Review: Kato Koki Container Wagons

Whereas the six-car freight pack contains Kato's basic container flat, the model shown here is built to a much higher specification. As well as much finer detailing and an proper open frame, the wagon is supplied with individual containers that can be removed or swapped for other ones in different colours. This makes the wagon much more versatile and interesting to own, particularly if you want to model a train with a mix of containers.

Background

Japan is unusual in that a lot of containerised freight is moved around the country by sea rather than by rail. Nonetheless, containerised freight was first carried on the railways as early as the 1930s. The first containers were relatively small and carried on two-axle wagons, but in 1962 the first generation of proper container trains entered service. These used bogie wagons capable of carrying five 5-ton containers at speeds of up to 85 km/h.

The Koki 5500 series was the first generation of bogie container wagon. These were built between 1962 and 1975. Over three thousand of them were built, so needless to say these were common wagons that could be seen across the network. They were also quite long lived, the last ones withdrawn during the early 2000s. On the current railway they have been replaced by more advanced types such as the Koki 100 series.

One quirk of the Japanese railway system is that the containers used for internal traffic are not the standard ISO types seen elsewhere in the world but their own set of sizes. The most common container is the Type 1 (12') rail container, five of which fit on a 60' Koki flat. Type 2 (20') and Type 3 (30') containers are also common, with either three or two of these fitting on the container wagon.

Kato 8059-1 Container Wagon (two-pack)

What's in the box?

• Two Koki 5500 bogie container flats
• Ten removable containers

These are typical Kato wagons with a mix of moulded and separately fitted details. The handrails and brake wheel are a single piece that clips onto the wagon body, while the brake pipes and rods (visible when the wagons are removed) form another piece that clips into place. The bogies are held on with screws, while the Rapido couplings are the traditional sort with a spring behind them that keeps them centred. If you want, you can replace these with either buckeye couplings (Kato #11-702) or magnetic couplings (Kato #11-711) as you prefer. 

The clips that secure the containers are visible along the top of the wagon. While somewhat comprised in shape to act as springy clips, similar structures are present on the real wagons to secure the containers. Overall, the detail does the job, even if the colours aren't consistent between the different plastic components. Etched brass might have allowed the handrails and handbrake wheel to be more delicate, but as it is they look fine from normal viewing distances.

Ventilated containers (6000-type) are included, but the 5000-type containers will fit as well. These ventilated containers were primarily used to transport fruits and vegetables. The containers are painted in the standard JNR green that was used all the way through to privatisation, while the wagon itself is painted in the standard reddish-brown of JNR freight vehicles. So, the wagons would look most authentic running in trains between the 1960s and 1980s, though doubtless some wagons (and containers) stayed in their JNR colours well after privatisation.

Summary 

At the time of writing, the RRP for this twin-pack is 3,520 Yen (about £18-19). That puts them towards the more expensive end of the scale compared with other Kato freight cars. Compared to the basic Koki container flat like the one that came in the six-car set, the key differences are the open chassis with visible pipework, the separately fitted handrail and handbrake wheel, and of course the removable containers.

Review: Tomix Wamu Covered Wagons

Like the two-axle Komu container flats, these are examples of wagons that Tomix has produced for a very long time. While definitely towards the more basic end of the range, they are very inexpensive. Does that make them worth buying though?

Background

The Wamu 80000 series are two-axle general purpose goods wagons that were built in large numbers from 1960 until 1981. They were built by a number of different companies including Kawasaki, Mitsubishi, and Nippon Sharyo. Successive batches of wagons were improved with things like better shock absorbers and roller bearing axles that allowed them to run at higher speeds, up to 75 km/h. The 28000 type was given a slightly longer wheelbase to improve stability, and the steel side doors replaced with aluminium ones.

Up to 15 tons of cargo could be carried, usually on pallets that could be quickly loaded and unloaded by forklift trucks through the sliding side doors. As well as palleted goods, these wagons were also used at times to transport things like motorcycles and even plate glass.

The last ones being withdrawn from commercial use in 2012. Quite a few were modified for specific sorts of traffic, such as beer and even fish (some of the 58000 type). A more extreme modification was made for transporting wood chips, with the side doors sealed up and the roof opened and given a tarpaulin cover (the 48000 type).

A few remain in use on private railways. Some have even been repurposed as sheds or even waiting rooms for quiet stations!

Tomix 2714 (80000-type) and 2715 (38000-type)

What's in the box?

• Two-axle covered wagon with Rapido couplings

 

Although physically similar, the two wagons represent different types. The brown wagon is the 28000 type wagon, improved over the original for faster running but otherwise the same sort of general purpose wagon. The brown livery shown here, known as Tobiko #2, was the the standard for freight cars from 1960 onwards. The blue wagon is from the 38000 series, which were wagons upgraded with roller bearings from 1990 to 1993. Once they were modernised, the wagons were repainted into a shade of blue known as cargo blue, which is what you see here.

On the plus side, these wagons are nicely moulded and seem to resemble the real things rather well. While there aren't any separately fitted parts, such as handrails, all the basic details are there. The chassis, in particular, has the right look, with things like springs and brake rods where they should be. It doesn't seem to be a generic chassis (as you might expect for such a cheap wagon) but one that broadly approximates to the real thing.

But on the other hand, the paint work is very simple, and there are details on the chassis that could be picked out in white to better match the prototype. The wheels are not chemically blackened. The couplings are not easily switched out for other types, but the traditional sort with a springy bit of metal behind the coupler, all contained in a tiny little box. Open that box and you're likely to spend some time looking for that springy bit of metal... guess how I know!

Summary

As with the container flats, for a wagon costing a little over 600 Yen (about £3.50) it feels churlish to call out too many shortcomings here. These are attractive, useful little wagons that could be seen almost anywhere in Japan across a very long period of time. The fact they were used for palleted freight makes them idea for private sidings serving whatever industry you want to feature on your layout.

There are some nice pictures online, such as this one at Wikimedia, that would make a good starting point for anyone wanting to tweak their Wamu wagon into something more authentic. All it would really take is some white paint to pick out the details around the chassis, and then a bit of weathering to make the wagon look more 'used'. 

Review: Tomix KOMU 1 Container Wagons

These quirky wagons have apparently been part of the Tomix range for a very long time. Earlier versions had the two containers modelled as a single piece, but later versions (from 1996) featured separate containers. The versions shown here, first produced in 2008, were further enhanced with a more realistic chassis and better detailing. Although quite old, these wagons are still widely sold and don't seem to have been updated at all.

Background

Komu wagons were rebuilds of the Tomu 50000 open wagon. They were built in 1968 and used exclusively on Hokkaido (in fact they carried a sign stating they should not used outside that prefecture). They were designed to carry two 5-ton (11') containers at speeds of up to 65 km/h. Forty of them were built, numbered Komu 1 to Komu 40.

Because they were not compatible with the slightly larger and more common 12' containers, these wagons were soon rendered obsolete. The last one was withdrawn in 1977.

Tomix 2718 (JNR container wagon) and 2719 (JNR refrigerator container wagon)

What's in the box?

• Komu 1 two-axle container flat
• Two removable containers

The wagon with the green containers is the basic sort, while the white containers on the wagon below are refrigerator containers used to carry perishable goods such as meat or vegetables. The printing on the containers is excellent -- very sharp and easy to read. There is also some lettering on the sides of the wagon.

So far as detailing goes, the brakes and springs around the wheels are replicated nicely, and some pipes and struts can be seen underneath as well. There's not much on the top of the wagon though, and incorrectly, the top is one solid piece (it should really be open in the centre). There are three pairs of clips moulded onto the top as well, onto which the containers can be attached. Depending on how you use these clips, you can model the wagon with two containers as in the photo above, or a single container to the left or right, or a single container placed centrally. The clips aren't realistic, but aren't too noticeable either.

Otherwise the wagons are typical of Tomix rolling stock from this era. The wagons are fitted with Arnold Rapido couplings and do not have chemically blackened wheels. On the plus side, the wagons are free rolling and handle tight curves perfectly well -- my two will travel around 15 cm radius curves without complaint!

Summary 

For the price (600-700 Yen, around £3.50) these wagons represent good value even if their usefulness is somewhat limited. The detailing compromises are fair, given the price, so it's hard to complain about them.

Installing the Kato lighting kit into the Yo 5000 brake van

The freight car pack described in another post includes a lovely little brake van (caboose) with working tail lights. You can also add one of the Kato lighting fixtures (Kato #11-213) to illuminate the inside of the brake van, but the instructions provided are in Japanese and not particular clear. In particular, two or three important steps aren't illustrated in the diagrams, so if you're working from those alone, you might struggle a bit.

Missing step 1

Taking apart the brake van is easy to do, with the various parts unclipping one at a time. Once you do that, the brass contact strips slide through obvious slots and as the instructions show, you need to use some wire clippers to snip them back to the right length. But what happens next isn't so clear!

As far as I can tell, the white plastic housing the contains the LED (and the orange colour filter) clips in at the opposite end to the grey plastic column, as seen in the photo above. It may take some fettling to get the brass contact strips pressing firmly against the electric pick-up strips on the white plastic piece. In the end, I used a couple of drops of superglue to ensure the white plastic piece stayed in place -- leaving the brake van on a piece of Unitrack with the current on so that I can see that everything is lighting up properly. 

 

Missing step 2 

The next step is to install the light diffusion bar into the roof. Although the diagram indicates the bar should run across the whole length of the roof, if you do that, it won't fit back onto the body. At best, you get half the roof, as shown above. This allows space for the top of the LED circuit board to fit flush against the roof while shining down the light diffusion bar.

 

 Missing step 3  

Finally, the grey plastic column needs to be snipped back a few mm to create some space for the light diffusion once the roof and body are reunited. If you don't do this, the grey plastic column will press against the diffusion bar and stop the roof fitting correctly.

 

The end result!

You can now reassemble the brake van and with any luck the roof and sides will clip back onto the body without any problems. The result is a brake van with internal lighting as well as working taillights.

Review: Kato 10-033 freight car set

Kato currently produce several starter packs of coaches or wagons that provide an inexpensive way to build up your rolling stock collection. The coaches or wagons are carefully selected to be appropriate to quite a broad time frame. The freight car pack, 10-033, contains six different models including a brake van (caboose) with working taillights. It was first released in 2019, then re-released in 2023. As far as I can tell, the two releases are identical, right down to the running numbers on the wagons.

Background

Although Japan has an extensive railway network, most of the trains are passenger trains. Less than 1% of the freight movements within Japan go by rail. The volume of freight traffic in absolute terms is substantial, over 26 million tons in 2023, but to put this in context, across an equivalent period in the UK, almost 70 million tons of freight was carried.

Much of the freight transported on Japanese railways today is containerised, but in the past a wide variety of freight cars could be seen. As was the case elsewhere in the world, pick-up goods trains declined through the latter half of the twentieth century, being replaced with trains consisting of a single commodity in wagons capable of running at high speed. Usually, these trains consist of raw materials such as oil or grain, rather than finished goods. One problem is that freight trains have to run on the slower Cape-gauge lines rather than the high speed standard-gauge (or Shinkansen) lines which hampers reliability and efficiency. Japanese cities also tend to be built on the coast which makes shipping a more economical way to send bulk commodities from point to point.

Nonetheless, Japanese freight services are interesting and attractive to modellers. While the most authentic approach might be to focus on container trains, the classic mixed goods train is appealing. That's where this freight car pack comes in!

Kato Freight Car Park (10-033)

What's in the box?

• Waki 5000 bogie box car
  
• Tora 45000 two-axle open wagon with removeable tarpaulin
  
• Hoki 2200 bogie grain hopper
  
• Koki 5500 bogie container flat with containers
  
• Re 12000 two-axle refrigerated car
  
• Yo 5000 two-axle brake van
• Optional dummy coupler for the brake van
  

Waki 5000 bogie box cars were in service between 1965 and 2002 and featured sliding doors on the sides that allowed palleted loads to be quickly loaded and unloaded. All sorts of goods could be found on these wagons and they were very widely used across the network. They could carry up to 30 tons of cargo and were designed to operate at quite high speeds, up to 85 km/h. The model runs smoothly and looks quite nice, though the colour scheme isn't very interesting.

The Tora 45000 is a two-axle open wagon of a type built in large numbers between 1962 and 1963. Most have been scrapped, but a few remain in use, and some have even been converted into open passenger cars for heritage lines! Although the model looks rather plain in standard freight black livery, it features simulated wooden grain on the planks, neatly applied lettering, and a removeable tarpaulin that means the model can be operated open or covered as you prefer.

Compared with the previous two models, the Hoki 2200 bogie grain (wheat) hopper is very eye-catching. This design of hopper was in service between 1966 and 2000, so were quite long lived. The wagon resembles grain hoppers seen in the US. Besides transporting grain for food production, some were also used to supply breweries. The wagon sports some nice moulded details and runs very smoothly, even if some of the details, like the handwheels for applying the brakes, are relatively chunky.

Of all the wagons in the pack, the Koki 5500 bogie container flat is probably the star! It's big, runs beautifully, and is an almost essential wagon for any Japanese layout. Container trains are a major part of Japan's freight traffic and the green containers here were used for many years. The first Koki 5500 wagons were introduced in 1962 and they could be seen running across most of the country for the next four decades. Note that the five containers (representing the ChiKi 5000 type) are, in fact, a single moulded piece. As they come, this doesn't look particularly convincing, so I have weathered mine with some diluted black acrylic while also painting the metal weight black so that it isn't visible underneath the containers. With a bit of extra weathering to give the chassis some character, the result is a serviceable wagon that does the job even if not quite so smart or detailed as the higher-spec container flats from Kato and Tomix.

The Re 12000 is a 12-ton, two-axle, refrigerated car designed to carry foodstuffs. Ice was stored in the roof to keep the wagon cold. These wagons could run at up to 75 km/h and were in service between 1954 and 1986.

Finally, the pack includes a Yo 5000 two-axle brake van in standard black livery. This model has some nice detailing around the verandahs and properly glazed windows. The taillights also work, glowing red when the train is moving along. Even better, if the roof is unclipped the coach lighting kit (11-213) can be installed to provide interior lighting.

Conclusion

For an RRP of 7,150 Yen (about £37) and widely sold in Japan for well under that, this wagon pack is an absolute bargain when compared to some of rolling stock sold in other countries. The actual saving compared to buying the wagons separately is negligble though (by my reckoning, the RRP for these wagons is 935 + 990 + 990 + 550 + 935 + 1,980 = 6380 Yen, which is about what the set goes for at the usual online retailers).

But while the pack is definitely good value, there are compromises here. The two-axle wagons, in particular, are basic models with no separately fitted details and dull colour schemes. The grain hopper is a lovely model, but the detailing around the platforms at each end, such as the hand rails, are quite coarse. Similarly, while the container flat does the job, the single-piece container load needs some weathering to look convincing. Kato (and Tomix) do produce higher higher-spec Koki container flats with much more detailing as well as properly removeable containers, but these cost a lot more -- Kato #8059 costs 3,520 Yen (about £18).

Although Kato have selected prototypes that were in use across a long period of time, and might be seen behind steam, diesel, or electric locomotives of various types, whether they'd actually all be running in the same train is open to debate. Still, you could realistically stick the smaller wagons behind a tank engine like a C11 or C12 without embarassement, while the hopper and container flat look really nice behind a diesel or electric locomotive in a more modern setting.

The wagons can also be upgraded with either manual buckeye coupings (Kato #11-702) or magnetic couplings (Kato #11-711) for more realism. The magnetic couplings, together with the decoupling Unitrack piece (Kato #20-032) would allow for hands-free coupling and decoupling, would make this a fun pack for shunting puzzle layouts.

On balance, this is probably a pack for the newcomer to Japanese model railroading looking to just run some trains without worrying too much about realism or detailing. None of the wagons is useless, and with additional wagons added as the modeller gets a better idea of what they like to run, there are wagons here that will always remain useful.

Review: Kato ED75

Kato produce three different versions of this electric locomotive; this is the 1000-series designed with express passenger trains in mind, though they could be found working other sorts of trains as well, including freight trains and sleeper trains.

Background

Introduced in 1963 and working well into the 2010s, these were the standard mixed traffic AC electric locomotive for a long time. They are particularly associated with the Tohoku region, pretty much the top third of the main island of Honshu.

The 0-series (or M-type) were the first ones built. They were intended for the Tohoku Main Line and Joban Line once it was electrified to 20 kV AC at 50 Hz. Since this part of Japan is quite cold, they have various features such as snowploughs and heaters that allow them to operate more reliably in such conditions. Six batches were built, all slightly different.

In 1965 a second series, the 300-series, was introduced for the lines in Kyushu region electrified to 20 kV AC at 60 Hz. They have different pantographs to the 0-series locomotives as well as a various other slight differences. Because the coaching stock used in the Kyushu region was steam heated, and these locos lacked boilers, they were primarily used on fast freight trains.

A single 500-series, S-type locomotive was built in 1966 with thyristor control and suitable adaptations for the very cold conditions on the northern island of Hokkaido. It was mostly used on freight trains because it lacked a steam generator and was ultimately scrapped in 1986.

The 700-series locomotives were also hardened against the cold and designed for use on the northern part of Honshu, particularly the Ou and Uetsu main lines. They benefitted from a number of updates that improved conditions for the driver while also making the locomotives more resistant to the salty air of the region where they woked. For the modeller, one of the most obvious differences to this series is that the two pantographs are moved closer together. The pantographs are different as well, being the snow-resistant PS103 type compared with the PS101 seen on earlier series.

The final series, the 1000-series, or P-type, were built between 1968 and 1976. They were designed to be compatible with the electromagnetic brakes on the Koki 10000 container wagons and 20-series passenger cars. There were four different batches, each slightly different: the Kato model here represents the early batch. Needless to say, this versatile locomotive could be used on all sorts of trains. Both Kato and Tomix produce Koki 10000 container wagons, while the electrically-heated Series 50/51 coaches produced by Kato would also be appropriate for layouts set in both Honshu and Hokkaido.

Kato ED75-1000 (3075-4)

What's in the box?

• ED75 electric locomotive
• Working headlights
• Chemically blackened wheels
• Plastic sprues with number plates, maker plates, and multiple unit jumper cable
• Replacement knuckle couplers (Arnold-type pre-fitted)
• Two passenger train headboards
• Two-page instruction leaflet (in Japanese)

Although this is a relatively small and inexpensive model it has a lot of separately fitted details, particularly on the roof. There are two pantographs that can be posed up or down, power cables, insulators, and various boxes and cylinders. A mix of metal and plastic is used as well as a variety of colours. At the front there are also separately fitted handrails and jumper cables.

Moulded and painted details are nicely done, including quite a detailed cab interior. As with many other Kato models, numbering is left to the modeller. A scalpel or some other small blade is needed to cut away the number and maker plates from the supplied sprue, and then these can be carefully pushed into the provided recesses on the model. I found this easiest using a bit of marking tape to hold the number or maker plate from the front as they are very small. If you use forceps or tweezers, there's a good chance you'll squeeze too hard and send them flying!

Attaching the multiple unit cable isn't difficult but again, this is a very small and bendy item so needs to be handled carefully. Switching out the Arnold coupler for a knuckle coupler is much easier though: just unclip the snowplough and the coupler falls out.

The accessory pack also includes two magnetic passenger train headboards that stick to the front of the locomotive quite securely. These represent the 'Yuzuru' sleeper train that operated between Ueno and Aomori until 1988 and the 'Akebono' sleeper train that worked between Tokyo and Aomori until 2014. Kato produce coaches for both the Akebono and Yuzuru Blue Train sleepers if you wanted to replicate these trains.

Performance is on par with other modern Kato models: extremely smooth, very quiet, and thanks to one traction tyre on each bogie, the model easily hauls realistic loads. A coreless motor with two brass flywheels ensures steady acceleration and good low speed performance. While the traction tyres do mean electric pick-up is limited to three wheels per bogie, but on clean, well-laid track this shouldn't cause any major problems.

Conclusion

As with most Kato models, this isn't DCC-ready in the sense of having a pre-fitted decoder slot. If you want to add DCC, you'll need to replace the circuit board on the top of the chassis. Such drop-in boards are available, but I haven't tried them out.

At the time of writing, these models are on sale in Japan for around 8,000 Yen (slightly over £40). That seems like an absolute bargain for such a nicely made model with such a long and varied career.

 

Review: Kato and Tomix DD51

Both Kato and Tomix produce models of this useful diesel locomotive.

There's a really detailed comparison of the two models here (in Japanese) that focuses on the appearance of each model. So, what follows is more on the features and performance of each model from the perspective of someone outside of Japan more used to European or North American models.

Background

The DD51 diesel-hydraulic locomotives were built in large numbers by Kawasaki, Hitachi, and Mitsubishi between 1962 and 1978. Although they resemble centre cab locomotives like the German V100 and British Class 17, the DD51 locomotive was bigger and more powerful. However, to keep the axle load down, the 78 to 84 ton locomotives were given an unusual Bo-2-Bo wheel arrangement. In other words, while the front and back bogies have powered axles, the bogie in the centre is not powered and instead helps to spread out the weight.

Two V12 diesel engines provide up to 2,200 HP and use a Voith hydraulic transmission to drive the axles. The locomotives have a maximum speed of 95 km/h (about 6o mph), adequate for freight trains but somewhat limiting as far as passenger work goes. Still, the earlier versions (known as the 0-series and 500-series) were equipped with steam generators to heat passenger coaches. This was instealled in a cabinet inside the larger central cab. However, the final series of locomotives, the 800-series, lacked the steam generator and was intended primarily for freight train operations.

While the 0-series lacked multiple unit control gear, the 500- and 800-series locomotives could be operated in multiple and were often found working in pairs.

Designed for both passenger and freight work, these were for a long time the standard 'mixed traffic' diesel locomotive of the Japanese railway system. Until displaced by electric or diesel multiple units, they were often assigned to local passenger trains that had once been worked by steam locomotives. In later years they were primarily used as freight engines on non-electrified routes, but some notable passenger workings in more recent times included the Imperial train (specifically, locomotive DD51 842) and sleeper trains on the island of Hokkaido.

At first glance, DD51s all look pretty similar. However, there are some minor differences between different series. The earliest 0-series locomotives have circular headlamps that protrude from the end of the bonnet, whereas all the later DD51s have headlights recessed into the bonnet in a much more aesthetically pleasing way. The 500- and 800-series locomotives also have cooling fans in the cab, revealed by either two or one protrusion on the roof respectively.

An important distinction is between the warm, cold, and semi-cold specifications. The warm climate specification is the basic model that generally lacks features suited to the cold and snowy conditions common in some parts of Japan. These can be found widely across central and southern parts of the main island (Honshu) including Tokyo.

The cold specification (known as the A-specification) is for very cold environments including the northernmost part of Honshu (the Tohoku region) and the island of Hokkaido. The cold specification DD51s have equipment to prevent flexible hoses and pipes from freezing as well as snow ploughs and ice protection for the windows. Their most characteristic feature, though, are the circular, rotating window panes designed to ensure the driver can see clearly, even in heavy snow.

 The semi-cold specification (or B-specification) is designed for the fairly cold western part of Honshu, the Chugoku region, which includes the city of Hiroshima. This part of Japan is colder than its latitude might suggest, but not so cold as Hokkaido. The semi-cold DD51s have most of the features seen on the cold specification ones, but most notably (for modellers at least) lack the rotating windows.

As you'd expect for a class of locomotives that operated from the mid 1960s well into the 2010s, they were painted in many different liveries over the years.

The Tomix (2219) model

What's in the box?

• DD51-1000 locomotive, semi-cold (B) specification
• Removeable snowploughs
  
• Working headlights
• Chemically blackened wheels
  
• Optional roof (without cooling fans)
• Switch (inside the cab) to turn off the headlights
  
• Plastic sprues with number plates, maker plates, and radio antennas
  
• Replacement knuckle couplers (Arnold-type pre-fitted)
• Four different passenger train headboards
• Optional weight
• Very detailed, four-page instruction leaflet (in Japanese)
  

As the list of optional parts above should indicate, the model is supplied unnumbered so that it can be personalised as needed. There are four different sets of numbers. Once cut off their sprues, these plates are pushed into positioning holes where they sit quite securely. This is a bit of a faff, but it does mean that you can have several examples of the same model on your layout, all with different running numbers.

The cab clips away quite easily, revealing a small switch for turning off the headlights. This is useful where you're running two locos together, as the one at the back would not normally have its headlights on.

The model runs extremely well. It's smooth and quiet. Apparently, the DD51 was the first Tomix model to feature a flywheel! Current collection is from the front and back bogies but not the center bogie. Compared with the Kato model, but like other Tomix models, the Arnold coupler is rather large. A metal weight is included in the box that can be installed inside the cab to improve traction, but this hardly seems necessary. While you might get a bit more haulage or better grip on steep gradients, the weight will take up some of the space inside the cab.

The Kato (7008-H) Model

What's in the box?

• DD51-1000 locomotive, cold (A) specification
• Removeable snowploughs
  
• Working headlights
• Chemically blackened wheels
• Plastic sprues with three different sets of number plates
  
• Replacement knuckle couplers (Arnold-type pre-fitted)
• Two-page instruction leaflet (in Japanese)

Another very smooth, very quiet model that performs just as well, if not better, than the Tomix one. There are fewer extra parts included in the box, but otherwise detailing is just as good. There are some key differences in appearance though, reflecting the type of locomotive featured here. As a 'late' model DD51, circa 2003/2004, this model features a radio antenna on the front of the cab used for ship-to-shore communications. Circular (rotating) windows indicate that this is the full cold specification type designed for use in snowy, icy environments.

 

Like the Tomix model, the middle bogie does not collect current. On the other hand, brass flywheels on the motor ensure the model has exceptionally smooth, steady acceleration. The model is even more fun when used with the Kato Sound Box and the DD51 Sound Card. This gives you a nice variety of sounds including engine starts, revving when the load, gradient, or speed increase, and three different whistles.

Conclusion

Neither model is what you'd call DCC-ready in the sense of having a standard slot into which a decoder can be installed. But other than that, both the Kato and Tomix models are excellent. I'd have no qualms buying either model or running them together as a double-header. They run extremely well, even through insulated frog points and tight (~30 cm) radius curves. Even though the Tomix one comes with a few extra options and detailing parts, there's otherwise nothing much to choose between them when it comes to livery and detail.

At the time of writing this, the models retail in Japan for around 9,000-10,000 Yen, about £40-50. So, they're quite cheap when compared to European and British N-scale models, especially. But with that said, if you buy them from Japan rather than locally, you're going to pay a significant amount in shipping -- and perhaps twice that if you need to send it back because it doesn't work! When it comes to buying locally versus ordering from Japan, you pays your money and you takes your choice.