It's Easier to Start Model Railroading in N Scale because of One Company
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“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.
But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.
Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall;
don’t be happy when they stumble.
For the Lord will be displeased with you
and will turn his anger away from them.
Don’t fret because of evildoers;
don’t envy the wicked.”
Proverbs 24: 16-19 NLT
I don't think there is any doubt N scale has grown as much as it has because of Kato. High quality stuff at a relatively affordable price. Kato brought N scale out of the dark ages of poor running.
Love kato. The premium starter experience is definitely the best part. Bulletprood trains. Power routing turnouts are a plus. Additionally they’re geared towards people with minimal space- which is a lot or the younger generation as well. They really do listen to the needs of the market when it comes to how they go about their business
Agree completely. I have recently (within the past few years) crossed over to Kato track. Absolutely love it. This has to be the most robust and bullet 'proof' track out there. True, it is more expensive that "regular" track, but at the end of the day it is definitely worth it.
If it's a product you believe in there's nothing wrong with promoting it.😊☕️
I started my collection with Kato's Santa Fe Super Chief Starter Set. Kato is a family run company started by a passionate fan, Yuji Kato. Kato started making his first model by walking into Santa Fe's Chicago headquarters and asking for detailed drawings of a passenger locomotive. I saw a video made in relation to the release of their UP Big Boy locomotive where current president Hiroshi Kato recalled helping out on the production floor by hammering recalcitrant parts loose from their molds. For folks that are interested in Japanese and European railroads, Kato makes plenty of both, but you have to look at Japanese exporters like Plaza Japan. They also make n scale light rail units in their Unitram line.
Yeah, I’ve got one of those, the “Centram” (Kato part 14-802-3). While the prototype is Japanese, it looks like something Siemens would make for other light rail systems worldwide. This, a station structure, and a loop of UniTrack would make a good starter set!
Sometime I hope to take a trip to Japan and visit the Kato Hobby Center.
That would be amazing! I hope you can make that happen. BTW, I love your channel! VERY inspiring. Thanks to you, I have really gotten into the paper models for buildings. They really do look good for background settings.
Great! Glad the videos have helped!
If you are visiting Tokyo I'd also suggest looking at TamTam Hobby Shop located in Akihabara on the 4th and 5th floors of a commercial tower. They have a selection of second-hand KATO and Tomix N Gauge equipment at really really good prices compared to MSRP (Even moreso when you factor in that the Yen has less buying power than the USD). I've seen some fantastic American KATO sets for sale over there at great prices over there.
Yup, was going to go back to HO scale, but with Kato and Micro-Trains in the arena, that was enough to convince me with N scale! 👍
Agree. You can buy a Kato N starter set and re-implement all of the components, including track and rolling stock, into a more advanced layout down the road. Plus the engines always run as well as anything else out there.
I live in Japan so I have seen the bookshelf collectors edition sets at second hand shops for as low as ¥1000 a box ($6.76). These are mostly Japanese trains but I think that’s an amazing price for these. I bought a set a while back and it worked perfectly fine, it was a N scale n700s Shinkansen and it had lighting and it came with the control unit already installed with it.
I'm selling all my HO stuff and switching to N scale
I have a couple older Kato HO engines (Atlas). Some of the smoothest and quietest engines on the market. Excellent Japanese quality.
Last weekend just bought my 1st set The Kato one you showed , just finishing the bench work ❤
Agree Kato is really awesome.. only thing i d wish they d introduce is a double slip switch.. Not the double xover…
Kato, you, and Steve's Trains are why I got back into N. I tried N 35-36 years ago, and everything is so much better now. Kato track and locos are so much more trouble free to me. Enjoying N along with my HO and G in the summer. Kato passenger trains rock and take up a lot less space than the HO counterpart. Kato is a great subject to discuss . Thanks!
Great update on Kato - I really love Kato “N” scale
I worked at a LHS in the 90's while in college and sold a TON of Kato even way back then. I haven't really kept up with the hobby, but as good as it was back then, I'm sure it's even better now. It's not really the most prototypical for grimy industrial projects, but if you want a clean-running setup that you can just show & go in a relatively small space, then Kato is definitely a go-to. Great video!
Yup. I started mine with a Japanese steam loco and freight set.
Jimmy, I have the HV1 and HV2 and I like them because I am still building my layout but I use the KATO track to set it up temporarily in my living room to run my engines and rolling stock and it’s easy and fast to set up and put away. Happy house happy model railroading! Great advise.
I agree with you. KATO is easy to set up. I am moving from Atlas Track to KATO track to do my swithching layout with a small hidden yard.
I have thoroughly enjoyed building my Kato Unitrack layout. I used SCARM to help me design and create my shopping lists also. I've watched a ton of your videos and enjoy every one of them. Keep it up bud. 👍
Agree with you on Kato being a great manufacturer of model RR kit
When I got my first Kato diesel I became a fan of Kato and there track. Need me some more Kato. Thanks for telling us about the set of track always wondered what the letters ment and about the starter sets. GOD BLESS 🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖
I too like Kato, I have a handful of their locomotives. Some are from the Kato/Atlas venture that was from the DC-only era. A few of them have been converted to DCC, requiring a lot of frame cutting and custom wiring.
You are a wealth of valuable information - thank you for your excellent explanation of the variations of the track configurations. I've started into the hobby and exclusively purchase Kato products. They're not the least expensive but you get what you pay for. Thanks again for your hard work and generousity of sharing your insights and passion for the hobby! John
I started with Kato in 2004 and have been collecting since
Just picked up the M1 and a Shinkansen set I got in Japan- looking forward to unpacking it soon!! 😊
Great video Jimmy - you've actually made me think! I have always said that one big advantage HO has over N is the wider selection of products, but it's clear that Kato believes in the future of N scale and is working to negate that advantage. Also, I *love* that Kato's starter sets use the same quality locomotives and rolling stock as their separate items - that has been a *huge* reason (for me, at least) to stay away from starter sets. Now, if someone would just start making N scale kits that my old eyes and fat fingers could assemble!
LOL! I feel your pain. I'm 64+ and an N scaler for life.
As someone who does both HO and N scale I'm genuinely surprised they haven't thought about breaking into the HO scale train sets.
Absolutely agree about Kato products. I have not done anything with my railroad in over 5 years. Thanks for getting the bug in me going again. 😂
Big fan of Kato, I have almost 100 of their locos, plus numerous freight cars and passenger sets. All the Kato stuff you mentioned and you didn't even get to the Unitram road/tram sets, the Diotown buildings, or the operating turntable/roundhouse! 😀
Totally agree, I think the key here with Kato is quality and consistency and value for money. I’ve not bought a new Kato loco for a while, but have bought a couple of 2nd hand ones that are over 15 years old, both still look great and both still run beautifully
just bought the black Kato Steeple Cab set for $30 last week straight from Japan
i love my Ho but KATO + TTrack + NRail are no doubt the leaders in the hobby to get people into the hobby.
I got into Unitrack with cross overs. I have lots of parts and pieces. Lots of M sets and some V sets. They have great engines but none in my road name. If I buy theirs I will have to repaint them. And add decals. Lots of extra work. Great video again!
I’m slowly coming back to the hobby after years of being away. I don’t remember Karl being around before. They have become my go-to for almost everything these days.
Drinking Green Mountain Dark Magic with 2 equal and splash of vanilla creamer. I just bought my first Kato HO Amtrak loco and I love it! I am also running on Kato unitrack.
With you all the way, man. After building my first n scale railroad with atlas track, I switched to Kato track. I will never use anything else.
Me too.
I have Kato N scale and Tomix N scale stuff. I love Kato quality on the US and Japan stuff. Incredible quality.
Kato is fantastic. Their HO scale equipment is great.
Tomix looks more likely because there is actually some available where I am. Tea Centre lemon myrtle again.
Love my Katos. Some engines and rolling stock are over 20 years old and still rum strong with regular maintenance.
yuppers my entire layout has all Kato unitrack, great stuff! I do avoid the sometimes troublesome #4 turnouts by using all #6s which also makes my DC power distribution so much easier for parking locomotives that are not in use. simply flip the turnout and the power to the siding is turned off.
Huge Kato fan. I buy mostly direct from Japan. The variety is staggering.
I wanted to get into the hoby but don't have space for an ho set in my apartment but katos unitrack is so nice with how compact it is and how easy it is to get out and put away
I read the title and was like "it's Kato isnt't it?" lol Their Japanese models is what really got me going in N scale recently and I'm planning to grab some of their US lineup soon as well!
I don't have a layout yet, but I hear you on the untrack. I went and bought some kato untrack sets in N gauge at English's Model Railroad Supply over the years before it closed for good on September 29,2023.
One of my first steam engines was a Kato Heavy Mikado. It could pull 16 cars if I started on a straight section of track. I thought that this was pretty good, but then one day I came home with an Arnold engine. My Arnold Rapido Pacific pulled 42 cars around bends and turning back on itself. As a result of that purchase, my entire locomotive fleet was soon converted to Arnold Rapido, with the exception of some Minitrix F3s.
Good morning Jimmy. Very informative and very interesting subject today. Currently I have little layouts that consist of Hachman easy track and Atlas track. And I’m going to build a 6‘ x 8‘ layout in my shed. And I’ve been a massing cattle track little by little. One of the reasons I focused on Uni track is quite variety at an affordable price. Now it pays me to think that I have close to 150 feet of Bachmann easy track that I will have to get rid of. But I think it’s time to make the move. Today I’m having my special Folgers French roast blend with a little bit of cinnamon. Have a wonderful weekend and keep on rolling Trains.
I use Kato N scale and wish they had more Locomotive options in HO scale. Great video for beginners in N scale.
Kato has made getting into or back into model railroading extremely easy. While the cost is a bit higher than using other brands or flex track the biggest benefit is no roadbed to put down :) Par usual, great video!
Just got back into the hobby, found out about T trak modules and Kato track, I got a loop of Kato for testing.
T-Trak is the way to go for modular. I just recently started building my own T-Trak modules and I love it. Cool thing is that I can take my modules to any T-Trak layout and add them to their layout.
I've been an HO modeler for about 60 years. In the late 1960's we dabbled in N scale, with Arnold and Con-Cor. The latter ran pretty well, but the former, and everything else around that time ran so poorly, we gave it up and stayed with HO. If I were starting out in the hobby today, I would do N scale because the quality, the variety, the operations, the detail, and the "expanded" space for a layout is all too good to pass up. And yes, Kato has been considered top tier ever since it first appeared.
Kato is a great manufacturer: I have European Kato models. But they are really just doing what the European manufacturers do. In n scale, Fleischmann and Minitrix make comprehensive start sets in both DCC and DCC ready which are the same loco and cars as are individually sold, and they can come with a complete DCC base station and power supply.
Agreed. I love my kato, I just wish they offered more older diesel.
I was in Hawaii and introduced to Kona. Best I've ever tasted and been drinking a more affordable kona blend. When I can find straight kona I buy it.
Kato CN starter set, added Digitrax, Remote Control, and still use my Kato power pack for my turnouts.
N scale has top tier starter sets. The sets are so good I would use the engine from the set on my own massive layout
Have to agree with you Jimmy. Having grown up in Africa with limited access to model trains and then moved to England where there is a good selection if you like British trains, i moved to Portugal where I finally discovered Kato. The stuff I buy is through the official Kato stockist in Britain. They have a huge range including British, European and Japanese stock and, of course American stuff. I am a total convert. Their locos from Pocket Line upwards run better than anything else I own or have owned in 45 years of "playing trains".
KATO also offers a quite wide selection of European and Japanese trains as well if you're into that sorta thing 😊
Kato may run well, but they lack the detail of most of their competition. Also their couplers are like trying to get a square peg in a round hole
Kato uni track is the greatest invention since sliced bread. It's more expensive, but the time and headaches it will save you is well worth it. Trust me I've tried them all.
If it wasn't for Kato's starter kits and being the same quality as their other products is the only reason the wife and I got into the hobby! ❤
"At this point, it sounds like a straight up commercial for Kato" Kinda, but at the same time, you're a huge fanboy of Kato, and when I saw this video, I *knew* that it'd be Kato centric, just like any other long time viewers of your channel. Happy railroading, drink some coffee (and I look forward to my first DCC decoder arriving on Tuesday so I can upgrade one of my engines. Really my second engine for regular usage).
My first starter set was a Bachman steam setup. I was very disappointed. Then I saw the Kato Line of Japanese Passenger trains. I bought a starter set from them and have been hooked since. I found a great deal on the V sets and bought one of each. I am starting setup of a 4X8 plan for a Japanese themed layout. I plan to send Pics and Vids soon as things progress. Happy railing to everyone.
Started in N in the Uk, discovered Kato in the US and never went back. Cannot beat Kato running on uni track.
Kato is awesome, that's what keeps me in N scale.
I agree that Kato is the gold standard for dependability and variety for a very reasonable price. Their system is as close to "bullet proof" as you can get - as , appropriately in Japan, there are Kato clubs that race bullet trains along the banked double track track sets. I do wish however that Kato would make a 30 /60 degree and a 45 degree crossing. and a
My coffee everyday is Zoegas Skånerost (Scania roasted) :P We love our strong coffee with lots of caffeine :P
I’ve always had good success with Kato and Atlas locomotives. I may someday change out my track to Kato track.
KATO #1 in N-Scale no mater what!! It’s the best! Most of my roster is KATO.
For smoothness of operation, quietness of operation, and detailing, KATO is hard to beat. I own 11 of their N-scale locomotives and they run better than those I own by other brands. The track systems are sturdy and easily connect with lots of options. ‘Want to visit the Kato factory in Japan!
Kato makes it very tempting to switch to N scale. If you want to model Amtrak, Kato makes almost every piece of Amtrak equipment in N scale, but in HO, Amtrak equipment is split between several manufacturers who don’t offer continuous runs of equipment. And some equipment like the viewliners are common in N but virtually nonexistent in HO.
In 2006 I was starting a model railroad and thought I was going to do HO scale... but I went to my local model train shop and the owner showed me a Kato diesel and said "If you haven't ever seen one of these run then you owe it to yourself to check it out before you make the decision to go with HO scale" ... so we put a Kato diesel on their in store test track and when I saw and heard it moving along so smooth... I was sold. And I've been doing N-scale ever since.
As a lifelong H0 modeler, I fully agree with your points on how accessible Kato has made N-scale modeling with consistent quality offerings, especially for modern passenger modeling. I strongly considered if I wanted to make the switch myself. I felt Bachmann did similar with good quality models and starter sets with their Spectrum Acela years ago, but then there'd be weird sacrifices like the cheapness of other models like their Amfleets or having to rely on other manufacturers like Walthers and Atlas who would do excellently-tooled models...but with years or over a decade between releases.
I had a small amount of HO and N scale trains and a layout for each in childhood. Then they were packed up due to crap living situation. In my later youth I began collecting my fleet of HO scale high detail models. A few years later during the 2000s I saw that what was available in N scale was really starting to expand the way HO had with a lot of prototype specific models. I kind of wish I had gone the N scale route because it is smaller, cheaper, and a lot of what I wanted in HO was becoming available in N.
Greetings from the U.K. For me Kato produce some awesome looking locomotives and rolling stock, far netter than the standard offerings. Unfortunately for a DCC layout the use of their own decoders is a drawback and even more issues is that DCC has not made major inroads in Japan making DCC an item to be searched for and not the norm. Wholeheartedly agree on the build quality and detail. Thanks for a great video. Maybe you could do a video on one item such as a coach and show the world all the good, the bad and the ugly bits (if there are any!) Keep up the good work 🌺👍
Kato has been bulletproof engines forever. their details are medium-high, the only "only ok" thing are their couplers. they also have limited-run sets from a division (Caltrain passenger set markings instead of their standard Metra)
The big win for n Scale is just the fact that size is better for most people these days. People just do not want to dedicate a huge amount of space when they are getting started.
I trust unsponsored promotions a bit more than sponsored. If something isn’t sponsored then you know their opinion is their actual opinion and not because there’s an agreement or money changing hands
Jimmy, do you have a video that shows your track plan for the shelf layout behind you? Thanks from a new Patron.
just starting found HO but need N scale downloads
Only two kato issues I found - avoid the no. 4 switches, and you need to change the couplers on freight locos to MTL
It's also amazing the prices they achieve with their SD70s and things, You can find them Online for $80-$90 NEW if you shop around, and they are great runners. Same for their Daylights. I hope they take a stab at the N&W J-class, id love to have a J-class that isn't the 20 year old Bachmann Spectrum models(Even if they are amazing runners)
Tomix is also pretty good and also from Japan.
I recently got an n scale locomotive & 11 (yes 11) cars over the course of 4 or 5 months (because I have other interests). Most of my cars are Microtrains, with a single Bachmann car (for track cleaning), and a handful of Athearn cars. Handling Athearn is the equivalent of handling 1:700 scale naval guns, if not WORSE. Overall, I estimate a BEAND NEW cost for an engine & 11 cars at roughly $850. I will admit to, I did get an advantage; my grandfather gave me a decent amount of track a while back, none of it is Unitrak, and I use an old Bachmann controller with the old Atlas track.
I really like KATO too! I have the Chicago Metra set that I got many years ago when I was a teenager with the MP36PH although nowadays in my 20's I kinda wish that I got the F40 version instead. Also I'm a bit bummed that they don't have anything from NJ Transit because I live in NJ. Although Atlas (my personal favorite company IMHO because they are in New Jersey and aren't too far away from me) has NJ Transit stuff and I preordered the HO Scale with DCC 100th anniversary loco with a three pack of normal multilevel cars. I've seen the loco in person already, as well as the cab car and one of the passenger cars several times but I still haven't seen one car.
Hotdog lunch and trains for me this afternoon. I also started in n scale with a Kato M1 starter set with the GEVO loco with freight cars. I'm amazed at the quality and detail on the locomotive and tracks are super easy to put together and play around with different layouts. Already added a V16 double track set, double crossover and a few more trains to my collection. Can't wait to build a proper layout with DCC. This hobby is addicting and I need to slow down or I'll go broke...LOL!!!!!🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃
Kato is a great company! I do wish they would bring out more varied road names in their N scale F-units, but other than that, I have few quibbles with them…
Coffee? Yuck! I'm currently drinking a glass of Turkey Hill Iced Tea. That out of the way, I also love Kato even though I use HO (and have a few British OO trains). And what I am looking to do soon is get a T-scale train set and set up a T loop around a house on my HO layout to simulate someone's garden railway, lol.
Time for Kato to fly Jimmy to Tokyo for a full tour and customer experience! I love my Kato - both N and HO. The biggest "Wha???" moment is when you have to start thinking metric.
I'm not going to say no to that haha!
good vid on channel
From the HO scale side, I agree Kato is great in what they're doing. My only gripe is they don't do something vaguely similar for HO scale. It would be awesome for us to get the Metra/CB&Q/CNW/RI gallery cars again, or even a small set of a few cars and an engine. Their HO engines are very desirable because of their simplified mechanisms. It's a shame we haven't seen them for a long long time. But I am happy N-scale is still getting their fare share in the spotlight.
And, what you didn't mention was the Japanese market. If you go to places like "Plaza Japan" and others, you can get all the Japanese trains. This includes high speed bullet trains (I have a half dozen sets), European high speed trains (I have a TGV) and others. Plus Japanese specific engines and rolling stock. I found the bullet trains to be REALLY easy to change from DC to DCC if that's what you want - simply open a compartment on the bottom of the engine and swap chips - no tools required, no soldering. And, the bullet trains run great!
Would that amtrak set work with the Kato Compact track sets?
While my layout is O-Gauge, I do like to play with N-scale on the side, and HO as well. Though N-Scale would be diesels only, same for HO for the most part. As much as I love steam, I prefer it to be in O-gauge and up, because HO and N would be a headache to repair. But I the HO and N-Scale diesels are still pretty nice locomotives though.
I have a box full of n scale trains i hope to make an n scale layout that can fit on a movable table
Question: how common are good DCC options with sounds and smoke when it comes to N scale? Thanks!
I will say this if you're going to be using modeled roadbed in ho scale bachman's EZ track I think is a superior product by the virtue of its increased flexibility.
There is the issue that in n scale I am having to install and assemble 4 times as many items in the same space area , maybe that is good for some people but that poisined me and I prefer scenes with intimate detail with tiny things that N does not convey well enough for me that great vissual life is non present enough I think ?, and you do everything X 4 which gets super expendsive ! ! I stiff work on a N layout but only to collect vintage N is all . Just build a micro layout in a larger scale, no problems !
There is a lot of n scale DCC trains with lead. Is it just the decoders? Its not the shell? Is It?
Can you ballast the double track super elevated?