Jump to content

Kato - New Releases


Darren Jeffries

Recommended Posts

BTW, according the detail described, E655 will come with a six-car box. It looks like Kato will release the single Imperor car in the future.

Link to comment

BTW, according the detail described, E655 will come with a six-car box. It looks like Kato will release the single Imperor car in the future.

 

Only if they get approval to do so. At the moment they are still in talks to get approval. If they do get the approval it would be a very interesting set to have running on the layouts.

Link to comment

so i just got to talk to philip who talked with mr kato at JAM and it sounds like no license for the 655 emperor's car. second 4 car set will just to fill the joyful train out to its full consist set up. sounds like the imperial household was not into licensing it at all. time to kit bash! i think its just pulling out two window mullions to make a large window in the center and adding the imperial emblems on both ends...

 

jeff

Link to comment

I'd always had my own hunch there was some problem with producing a commercial model of the Emperor's car currently in use. There have been several models of previous cars.

 

Getting away from the E655 for a moment as September draws to a close and there are only three months left in 2012 I wonder if the turntable in the 'coming in 2012' pages of the last catalog will be announced sometime soon.

Link to comment
ToniBabelony

For around €100, that is a very cheap model for an engine and two carriages! I think with this pricetag, Swiss narrow gauge modelling could become a new hit!

Link to comment

But it's 1/150, just like Japanese narrow gauge, and many European people are very picky with these things.

Yes, indeed. I once posted the Japanese blog entry Toni had found in an Austrian/German forum ( 1zu160.net ) and the response was quite mixed. But I guess, the average European model train fan isn't as picky as the people on the internet.

  • Like 1
Link to comment

True, but the thing is that even if someone would change axles on the 1/150 models to Z gauge then there's still the fact that all continental European N gauge is 1/160. I think they could have better went with 1/160.

But your fact that most people aren't as picky about this is probably true. Most shops wouldn't probably even know/mention that they are selling 1/150.

Link to comment

You got me mixed there… ^^,

 

The Glacier Express is 1/150 N gauge right?

I've noticed that some picky fans (not here, probably because we're used to the Japanese N gauge) weren't really happy with this train because it's N gauge and not Nm (does it even exists?).

 

I think I could go for this one! It looks great, bright red and panoramic cars will probably look great! :-)

Link to comment

Hobby search says it's 1/150 N gauge.

Meter gauge is very close to Z gauge in model in 1/150 and 1/160 scale. Some Japanese convert their 1/150 stock to Z gauge because for 1/150 scale N gauge track is still much too wide.

If they just went with 1/160 then at least the surrounding buildings would have been the same scale because there's only European 1/160 scenery available so far I know. Picky people could convert to Z gauge. I think Kato could have better done that anyway, but oh well... and people who are like that often build their own buildings as well.

Link to comment

Well, crud. When I was paying attention to the new Kato releases, they kept not making anything I wanted. So I fade out for a while and come back to find that they've released a JNR-livery 485, and re-released the Wide-View Shinano and the red-striped Hokuriku 683--all the stuff that I most wanted. Now they can release a Shinano Railway 165 and their bad timing will be perfect. :-)

 

Oh, well. No budget for more trains right now anyway. But it's too bad these releases couldn't have come later and a little farther apart so I could take advantage of the pre-order prices.

 

[EDIT]: Oh, and an N-scale RhB Glacier Express. Sigh.

Link to comment

I think the Glacier Express will only be of interest to collectors and those who just buy the set because they like its looks. Partly because of its odd scale, compared to those used by European models, you won't be able to model the RhB without any of their other ordinary trains which I can't see Kato doing. It's like saying you can model the steam era Union Pacific in N scale because Athearn make a Big Boy and later series Challenger.

Link to comment

Heck, I can't afford their other European stuff anyway. So thanks for the reason not to want this thing.  :grin

 

Besides, if I *was* going to model the RhB, I'd rather focus on the EMUs, mixed trains, and other oddities rather than the famous tourist train.

 

It's funny (although not surprising) that Kato used a picture of the Landwasser Viaduct. We went up the Albula Line from Chur to Bever in 1998, and that viaduct is pretty amazing.

Link to comment

When I rode much of the RhB in 2008 I stayed clear of the Glacier Express because you had to pay an extra fare and every time I saw it it was crowded with every seat full, instead I caught regular trains where I often had a whole coach to myself and could open the windows to get a proper look at the scenery, when my trains passed one of the tourist trains I'd give them a wave and have a private chuckle at them pressed against the windows of their air conditioned coach trying to take photos.

  • Like 2
Link to comment

Yeah, we had similar experiences--the regular trains were fine and there was plenty of room. Got to talk to people other than other tourists occasionally, too.

 

And the same thing happened on the way from Milan to Verona. In Milan we jumped on an express on its way to Venice, and had to walk several cars to find an open seat. And the crew was grumpy. On the way back we took a regional train and had scads of room and lots of fresh air, and got more time to look out the bigger windows.

Link to comment

Anyone seen this?

http://ngi.blog.eonet.jp/n_gauge/2012/10/kato201252-56c2.html

Looks like a new Unitrack turnout is coming, seems like two R418 turnouts in one.

This was in the 'coming in 2012' pages of the most recent catalog, I can't find the catalog at the moment but I think all that's left to come is the turntable.

 

Easy way to do crossovers on T-TRAK modules. :grin

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...