How is the paint quality of your units? The quality of paint on both of my BNSF H2's is very unkato like. On both units there is orange visible on the underside of the rear light. Also the striping missed the corners on the blower duct, not to mention on one of them it looks like the yellow on the rear was dabed on with a sponge!
Well, I guess everything is relative. No, the quality is not great, there is still a significant problems with opaqness of the yellow, lines are poor, etc. However, this is a dam site better than the Kato Dash 9's, the yellow is a more correct shade, the orange is brighter and overall the look is good. Definitely much improved from past efforts. Kato desparately needs to fix their paint issues. If they get any serious competition, their mechanism is not such an advantage anymore to carry them. That being said, I don't want to be overly critical of Kato, as they took the SD70MAC to the plant and that might not have happened if Kato didn't take the risk.
I have a great deal of difficulty with you guys who claim the Atlas mechanism is as good as the Kato. My Atlas locomotives look great, but are to light weight to pull anything. The Katos are heavy (the SD-70MAC is 4.2 oz.) and it can pull. Jerry
I'm not impressed with my CSX units at all either. They just don't look right to me and I can't put my finger on why other than fuzzy paint lined on the hood. I would have ordered un-decs if I had known how crappy the paint would be on these. The only ones I have not heard any complaints about are the Conrail ones. We have a pair at the hobby shop that look really nice.
I hear everyone complaining about the colors on the BNSF 70mac's.I see these engines everyday at work and much like most other's they are either faded or weathered really good.In a lash up that consisted of 4 dash 9's and 3 70macs I don't think 1 of them was the same shade of green,orange,or the yellow stripe wasn't faded into different shade. I am just happy the engine is out.
I just checked my SD-70MAC in H2. You really have to look hard to find that orange under the headlight, like turning it over. Have you checked the Kato site lately. The new models in HO and N are displayed. the HO ones will have seperate windshield wipers, sunshades, and painted end-rails! Is this something in N scale's future also? Now if they would only offer a GP-38-2. Jerry
I am perfectly happy with my MAC's!!! I'll be even more happy when the UPS gets here this afternoon with my Execs!!
Count me as one who does't like the BNSF orange on the new Kato units either. Too bright, shiny, and plastic looking. Same can be said for the green on the Executive scheme, IMHO. I ran the 70 with an Atlas 60 the other night, and much preferred the Atlas version of orange when the two ran side by side. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the two units ran together, though.
Check Ebay. They did a LONG time ago. I recently picked up three for a combined (yes combined) total of just over $100.
