Kato to Release Nagomi E655

[cteno4]

I'm guessing it's a kitbash. Philips chat with me kato was that the license for the emperior's car was a no go with the imperial house office.

 

Jeff

[westfalen]

Freeze frame at 0.08, yuou can see that it's a rather rough looking kitbash.

[to2leo]

I guess this is just a VIP train without the emperor carriage. At least it is easier now to kit bash just the carriage instead of the whole train.  The head of the train reminds me of GE P42 somehow.  

[cteno4]

W.o the emperior's car it's used as a joyful excursion trains in the formation the model is done in.

 

Jeff

[Ochanomizu]

The case comes with space for 6 cars.  You will have room to add it when the Imperial car is released in years to come.

[Densha]

 

 

[cteno4]

Nice, now these shots show it does seem to have a pearlescent effect going on and the color does seem to be in the same range as the prototype in different lighting conditions. Again the effect won't totally scale and will be very dependent on lighting, but this is now looking good to me! Glad I ordered it!

 

Jeff

[KenS]

I just finished running mine around the track to break it in. Since it's DCC Friendly, I think it's going to go to the head of the line for a decoder and lighting install.  It runs very nicely (as expected), and the only minor glitch is the for some reason the couplers on the motor car are very hard to engage (all of the others were fine, both on that car took some work to connect securely).

 

The color is more brown than purple under my layout lights (cool white fluorescent), but there is a bit of a metal-flake look going on, and you can see purple highlights when the light catches it at an angle. In the side view of the cab below, there's a touch of purple just under the headlights.

 

One odd thing: the tail lights are bright when viewed from nearly above, but very dim viewed end-on.  The headlights, however, look bright from both angles.

 

The detail printing (lettering, stripes, and green-car symbol) are all very clear. My photos don't really do it justice; the focus was a bit soft on the close-up of the cab, and I really need to take some better pictures.

[westfalen]

I've already installed DCC in mine, it takes an EM13 in the powered car and an FL12 in each end car. I'll be taking it to the club meeting on Sunday to give it a bit more than a run up and down the two double T-TRAK modules I have set up at home.

 

I found the same thing with the tail lights but wonder what the real thing looks like, a train's tail lights are not meant to be seen from a great distance but are merely to show that the train is intact.

 

I took mine outside to look at in the bright Australian sunshine and you can definately see a bit of purple at the right angle.

 

One small dissapointment and something I'll have to look at rectifying is that the couplers on the ends of the train are not operational so I can't tow my E655 with a DD51 in non-electrified territory like JR do with the real thing.

[POMU]

Isn't the E655 supposed to have AC/DC and diesel power options included?  Thought I read somewhere that was the plan when used as the Emperor's train

[westfalen]

Isn't the E655 supposed to have AC/DC and diesel power options included?  Thought I read somewhere that was the plan when used as the Emperor's train

 

To quote Wikipedia, "The E655 series unit can be hauled by a diesel locomotive on non-electrified lines, in which case power for air conditioning and lighting is supplied by the diesel generator in car 1."

 

I am sure I've seen photos or video somewhere of a DD51 hauling the train.

[Densha]

I am sure I've seen photos or video somewhere of a DD51 hauling the train.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=DD51+%2B+E655%E7%B3%BB

[angusmclean]

I've already installed DCC in mine, it takes an EM13 in the powered car and an FL12 in each end car. I'll be taking it to the club meeting on Sunday to give it a bit more than a run up and down the two double T-TRAK modules I have set up at home.

 

I found the same thing with the tail lights but wonder what the real thing looks like, a train's tail lights are not meant to be seen from a great distance but are merely to show that the train is intact.

 

I took mine outside to look at in the bright Australian sunshine and you can definately see a bit of purple at the right angle.

 

One small dissapointment and something I'll have to look at rectifying is that the couplers on the ends of the train are not operational so I can't tow my E655 with a DD51 in non-electrified territory like JR do with the real thing.

 

Yup. Took mine outside today and all the cars changed colour to a brilliant purple. Looks like brown will nearly always be the colour indoors. Youse northern hemisphere fellas will have to wait a few months before we return the sunshine to be able to check yours.

No problem with couplings - though they don't always line up correctly when railing, due to being body mounted.

Tail-lights are okay, though not the brightest stars in the sky - probably pretty good in the dark.

Quietest model train iv'e ever heard. Silky smooth running on a less than clean track.

It's one of those sets, that when you see it running for the first time, you say to yourself  'brilliant - well worth the money - I must do more to help the Japanese economy'.

 

Angus

[cteno4]

Thanks angus you have my mouth watering for mine that should be here any day now.

 

Philip said mr kato had said they put a lot of effort into the paint. I remember seeing the videos of the prototype going in and out of platforms and seeming to change colors.

 

Nice to hear it rus so smooth as well.

 

Jeff

[cteno4]

Mine came today and i totally agree with Angus she is a beauty! under the led lights in the office here it will turn purple from some angles. very nice paint job and very clean and well detailed model. have to run it yet, but hopefully as butter smooth as yours is angus.

 

im a happy camper!

 

jeff

[KenS]

Yup. Took mine outside today and all the cars changed colour to a brilliant purple. Looks like brown will nearly always be the colour indoors. Youse northern hemisphere fellas will have to wait a few months before we return the sunshine to be able to check yours.

 

And I'll need to get a crane to remove that pesky house from above the layout. :)

 

I wonder how it would look under "daylight" bulbs indoors. I deliberately didn't use those on my layout because I think it does bad things to the colors of most models (they're designed for indoor viewing, after all). But I know some modelers use them on layouts.

[cteno4]

How about a couple of well placed spots or 1w LEDs near some spots to maybe flash the color change at an appropriate viewing point(s)?

 

Jeff