Kato E259 Narita Express

[Claude_Dreyfus]

It's here, just under a year after it was announced the Kato E259 Narita Express set has hit the shops.

 

The E259 was released into service in October 2009, replacing the ageing E253 sets that have been the exclusive stock on the Narita Airport - Tokyo services since 1991. For more details on the prototype see below:

 

http://en.wikipedia....iki/E259_series

 

The set comes as a standard six-car formation, with a powerful fly-wheel fitted motor in one of the intermediate carriages. Being one of the new-generation Kato models, this comes as DCC friendly. In general the prototype either runs as a single six-car unit or as a pair; maximum twelve. As far as I can see from the supporting docs, Kato are only producing the one set; if you want the twelve-car set you'll have to by two units. I suspect you will have to contend with two identically numbered units in this case...

 

I gave it a run last night, and the mechanism is extremely smooth and quiet. The printing is neat with crisp joins between the colours. The standard of the detailing is very fine, and the cab ends really look the part...head/tail lights are quite bright and come on at a fairly low speed - internal lights is, as mentioned, optional as is DCC fitting.

 

One of the new developments of this unit is the intermediate couplings. When coupled this feature really looks the part, and ceratinly coupling the units up is no problem. Uncoupling is more of a fiddle, and the mechanism looks if it may be a little fragile, only time will tell how they put up with the general wear and tear of frequent coupling and uncoupling...may be an idea to get some spares! Close coupling is certainly the order of the day here...

 

The test track set up in picture 3 is a standard M1 set, the curves of which were comfortably traversed by this unit.

 

Based on first impressions this is a fine model, and for me yet again shows the level of detail and performance expected from Japanese models. This set has proved to be exeptionally popular in Japan, so if you want one its probably best you get one now whilst you can. It certainly makes an impressive addition to the collection, however unlike JR, this unit will be complimenting my existing E253 set as opposed to replacing it!