Model Railroading > Kato SD70MAC - Can You Stand One More?

At the risk of beating a dead horse...

I finally got to see one of the new Kato HO scale SD70MAC models. Not bad - not great. Typical Kato.

Pros:
- Runs great
- New LED color is dynamite
- Truck sideframes have nice chain detail
- Nicely done traction motor detail
- Couplers are nicely done (even if they do open the wrong way)
- Snowplow is nice and thin (but the mounting apparatus looks flimsier than on the prototype)

Cons:
- Truck gearboxes hang down way too low, messing up the profile of the trucks (not enough space between the sideframes and the railhead) -- completely ruins the trackside view of this model
- Handrails and grab irons are too heavy
- Exhaust stack does not have enough depth (looks toylike)
- Q-Fans have too many blades (Q-fans only have 5 unevenly spaced blades)
- Q-Fan blades are too close to the grilles
- Dynamic fan housing is painted the body color (check how Athearn\'s looks on the SD70s)
- Antennas molded onto cab roof
- Details molded onto frame - how retro
- Door detail is flat (knuckle busters look better on Athearn\'s SD70s)
- Door detail, part II: some doors should protrude from side more than they do on this model
- Dynamic brake grille - not see through (again, see how Athearn does it on the SD70s)
- Blower housing does not have see-through walkway (see Cannon part for an idea of how it should have been done)
- Window gaskets are too thick -- especially on the nose door window
- Paint is lousy
- Air tanks are not true cylinders (and, yes, it it noticable)
- Plastic grab irons rather than wire
- Grab irons are wrong width

Overall, a fair model, but hardly the second coming of motive power as the Kato Kult would have us believe.

Bring on the flames, for I have blasphemed in the mighty church of Kato...

Bob McMullen

Well, having not seen one of these in person I am forced to believe what has been posted here (numerous time) on these engines. Seems more negative than positive. Which brings me back to my origional thoughts all along....

I\'ll wait for Athearns...most likely, better details, better paint, better avaliability. (dont want to say for sure they are better without seeing them both first, not like its going to keep my from getting flammed)

Getting into my bunker now....
-Mike

I too am going to wait for the Athearn as I\'m a struggling college student. I too am taking shelter before the Athearn bashing people show up. I have no compliants about Athearns.
Charles
Las Cruces Area

I don\'t understand what the complaint is about the frame detail. The details are meant to model the structural steel frame and then the air and fuel related components in front of the fuel tank and air resevoirs. All of this detail is cast into plastic pieces that sit along the edge of the frame.

If you want to add a better DA or DW part, it is a simple task and not something that will take an hour or two with a needle file if it was truly cast into the frame.

I don\'t think the issue is with the frame rails - those are an important detail that I\'m glad mfgs. are including on models. What I\'m not crazy about are molded-on details on the fuel tank, and the air filters molded in place.

"Half moon" air tanks are another detail I\'m not crazy about either, and end up replacing with either Cannon or DW tanks. They look soooo much better, especially after adding the appropriate piping to the separate air filters.

Hey Charles, I thaught the overtime was paying off (GP60 tread), what happend in the span of a few hours ......

These engines are sold out at Kato. Interesting.

brunswick wrote:

> These engines are sold out at Kato. Interesting.

So it looks like P.T. Barnum WAS right...

-Nameless Modeler

charls, the overtime money goes to trains but I don\'t get too much as I work for the government testing missiles and going to school. Why should I pay Kato outragous price when I can get an Athearn for a little cheaper. I\'m not a rivet counter myself so I don\'t care what otehrs think. I tired my best to think of something clever to say but am speechless.

Charles
Las Cruces Area


> Hey Charles, I thaught the overtime was paying off (GP60
> tread), what happend in the span of a few hours ......
>
> [%sig%]

> These engines are sold out at Kato. Interesting.


Yeah, if I made two pieces of crap and sold them both then I guess I\'d be sold out too.

I will also wait for the Athearn models to come out.
I have never been an HO Kato fan (N-scale is a different story), after painting quite a few for friends I did not like their price/cost ratio.


One comment: Seems like we are fast becoming model "collectors" rather than model "modelers". Everything has the detail on it, no much to ad to make it something you did yourself.



SHIELDS UP!!
PHOTON TORPEDOS READY!!

atsf1900 wrote:

> At the risk of beating a dead horse...
> (SNIP)
> Cons:
(SNIP)
> - Q-Fans have too many blades (Q-fans only have 5 unevenly
> spaced blades)
> - Q-Fan blades are too close to the grilles

Kato apparently has never looked very closley at how fan housings are shaped. On the SD40 & 45 they omitted the radius at the base of the radiator fans. What they have done on the Q-fans on the SD70MAC make those look good. Of all the modeled representations of the Q-fan, this is the worst. Look at the down on picture Bruce Freedman posted last week:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?f=3&i=67636&t=67636

There is no radius at the base, this should be about .020 of an inch. That might not sound like much but it makes quite a difference in appearance. Also the shape of the concentric rings should be tapered, with each ring higher as they get smaller. The angle of this taper is about 8 degrees, Kato made it almost flat.

Of the previously modeled versions, the blue box Athearn GP50 Q-fan is the most accurate, although it is solid (like the Kato). Of the see through versions the Athearn SD70 is best, followed by the Detail Associates version, the Train Station version, the P2K one on the SD60\'s and GP60\'s comes next.

One other area that doesn\'t stand up to well to close examination is the ditch light/handrail stanchion. As modeled it is one big glob. I understand what they were trying to do, (make a working above deck mounted - light pipe illuminated ditch light, but... The hand rail stanchion is not part of the light housing.

dh30973

I hope the Athearns are nicer also, but I would not count on them being any cheaper. Athearns new assembled Genesis are now in the same price league as Kato. Both average $99.00

cgrubb80 wrote:

> charls, the overtime money goes to trains but I don\'t get too
> much as I work for the government testing missiles and going to
> school. Why should I pay Kato outragous price when I can get
> an Athearn for a little cheaper. I\'m not a rivet counter
> myself so I don\'t care what otehrs think. I tired my best to
> think of something clever to say but am speechless.

atsf1900 wrote:
> At the risk of beating a dead horse...
>
> I finally got to see one of the new Kato HO scale SD70MAC
> models. Not bad - not great. Typical Kato.
>
> Pros:
> - Runs great
> ....

Well that is a bigger selling point than many of the other much more minor things mentioned (both pros and cons which were pretty well described)...

> Bring on the flames, for I have blasphemed in the mighty
> church of Kato...

Shame, shame... Sure you weren\'t bowing at the Athearn alter? (did the church have a 10" thick front door?)

- BCM

Greetings!

We have some update information on our SD70MAC.

The Athearn Genesis SD70MAC is in development, with arrival slated for late
this year. We have received ³test shots² of most of the body and part molds,
and photos are posted on our web site.

Here are some of the features of this exciting new locomotive:

The Genesis SD70MAC will be completely factory assembled, including:

* Photo-etched sun shades
* Handrails
* Grabirons
* Operating ditch lights
* Truck details

Also included:
* DCC Ready with new Plug and Play circuit board that will take either 8-pin
or 9-pin connector
* McHenry semi-scale couplers
* Machined wheels

Painting and lettering will be the highest quality and detail that is
expected of the Genesis Series.

Bodies will come in seven distinct versions that will cover nearly all
phases of the SD70MAC evolution.

Delivery of the first road names is slated for late this year. We¹ll
announce specifics such as road names, item numbers and pricing soon.


That\'s it for today.

The Folks at Athearn

"Bodies will come in seven distinct versions that will cover nearly all
phases of the SD70MAC evolution."


Holy cow batman.

PowellWye wrote:

> I don\'t understand what the complaint is about the frame
> detail. The details are meant to model the structural steel
> frame and then the air and fuel related components in front of
> the fuel tank and air resevoirs. All of this detail is cast
> into plastic pieces that sit along the edge of the frame.

Mea culpa. I thought the air filters, etc., we cast of metal. The are indeed plastic, so they will be easier to cut off and discard -- and all for a low, low $149.99 MSRP!

brunswick wrote:

> These engines are sold out at Kato. Interesting.

It\'s not that interesting, as they were sold out before anyone caught a glimpse of what a mediocre model they are.

Are you sure you didn\'t mean, "These models are a sell out"?

BCM wrote:

> atsf1900 wrote:
> > Pros:
> > - Runs great
> > ....
>
> Well that is a bigger selling point than many of the other
> much more minor things mentioned (both pros and cons which were
> pretty well described)...

But it is not as if Katos are the only engines that run well. And, yes, sub-par details can counter act a nice drive, in my opinion (ooh, look, Curt, I can spell the whole phrase out, and not just resort to a few initials).

> > Bring on the flames, for I have blasphemed in the mighty
> > church of Kato...
>
> Shame, shame... Sure you weren\'t bowing at the Athearn
> alter? (did the church have a 10" thick front door?)

Well, bowing at the Athearn altar is not something anyone could ever accuse you of doing, since all you can do is moon it. I believe your bias is showing a bit too much of late. Don\'t you have to go figure out another e-mail to write to them like you did with the UP Flag SD70Ms? Or are you still denying that you were behind that? If it was someone else, then they did an awfully good job of copying your writing style. Maybe it was Jason Blair!

Bob

> The Genesis SD70MAC will be completely factory assembled,
> including:
>
> * Photo-etched sun shades
> * Handrails
> * Grabirons
> * Operating ditch lights
> * Truck details

Wow! Handrails! Truck details! Cutting edge, to say the least...

(There, BCM, look! I just made fun of Athearn, too, just like you!)

Actually, I\'ll bet that the Athearn unit will have separate details on the truck sideframes, unlike the Kato blobs. (Well, OK, the Kato sideframes are not bad -- except for the cast on snubbers. Shades of Tyco!)