Kato USA, Good, Bad, Indifferent? - Model Railroader Magazine

Over the past several years it seems to me that there has been a dramatic shift in the way that HO modelers view Kato. When the Kato SD40-2 was first announced, I bought all of them that I could afford. Since then I have purchased upwards of 20 Katos. During the past couple of years, I have sold nearly all of them in favor of locomotives by Atlas Master, P2k, and others.

I was interested in acquiring several of the SD70MAC, AC4400CW, and others when they were announced only to be disappointed when they arrived at my local LHS. The overly large handrails, cast in place plastic blobs for truck struts, and electrical issues made if difficult for me to justify paying $150 for the units. At one point I figured that it would cost an extra $50 to fix Kato’s cost cutting. This was just something that I was not willing to do.

Recently I went to the OKC Train Show and had the opportunity to speak with a Kato representative. I asked him about my concerns and if Kato ever reviews and improves models between product runs. I was basically ignored and told that Kato generally will not rework existing products. At this point, I basically gave up on Kato. I still have several of the units, primarily models that no one else makes, but I doubt that I will purchase any more.

Am I then only one who is disappointed with the design and manufacture of recent Kato products? I understand that mistakes happen and I am not looking to pan Kato for past errors. I am wondering about the apparent disregard for customer input and the impact on the hobby. I have heard rumors for quite a while that Kato’s sales are falling and that they may cut back or discontinue future HO production. I would like to now what others in the hobby are thinking.