Kato - New Releases

[KenS]

KATO USA Catalog online;

 

http://openpub.realread.com/rrserver/viewer;jsessionid=67C24655C8ED95E74524B42993794EF7?title=/Unicon/KatoUSA-2012Catalog-3.20.12&action=close

 

Or go to katousa.com and look for the catalog link

 

It requires a special reader plugin to work. And the plugin requires Java.  Java's not terribly secure, and it doesn't exist on my iPad, so I get redirected to a Java website that tells me to download it from Apple.  Which is never going to happen since Apple doesn't like Java and won't support it on iOS (and I can't really blame them; I've been disabling it on my browsers for years due to the security implications).

 

Everybody else on the planet does online catalogs as either ordinary web pages using modern tools or via PDF files. Why did Kato have to blaze their own trail using technology from last century?

[Martijn Meerts]

Because there's a lot of people hanging on to the shipwreck that is Java, because it's multi-platorm (never mind how terribly slow it is, or how it doesn't integrate into any OS's UI ;))

[Densha]

Kato E2 Hayate 10-868 to commentate the earthquake is available at HS. Full 10 car set.

I just can't leave without saying that it the earthquake has been a business opportunity for Kato. If a part of the sales go to charity I will forgive them (partly) but otherwise I don't think I will change my opinion.

Not that I don't like the model, actually the opposite.

 

Because there's a lot of people hanging on to the shipwreck that is Java, because it's multi-platorm (never mind how terribly slow it is, or how it doesn't integrate into any OS's UI ;))

 

I don't get it either, maybe they don't want their info going to third parties or something. I'm glad I don't see Java as much as it did years ago, I have had a few viruses from it on my pc and it's indeed terribly slow.

[clem24]

 

HS description say interior lighting not possible.

 

kato Japan: http://www.katomodels.com/n/euroster/

 

Does this mean old style light board and not DCC friendly?

 

The Eurostar is a fairly old model. It's essentially the 2nd TGV that they ever produced, after the Orange TGV Sud-Est, which is VERY old. As such, if it's based on the old tooling, it won't be DCC friendly nor will it accept light kits. But it does have the modern amenities, namely the lovely flywheel drive and the much hated coupling system between power cars and the rest of the train. It's surprising though since they've updated the tooling on practically everything they've been re-releasing.

 

C'mon Kato!! Release those add-on sets dammit!!!

[brill27mcb]

 

HS description say interior lighting not possible.

 

kato Japan: http://www.katomodels.com/n/euroster/

 

Does this mean old style light board and not DCC friendly?

 

The Eurostar is a fairly old model. It's essentially the 2nd TGV that they ever produced, after the Orange TGV Sud-Est, which is VERY old. As such, if it's based on the old tooling, it won't be DCC friendly nor will it accept light kits. But it does have the modern amenities, namely the lovely flywheel drive and the much hated coupling system between power cars and the rest of the train. It's surprising though since they've updated the tooling on practically everything they've been re-releasing.

 

C'mon Kato!! Release those add-on sets dammit!!!

 

I don't like the coupling system used between the coaches, either...

 

Rich K.

[200系]

I just can't leave without saying that it the earthquake has been a business opportunity for Kato. If a part of the sales go to charity I will forgive them (partly) but otherwise I don't think I will change my opinion.

 

Straight from the kato E2 page:

 

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。

 

or translated (using Excite): - Since you use 関水, Inc. metal for the support to you who suffered a great deal of damage, and revival of a stricken area, it is allowed to contribute a contribution through the Japanese Red Cross Society from some sales.

[Densha]

@200 series

I'm glad, I did expect it though. :) If they hadn't then I probably wouldn't be the only one thinking like that.

[keitaro]

Kato are doing a platform with included LEDs with their conenctor piece easily cut and stripped for normal wiring i guess.

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10183330

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10183334 add on

 

interesting means no modifications to sit a led in place.

[Krackel Hopper]

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10183330

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10183334 add on

 

I'll be interested to see the actual photo of this.  I am thinking it is the Kato flag stop island set, but with lighting included.  If so, that is quite an expensive upgrade.  The basic set is 2805 yen vs. LED set at 6290 yen..

 

Then again, this may be a completely new platform design?  I'll be waiting for photos of how this thing looks, the spacing and intensity of the lighting, etc.  It may be worth it..

 

At nearly $80 for the basic set, and $40 per 248mm extension.. ouch..

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Found it at https://www.e-katomodels2.com/img/goods/1/platform%20light%20okakusama.pdf

 

Once you look at your platforms, it's not really that hard to do it yourself.

 

I was planning to use a similar technique to illuminate 8 or 9 feet of platforms with the easily obtainable white SMD. I'll run continuous wires no tin Kato clips.

 

Even TCS decoders are starting to arrive with the same White SM LED as Kato uses.

Kato_platformlightokakusama.pdf

[to2leo]

I have a mixed feeling about the LED lighted platform.  For one thing, it is a good logical step from other manufacturers but on the other I am expecting more.  Such as, LED light posts on the roofless platform, tv monitor like light source in the roof platform and a upgraded platform with tiles and yellow line.

[Krackel Hopper]

and an upgraded platform with tiles and yellow line.

 

I am rather surprised that they are not using their newest platform (flag stop 23-120) and instead using the older (20-806) set.

 

20-806 is $20, they added LEDs and now the price is $80?

 

An extra $60 for what looks to be 4 LEDs is a little much..

[KenS]

Yes.  It's nice that they're doing this, but the cost premium is pretty high.  That would be justified it they'd done a better job (e.g., lights on poles, or a more diffuse lighting under the platform), but this just looks like two separate LEDs, one at each end of the two roofed sections.

 

There was a posting a while back where Capt O pointed out that Kato's HO-scale var lighting kits are the right size to fit under the N-scale platform roofs. It seems like the diffuser from the car lighting would make the light more even. It's somewhat ironic Kato actually makes the parts to make good platform lighting, but didn't use them on their lighted platform.

[Guest Closed Account 1]

New TGV due in September.

 

TGV POS #4402 Weltrekord World Record K10919.

 

http://www.lemkecollection.de/shop/index.php?page=product&info=4060

 

This is the one that set the record for the fastest wheeled train, reaching 574.8 km/h ( 357.2 mph) in 2007.

 

This model is DCC friendly like the 2011 TGV releases.

[Guest Closed Account 1]

 

Looks very good and in the near future KATO will produced the E3 Komachi that ran with the Full Restoration of teh Tohoku Shinkansen line.

 

Any idea what the E3 stock number is?

 

I'm interested in getting both E3's, the Tsubasa and a Komachi.

[Densha]

Try this link for Kato 23-239:

 

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://tetsurou.jp/SHOP/23-239.html&ei=Za9iT52mIefTiAKVkojFCA&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CEEQ7gEwAw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dkato%2B23-239%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26prmd%3Dimvnsb

 

 

They added some more information on the official page including a picture. Is that actually really Shinkansen-only, since I have the feeling it's not.

[KenS]

The big insulators and the complex arms that support the wire mark it as "Shinkansen" (or perhaps AC commuter) catenary.  I've also seen that kind of pyramidal girder support structure in photos of Shinkansen stations, so they were probably following a specific prototype.

 

You can, of course, overlook that kind of detail and use it on another kind of line.  I think some kind of catenary is better than none on a supposedly-electric line, and Kato lacks in-station DC catenary structures.

 

Here's an example of a similar prototype in Kyoto:

 

And here's an example of the simpler structure typical of DC lines:

[Densha]

I have the feeling it's even based on Kyoto's example just by looking at that picture...

 

And I never knew why certain insulators were bigger than others, now I do. :)

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Does the E2 Asama run as 8's or 10's?

 

Is Kato 10-377 DCC friendly with drop-in decoders?

 

Perhaps someone who reads Japanese can explain the difference between these 10-378 sets.

 

http://www.popondetta.jp/asp/cgi-bin/shop.php?uid=56939357.775953986&screen=gds_srh&reload=&word=10-378&srh2=%B8%A1%BA%F7&gds_view=&gds_inf=&display=&bid=&ctgry=&knd=&mkr_nm=&mdl_nm=&type_nm=&prc%5B0%5D=&prc%5B1%5D=&year=&etc1=&etc2=&etc3=&etc4=&etc5=&sort=0&soldout=1&srh=&clr=&set_rep=&page=1&page=1

[keitaro]

Does the E2 Asama run as 8's or 10's?

 

Is Kato 10-377 DCC friendly with drop-in decoders?

 

Perhaps someone who reads Japanese can explain the difference between these 10-378 sets.

 

http://www.popondetta.jp/asp/cgi-bin/shop.php?uid=56939357.775953986&screen=gds_srh&reload=&word=10-378&srh2=%B8%A1%BA%F7&gds_view=&gds_inf=&display=&bid=&ctgry=&knd=&mkr_nm=&mdl_nm=&type_nm=&prc%5B0%5D=&prc%5B1%5D=&year=&etc1=&etc2=&etc3=&etc4=&etc5=&sort=0&soldout=1&srh=&clr=&set_rep=&page=1&page=1

 

I dont think its drop in though some one who owns could answer this.

the asama is a 8 car set . the akita is 10 car.

those 10-378 are the same probably different sellers hence the price.

 

the asama does not include nose couplers as its revised akita formation did.

[200系]

Does the E2 Asama run as 8's or 10's?

 

the E2 formations used on Asama services (N formations' date=' E2-0/100 subtypes) are all 8 cars long. The J formations (E2-0/100/1000 subtypes) used on the Tohoku Shinkansen are all 10 cars long.

 

... the akita is 10 car.

 

the E3 formations used on Akita services are actually 6 cars long (originally 5).

 

the asama does not include nose couplers as its revised akita formation did.

 

Which is entirely prototypical. The E2 N formations don't have the retractable nose coupler as they are used on the Horiku/Nagano Shinkansen only, the J formations being used on the Tohoku Shinkansen however, do have those couplers, as all the 'Mini-Shinkansen' lines (Akita and Yamagata) are linked to the Tohoku Shinkansen, which the Horiku/nagano Shinkansen doesn't use (it does use the Joetsu Shinkansen for a short section, before branching off).

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Found this train on Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asama_(train)

 

The Asama (red stripe) runs with 8 and the Hayate (Racing Pink Stripe) runs with 10 cars.

 

This set was released after the E2 Hayate 10-278 so it is disappointing to hear it may not be DCC. Kato site does not specify DCC or not.

[The_Ghan]

skip,

 

10-377 is not DCC friendly.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[jappomania]

 

This set was released after the E2 Hayate 10-278 so it is disappointing to hear it may not be DCC. Kato site does not specify DCC or not.

 

no, there is a mistake

it's a re-run of an old model, the first E2 Nagano (10-377/78) was released form Kato more than 10 years ago (first appareance on 1999 catalog) and, obviously, not DCC ready .

Sincerly I don't know why Kato don't put the newest lower chassis with DCC plug under the old shell, I think is the same molding (possible "handmade" solution: merging one Hayate lower chassis on Nagano shell)

p.s. from 1997 to 2002 before Hayate service starting, also the E1' J sets ran in 8 cars formation (Yamabiko) like Asama, the only difference between the sets was the coupling on one nose end (same red stripe and wing logo for both services) this set was released from Tomix (92073/4/5)

 

ciao

Massimo

[Guest Closed Account 1]

That's one more hard wire decoder install.