Perhaps a better term than “stopped” would be “suspended” - since all indications from people who have talked with them are that they do intend on coming back.
And the SD38-2 and F40PH didn’t actually come out all that long ago either. Kato just seems different because they don’t produce freight cars (and few passenger cars) to fill the gaps between locomotive releases.
Is Kato a publically held company. There might be some news on the financial websites regarding how their business is going. The parent company is: Sekisui Kinzoku Co., Ltd.
I could not find out any information about the company.
This does sound like a good word to use yes.
If they had STOPPED making HO, why would the Kato homepage have a ad for the NEW HO catalog as part of the July 20th newsflash? Kato has always seemed to focus on one scale at a time, 18 months or so of N scale, then HO, never both at the same time.
Hey buddy yes it seems they are very slllllow with anything in HO! I cannot believe their small line of HO unitrack when it happens to be the best roadbed track on the American market (and the best distribution, in other words, in the most hobby shops easy to obtain!!)
Their N scale Unitrack is a huge program–I thought for sure when I bought the HO version they would have just as much options.
Another thing I am very discourage that Kato doesn’t do STEAM! Can you imagine how great their steam loks would be?
Their diesels are great, I really don’t mindd the price-points I think they are fairly reasonable because of the relatively tight QC they have on product.
Athearn has “competing” prices, but the QC isn’t as tight …same with Bachmann. Both Athearn and Bach have great stuff at a great price–but like a box of chocolates–if you purchase two of the same exact engines–you never know what you are going to get.
fine for me , but if i was to give a loco to someone as a gift—or resale a loco with a train set—i would trust the quality of kato before the others.
WAIT WAIT WAIT… If I’m not mistaken wasn’t there an article in MR a few months back that said Kato was moving away from limited run and would start keeping items in stock and was supposed to be making the change over the next year or so. This is one of my biggest complaints againts major hobby suppliers like atlas and so on. I love thier locos but if u don’t order when its annouced than ur pretty much out of luck unless one of the internet hobby retailers have it. Not every one has the money to buy a 250 dollar loco when it comes out. True some companies do offer u lead time as to when the loco will be out but no one knows what will happen to them between the time they order and when it comes in. Kato is still making HO items but they need to put the same effort that they put into thier N scale line into their HO l
Why? Answer is, that catalog contains no new items just old item in stock
Guys also keep in mind that this is how Athearn operated for years in the HO line. They would produce locomotives in big batches…and then not produce anymore of those model lines for 1 to 2 years until enough of a demand “got the mill going” again.
Perhaps Kato (pronounced “Kotto”) is operating similiarly. Take a little time and thumb through a college business economics book. Culturally Japanese manufacturers are cautious about investments in product lines. After carefully studying market analysis reports they often set high expectations once the production, distribution and sales processes are carried out. You guys think we have it bad here in the U.S? Japanese executives and middle managers are often publicly shamed in meetings when performance quotas are not met. So it may not be surprising that Kato may have a bit more of an emphasis on N scale, which is showing growth and the Japanese are already very familiar with.
My biggest beef with Kato is that they screwed up the CP Rail font on the side of the SD40-2 & the fact that they made the SD90mac in limited quantities. I still want a 90MAC!
I like Kato, don’t get me wrong. I bought the CPR Business Car even though CP never had one like it.
I would have bought an AC4400 if I hadn’t already had 3.
It is a shame that Kato doesn’t have a bigger selection on HO scale items. Maybe they’d become a bigger player in the market.
But if Kato doesn’t factor in the Canadian market in their production plans, I guess all Canadian Road modelers will suffer.
Gordon
[quote user=“swknox”]
WAIT WAIT WAIT… If I’m not mistaken wasn’t there an article in MR a few months back that said Kato was moving away from limited run and would start keeping items in stock and was supposed to be making the change over the next year or so. This is one of my biggest complaints againts major hobby suppliers like atlas and so on. I love thier locos but if u don’t order when its annouced than ur pretty much out of luck unless one of the internet hobby retailers have it. Not every one has the money to buy a 250 dollar loco when it comes out. True some companies do offer u lead time as to when the loco will be out but no one knows what will happen to them between the time they order and when it comes in. Kato is still making HO items but they need to put the same effort that they put into thier N
That bothered me as well, how can a company screw that up? I want a couple SD90’s as well but for what they are going for on Ebay I’m not willing to pay. A few CN loco’s would be nice as well.
They will, sonner or later. Did you notice how all the n-scale came out all at once and so fast? ? The same will happen to HO scale. They kind of do one scale at a time. Like when the bi-levels and f-40’s came out.
After that rather weak attempt at a passenger car (business car), I am glad they didn’t try to get too much into the HO scale passenger car market. That left a lot to be desired.
What baffles me is that they produce some awesome N passenger cars. I am a HO guy, but their Super Chief run put the Walther’s HO run to shame. I wish they could do that in HO.
ME TOO !!! [:)]
UGGHH!! the “quote” button is messe up. I was trying to say: ME TOO [:)]
THE SMILY"S WON"T WORK!!! GRRRR
Stinkin’ smilies.
I know what you mean, I have 2 SD40-2s and 1 SD40 from Kato, and I decided to take matters into my own, unexperienced hands…
I added new decals, which weren’t hard and worked out well (Microscale, very highly reccomended for an SD40-2 touchup) and then I tried to get some prototypical Canadian details on…nothing went as planned…
I’ve noticed that Kato seems to go in spurts between N and HO as well. But the thing that may be shocking to some of you is Kato really isn’t a HUGE company. Sure they are a big name in model railroading, but they are still small enough that a bad production run can put them in serious financial straits. Its easy to think they are like Sony and can afford to produce all kinds of different models, but the reality is they can’t. As an N-scaler, I’m thankful that Kato is around to fill out my engine roster. Nothing I’ve ever tried runs as good and you can always find them competitively priced.
A couple of points on past posts. First, I am one of those who would prefer that KATO install all the handrails and grabirons. I just don’t have the patience or dexterity to spend even an hour to put those on. I have tried and have the time I end up breaking those tiny grabirons. Since KATO’s competitors don’t make you go to those lengths, I don’t see why KATO cannot join the crowd. I totally respect those of you who like to detail and work on your locomotives. I am just not one of those people. It’s the same reason I gave up building model airplanes and buy diecast ones now.
As for HO locomotives, I model modern day. I am already having to think of budgeting for Tower 55, despite the cost and some of the QC problems they have had. Athearn RTR has a tremendous range of offerings but the lack of detailings–even minor ones like MU cables–is annoying (and see above paragraph about detailing). For my wishes, Atlas are the best in terms of price and details, but their most modern offering is a decade and a half old C40-8W. Genesis are okay but they seem to have gone backwards and not forwards in locomotive technology. That’s fine–I want the F45/FP45 as well.
Sadly, model railroading is a rich man’s hobby (I’m sure many of you will argue otherwise) and at least for modern day modelers without the time for massive detailing and kitbashing, it becomes even more so.