Meet the Kato N scale ALC-42 "Charger"

[jonklein611]

After a bit of a hiatus we're back and ready to show off the new N scale ACL-42 "Charger", which is set to start shipping in December 2022! This new engine is a completely fresh design with all-new tooling that takes into account both interior lighting and DCC + Sound installation out of the box.



The ALC-42 "Charger" is now available for pre-order from your favorite hobby store - read more details about this engine and the available items on our website here: katousa.com/alc-42-charger/

[crblue]

I wish they had picked a new circuit board design, too, that could handle alternating ditch lights without the requirement to hard-wire them in. IIRC, it's part of the standard format for ESU decoders, and it's almost like they went with a non-ESU sound decoder specifically to prevent easy-to-install alternating ditch lights.

[jonklein611]

Aug 11, 2022 5:44:22 GMT -8 crblue said:

I wish they had picked a new circuit board design, too, that could handle alternating ditch lights without the requirement to hard-wire them in. IIRC, it's part of the standard format for ESU decoders, and it's almost like they went with a non-ESU sound decoder specifically to prevent easy-to-install alternating ditch lights.

Most drop in Kato N scale decoders don't have a separate LED for the ditch lights at all. The light pipes in most Kato models are all tied to the same LED. Also remember that Kato's main market is Japan where most layouts are temporarily setup and run off DC power packs, so demand for DCC and the associated functions is relatively low.

tcsdcc.com/1673

www.esu.eu/en/products/loksound/loksound-5-micro-dcc-kato-usa/