Kato Tweets E5 pic. I'm officially concerned.

[davefoxx]

[attempt at levity]



I can't believe that no one has complained about the backwards lettering!   

[/attempt at levity]

[arbomambo]

Kato Tweets E5 pic. I'm officially 'over' this thread....

Respectfully,
Bruce

[DKS]

[attempt at levity]

I can't believe that no one has complained about the backwards lettering!   

[/attempt at levity]

Sorry, someone already has: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=27199.msg279225#msg279225

[davefoxx]

Sorry, someone already has: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=27199.msg279225#msg279225

Oops, somehow missed that in this never-ending thread.  My bad.   

[Sokramiketes]

Holy moly. Remind me to never make any products for your prototype of interest--I doubt I could live up to your expectations.

Just out of curiosity, are there any commercial products that satisfy you? Given that every N scale product made (with no exceptions that I know of) deviate from the prototype in some way, I think you must be stuck scratchbuilding everything...?

Way to take the mole hill and compare it to the mountain.  Does this really need to get extrapolated to all of N scale?  What does the rest of the N scale universe have to do with an individual model being wrong?  Should MTL get a pass for squishing the sides on their modern boxcars because all models have problems?  Should Lifelike get a pass on a missing sight glass because, eh, its just N scale and no one is perfect? 

Jason has said he could care less about whether people buy the model or not, or if it looks right to them or not.  He's not telling anyone not to buy it.  He's just pointing out flaws compared to the prototype.  Those are facts.  I for one am not going to argue against fact.  I also don't think this debate should be extrapolated to things other than fact. 

[CBQ Fan]

Way to take the mole hill and compare it to the mountain.  Does this really need to get extrapolated to all of N scale?  What does the rest of the N scale universe have to do with an individual model being wrong?  Should MTL get a pass for squishing the sides on their modern boxcars because all models have problems?  Should Lifelike get a pass on a missing sight glass because, eh, its just N scale and no one is perfect? 

Jason has said he could care less about whether people buy the model or not, or if it looks right to them or not.  He's not telling anyone not to buy it.  He's just pointing out flaws compared to the prototype.  Those are facts.  I for one am not going to argue against fact.  I also don't think this debate should be extrapolated to things other than fact.

I think there is a lot more opinion and perspective in the "flaws" than fact.  I am not seeing any math to support fact.  You know the kind that you can tear completely down and rebuild and always come out with the same result.  Pictures of a prototype, and one that has been modified over the years and redone many times, compared to pictures of a model from different angles, no matter how much you manipulate them, are not the same.

For example the nose grilles were originally etched and painted panels attached to the nose (what Kato modeled) compared to IRM's which is painted on by volunteers from the museum.  There is plenty of documentation of variations just by the Q when when they painted the variouse E models.

[Mark5]

Wow. Been away from this thread a few days. 

Summary observations:

• Very nice model from Kato
• Kato repeated conspicuous mold lines on the nose (as in their other F and E series locos)
• There are other somewhat minor discrepancies in the shell

Not sure why this is so controversial. 

I want one.

Mark

[peteski]

I think that Jason just happens to be *REALLY, REALLY* passionate about his E5s.

[coosvalley]

When I look at the pics, I can tell I'm looking at a model of an E5.........so they must be close.......

I can't wait to see one in Alclad.......

[NorsemanJack]

For example the nose grilles were originally etched and painted panels attached to the nose (what Kato modeled) compared to IRM's which is painted on by volunteers from the museum.

Excellent point.  We know that Silver Pilot arrived at IRM with red nose stripes, etc, so the black paint on her now was added by a volunteer, possibly not even a Q fan, who might have just dug up one photo and took his best shot.  "Eh, close enough for volunteer work" (no offense to the hard working volunteers at IRM, especially if someone did put in an extensive research effort to get the paint as correct as possible)

[wcfn100]

Jason, now since you mentioned those details, yes I can see the discrepancies. I guess they did not bother me enough to notice.

peteski, those things don't bother me either.  They were just the easiest to point out to the Fanboy Club with out a lot of explanation.

For example the nose grilles were originally etched and painted panels attached to the nose (what Kato modeled) compared to IRM's which is painted on by volunteers from the museum.

Feel free to compare it any photo.  I did.

Holy moly. Remind me to never make any products for your prototype of interest--I doubt I could live up to your expectations.

Just out of curiosity, are there any commercial products that satisfy you? Given that every N scale product made (with no exceptions that I know of) deviate from the prototype in some way, I think you must be stuck scratchbuilding everything...?

First of all, I seriously doubt you would make any product with issues like this, especially if someone contracted you to do it.

Secondly, every product does have issues.  But for me there are certain things you need to get right and on an F or E unit it's the nose.  Life-like couldn't do it with their F7.  Model Power couldn't do it with the FP7.  Life-like failed again on the E8, yet that's fair game to criticize 'til the cows come home.  The Kato model appears to be much better than those examples, but based on the photos, there appears to be some serious issues with the 'cheeks' as was previously coined.

Therein lies my 'concern', the rest I will agree is trivial or even expected in light of Kato's other recent problems with lettering, color matching and apparently trucks that are just expected to break parts.

I sure hope they still run good. 

Let's just let it rest until the model comes in and everyone can tell me how wrong I am then.  I would like to request a head on and a top down photo if anyone is up for it.

Jason

[Bsklarski]

I am still going to buy one even tho I dont need one. They are cool!

[arbomambo]

"hey were just the easiest to point out to the Fanboy Club with out a lot of explanation."


I understand now....

Bruce

[CBQ Fan]

Let's just let it rest until the model comes in and everyone can tell me how wrong I am then.  I would like to request a head on and a top down photo if anyone is up for it.

Jason

Nah, I just tell you now.....You are wrong.  That way I don't have to remember to tell you when they do come out.

[Chris333]

I wonder how Bare Metal Foil compares to the color of this loco?