Best thing about new Kato C30-7's

Why is Kato getting the yellow's so wrong lately? The Santa Fe yellow bonnets, Kodachrome even the UP COLA, E8, Gevos, revised SD70M, SD70ACe and new run UP AC4400CW all have a yellow thats too orange and even the KCS SD70ACe has the wrong colors. The red is too pale and the yellow stripe is way too orange. The other manufacturers like Athearn, Atlas and FVM can get the colors right why can't Kato? :thumbs_down:

 

PM sent...............JJ ( nscalerone )

 

It's both!

 

This isn't the first time there is a color mismatch for Kato diesels. Back in the late nineties when Kato first introduced their initial run of F7's, they were beautifully painted and lettered, which got my adrenaline pumping. Although I am a loyal Pennsy modeler, my adoration for the warbonnet scheme goes back to the fifties with the Lionel F3, which I always wanted but never was able to get. I had a late friend who is a loyal SF modeler in these parts, and a few years back when Kato introduced their DCC friendly F units, he sold me his mint Kato F7ABA set for $75, "as a favor to him". Are you kidding me? These units were a nice deep lush red with the silver accent, and multicolor trim.

A couple of years ago, I picked up a newer version of their SF F3 Warbonnets, and these were an orange/red color, and Jerry my friend told me this color was accurate. Being from Florida, and knowing any photo can be altered, I just wrote it off that this si N scale. I have other warbonnets in both the darker richer red as well as the orange/red hue.

To this day I don't know which is correct.

Other discrepancies include use of Brunswick Green for PRR, I have seen Kato depict them as practically black, which I have seen, as well as a dark green which I have seen on other models and Kato's. Again, which is correct, I sure don't know.

What I do when I can is try to run matched units, although looking at period photos, as operations in prototype railroads aged, every consist was a hodge podge of colors, hues, versions, etc.

Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

 

I'd still like to know where they got the idea that ATSF diesel switchers had blue trucks.:tb-wacky:

 

My BN version seems more or less spot-on.

 

Well there is one thing constant about this forum - that is the continuing Kato bashing that goes on whenever a new or revised model is released. I have never had a Kato locomotive go bad mechanically on me. Can't say the same for Atlas locos - have had 5 Atlas locos go bad - the most recent being a RS-11 I bought new 2 years ago that worked fine up until last week - now its completely frozen up. Also Bachmann still makes substandard deisels in my view - less detail for only a small cost savings. Yet they are being promoted by some here as a great value - are member so hard up here that they can't afford $10-15 more for Atlas or Kato?

 

I don't hear anybody complaining about the Kato running caracteristics,,,,,,, Unless yellow affects how they run??!!??

 

Ah the advantages of Northern Pacifics Freight Liverly. BLACK, some yellow, red pin stripes. MOSTLY BLACK. lol

 

That is because BN is best!
Kevin

 

I have to chuckle over the big fuss made over the right shades of yellows. I observe CSX deisels every week and weathered inservice yellow is no longer even close to the delivered paint sceme. When its said that Kato is no longer the overall leader then who is, Bachmann? This Kato bashing on this forum reminds me of the Lionel bashing on the OGR forum where most bashers are MTH fans. What's wrong with Kato or is that some people prefer to buy products made in Communist China.

 

Everybody has their own experiences. I have had lemons from all manufacturers, including Kato. The Kato "bashing" that you refer to seems to be directed primarily at their inability to get the paint right on the most recent releases, and is well founded criticism. The BN U30C in the bicentennial scheme had a few shades of blue, giving the engine a toylike appearance. The GN SD45 in BSB was horrible in terms of fuzzy lines of separation of the paint colors, the yellow used in the AT&SF (almost all recent releases) is a subject of concern, as is the fact the the color of the warbonnet itself varies from the cab to the battery boxes to the long hood and does not match the handrails on some lokies.

This is not bashing, it is a fact and a sad commentary for a manufacturer that used to be on top of the game. As for the mechanical aspects of things, I am relieved that they did not change the truck design or do a radical makeover of the mechanism of the latest releases.

 

Also, I might add that if you have been around this forum long enough, some of the same people that are critical of Kato today were ardent supporters in the not so distant past. I think that this shows that Kato gets a fair shake and people just want their money's worth.

 

Yeah, but I'll bet those CSX diesels all started out with one shade of yellow.... Go back to the beginning of the thread and look at the pics. The yellow handrails that are the engine currently were on the new release in the background, two distinct shades. Do you suppose AT&SF used different shades of yellow on the same engine when new?

 

EXACTLY my thoughts! Of course, there's yellow gold.... armor yellow.... sunflower yellow..... dark lemon.... and when I park my IM FT's next to my MT FT's? Ugh.... *shudder*

BUT, have you gotten your NPHRA paint card set? It's stunning!!

Maybe Kato needs a copy.

 

Frankly, I think we should give some attention to perspective. First, when it comes to Kato bashing, we tend to attack and generalize others based on one or two critiques of a particular product, and second who are the "defenders" of Kato to appoint themselves as the "mavens" of the company? This is no secret that Kato and all other manufacturers routinely lurk and monitor these boards, and if they feel attacked, they have the resources to do so when they choose either collectively or by email individually. I oughta know because I have been attacked individually.

Third, I think we should all have the basic respect for others' opinions to not lodge attacks on those who have differing opinions or even experiences, by name calling, accusations of poor handling, labeling, etc, it shows absolutely no class or personal dignity. Rather like any well adjusted self confident person is to address the difference and issue and not go after the person individually.

As for me, I have been around this scale like many others here for several decades, and we have all seen gaffes of the major and minor mfr/distributors. I had an issue with a steam product, got both supported and viciously attacked, and even labelled a xxx-basher. I would like to compare my Kato inventory to anyone else out there making any attack, as would many of us who were attacked. Just because one product doesn't work for me, I also recognize it works well for others, because we are all different, have different needs, expectations, issues of judgement, determinations, levels of intensity, and even modeling approaches.

My point is to when making any critique, be prepared to back it up with facts and hard observations, and judge each product on its own merit, rather than lumping it with others. Each loco was designed with the same basic development process and manufacturing, but like Fords, Chevies, and Lamborghini's every once in a while they result in an unexpected bummer. No manufacturer want to make a donkey, but it is how they interpret it, and handle it.

I have seen all manufacturers make corrections and adjustments to their products based on the observations in this and other forums, and invariably it means now the second and third runs are vastly superior to the first runs. Yet we fight to be the first.

I know I am an opinionated person, to the annoyance of others, but I am slow to develop one, mindful of what makes up my opinion, and even confess to some prepositions, and pre-determined attitude. But I am also quick to change, as I was one of the first to bash a Model Power steamer way back when, and recently sent a note of congratulations for their recently produced product line to them, and even own 10 of their steamers, all which run GREAT!!!!

I hope some of the more intense attackers out there consider what they are saying online before publishing it by hitting the enter key. If you can't say something nice about someone..............

Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman