Kato Trainfest announcement! YAS!

[wcfn100]

Some pictures are up too.






Jason

[peteski]

Hmmm . . . Even from this angle, they do seem to be sitting on stilts. But I'm not a passenger car expert.  Maye that is how these skirtless cars looked.

[Mark5]

Maybe it's just the angle, check out this shot of the Kato Smooth Side coach:

https://www.katousa.com/N/Smoothside/CNW-Coach.jpg

The baggage looks ready for lift off!

https://www.katousa.com/N/Smoothside/CNW-Baggage.jpg

These cars are actually Ok though.

Mark

[skytop35]

It should look like this https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5110/5656340944_be2722c7b6_o.jpg

[Mark5]

It should look like this https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5110/5656340944_be2722c7b6_o.jpg

I agree the Kato car has a conspicuous gap between the truck and body compared to the proto photo.

[Sokramiketes]

Ride height is affected by Kato's suspension system.  You'll be able to drop the cars by removing the pickup wipers and letting them ride down on the bolsters, probably, as with other recent releases.

[skytop35]

Ride height is affected by Kato's suspension system.  You'll be able to drop the cars by removing the pickup wipers and letting them ride down on the bolsters, probably, as with other recent releases.

That would work for me as I'm a fan of Kato passenger sets (except for their ever changing UP yellow) Otherwise from what I see in the photos the car looks real good. They even nailed the correct rib spacing on the car ends !

[peteski]

I agree the Kato car has a conspicuous gap between the truck and body compared to the proto photo.

I wonder if this is done to allow clearance for the truck-mounted couplers?

[Sokramiketes]

I wonder if this is done to allow clearance for the truck-mounted couplers?

I dunno, it seems like they design them to clear when the suspension is bottomed out, but the normal position is .040" or so higher?  Kato calls it "Shock Absorber Construction" and I think it started on the Super Chief cars?  It wasn't the case on the original smoothsides or Budd series.

EDIT: Kato website says the California Zephyr had shock absorber construction as well, so they've been doing it since they started the name train series.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I've never understood why Kato did that. Were N scale passengers really complaining that much about bumpy rides?

[cjm413]

I've never understood why Kato did that. Were N scale passengers really complaining that much about bumpy rides?

I assume it's to minimize any shocks (of a mechanical rather than electrical nature) that could potentially disrupt the source of power to their track-powered lighting kits without the unintended consequence of turning their passenger cars into "lead sleds"

[peteski]

I dunno, it seems like they design them to clear when the suspension is bottomed out, but the normal position is .040" or so higher?  Kato calls it "Shock Absorber Construction" and I think it started on the Super Chief cars?  It wasn't the case on the original smoothsides or Budd series.

EDIT: Kato website says the California Zephyr had shock absorber construction as well, so they've been doing it since they started the name train series.

Yes, the older smoothside electric pickup was similar to what Kato used on their locomotive model.  It was a flat springy strip only affixed on one side.   The car's weight rests on the bolster while fairly small amount of pressure keeps the springy strips in contact with the metal nubs on the truck.

The shock absorber suspension seems to be a silly marketing term.  I really don't think that it makes much difference in the riding quality of either locos or cars which use that feature. But electrically the shock absorber suspension is a big improvement over the old style connection between the truck and the chassis. Instead of the majority of the car's weight resting on the bolster, now the entire weight of the car/loco is resting on the springy pickup strips whcih then contact the metal nubs on the trucks.   That results in a much more positive electrical contact between the truck and the contact strip.  But the undesired side effect it that the model rides higher than when the old pickup method was used.

[OldEastRR]

Yes, the older smoothside electric pickup was similar to what Kato used on their locomotive model.  It was a flat springy strip only affixed on one side.   The car's weight rests on the bolster while fairly small amount of pressure keeps the springy strips in contact with the metal nubs on the truck.

The shock absorber suspension seems to be a silly marketing term.  I really don't think that it makes much difference in the riding quality of either locos or cars which use that feature. But electrically the shock absorber suspension is a big improvement over the old style connection between the truck and the chassis. Instead of the majority of the car's weight resting on the bolster, now the entire weight of the car/loco is resting on the springy pickup strips whcih then contact the metal nubs on the trucks.   That results in a much more positive electrical contact between the truck and the contact strip.  But the undesired side effect it that the model rides higher than when the old pickup method was used.

Can you just round down the end of the brass pick-ups that ride against the spring contacts? If we're just talkin9 hundredths of an inch here ...

[wcfn100]

Shipping to dealers end of October.


Jason

[Point353]

After spending $110 or $190 for their locos (or whatever the "street" price turns out to be), does Kato really need to nick someone an additional $3 for the alternate numberboards? Can't Kato afford to include them in the box with the A-unit locos at no extra charge?