Kato USA - 176-7045-DCC - Locomotive, Diesel, GE AC4400CW - Kansas City Southern de México - 4554

Model Information: Kato introduced the AC4400CW in 2005. It is directly derived from the C44-9W introduced in 1997, as both are visually very similar.
Performance is excellent. They run smoothly and acceleration from a stop is very clean. They also have very good pulling power. Their only flaw is that they are limited to 11"-radius curves and broader. As with many 6-axle models, they have a high chance of derailing on tighter curves.

Features: Cab, Headlight, Inverter Cabinet, and Number Board details accurate for each prototype roadname. Models have directional headlights and lighted walkway-mounted ditch lights, as well as lighted Number Boards.
Five-pole motor with dual brass flywheels for smooth operation.

DCC Information: DCC-Friendly mechanism for easy drop-in of a DCC decoder.

Prototype History: The GE AC4400CW (also known as the AC44CW) is a 4,400 horsepower (3,300 kW) diesel-electric locomotive that was built by GE Transportation Systems between 1993 and 2004. It is like the Dash 9-44CW, but features AC traction motors instead of DC, with a separate inverter per motor. In appearance, the AC4400CW is similar to GE's more powerful locomotive, the AC6000CW.

A relatively high-powered locomotive, the AC4400CW is "the most successful present day locomotive." Over the 11 years in which it was produced, GE constructed 2,834 examples for North American railroads. In 2005, all Class I freight railroads except Norfolk Southern and Canadian National owned at least one AC4400CW. As a result of more stringent emissions requirements that came into effect on January of that year, GE no longer offers the AC4400CW, replacing it with the ES44AC.

Road Name History: Kansas City Southern de México (KCSM), formerly Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM), is the name of a company dedicated to freight transportation using rail in the northeastern part of Mexico. KCSM is fully owned and operated by Kansas City Southern, who owns its own fleet and the rights to operate and maintain a rail system through a concession from the Mexican government. The majority of the rail system spans from the Mexico City Valley to the United States border at Laredo, Texas; there are also tracks that connect to the port cities of Lázaro Cárdenas and Veracruz, giving Kansas City Southern de Mexico a unique position because they connect both the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean to the United States border.

Brand/Importer Information: KATO U.S.A. was established in 1986, with the first U.S. locomotive model (the GP38-2, in N-Scale) released in 1987. Since that time, KATO has come to be known as one of the leading manufacturers of precision railroad products for the modeling community. KATO's parent company, Sekisui Kinzoku Co., Ltd., is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

In addition to producing ready-to-run HO and N scale models that are universally hailed for their high level of detail, craftsmanship and operation, KATO also manufactures UNITRACK. UNITRACK is the finest rail & roadbed modular track system available to modelers today. With the track and roadbed integrated into a single piece, UNITRACK features a nickel-silver rail and a realistic-looking roadbed. Patented UNIJOINERS allow sections to be snapped together quickly and securely, time after time if necessary.

The Kato U.S.A. office and warehouse facility is located in Schaumburg, Illinois, approximately 30 miles northwest of Chicago. All research & development of new North American products is performed here, in addition to the sales and distribution of merchandise to a vast network of wholesale representatives and retail dealers. Models requiring service sent in by hobbyists are usually attended to at this location as well. The manufacturing of all KATO products is performed in Japan.

Supporters of KATO should note that there is currently no showroom or operating exhibit of models at the Schaumburg facility. Furthermore, model parts are the only merchandise sold directly to consumers. (Please view the Parts Catalog of this website for more specific information.)