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

[RailGooner]

Mine's just arrived. At the moment the dining modelling table is setup for plastic kits (WW2 Polish Bomber). So running will have to wait till tomorrow.

[Trainfish]

So running will have to wait till tomorrow.

Wouldn't happen in this house 

[Rabbitaway]

Ordered the LNER version, so looks like I will have to wait until next month.

The GWR version looks very nice, great value model at the price point.

[Railwaygun]

Cut a small length plastic film and insert it in the carriage slot in the foam, so that the ends stick out - the coach can then be lifted out of the slot more easily next time

[railsquid]

I've seen the GWR version start to pop up on Japanese social media, so there's certainly a domestic market (fueled more by Rule 1 curiosity, going by the comments).

FWIW the instructions/parts sheet for both versions is available for download here: https://s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/kato-model/schedule/pdf/20210419152438607d22265a324/class800.pdf

It might be worth saving a copy "just in case", as Kato tend to take the files down after a while, for whatever reason.

[Ditape]

Look what just landed on my door step curtesy of Kieth @ Traintrax, A Kato Hitachi Class 800/0 GWR 5 Car set. British based manufacturers could take leaf out of Kato's book this 5 car unit comes complete with enougth track to display the units, in a beautiful proper book style case and by UK standards a very good price.

[davidinyork]

Is it normal for Japanese models to be supplied with track to display them on?

[railsquid]

Is it normal for Japanese models to be supplied with track to display them on?

This is the first time I've seen it with a bookset like this; usually only display/commemorative models (e.g. Tomix's "First Car Museum" range) come with display track.

[Snowwolflair]

I suspect some tunnel mouths will need to be modified.

[RailGooner]

Is it normal for Japanese models to be supplied with track to display them on?

I wish they hadn't done this - without the track the package could've been the same dimensions as a Dapol bookset, which the OCD in me would've preferred. This Kato box won't fit my storage crates so is doomed to a shabby future.

[Bob G]

Is it normal for Japanese models to be supplied with track to display them on?

Seems a good and relatively inexpensive way to introduce all the people used to Setrack to a different sectional track system.

Bob

[dannyboy]

I totally agree Bob, it could be a very good marketing ploy.

[njee20]

Some of their TGVs include a length of Unitrack. I agree as a mechanism for getting people hands on with it it's probably quite shrewd marketing!

[woodbury22uk]

Hermes delivered my Class 800 from Train Trax today, too. Very pleased with it. Also pleased to say it ran round the R1 (9 inch) curve on one of my fiddle yard tracks without problem even at speed. At half setting on my Morley controller it runs at about 110mph.

[Farmer chap]

Another happy customer from Keith at Traintrax, my pair of GWR 800's were delivered this afternoon by Hermes.

Parcel delivery on a Sunday used to be unheard of.

Ian.