Kato N Scale ALC-42 "Charger" (official announcement coming soon!)

[delamaize]

https://www.trainworld.com $265

https://hogtrainz.com $245

Thanks

[reinhardtjh]

Good timing as ESU released yesterday (July 1st) a Siemens Charger sound file for the LS5 decoder.  Recorded about a month or so ago from a ALC-42 and a SC-42 somewhere out west, I believe.

http://projects.esu.eu/projectoverviews/search?cat=18&q=Siemens+

[greenwizard88]

I don't particularly care for any of the Bachmann releases, so the Kato -42 will be of interest to me. Hopefully they release it in a set with passenger cars, as a Viewliner Baggage/Sleeper/Diner set would be fantastic.

[oakcreekco]

I'm not familiar with any Bachmann locos. Are they a good quality model overall?

[EspeeGoldenState]

I don't particularly care for any of the Bachmann releases, so the Kato -42 will be of interest to me. Hopefully they release it in a set with passenger cars, as a Viewliner Baggage/Sleeper/Diner set would be fantastic.

Since the ALC-42 is for the Long Distance trains. I'd see it being release with Superliners in a Stater Set and of course separately. Now if they did an SC-44, they would more than likely be in a Viewliner Set. But thats my thoughts.

[peteski]

I'm not familiar with any Bachmann locos. Are they a good quality model overall?

Back in the '70s and '80s Bachmann made "train set quality" trains.  Toys.  Laughable mechanisms, poor quality paint and assembly.  They they came out with Spectrum line, and generally improved their model quality and started coming out with decent models, but IMO it is still nowhere near Kato's quality.

Spookshow's website and the model reviews has some good insight about Bachmann (and Kato) quality.
http://spookshow.net/locolist.php?diesels=6&steam=1&traction=2&nonbrass=3&sortby=3&Submit=Submit

[sirenwerks]

I'm not familiar with any Bachmann locos. Are they a good quality model overall?

Bachmann's new [loco] releases aren't bad.  In exterior quality's sake remind me of Life Like's - always improving in looks and detail (but in a two step forward, one step back sort of way).  But Bachmann mechanisms, as far as its diesels, can't compete to Life-Like and the depleted uranium they packed into each loco to make them unstoppable little dynamos.  I don't know much about tits steam offerings.


The one thing I don't like about Bachmann is how it jacked its price point so high, so quick, even on its 50 year old schlock tooling.  Even its ewer, better tooled offerings don't deserve the prices they've been MSRPed at.  I'm not saying a loco can deserve such prices, but the only thing Bachmann is winning in N scale is a longevity prize.  It's freight car offerings, IMO, are still a joke.  Laughingly, even Con Cor offers better freight cars. 

[John]

Sure, modern modelers are down to counting actual rivets, since modern locos all look so damn alike

I don't know about others, but I can barely see the rivets, much less count them

[oakcreekco]

Thanks guys for the info

[R L Smith]

I'm not familiar with any Bachmann locos. Are they a good quality model overall?

I have an S4 and an RS3, factory-equipped with decoders that run exceptionally well right out of the box. I have a pair of sound-equipped SD45's that do not behave quite as well, but I haven't attempted to diagnose them yet.

Bachmann's small steamers are also good runners, specifically their 2-6-0 and 2-8-0.

But if you are at a swap meet and see a Bachmann loco in a white box - leave it there...

[MetroRedLine]

Kato USA just put this up on their official YouTube channel. Be prepared for a super-charged January!

[Nato]

    "Woo-woo- Ka choo!" Good thing I do not have a layout anymore or my wallet would be flat. These look like they will be nice. Nate Goodman (Nato).Salt Lake, Utah.

[nightmare0331]

for anyone wanting to install ESU LokSound in theirs, I did a quick, down and dirty video on one yesterday.

It's in the DCC section here:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=55200.0

Enjoy!

Kelley.

[MetroRedLine]

for anyone wanting to install ESU LokSound in theirs, I did a quick, down and dirty video on one yesterday.

It's in the DCC section here:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=55200.0

Enjoy!

Kelley.

Thanks, saw your video on another forum. Glad Kato went with their standard narrow-body loco lightboard/decoder form factor rather than a proprietary design, so we don't have to wait for a drop-in. I'm also hoping to wire in LEDs for the flashing ditchlights/red marker lights. Is there ample room for a keep-alive?

[sundowner]

Second run coming in the phase vii scheme according to N-scale supply. Three numbers.
Hopefully viewliner/amtube set as well.