Kato USA Model Train Products CB&Q EMD E5A Silver Streak Zephyr 6-Unit Set

I've been out of the hobby for about 35 years, but decided to get back in to it. But boy, a lot of things have changed during that time. Nonetheless, I decided to get this set as a jumping off point. When it arrived, I was impressed by the packaging - a nice little "book" to store everything in when not in use. A big step up from what most other trains are boxed in! Upon opening it up, I was stunned by how beautiful everything looked! The level of detail in something this small is amazing! These are true scale models and not toys! Once my track was set up, running this set was pure joy! I had no problems whatsoever. It ran smoothly and relatively quiet. Again, I was captivated by how great everything looked while rolling down the track. If this set is any indication, then one of the big improvements in the last 35 years is the level of precision and detail in the models now. I dont remember much from back then ( even in the larger scales) that would match the realism of this set. A lot of reviews rave about the quality of Kato trains and I can see why! They knocked this one out of the park!!

Works perfectly. Lights on the engine and last car. Very attractive train.

Really high quality. Lights work on the front and the back. A little hint. If the lights on the back of the train stay on even when off, throw it in reverse and give the throttle a small tad of power. They will go off. Then the throttle can be in the off position. Love the train!

Received today and set up. It’s a wonderful model, I could sit and watch for hours. Also ordered extra track and a lighting kit. The extra track is great, adds to the length of the run.waiting for the light kit. The little details make the kit really look so beautiful. Kato is truly the go-to company from beginners to experts. You may pay a little more, but the quality is worth it. This silver zephyr set is just beautiful from front to back. The details are wonderful.

Great looking train set. The Silver Streak Zephyr was a train service that operated in the American Midwest and which ran from 1940 through 1959. Operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. This set has a few added bits to install if you want to represent Hoses. I left them off because they are small and can not really be seen. I have it on 12.5 Kato curves. It looks pretty good, but wider curves would look better. When I first got I ran it on 11 inch radius track. It did not derail, but the side of the cars really hung out in the curved sections. Paint and finish are great, and it runs smooth fast or slow. It has a Kato Knuckle Couple (non magnetic), but they connect to one another easily. I also installed the Kato 212 interior light kit. The kit is a bit hard to install. I found some Utube videos on these kits. The first Car took me a hour to figure out how the Light diffuser clicks in the roof of the cars. After that I got the other five cars done in about 5 minutes each. Comes with great packaging to store and protect the train when not in service.

Top notch, runs perfectly right out of the box and it was a fun challenge adding lighting.

This train being a KATO runs smooth and it really looks cool too.

Kato quality is great. Added light kit and enjoy watching it run. Zephyr is something I grew up with and brings back memories.

I had a problem when I opened the case there was a door frame laying in the bottom of the case that had one tab broken off. I could not tell how it went back in until I took a picture to zoom in on and then saw the remaining lower tab had a hook on it and needed to be put in first then the top tab snaps in to secure it. You can’t notice the missing tab after reinstalling it fits flush. This was not a great start to my first KATO train set. The good is I love this train it is so beautifully detailed and so powerful. It has a very high low torque so I can creep it out of the station, also climbs a 2.2% grade without any slowing down at all and on the decline it hold speed very well. I only had a couple steam engines from 50 years ago and this is a whole new ball game with these KATO trains and track. Fast delivery, good quality and a good price what more could you ask for. Thanks!

I would say this is the best-looking N-scale train on the market - not just that, but it is quite affordable for its exceptional quality. I bought a second one just in case it gets discontinued. An Amazing train.

Muy bonito el set, con la calidad y suavidad de desplazamiento Kato

Kato did a nice job of simulating the stainless steel on all units. The passenger cars have power pickups for future lighting installation. The color temperature of the LED in the locomotive simulates an incandescent bulb nicely without the excessive power draw, heat and short life. The locomotive ran perfectly out of the box and a decoder install was easy, and it runs even better now. The set was also reasonably priced and arrived quickly. A good value for an excellent product.

As with all Kato products that I have owned, this set does not disappoint. Fit and finish is fantastic. Detailing on the loco and cars is perfect. The locomotive runs very well at all speeds, including slow operation. Even at a dead crawl, the loco runs super smooth. I've never had couplers come apart during operation and all cars remain perfectly railed while running. Highly recommend this set to anyone considering it. Great price from Amazon and my order was delivered to my door the very next day! How that's even possible is a mystery.