Model Railroading > Kato H0 C44-9W

Is Kato´s 3rd production of the H0 C44-9W as good as the earlier ?
I am wery pleased with my Kato C44-9W of the 2nd production. I am thinking of buying some more units of 3rd prod, but my Swedish hobby shop do list any C44-9W so i can´t have a look at them.
Are you pleased with your H0 3rd production C44-9W ?

Hi Patrik,I have all 3 production runs and they all
appear to be the same, very good runners and lookers.
Keep safe.
Brian

Although the Kato mechanism on the third run of HO C44-9Ws was of the standard high quality, Kato made some mistakes on the paint jobs.

The Kato body is (with the exception of lacking the AC unit on the elevated portion above the left walkway) very close to Santa Fe units #600 to #649. Unfortunately for some unknown reason Kato elected NOT to do numbers in that range for the third run (they did #669 and #653). Santa Fe units #650-699 had a later style truck sideframe and other minor detail differences.

On the Kato BNSF Heritage 2 C44-9Ws there were comments on this board (and the Atlas forum) from disappointed customers about the incorrect orange, incorrect size BNSF side logos, poor striping, wrong colored side-sill printing, wrong colored front handrails, as well as incorrect details. The general consensus was that Athearn blew Kato away on the Heritage 2 paint job.

- BCM