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News from Kato at modelrailroader.com

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News from Kato at modelrailroader.com
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 1, 2003 11:49 AM
Kato shipping out SD70MACs with high headlights. See photos and a more complete story here: http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/004/466rxihl.asp
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News from Kato at modelrailroader.com
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 1, 2003 11:49 AM
Kato shipping out SD70MACs with high headlights. See photos and a more complete story here: http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/004/466rxihl.asp
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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 4, 2003 11:26 PM
Check out the new SD70's very nice.Most modelers like myself agree Kato are the ''ROLLS ROYCE'' of the plastic locomotives nice running and all but their prices are somewhat to rich for my blood you gotta have deep pockets to buy one.Maybe I'll take a chance on e-bay for a used one. I think some of us modelers out there have been going that route.A used one can run just as good as a new one.
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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 4, 2003 11:26 PM
Check out the new SD70's very nice.Most modelers like myself agree Kato are the ''ROLLS ROYCE'' of the plastic locomotives nice running and all but their prices are somewhat to rich for my blood you gotta have deep pockets to buy one.Maybe I'll take a chance on e-bay for a used one. I think some of us modelers out there have been going that route.A used one can run just as good as a new one.
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, August 7, 2003 3:35 AM
Does anyone have any inklings as to what Kato is going to relase for the remainder of the year?
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, August 7, 2003 3:35 AM
Does anyone have any inklings as to what Kato is going to relase for the remainder of the year?
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 9, 2003 3:32 PM
Don't forget to announce what scale. Usually when some one leaves out the scale; it is HO.
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 9, 2003 3:32 PM
Don't forget to announce what scale. Usually when some one leaves out the scale; it is HO.
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 10, 2003 9:11 PM
Um yeah, the SD70MAC from Kato in HO is old news. Take a look at the Kato website www.katousa.com and go about halfway down the page. They have a blured out picture of "what's comming soon". ARGH. I want to know now. I hope they are producing the P42 in HO. I want to get rid of my Athearns SO BAD. Even remotored they don't run like the Katos!
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 10, 2003 9:11 PM
Um yeah, the SD70MAC from Kato in HO is old news. Take a look at the Kato website www.katousa.com and go about halfway down the page. They have a blured out picture of "what's comming soon". ARGH. I want to know now. I hope they are producing the P42 in HO. I want to get rid of my Athearns SO BAD. Even remotored they don't run like the Katos!
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 17, 2003 3:31 PM
Just got SD70mac nose headlight BNSF from KATO,runs good,but ditch lights
should be better designed for DCC install,especially considering what I paid
for it.Could also use more weight for traction!


Steve R
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 17, 2003 3:31 PM
Just got SD70mac nose headlight BNSF from KATO,runs good,but ditch lights
should be better designed for DCC install,especially considering what I paid
for it.Could also use more weight for traction!


Steve R
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 31, 2003 6:53 PM
Well I for one, would like to see KATO produce some great Boxcab Diesels and Heavy Mainline Electrics but I'm probably just dreaming, or am I[?][?][?][:)]
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 31, 2003 6:53 PM
Well I for one, would like to see KATO produce some great Boxcab Diesels and Heavy Mainline Electrics but I'm probably just dreaming, or am I[?][?][?][:)]
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, September 4, 2003 9:40 AM
I see they've announced an AC4400 in HO (duplicating Roco), and an F3A-B and Bethgon Coalporters in N. These are supposed to appear by December.

The AC4400 will be available in CEFX, CP "beaver", BNSF (which?), undec and both the UP "flag" scheme and the "lightning stripe/wings" scheme. Oddly, they're not doing the original UP scheme, so these units will only be correct for post-2001. Kato makes some strange choices for paint schemes sometimes. One would think they'd want to do the longest-lived/most common schemes, which are the original UP scheme and CSX. They're also missing a good bet by not doing the late C&NW "lightning stripe" or SP "speed". I guess these will appear in a second run.

In any event, they'll look great in MU with my SD9043MAC's!

David
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, September 4, 2003 9:40 AM
I see they've announced an AC4400 in HO (duplicating Roco), and an F3A-B and Bethgon Coalporters in N. These are supposed to appear by December.

The AC4400 will be available in CEFX, CP "beaver", BNSF (which?), undec and both the UP "flag" scheme and the "lightning stripe/wings" scheme. Oddly, they're not doing the original UP scheme, so these units will only be correct for post-2001. Kato makes some strange choices for paint schemes sometimes. One would think they'd want to do the longest-lived/most common schemes, which are the original UP scheme and CSX. They're also missing a good bet by not doing the late C&NW "lightning stripe" or SP "speed". I guess these will appear in a second run.

In any event, they'll look great in MU with my SD9043MAC's!

David
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    April 2003
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 13, 2003 12:04 AM
"Rolls Royce" of modelling is streaching it a bit, I have had chance recently to figure out why my Kato first run SD45 and Dash 9-44 cw seem to be missing something, as compared to protoypes, No holes in trucks, lack of decals on bodies, daylights strips missing, and those fiddly parts that must be installed by the operator, certainly not up to the standard of Atlas or Proto, which come truly RTR, however the Kato lighting is second to none.
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 13, 2003 12:04 AM
"Rolls Royce" of modelling is streaching it a bit, I have had chance recently to figure out why my Kato first run SD45 and Dash 9-44 cw seem to be missing something, as compared to protoypes, No holes in trucks, lack of decals on bodies, daylights strips missing, and those fiddly parts that must be installed by the operator, certainly not up to the standard of Atlas or Proto, which come truly RTR, however the Kato lighting is second to none.
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  • From: South Milwaukee WI
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Posted by 2059 on Saturday, September 13, 2003 12:27 AM
I like the Kato engines but I think they could make a few more improvements.
The one thing I wish for the most is that they would paint the edges of the stairs like all the other manufactures do now. Possibly paint the grab irons and the railings too etc. If they would do that it would make the product even better. -I hope to see a CNW AC4400CW in a second run.
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  • From: South Milwaukee WI
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Posted by 2059 on Saturday, September 13, 2003 12:27 AM
I like the Kato engines but I think they could make a few more improvements.
The one thing I wish for the most is that they would paint the edges of the stairs like all the other manufactures do now. Possibly paint the grab irons and the railings too etc. If they would do that it would make the product even better. -I hope to see a CNW AC4400CW in a second run.
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  • From: Milwaukee WI (Fox Point)
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Posted by dknelson on Sunday, September 28, 2003 12:40 PM
A comment to the prior post-er -- has nothing to do with Kato -- my layout represents South Milwaukee in the late 1960s. Back then it was worth railfanning in So Milw!
Dave Nelson
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  • From: Milwaukee WI (Fox Point)
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Posted by dknelson on Sunday, September 28, 2003 12:40 PM
A comment to the prior post-er -- has nothing to do with Kato -- my layout represents South Milwaukee in the late 1960s. Back then it was worth railfanning in So Milw!
Dave Nelson
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Posted by peterjenkinson1956 on Sunday, September 28, 2003 6:32 PM
i have 5 x kato sd 80 and 1 x sd90 i have had no problem with them... i also have quite a few proto locos,,, now i have to get rid of about 60 athearn... bachman etc... i dont think i will ever buy anything except quality again
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Posted by peterjenkinson1956 on Sunday, September 28, 2003 6:32 PM
i have 5 x kato sd 80 and 1 x sd90 i have had no problem with them... i also have quite a few proto locos,,, now i have to get rid of about 60 athearn... bachman etc... i dont think i will ever buy anything except quality again
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  • From: South Milwaukee WI
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Posted by 2059 on Tuesday, September 30, 2003 10:23 PM
Dave-
The layout sounds very interesting. Do you have that East-West running line that has since been abandoned included in your layout? [:)]

-Jeff
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  • From: South Milwaukee WI
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Posted by 2059 on Tuesday, September 30, 2003 10:23 PM
Dave-
The layout sounds very interesting. Do you have that East-West running line that has since been abandoned included in your layout? [:)]

-Jeff
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Posted by jwixom on Thursday, October 2, 2003 11:13 PM
I WOULD LIKE SOME C430S.
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Posted by jwixom on Thursday, October 2, 2003 11:13 PM
I WOULD LIKE SOME C430S.
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Posted by cacole on Friday, October 3, 2003 10:19 AM
I have several Kato HO engines and find that they are the smoothest running of any brand I own; however, an Athearn Genesis SD-70 comes mighty close to being equivalent, and has excellent detail as well. The Athearn models have the flashing ditch lights if you run DCC, but installing decoders was quite a challenge because Athearn uses 1.5 volt light bulbs which must either be changed or resistors have to be put in all of the light circuits. I found that the recommended resistor value provided with my decoders that were supposed to be specifically for the Athearn 1.5 volt bulbs were not accurate and resulted in blown out bulbs. FInding higher voltage bulbs small enough to replace Athearn's, and getting the locomotive disassembled so the ditch lights can be replaced, is quite challenging.
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Posted by cacole on Friday, October 3, 2003 10:19 AM
I have several Kato HO engines and find that they are the smoothest running of any brand I own; however, an Athearn Genesis SD-70 comes mighty close to being equivalent, and has excellent detail as well. The Athearn models have the flashing ditch lights if you run DCC, but installing decoders was quite a challenge because Athearn uses 1.5 volt light bulbs which must either be changed or resistors have to be put in all of the light circuits. I found that the recommended resistor value provided with my decoders that were supposed to be specifically for the Athearn 1.5 volt bulbs were not accurate and resulted in blown out bulbs. FInding higher voltage bulbs small enough to replace Athearn's, and getting the locomotive disassembled so the ditch lights can be replaced, is quite challenging.

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