Hey Everyone
I went down to my LHS, he was saying that he was talking to a US wholesaler and they told him, that KATO is out of the HO scale market for making equipment? Anyone hear anything?
Caso
Instead of believing unfounded hobby shop rumors, I went directly to the source: Kato USA. They do not appear to be discontinuing HO scale locomotives, because they have announced new releases:
Look down the left-hand column about new road numbers for the SD40-2. Unfortunately, Kato has always specialized more in N scale than HO.
Whether they will discontinue HO completely is something only Kato can say for sure, and there’s no mention of this on their web site. Quite the opposite, there are 6 HO models listed under their Kobo category.
Anyone who has followed Kato’s production in the past, can tell you that they seem to be able to only concentrate on one scale at a time. KATO will seem to only be interested in new N scale for 18 months or so, then H0 will dominate their new products for the next year or so.
Back to N, and so on…
recent items for H0 have been SD38, F40, SD70, AC4400, SD80/90 SD40, plus commuter and business cars, during this time almost no new N products were announced.
I would welcome the coalporters, and maxi cars in H0 from Kato,
always hoped they would do more Passenger cars, and Maybe a GEvo and ACe
(in both H0 and N) or two.
With their new policy for constant availability, vs short run, the flow of new products may slow down, but you shouldn’t have to rush out and break the bank because they may be all gone next month.
If you are an HO-Scaler: KATO AIN’T PRODUCIN’ NUTTIN’ EXCEPT N-SCALE!!!
If you are an N-Scaler: KATO AIN’T PRODUCIN’ NUTTIN’ EXCEPT HO!!!
It can be suggested from this argument that Kato ain’t producin’ nuttin’!!!
It’s silly for people to say that Kato is getting out of HO…that sounds like a hobby shop excuse. HO is a decent money maker for Kato. They just concentrate on N because that’s the dominant scale in Japan, and to some increasing extent, Europe. Kato is an N track supplier who also makes some stuff in HO. That’s just the way it is, and probably will always be. If you are a Kato HO fan, you just gotta accept that.
However, I called Kato the other day about a matter regarding Unitrack, and took the oppty to ask them about HO developments. Nice enough chap, but Kato USA is not, um, the sharpest organization. After all, having “New in 2004!” besides products on their web site isn’t too impressive. How much energy does it take to update a company’s (pretty basic) website? They are indeed thick as a brick when it comes to customer-facing activities.
Anyway, I inquired about…wishfully thinking… No. 8 turnouts, perhaps another set of crossovers, maybe a new GE engine, or even making that cool little N bridge in HO…nope. He said that “maybe in 5 years”. Wow, isn’t that ambitious! He said the next thing up was… remodeling the No 6 turnout so that it the manual can take an add-on electronic switch machine yawn. Don’t hold your breath waiting for Kato to excite you with their developments.
That said, Unitrack is a great track line, and the engines they have are the best, if you can find them. I can do without the Kato cars, and I don’t think freight cars are the best reason for Kato. But even if I have to do work-arounds with some aspects of the Unitrack line, I still like it, I don’t reget using it, and their basic engineering in the sectional track and engine segment is tops. What you see is what you get with Kato. At least you go in knowing that.