Kato's iconic models

[michel]

Lee:
No saws.  Just something to think about.
Michel

[tom mann]

Lee:
No saws.  Just something to think about.
Michel

the "Saw of Thought". ;D ;D

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Actually, I really appreciate the comments Michel.

I'd be interested to hear more of what you have to say about the topic. I didn't mean to rely on stereotypes, but it has been based on my experience.

[wm3798]

My daughter went to Japan last year... She ate a lot of fish, mostly.  I spent umpteen thousand dollars, and I didn't even get a Japanese boxcar...  Spoiled brat.

Lee

[Chulvis]

Ed,

In my eight trips to Japan from 1985 t0 1995 I visited a number of train shops, mostly in Tokyo. Interestingly most were in like 4 story buildings. You would never know they were there if you didn't have a tour guide. Thankfully a trader from Fuji Bank I knew was a model railroader and he took me to all of these shops. Anyway...I cannot recall ever seeing an American model in any of those shops. I bought a lot of Japanese prototype models though and got schooled by one shop keeper on how to pronounce Kato. I walked up to the counter and said something like "Hey got any K-toe stuff?" He said KA-TO...it is pronounced KA-TO, not K-toe. Talk about the ugly American.

Just an amusing sidebar to this thread.

[up1950s]

Would  " KAY 2 " be what your trying to teach this thick head ? I can twist KA TO at least 2 ways .  Or is ir CA 2 ?

[michel]

OK guys,
Repeat after me ka -toe: soft a, long o.   Kay-toe was the Green Hornet's sidekick, I recall........................

Ed:
I don't have any special insight into Kato's choce of models - iconic, ironic or esoterically speaking.  Frankly, with such a diverse group of modeling interests out there in terms of era, region, specific railroads modeled etc., I don't know how any of the manufacturers do the risk analysis for new product development. 

A couple of thoughts though:
1.  Kato does do a lot of "sets" for all of the different Japanese trains - bullet trains included - so the Daylights may be an easy fit for them conceptually.
2.  I think this "set" mentality of opening the boxes and running trains led to the unitrack products - they are very prevelant here in Japan.
3.  They crank out a ton of models.  My guess is that their production schedule for US models has less to do with sitting on tooling than just getting the tooling lined up with all their other work.

Finally, the EVA Air Hello Kitty plane, as much as I dig it, is a Taiwanese airliner.

Cheers,
Michel