Kato - New Releases

[Densha]

I think this one was especially made shorter and with a smaller radius because it would be more compact that way, it depends on the prototype which one would be best fitting for your layout. But they really should have done all ties in concrete though.

Edited July 25, 2013 by Densha

[Nick_Burman]

Anyone knows what happened with the new double track turnouts that were supposed to be released by Kato? The HS website states "The sales of this product has been cancelled by the manufacturer.": http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10209364

Maybe it dawned on them that it was a redundancy? That they could spend their R&D monies on something more useful...like curved switches, single and double slips, individual turnouts and single-track parts for the Unitram, etc, etc...

 

 

Cheers NB

[Densha]

But you'd think they would have already done the R&D considering they had the product almost done as you can see in the pics on HS for example. But maybe it would be a better idea to just make normal 481mm radius turnouts with concrete ties because that would have the same result. And yes, we really do need double slips.

[westfalen]

Maybe it dawned on them that it was a redundancy? That they could spend their R&D monies on something more useful...like curved switches, single and double slips, individual turnouts and single-track parts for the Unitram, etc, etc...

 

 

Cheers NB

Lets hope so, I could use all those things. A No.6 tournout that gives 33mm track spacing when used as a crossover would be nice.

 

It's actually not unusual for turnouts or special trackwork in areas with concrete sleepered track to have wooden sleepers as it is easier to make all the special length sleepers from wood.

[Mudkip Orange]

Yeah, I've personally never seen a concrete-tie turnout. Everything from BNSF mainlines to the local Houston light rail drops to wood for turnouts.

 

What I never understood was what was up with this light brown ties; it looked like they were specifically going after the NA market with that one, but still weird because it doesn't match any of the rest of Kato's product line.

[Densha]

They were probably trying to imitate these: http://www.sekisuichemical.com/ffu/synthetic_sleepers.html

I remember a while back these were mentioned by someone on this topic too if I remember correctly.

[westfalen]

They were probably trying to imitate these: http://www.sekisuichemical.com/ffu/synthetic_sleepers.html

I remember a while back these were mentioned by someone on this topic too if I remember correctly.

You see a lot of these in Japan now.

[westfalen]

Yeah, I've personally never seen a concrete-tie turnout. Everything from BNSF mainlines to the local Houston light rail drops to wood for turnouts.

 

What I never understood was what was up with this light brown ties; it looked like they were specifically going after the NA market with that one, but still weird because it doesn't match any of the rest of Kato's product line.

I don't remember seeing any in the US either but Queensland Rail has been using concrete on new turnouts in recent years, here is a scissors crosover done entirely in concrete.

[200系]

Japan certainly uses fully concrete switches as well, at least on the Shinkansen*:

 

 

concrete slab switches are sometimes found as well, like for example at Jōmō-Kōgen station on the Jōetsu Shinkansen:

 

 

*Though it seems they can be found on conventional track as well:

 

http://yamatetsu.blog53.fc2.com/blog-entry-1553.html

Edited July 28, 2013 by 200系

[KenS]

I don't remember seeing any in the US either but Queensland Rail has been using concrete on new turnouts in recent years, here is a scissors crosover done entirely in concrete.

 

There is concrete-tie track with wooden switches in the U.S.; Amtrak uses it in places on the Northeast corridor, and I've seen them there. From an old discussion on another board (here), it seems to be done in other places also.

 

Amtrak's use could simply be due to the fact that they haven't converted their whole system to concrete ties yet (that got delayed due to budget cuts years ago) and since switches are more complicated to upgrade, they're due to be done later.  Or they may like the extra "give" that wood provides. I don't know and haven't seen anything that would suggest either reason specifically.

 

Although I haven't seen any myself, it's pretty clear from that post I linked that concrete-tie switches are in fairly extensive use in the U.S., particularly on western railroads.

 

The love affair with concrete ties isn't universal. Boston's MBTA commuter train agency ripped out 56.9 miles of "defective" concrete ties and replaced them with wooden-tie track. This was due to early failure of the concrete ties brought on by insufficient use of steel reinforcing rods in them (see this report, PDF). Amtrak bought ties to the same spec, and has had similar problems, but at least in some cases they, or more correctly their host railroad, replaced them with newer concrete ones.

 

Synthetic ties come in a variety of forms. The Sekisui product noted earlier uses FFU, Fiber-reinforced Foamed Urethane. For an interesting statistic, there are "over 1.3 million" of these ties in use in Japan per this article.

 

More popular in the U.S. appears to be a composite design, often using recycled plastics and other materials. See this report on the market as it applies to Canada for an overview of the technology in use (PDF). Some of these are in use (this may be only in tests) on  U.S. railroads including Union Pacific. Since the report that comes from is dated 2003, they may be in wider use today.

[keitaro]

more new releases for november

kuroshi http://www.katomodels.com/product/poster/files/2013_11c.jpg

 

and the rest

 

http://www.katomodels.com/product/poster/files/2013_11b.jpg

 

for those interested there is a new kato station set?

 

and the e6 + e5 track set double track starter.

 

it`S 3 car sets of each + track i believe.

[Guest Closed Account 1]

New 75th Anniversary Glacier Expeess starter set, too. Kato 10-006

[westfalen]

Still no turntable :dontknow: , only one month left. Let's see if it gets carried over into the 'coming this year' pages of the 2014 catalog or dropped altogether.

[Nick_Burman]

Lets hope so, I could use all those things. A No.6 tournout that gives 33mm track spacing when used as a crossover would be nice.

 

It's actually not unusual for turnouts or special trackwork in areas with concrete sleepered track to have wooden sleepers as it is easier to make all the special length sleepers from wood.

One thing I would like to see is a #4 double-crossover - the #6 is way too big.

 

Cheers NB

[Nick_Burman]

Still no turntable :dontknow: , only one month left. Let's see if it gets carried over into the 'coming this year' pages of the 2014 catalog or dropped altogether.

I think it was meant for 2014 anyway.

 

Cheers NB

[Densha]

Looks like an event is happening now, look what they were selling there! The Imperial coach for the E655!

http://ngi.blog.eonet.jp/n_gauge/2013/07/kato352013-5fbc.html

But you can't get it anywhere... what's that for weird market strategy...

[Kabutoni]

Looks like an event is happening now, look what they were selling there! The Imperial coach for the E655!

http://ngi.blog.eonet.jp/n_gauge/2013/07/kato352013-5fbc.html

But you can't get it anywhere... what's that for weird market strategy...

 

Yep, visiting that event tomorrow :3

[cteno4]

hmm very interesting way to market, perhaps to get the buzz going and then release it fully?

 

it still lacks the markings, but has the large window.

 

toni you could buy 5 and probably sell them quickly on the forum!

 

jeff

[Martijn Meerts]

I wouldn't mind one at least, only problem is that I don't have the actual train ;)

 

I've considered getting it, but the paint is a bit iffy... On every picture I've seen it just looks a bit too brown. I get that they can't replicate the pearlescent effect completely in N-scale, but I think I'd have preferred if there was a little more purple in it, and a little less brown.

[cteno4]

Actually the paint is very nice, and it certainly changes with different lights. very different in your hands with your eyeballs than with various web snappes. one of those things thats hard to capture with digital cameras well due to lighting and settings. ive seen odd pictures of the prototype as well, it is a finish that does vary with conditions and i think doesnt photo all that well.

 

but kato did do a good job on this -- its not your regular model train finish. i could see trying to eventually do some interesting different lighting in a few spots on a layout to make the train pop differently here and there. 

 

jeff

[Densha]

More detailed photo:

http://ngi.blog.eonet.jp/n_gauge/2013/08/kato352013-dc15.html

You can clearly see the bracket where they put the Imperial mark.

[Guest Closed Account 1]

The new Kato Compact track pieces are interesting;

 

Kato N 20891

 

KATO 20240

 

KATO 20241

[cteno4]

More detailed photo:

http://ngi.blog.eonet.jp/n_gauge/2013/08/kato352013-dc15.html

You can clearly see the bracket where they put the Imperial mark.

 

Yes, but its not there! Wonder what happened with the license on this car. Last summer mr kato said it was NOT happening to one of our club members at JAM...

 

jeff

[Kabutoni]

toni you could buy 5 and probably sell them quickly on the forum!

 

Probably at double the price then :P

[Martijn Meerts]

Actually the paint is very nice, and it certainly changes with different lights. very different in your hands with your eyeballs than with various web snappes. one of those things thats hard to capture with digital cameras well due to lighting and settings. ive seen odd pictures of the prototype as well, it is a finish that does vary with conditions and i think doesnt photo all that well.

 

but kato did do a good job on this -- its not your regular model train finish. i could see trying to eventually do some interesting different lighting in a few spots on a layout to make the train pop differently here and there. 

 

jeff

 

I've read that before as well.. I just think it's weird that pretty much all pictures show it being pretty much brown. On the picture of the imperial car though, you can clearly see the purple as well...

 

I really shouldn't be buying any more stuff though, apart from track, decoders, turnout decoders and occupancy detectors... Have to get something to run the things on first =)