Kato - 10-500-2 - Chibi Steam Engine - PO

Specific Item Information: Powered steam engine with 2 passenger coaches.

Model Information: Kato boxed sets for Japanese Prototypes come in various shapes and sizes. These may contain complete train sets with track and power pack or may be as simple as a pair of passenger coaches. Many of the sets use "bookshelf" boxes with cardboard sleeves and carefully cut foam inserts.

Road Name History: The Compagnie du chemin de fer de Paris à Orléans, often abbreviated to PO, was an early French railway company. It was created in 1838 to build and operate a railway line between Paris and Orléans. The Musée d'Orsay in Paris is a former railway station belonging to the PO, on which the name of the defunct company can still be seen.
in 1934, it created a joint-venture with the Chemins de fer du Midi to form the PO-Midi. On 1 January 1938, the PO-Midi was nationalised, as were the other main railway companies, to become part of the Société nationale des chemins de fer français (SNCF).

Read more on Wikipedia (in French)

Brand/Importer Information: Kato Precision Railroad Models (関水金属株式会社 Sekisui Kinzoku Kabushikigaisha) is a Japanese manufacturer of model railroad equipment in N and HO scales. The Tokyo-based company manufactures models based on Japanese prototypes (such as the Shinkansen bullet train) for the Japanese market, North American prototypes for the North American market and European high-speed trains for European market.
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.

The design and distribution of models for the North American market are handled by their U.S. subsidiary, Kato USA, located in Schaumburg, Illinois.
The design of special models for the European market is handled for some of them by their partner, Lemke, whereas the general distribution of Kato products in Europe is handled by NOCH; both companies are located in Germany.
As a result, some Kato European models are sold as Kato Lemke and others as Kato (alone).