Penguin E2 Shinkansen Kato

[cteno4]

ok as promised some picts of the kato E2 Penguin train. This model appears only to be available in the JR East store in japan. Some shops like modeltrainplus.net are buying them and reselling them and also pop up on yahoo.jp.

 

quite a fun train. nice to have a painted shinkansen. only one made other than the rainbow stripes on the rainbow n700. there is also a pokemon E2, but that one has not been produced as a model yet. I have seen one hand made in Japan and it was grand! one of our members has plans and wants to do one.

 

the graphics are small and when you look at it in the box its not like the big, audacious regular painted trains, but once out on the track they are big enough to catch your eye and go all the way down the train in a nice little wander. Nice to have one painted shinkansen in the yard! 

 

sorry i forgot the camera at this show but philip snapped a few picts for me. the lighting was awful in these large cow barns. We have show coming up weekend after next and ill bring the big cameral and maybe some lights to get some more piccys.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[katoftw]

Looks like he is travelling for a summer holiday.

[JR 500系]

Very nice Jeff! Thanks for sharing! This model was on my wants list but cost way over my budget so...  

 

Have you compared the graphics on the model with the actual train?

 

 

Quick question, does the E2 Suica Penguin has the coupling mechanism to couple with the E3?  

 

Looking forward to more pictures! 

[cteno4]

JR500,

 

Thanks, its the most I ever spent on a train, but not buying many trains these days only the really "special" ones!

 

Looks the same, ill do a comparison to make sure. I would expect kato to follow th original as its made specifically for jr east.

 

Yes it has the clam shell nose coupler which is a $&@ to get closed properly! Nice be pro typical and not loose the nose cap potentially, but these are very very fine parts and fiddly. That being said, I may have broken one of my nose couplers on my tomix E4 this weekend at the show... Nutz...

 

Jeff

Edited November 1, 2013 by cteno4

[JR 500系]

JR500,

 

Thanks, its the most I ever spent on a train, but not buying many trains these days only the really "special" ones!

 

Looks the same, ill do a comparison to make sure. I would expect kato to follow th original as its made specifically for jr east.

 

Yes it has the clam shell nose coupler which is a $&@ to get closed properly! Nice be pro typical and not loose the nose cap potentially, but these are very very fine parts and fiddly. That being said, I may have broken one of my nose couplers on my tomix E4 this weekend at the show... Nutz...

 

Jeff

 

Thanks Jeff. I would reckon the model would follow exactly the actual too, since well... It's a model ~~ It's about the best looking and if not the only painted shinkansen other then the N700 Kyushu, but that looked weird with only 4 cars painted and 4 cars original paint.. This looks really good ~

 

Yap i know what you meant.. I have the Kato E4 and the coupler is a $%@# to close properly and tightly. The hinges are way too loose and the small clips holding onto the front nose parts are way too loose... It got especially irritating while trying to install interior lights into the front car... And we wouldn't want to lose the nose parts otherwise the train will need to go around with a large hole for a nose....

 

Saying that, ain't it time for the E3 Tsubasa to come in with the same Suica painting? Since i reckon the Tsubasa E3 will still be around for sometime but the Komachi E3 is scheduled for retirement next year... Anyhow, the E2 are used for Yamabiko services now so it's prototypically correct to couple with the Tsubasa..  Kato please? 

[Vato]

ok as promised some picts of the kato E2 Penguin train. This model appears only to be available in the JR East store in japan. Some shops like modeltrainplus.net are buying them and reselling them and also pop up on yahoo.jp.

 

quite a fun train. nice to have a painted shinkansen. only one made other than the rainbow stripes on the rainbow n700. there is also a pokemon E2, but that one has not been produced as a model yet. I have seen one hand made in Japan and it was grand! one of our members has plans and wants to do one.

 

the graphics are small and when you look at it in the box its not like the big, audacious regular painted trains, but once out on the track they are big enough to catch your eye and go all the way down the train in a nice little wander. Nice to have one painted shinkansen in the yard! 

 

sorry i forgot the camera at this show but philip snapped a few picts for me. the lighting was awful in these large cow barns. We have show coming up weekend after next and ill bring the big cameral and maybe some lights to get some more piccys.

 

cheers

 

jeff

this is a dcc friendly model?

[cteno4]

Vatato,

 

sorry but its not a drop in dcc unit. no door on the bottom of the motor car and no mention of dcc in the instructions. i think this newer kato E2 (it has the clamshell no coupler) came out just before they started putting in that drop in dcc slot in some models.

 

jeff

[cteno4]

Forgot to ask, anyone know of the particulars of the penguin on vacation? I have assumed it was a travel promotion of some kind. is he a mascot of someone in the area?

 

thanks

 

jeff

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Cute. It'll be a crowd pleaser for the children. 

 

I have enough E2's already.

[nartak]

Forgot to ask, anyone know of the particulars of the penguin on vacation? I have assumed it was a travel promotion of some kind. is he a mascot of someone in the area?

 

thanks

 

jeff

 

Jeff,

 

The Penguin is a mascot of Suica and only used by JR East.  Originally this penguin was used for SUICA promotion but now JR East uses at everywhere as this got popular on people.

 

The Penguin E2 was operated as 30 years anniversary of Tohoku Shinkansen actually.  Car 2 to 8 having unique painting stands for each prefecture where the Tohoku Shinkansen go through.

 

Car 2 - Tokyo

Car 3 - Saitama-ken

Car 4 - Tochigi-ken

Car 5 - Fukushima-ken

Car 6 - Miyagi-ken

Car 7 - Iwate-ken

Car 8 - Aomori-ken

Car 9 - Akita-ken

 

Don't know why Akita prefecture is included....

[cteno4]

Thanks Nariichi! 

 

I kind of thought he was a mascot for Suica. nice to know the full story. now the illustrations make sense.

 

jeff

[JR 500系]

Don't know why Akita prefecture is included....

 

HHmmm probably because the E2 couples with the E3, which is the Akita shinkansen? But for now, i think the E2 couples with the E3 Tsubasa for Yamabiko services, so the Akita car might need to be changed... 

 

Car 1 is the 'Starting of Journey' car i think...

 

There used to be a video on youtube linked by VJM somtime back in this thread: http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/998-what-did-you-order-or-the-post-deliver/?p=80187 

 

But the video became private... It clearly describes each car of the E2 and E3 and what they represent (in Japanese)... I downloaded the video (luckily) as it was very nice before the video became private...

[linkey]

It's cause the E2 only goes along the Tohoku line, it doesn't go on the Akita Line. hence why Akita isn't represented on the E2. If ther E3 or the E6 has the penguin promo then you would have Akita-ken and it could run with the E2 or the E5.

[cteno4]

E2 penguin does have an Akita car.

 

Jeff

[linkey]

Just wished I have the funds to get this as it would be fun to run the penguin E2 and the Gambaru Tohoku E2 on the layout.

[cteno4]

it was the most expensive train ive ever bought! but it is nice.

 

im now really thinking about picking up another E2 to do the pokemon train! that would be fantastic!

 

jeff

Edited November 9, 2013 by cteno4

[JR 500系]

Here's another up for grabs on Modeltrainplus!

 

http://www.modeltrainplus.net/collections/n-scale-kato-new/products/kato-e2-shinkansen-suica-penguin

 

I.......i......mmmm....mmmm... so.... trying.... not..... to..... press..... the...... add to cart....... button............must...... resist.......