idea so nice to have some variation in roof details. 

 

Not entirely sure why they didn’t just do another run of Hokutosei coaches as despite these 2 coaches needed for the Yume Kukkan, there are a number of other Hokutosei coaches that have been unavailable for some time. Just make enough extra orone and orohane to cover both formations. 

 

The blue train staff figures have been out of stock for a long while although i’d need to look into what colour uniforms the attendants wore. Good to have some figures to add and i’ll probably pick up some of those, if I can find a reasonable, (not ¥10,000) price point. 

[Welshbloke]

I did eyeball the assy parts (with a view to building an extra ORoNe), but it wouldn't include a box and would need renumbering. Sooner or later Kato will make another batch, unless they intend Hokutosei owners to buy this new pack from now on.

 

I wasn't originally planning to end up with the full 12 car Hokutosei (it wouldn't even fit in the yard on our club layout) but I'm up to 9/12 so far...