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is a Japanese manufacturer of
In both N scale and HO scale, Kato also manufactures an integrated roadbed model railroad track brand named Unitrack. What distinguishes Unitrack from other brands of integrated roadbed track is Kato's Unijoiner. This unique track joiner is also used by
Kato N-scale locomotive features include:
*Powerful 5-pole motors
*Blackened metal wheels
and on some models:
*Operating ditch lights
*Directional golden white
KATO Digital
/ref> Although an important milestone for Kato, KATO Digital was not very successful; both the controller units and the decoder modules required for the locomotives were expensive, and locomotives equipped with a KATO Digital decoder could not be used on conventional systems, making it difficult to run one's locomotives on friends' layouts or club layouts.
Kato Precision Railroad Models
Kato USA
Manufacturing companies based in Tokyo Model railroad manufacturers Toy train manufacturers Japanese brands 1957 establishments in Japan Model manufacturers of Japan {{Japan-company-stub
is a Japanese manufacturer of model railroad
Railway modelling (UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland) or model railroading (US and Canada) is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale.
The scale models include locomotives, rolling stock, streetcars, t ...
equipment in N and HO scales. Founded in 1957, the Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
-based company manufactures models based on Japanese prototypes (such as the Shinkansen
The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond l ...
bullet train) for the Japanese market, North American prototypes for the North American market and European high-speed train
High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines ...
s for European market. The design and distribution of models for the North American market are handled by their U.S. subsidiary, Kato USA, founded in 1986 and located in Schaumburg, Illinois
Schaumburg ( ) is a village mostly in Cook County and partly in DuPage County in northeastern Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 Census, the population was 78,723. Schaumburg is around northwest of the Chicago Loop and northwest of O'Hare I ...
.
The Kato (pronounced kah-toe) model railroad companies were founded by Yuji Kato, father of current president Hiroshi Kato, of the parent company Sekisui Kinzoku Co., Ltd.
Yuji Kato, the founder of Sekisui Kinzoku Co., Ltd., died on November 21, 2016.
Unitrack
In both N scale and HO scale, Kato also manufactures an integrated roadbed model railroad track brand named Unitrack. What distinguishes Unitrack from other brands of integrated roadbed track is Kato's Unijoiner. This unique track joiner is also used by Tillig
Tillig (''TILLIG Modellbahnen GmbH & Co. KG'') is a German model railroad manufacturing company based in Sebnitz, Saxony. Tillig is the largest manufacturer of TT scale model railroad products in the world. Previously known as Zeuke (founded i ...
in their TT scale
TT scale is a model railroading scale, whose name stands for ''table top''.
Its 1:120 scale (from a common engineering scale where one inch equals ten feet) and gauge are roughly halfway between HO scale (1:87) and N scale (1:160). Its origina ...
integrated roadbed ''Bedding Track'' products.
Locomotive features
Kato N-scale locomotive features include:
*Powerful 5-pole motors
*Blackened metal wheels
and on some models:
*Operating ditch lights
*Directional golden white LED
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...
s
*All-wheel electrical pickup
KATO Digital
A multiple train control system named KATO Digital was introduced in the late 1980s for HO scale model trains. Conceptually it is similar toDigital Command Control
Digital Command Control (DCC) is a standard for a system to operate model railways digitally. When equipped with Digital Command Control, locomotives on the same electrical section of track can be independently controlled.
The DCC protocol is de ...
(DCC)./ref> Although an important milestone for Kato, KATO Digital was not very successful; both the controller units and the decoder modules required for the locomotives were expensive, and locomotives equipped with a KATO Digital decoder could not be used on conventional systems, making it difficult to run one's locomotives on friends' layouts or club layouts.
See also
*Tomy
is a Japanese entertainment company that makes children's toys and merchandise. It was created from a merger on March 1st 2006 of two companies: Tomy (founded in 1924 as Tomiyama, changing the name to Tomy in 1963) and long-time rival Tak ...
, Kato's main competitor in Japan
* T-TRAK, a modular standard using Kato Unitrack
References
External links
Kato Precision Railroad Models
Kato USA
Manufacturing companies based in Tokyo Model railroad manufacturers Toy train manufacturers Japanese brands 1957 establishments in Japan Model manufacturers of Japan {{Japan-company-stub