Kato - New Releases

[Fenway Park]

The C59 has been in the Kato catalogue on and off for some years. A welcome addition. 

 

I think some C59s became C60 4-6-4 after WW2. Confirmed by Wikipedia which has a comprehensive list of the C59s that were rebuilt into C60s.

 

The C59s had a high axle loading with a 3 cylinder layout which made it difficult to find suitable areas to work in once electrification schemes started after the war.

 

They worked the Kure Line with the C62s. 

 

Looking forward to the release in December.

 

Malcolm

Edited September 9, 2015 by Fenway Park

[westfalen]

Oh boy, a new steam loco, and is that a 10 car passenger set with 10 car add-on for it to pull?

 

Good bye money.

[mattdwnunder]

Did any C59s run in Hokkaido?

[Fenway Park]

Sorry to say the C59s were restricted to Honshu from 1941 to 1970 with some on Kyushu after the Sanyo and Tokaido lines were electrified. 163 survived out of 170 after WW2. 47 were rebuilt as C60. 

 

All were withdrawn by October 1970. The last were used on the Kure Line, the subject of the Kato loco. 

 

Hope this helps

[kvp]

So what are the differences between the 10 and the 7 car sets?

[Kabutoni]

So what are the differences between the 10 and the 7 car sets?

 

The number of cars, the numbers of the cars, the type of cars and a slightly different setting in time. All very visible on the poster: http://www.katomodels.com/product/poster/files/2015_12.pdf

[kvp]

Thanks! So the dark blue ones are in the 10 car set. What about the light blue ones that are in the 7 car set. (i think that the last 3 cars were optional on many trains) Maybe someone who actually understands japanese more (i only recognise a few car types) could explain it. Car 0th is also interesting. Car 2 and 3 in the newer consist look similar to car 1 and 2 in the older one apart from a comment i don't understand. Car 5 is if i'm right a very nice diner and you are supposed to use at most 14 of the 17 cars.

Edited September 11, 2015 by kvp

[Kabutoni]

Ah, I see now. The numbers are all the same but the formations are different. The three cars at the end were used only on the section between Tokyo and Itozaki.

[katoftw]

It is a weird way of doing the consists.  You have to mix and match the 17 cars from the 2 sets to make it all work together.

 

Would have been better to make it that same 68-70 10 car set, a 3 car Tokyo and Itozaki set (or combine in single 13 car set), and a 4 car 66-68 set to change up the original 10 car set.

 

-OR-

 

A 10 car 68-70 set and a 11 car 66-68 set, both can have a 3 car add on Tokyo and Itozaki.

[1954G]

It's slightly odd, but this way Kato (and the shops it supplies) has to keep track of fewer different SKUs.  Since I would like to run all three formations, I'll go ahead and order both sets. 

 

Also, according to the hobbysearch description, Kato's C62 model from a few years ago (2019-2) is suitable for hauling the Aki. 

[Welshbloke]

Does anyone have some information about the b-train diorama? (like manufacturer, etc.) Also those Thomas items look huge. Are they meant to be run on rails or on the floor?

 

Bit of a resurrection, but I think they're Bachmann G Scale. Surprising to see them in Japan given that the minimum radius for G scale is 2'.

 

I wonder if the Kato Glacier Express has created any demand for LGB's IIm range? I can see a couple of LGB boxes on one shelf but can't seem to get into that aisle to see the labels.

 

Also very tickled to see some Graham Farish boxes on the shelves, although the contents will be something of a culture shock to Japanese modellers apart from their very latest tooling. Part of the reason why I'm quite capable of stripping, cleaning and tuning N scale mechanisms is that when you grew up with Farish models of the '80s and '90s you had to, otherwise your trains would run like a bag of spanners in short order...

Edited September 25, 2015 by Welshbloke

[railsquid]

Bit of a resurrection, but I think they're Bachmann G Scale. Surprising to see them in Japan given that the minimum radius for G scale is 2'.

 

I wonder if the Kato Glacier Express has created any demand for LGB's IIm range? I can see a couple of LGB boxes on one shelf but can't seem to get into that aisle to see the labels.

 

Also very tickled to see some Graham Farish boxes on the shelves, although the contents will be something of a culture shock to Japanese modellers apart from their very latest tooling. Part of the reason why I'm quite capable of stripping, cleaning and tuning N scale mechanisms is that when you grew up with Farish models of the '80s and '90s you had to, otherwise your trains would run like a bag of spanners in short order...

 

Interesting, they haven't had any in stock since I've been frequenting them (nowhere in Akihabara sells British models - apart from the odd 2nd-hand one) as far as I'm aware. Nothing larger than HO in stock at the moment either.

[railsquid]

(nowhere in Akihabara sells British models - apart from the odd 2nd-hand one)

 

Correction - Poppondetta has a small cache of Graham Farish coaches and wagons, mainly the older Mk1 coach variant.

[JR 500系]

Interesting! They seem to be having a E233 Sound card launch with an interesting limited edition decal sheet only for those who purchase the sound card on that event on 10th October ~

 

http://www.katomodels.com/pdf/e233-sticker.pdf

[katoftw]

A destination board decal sheet.  They are already available for other third party manufacturers for those models.  I am not wowed by the offer. haha

[VJM]

Final Cassiopeia, more Iida line (KUMOHAYUNI), 50 series for January 2016

 

[Melandir]

I love Cassiopeia, I'm really tempted to add it to my collection near the twilight express

[JR 500系]

Cool news. It means I can rest my wallet for a while ~~

[katoftw]

What is the difference between this 12 car set and the current 4+3+6 car sets?  One comes with a engine and one does not.  But any other major differences?

[Melandir]

What is the difference between this 12 car set and the current 4+3+6 car sets?  One comes with a engine and one does not.  But any other major differences?

This is an interesting question, I can see in the flier that there is also a light kit special for the set

[katoftw]

The lighting kit isn't new.  The old sets had a lighting kit also.

[Mudkip Orange]

HO rerailer crossings. My US PNW-prototype trains will like those.

[VJM]

What is the difference between this 12 car set and the current 4+3+6 car sets?  One comes with a engine and one does not.  But any other major differences?

 

Well for one thing, the Cassiopeia consist no longer appears to have double-deck cars.  They are single level cars now.  The other thing highlighted by Kato is that white LEDs are now used to illuminate the backsign and tail lights. 

Edited October 10, 2015 by VJM

[EF65 1100]

Well for one thing, the Cassiopeia consist no longer appears to have double-deck cars.  They are single level cars now.  The other thing highlighted by Kato is that white LEDs are now used to illuminate the backsign and tail lights. 

 

The side with one row of windows is the aisle. The other side has two rows of windows. :)

[VJM]

Ah.  Maybe that's why I am seeing photos of both 2 level and single row of window cars.  Thanks