Kato annouces early version sd40-2

[Narlie]

https://katousa.com/n-emd-sd40-2/

Wonder how these will do up against products by Scale Trains?

I'm tempted to pickup a BN unit.

Love my all my old Kato units that I dropped in non sound decoders.
So smooth running and quiet.

[Missaberoad]

Seems like Kato is about 5 years too late to cash in on this. I might spend if there was something new and unique but if I'm gonna buy Milwaukee units it will be Scaletrains>Intermountain>Kato for sure.

[jagged ben]

N Scale is suddenly awash with SD40-2s.  Scale Trains just delivered BN and NS and has announced Milw.  IM just delivered Milw.  (Not even gonna look up which roads BLI did.)  So the most needed of the Kato offerings is the UP.   I will probably wait for Scale Trains for those.   I understand why Kato will always have its adherents, (and I won't be selling mine if Scale Trains or Atlas produces a nicer looking model of the same prototype).  That said, since Ed K recently reminded us how the Kato sills are all too tall, I can't unsee it.

[samusi01]

if I'm gonna buy Milwaukee units it will be Scaletrains

At least ST and IM got the fuel tank size correct. They will be the usual Kato quality but the only ones I've been eyeing are the MILW units and those - should I purchase them - will be ST. No IM for me for a while; the last batch of IM F units were not satisfactory.  I purchased the NP Loewy scheme and have been regretting it.

[Rossford Yard]

I'm glad I am not in the market for locos in a big way.  When it rains, it pours SD-40-2s.

My scale trains C-39-8 are my best sound runners, but my IM SD-40-2s are a close second.

However, without sound, my Kato SD40-2s (converted to SD38 by shaving off one fan for my IHB layout) are still my favorites to run switch jobs and to haul long trains up my 2% grades (built with WS risers, so I think they are actually like 2.08%)  One of them needs to run in 128 speed steps, but it can really crawl with power.

Given how few of my guests actually like sound, but love smoothness, the Katos still get a workout.

[thomasjmdavis]

At least ST and IM got the fuel tank size correct. They will be the usual Kato quality but the only ones I've been eyeing are the MILW units and those - should I purchase them - will be ST. No IM for me for a while; the last batch of IM F units were not satisfactory.  I purchased the NP Loewy scheme and have been regretting it.

If you don't mind saying, what issues are you finding with the recent IM F units?  I've been considering buying one for the chassis (I have an extra shell).

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Wonder how these will do up against products by Scale Trains?

Honestly, not favorably.

These were good models when they came out. And will likely run amazingly, but I almost can't run my Kato SDs (that I had loved before) mixed up with my ScaleTrains or even Intermountain ones. They just look so dated (wide hoods, squinty number boards, the sill thing, lack of underframe detail) compared to the new stuff. And that's ignoring all of the lame paint things (like they're STILL not even offering them with the proper safety paint), road specific details (like the MILW fuel tanks), or old school tooling (cast on grab irons and lift rings).

If you just want a pair of BN SDs to reliably lug a coal train around an NTRAK layout, these are probably perfect for you.

But if you want a state of the art model in 2024, I'm sorry to say, they're just not.

[C855B]

But if you want a state of the art model in 2024, I'm sorry to say, they're just not.

Bingo. Old (shell) tooling on a new chassis. If I make it over to the studio today I will photo the "mid-production" Kato SD40-2 against the ScaleTrains version. The differences should jump off the screen.

[Point353]

Honestly, not favorably.

These were good models when they came out. And will likely run amazingly, but I almost can't run my Kato SDs (that I had loved before) mixed up with my ScaleTrains or even Intermountain ones. They just look so dated (wide hoods, squinty number boards, the sill thing, lack of underframe detail) compared to the new stuff. And that's ignoring all of the lame paint things (like they're STILL not even offering them with the proper safety paint), road specific details (like the MILW fuel tanks), or old school tooling (cast on grab irons and lift rings).

If you just want a pair of BN SDs to reliably lug a coal train around an NTRAK layout, these are probably perfect for you.

But if you want a state of the art model in 2024, I'm sorry to say, they're just not.

You have to be willing to pay 50% more to get that "state of the art" model.

[C855B]

You have to be willing to pay 50% more to get that "state of the art" model.

For many of us, modeling fidelity >> on the cheap.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You have to be willing to pay 50% more to get that "state of the art" model.

That's actually a really good point.

And if this is the start of an era of decent models being available at multiple price points, I'd say that's a positive for our hobby.

But who would've ever thought a Kato model would be the "bargain option"?

[Dave V]

That's actually a really good point.

And if this is the start of an era of decent models being available at multiple price points, I'd say that's a positive for our hobby.

But who would've ever thought a Kato model would be the "bargain option"?

Riddle me this, though... Being unfamiliar with Scale Trains, which one runs better? At least when I was still doing diesel stuff, nothing in N scale ran like a Kato. Maybe that's changed since I've been gone.

For me, flawless operation would trump appearance. But if performance is pretty equivalent, then I'd pay more for better detail every time.

[Rossford Yard]

Dave,

That is hard to measure.  Somehow by "feel" my Katos still run the best, but maybe that is actually just "sound" with Kato being the quietest (most locos, some do growl) it may just seem the smoothest.  Scale Trains w sound run great, as close as I have found to Kato.

[C855B]

... which one runs better? At least when I was still doing diesel stuff, nothing in N scale ran like a Kato. Maybe that's changed since I've been gone.

My experience with ScaleTrains power up and down the line is they run great, and don't have the "boy racer" problem that Kato has. By that measure, even BLI runs great, provided you 86 their decoder.

One of the apples:oranges challenges here since your heyday with N is the variability of sound decoders vs. on-track performance. Example: BLI RSD-15. From factory, little tolerance for less-than-pristine track. Replace with (in my case) ESU LokPilot 5, sterling performer, tie-to-tie creep and all.

[samusi01]

If you don't mind saying, what issues are you finding with the recent IM F units?  I've been considering buying one for the chassis (I have an extra shell).

Chassis would probably be fine... be aware there is no real support if you get one of the LokSound units (no data, no sound file, etc.: maybe someday it'll show up on their site), the lightboard is designed around the Next18 socket, and there are extra LEDs which are useless unless you have a ditch light equipped unit. Some work would probably allow re-wiring of those LEDs into something useful. I'm not yet convinced I like the dip switches for selecting lighting options. My opinion is that it'd have been better to do that through the decoder.

Biggest gripe, far and away, is the colors selected for painting.