A British domestic train from Kato? 800 series available from May 2021

[osborns]

as mentioned before Osborns has some spare stock

[Chris Morris]

I am surprised that Japanese modellers haven't taken to DCC. With their love of automated toilets and vending machines that sell virtually anything you'd think it would be popular. More so if the majority of the hobby there revolves around Unitrack based layouts that can be set-up and taken down quickly.

Steven B.

Maybe the Japanese realise it doesn't actually add much to running trains other than cost. I have spent a lifetime working in IT but when it came down to it I chose DC over DCC for my layout simply because it suited my needs better. The main advantage of DC is that when you flick a point the loco/train in the road you have switched to is automatically live. I see this as the most important part of running my layout. Many others like DCC because of all the interesting things it can do and that's fine by me but having power move with the point is just so good.

[Kaput]

Remember the majority of Japanese layouts aren't permanant hence the popularity of Unitrack.

Lots of the advantages of DCC disappear if you only ever have one loco/unit on the track at a time.


Plus, using a standard DCC socket would require Kato to redesign their well proven mechanism as they don't really use PCB's to go between the pickups and the motors for the most part (look at the decoder for the 800, it basically slides into place and breaks the connection between the track and the motor).


Anyhoo, any good images/videos of an LNER set with the Kato light bars fitted on DCC (without the extra decoders to control them)? Debating getting them for mine but only if they aren't overly bright cause I ain't spending the extra to get 5 more lighting decoders.

[Adam1701D]

I saw a tweet from Kato this morning, indicating that a "Soundbox" equipped Class 800 is to be released.

https://twitter.com/kato_team/status/1499565398655926272?s=20&t=NMUb9_nAV2M6Dc1mVW8mbg

I've had to look it up - Soundbox is a DC trackside sound system that syncs with the controller -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZspASybSgnQ

[tutenkhamunsleeping]

I've had to look it up - Soundbox is a DC trackside sound system that syncs with the controller -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZspASybSgnQ

Yes, presumably big enough in Japan but not a major phenomenon in the UK.

https://www.traintrax.co.uk/sound-cards-c-39.html

[Adam1701D]

That's probably why I'd not heard of it. 

[zwilnik]

I've had to look it up - Soundbox is a DC trackside sound system that syncs with the controller -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZspASybSgnQ

Yes, presumably big enough in Japan but not a major phenomenon in the UK.

https://www.traintrax.co.uk/sound-cards-c-39.html

I'd presume that the actual new release would be a Class-800 card for the Sound Box rather than a new version of the train as the SoundBox doesn't require any modification to the loco itself. It just uses feedback to decide what audio to play.

[PaulCheffus]

Finally I have some decoders for my 800s. But I've stuck. I've fitted the motor decoder and the headlight decoders to both end coaches. Put it on the track and great dcc control. Reprogrammed it all on the track and it has its ident and movement. But lights.. in one direction both front and back car are white, change direction there both red. How the heck do you get them correct ie one end red one end white ? It's beyond me.....and also cold in the loft to be fiddling !

Hi

At least yours work. My decoders have finally arrived and the motor control one is working perfectly. The lighting decoders don't work and I've read the https://tramfabriek.nl/kato-800.html instructions with no joy.

Lights briefly flash when the vehicle is put on the track. Both red and white lights come on without the decoder installed but nothing happens when I press F0 with it installed. I've waited over a year for these decoders and it looks like they are fault. Not impressed at all.

Cheers

Paul

[woodbury22uk]

Have you tried swapping them between the two driving coaches, and rechecked that they are firmly seated in the socket? Seems unlikely both decoders would be faulty.

[njee20]

Exactly what I was going to say, the chance of two having identical faults seem extremely unlikely.

[PaulCheffus]

Hi

I've taken the driving coaches apart and I can see they are seated correctly but still no lights unfortunately.

Cheers

Paul

[Graham]

I am still to receive my decoders, but I did read somewhere the orientation of them is different for front and rear. I will be following the steps shown on the tramfabriek site as that gives a good step by step process.

[PaulCheffus]

Hi

I've found the issue with my lighting decoders. It would appear they are not compatible with Railcom. As soon as I turned it off on the LVZ100 the lights worked correctly.

Cheers

Paul

[jpendle]

Hi

I've found the issue with my lighting decoders. It would appear they are not compatible with Railcom. As soon as I turned it off on the LVZ100 the lights worked correctly.

Cheers

Paul

Hi,

I assume that you bought the Kato decoder and not the ones made by Zino?

Regards,

John P

[PaulCheffus]

Hi

I've found the issue with my lighting decoders. It would appear they are not compatible with Railcom. As soon as I turned it off on the LVZ100 the lights worked correctly.

Cheers

Paul

Hi,

I assume that you bought the Kato decoder and not the ones made by Zino?

Regards,

John P

Hi

Yes as I didn't know Zimo did them and they were ordered about 14 months ago.

Cheers

Paul