Kato GS-4: Drivers are operated by the side rods

[tom mann]

Is this actually the case?  Does it make a difference?  What about pulling power?

[SkipGear]

Tom,
 This was a pretty heated topic when the loco was first announced. Many were worried about past issues with side rod driven locos, such as the LL 2-8-8-2. Kato thought this one through pretty well. The design of the loco takes the stress off the side rods. The single geared driver, #3, is at the ballance point of the loco and has traction tires. Realistically, the #3 driver is doing 99% of the work. The other drivers are along for the ride. The #4 driver is sprung so that is there for ballance and just to follow the rails.

[victor miranda]

I am posting because I agree with skipgear and I want to
say it is another way.

the Kato GS4 has one geared driver. 
that same driver is the one with the traction tire.

this next part is hard to believe from what I have gotten as responses.
You can't wear the siderods to a lightly loaded driver.
on a TT equipt loco, The TT driver does ALL and I am not kidding  ALL the pulling.
The amount of load you can get on a driver once the TT is not working
will not wear the side-rods.

back to the GS4, Kato said they did proper engineering and the side-rods will not wear out.
I think that means if you add weight and remove the TT, you are on your own.

there are tradeoffs in the siderod vs gear driven school of thought.
it is not a clear case of all gears being better than all siderods. 

victor

[BM4266]

Tom think of it this way.
On a real steam loco there is one drive axle and that one is were the piston rod from the cylinder
connects to the second or third axle depending on the type of loco.
The 2-8-0, 2-8-2, 2-8-4, 4-8-2 had it to the third axle.
The 4-8-4's where connected to the second axle. The Pacific's and Hudson's were the center drivers.
My point is even on the prototype they had one main driving axle and all the others where just
along for the ride just like the models.

Alan 

[tom mann]

Ok, so the motor only operates driver #3, and the rest are operated via the siderods.  This sounds like it would bind up like crazy.

[BM4266]

Tom they didn't on the real ones so why should they on this engine.
Also brass have been built this way for years.
With younger people like you not being familiar with prototype steam
and how they work you question what is a proven concept.
They build tolerences into the siderods to allow for them to move right and left
for curves and turnouts so no binding. They do the same thing in the models for the same reasons
to allow the drivers to go around curves and not derail or bind at the flanges.

Alan

[Chris333]

If the quartering is off it would bind, but it would still bind if all wheels were gear driven and something was out of quarter.

I wish there was a reason for me to buy one since they are on sale for $99 at MBK. But it can't be kit bashed into anything "regular".

[Mark5]

hmm, a slight drift, but I wonder if Kato will ever do this scheme:

[Sokramiketes]

hmm, a slight drift, but I wonder if Kato will ever do this scheme:

Seriously, how have they not done BNSF black on 4449 yet?

[BM4266]

hmm, a slight drift, but I wonder if Kato will ever do this scheme:

Seriously, how have they not done BNSF black on 4449 yet?

Skibbe the question should be why Union Pacific has not done it in black as the SP is a UP owned Railroad now.

Alan

[victor miranda]

I am pretty sure the GS4 is a City owned beastie.

UP may OWN SP  but they didn't get ownership of that loco.

victor

[BM4266]

I am pretty sure the GS4 is a City owned beastie.

UP may OWN SP  but they didn't get ownership of that loco.

victor

Correct but it does not prevent the UP from leasing it.