I can't wait for the containers to hit the parts department. I may pick up a few 38" 125T trucks as well.
Have arrived as in they are in route to some shops and in stock n some shops. It's all a matter of timing of the shipments between Kato and distributor and distributor and dealer. Of course this all assumes the dealer or distributor is current in their account.
George is correct. I just wanted to say... My store has them in stock and they could be at your favorite stores now or very soon. Thanks
En Route as we speak....May be in stock tonight if UPS is on time. With the dealer network we have here at Trainboard, you guys shouldn't have to go anywhere else, we'll have you covered! EDIT: Now in stock and available...they look great.
Hey, Just got mine via UPS,& they look great !!!!!!:thumbs_up: I can't tell you how they track. I won't be putting these on the layout for awhile.
How does the Kato model compare with the deluxe Innovations Maxis? I would love to know how good are the couplings and tracking. Cheers, http://cliffordconceicao3310.fotopic.net/c328807.html
Well, I got mine just now after getting home late...I sorry to give a mixed review. For now I will just say three things: 1) The trucks, couplers, and especially the articulation system, I fear, are cumbersome and will be very annoying if not infuriating to many. Suffice it to say I have already broken mine, and am very unhappy. I would like to say I am just an idiot, but I fear this will happen to other people. Pay attention to which end is the 'A' end and which is the 'B' end and lift the 'B' unit from the track first. Do not otherwise try to remove the trucks. (Personally, I'm miffed that Kato would not design the trucks to be easily removable; modelers have come to assume that this will be possible on all rolling stock.) Also, converting to MT couplers will be harder than any other model I've seen. 2) The containers are PERFECT and I do mean PERFECT. The magnetic system for holding them together will AMAZE you. (Tip: if you open them, gently squeeze the top edges together as you put the top back on.) 3) The quality of the detail...will be very much a matter of taste and opinion. I can find things to praise and to quibble with. Perhaps I will post photos and more comments over the weekend if no one beats me to it.
You will not want to buy the whole trucks; none of the trucks on this model will be compatible with any other rolling stock you have. They do not have bolster pins (!) The wheelsets' axles are too long for any of the other brands of truck (MT, Atlas, MDC, etc.) that I have.
I just got a set from my LHS (Online Trains) and the containers are OUTSTANDING!!!!!! The cars aren't bad either....actually they're...WOW!! Now if only Kato would other roads and/or shippers...they'd blow away everything else that's on the market. Word of Caution....Take Great Care in removing the cars fro the foam carrier. Pull straight up evenly because of the stirrups and ladders (they'll bend if you pull the opposite end out first...I speak from experience).
It's an interesting model. I'm a bit worried if there is an accident however, because there are no commonalities with other rolling stock. As I was taking the second set out of the box I had a "sproing" event and there were a few minutes of mild panic until I found all those interlocking parts and figured out how to put 'em back together. I'll have to watch the parts department list and pick up some spares. And I'm not batty about the molded hand grabs and overly thick walkways either. And the cars seem fairly light, need to try some empty backing through several switches. I need to give the car some running time to see if there are any gotchas hiding away. Overall at this point I'd give the cars a B+. That might very well go up over time. Now let's see what the chaps from DI have done...
We have handled the sample here many times w/o incident. I ppick up the entire unit with on hand on each end and suspend the center well in the air w/o any problem. I do not recommend re-assembling the car multiple times. Once assembled I would leave assembled.
