N Scale Kato Model Trains
Kato is a Japan based model train manufacturer known for their US and Japan scale trains. The company started to manufacture US based model trains in 1986. This was after they have set up their facilities in Illinois. This was also their distribution center for US orders for their Japan-made model trains. Their US office manufacture only US model trains while fulfilling orders for Japanese model trains. Kato has a niche in this industry and they have considerably grown in size due to the popularity of Japanese model scale trains.
N scale is the most popular model scale in Japan. That is why Kato is primarily an N scale model train manufacturer and their HO model scale only gained in popularity because of its demand in US. The Japanese N scale model train of Kato is a little bigger to its US counterpart with measurement with a scale of 1:150. The US made N scale model train is smaller with a scale of 1:160. But even with the disparity in sizing, the Japan made N scale model trains could perfectly fit to 9mm tracks. Most of the trains of Kato could be upgraded to DCC while some models could even be integrated with sound decoders.