Kato Metra set

[pedro]

Picked one up yesterday, first impression is very favorable. Paint on the MP36 seems flawless to me. Operation is perfect. These are very nice sets. My only complaints are the yellowish headlights on the engine and the vestibule windows shouldn't be green, but clear. Better that than having to tint the rest of them green, I suppose.

The lights on the cab car are nice and white, and there is an on/off switch under the floor so it can be run mid-train, a nice touch. Marker lights come on and off both ends and look great. Getting flashing ditchlights and working mars lights will be a challenge but would put the set over the top.

Single coaches are still 2-3 weeks out supposedly.

Here's hoping we might see some Budd gallery cars to mix in for a proper train someday...F40PHM-2s would be nice too, but I won't hold my breath for either.

[CBQ Fan]

I wonder if BLW will hold my set for the single or ship them seperately?  I eargerly await mine!!!

I never would have thought that I would be getting a monthly shipment of passenger equipment like have over the past couple years five years ago!!

[Roger Holmes]

Haven't had mine out of the box yet--mine came yesterday in the midst of preparing for guests.  The "fade" paint on the sides is remarkable.  Can't wait to get it on the rails this afternoon.

Anybody know what decoder will fit?

[SkipGear]

Haven't had mine out of the box yet--mine came yesterday in the midst of preparing for guests.  The "fade" paint on the sides is remarkable.  Can't wait to get it on the rails this afternoon.

Anybody know what decoder will fit?

None currently.





More orange light tubes. The ditchlights are tied into the headlight array. The numberboards share input from both front and rear lightbulbs so that they are on all the time.

Still need more outputs for rear marker lights and the beacon on the top. Lighting up one of these will be interesting.

[Heath]

TCS has one that they are taking orders for,digitrax is working on one I hear.

[Roger Holmes]

Set ran great on my analog loop.  Just for grins there were 20 freight cars on the loop and it walked away with those added to the three bi-levels.  Should have NO problem pulling even the longest Metra consist.

The cab car has very nifty arrangement for red lights when the train is in the Pull mode and headlights and non-flashing ditch lights when it is in the Push mode.  Unfortunately when I put the cab car on the DCC layout all of the lights come on at once.  One of you electrical geniuses can hopefully come up with a cure which I assume will involve a small decoder.

[mcjaco]

None currently.





More orange light tubes. The ditchlights are tied into the headlight array. The numberboards share input from both front and rear lightbulbs so that they are on all the time.

Still need more outputs for rear marker lights and the beacon on the top. Lighting up one of these will be interesting.

Is the photo making it the fade and the top look white? 

I've never seen the rotating beacons actually on.  Not sure I'd worry about making them operable.

[SkipGear]

Is the photo making it the fade and the top look white? 

I've never seen the rotating beacons actually on.  Not sure I'd worry about making them operable.

The fade is supposed to be there as far as I knew. The color is not pure white but a creme color. You can see the difference in the front near the red/white stripes on the nose. The flash might have brought it out. I was mainly taking a picture of the frame and decoder.

[Sokramiketes]

Is the photo making it the fade and the top look white? 

After translating your sentence...     Kato said they used a "high gloss gray" instead of silver on the engines in order to properly contrast with the silver painted finish on the cars (which simulates stainless).

[David Leonard]

Brian, BLW will ship them separately if they arrive at different times. I ran into the same issue with the FVM coaches. They arrived in different months per paint scheme, so I had to cancel my reservation and buy them as they arrived (without reserving them). They do generally order plenty of everything, so a month may not be too long to wait. BLW does have most of Kato's recent models still in stock

[mcjaco]

After translating your sentence...     Kato said they used a "high gloss gray" instead of silver on the engines in order to properly contrast with the silver painted finish on the cars (which simulates stainless).

Matt to English translation is sometimes easier said then done.

Really impressed with the looks of this unit....may have to go partying on Thursday.   

[Ali Kenneth]

Sorry to open an old topic but.......

Are the real MP36 and Bi Level cars confined to particular routes or can they be found anywhere?

The reason is I am trying to use the acquisition of a Metra set as a spur to build a suitable layout to run them on and need to figure out where in the Chicago area to base it on. The layout will be small, so the BNSF Aurora sub is out, and my preference is for NS but i am reasonably flexible as i have representative locos and stock from all the major carriers.

Searching the web doesn't really come up with much to help, there seems to be photos of them everywhere, but i was hoping some local knowledge would be better.

Thanks in advance

Alasdair

[mcjaco]

They used to be confined to the Milwaukee North and West routes.  Now there on the North Central Service.  Not sure if they run out ofhte south side of Union, as I never venture over to that side on my daily commute.

I'd say it's plausible.   

[rogergperkins]

http://www.katousa.com/Zcart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65_120_122&products_id=1087
This link is to info on the engine with a decoder installed.

[nscalemike]

Sorry to open an old topic but.......

Are the real MP36 and Bi Level cars confined to particular routes or can they be found anywhere?

The reason is I am trying to use the acquisition of a Metra set as a spur to build a suitable layout to run them on and need to figure out where in the Chicago area to base it on. The layout will be small, so the BNSF Aurora sub is out, and my preference is for NS but i am reasonably flexible as i have representative locos and stock from all the major carriers.

Searching the web doesn't really come up with much to help, there seems to be photos of them everywhere, but i was hoping some local knowledge would be better.

Thanks in advance

Alasdair

I'm not an expert on the cars or locos, but my belief is they run south too.  If it is not the exact same it is something pretty close.  I used to take Metra quite often, and every train I took downtown from the southside was bi level cars and just this past weekend I passed one of Metra's yards that had about 30 of these sitting there.  I'd say your good with any Chicago area route.

Mike