Kato October newsletter

[draskouasshat]

Let's go full spf.

I want a Santa fe 4-8-4.
I want it now.
It will outsell the everything ever made.

Am i doing this right?

Adam Draskovich

[ryan_wilkerson]

Anyone have more details about this line on the GS?
"This DCC friendly locomotive includes revised drives for a smoother ride"

Might it be updated to be similar to the excellent FEF?

[Lenny53]

Are those FEMA cars?  You know, people are protein too! 

soylent green is people

[Mark5]

Anyone have more details about this line on the GS?
"This DCC friendly locomotive includes revised drives for a smoother ride"

Might it be updated to be similar to the excellent FEF?

I would be great if they ditched that 3-pole motor and made the drive train more "FEF like" 

[ljudice]

Are those FEMA cars?  You know, people are protein too! 

Yeah, and notice they are painted Soylent Green!   Wake up, sheeeple!!!   

[nightmare0331]

Anyone have more details about this line on the GS?
"This DCC friendly locomotive includes revised drives for a smoother ride"

Might it be updated to be similar to the excellent FEF?

Revised drivers to address quartering issues along with a few other minor tweaks and enhancements along with revised packaging.

Enjoy!

Kelley.
www.dufordmodelworks.com

[Roger Holmes]

Lots of people going to be happy

GS-4

http://www.katousa.com/cgi-bin/dl/dl.pl?dl.mif,N-GS4Daylight-SPLines-BNSF.pdf

I am not happy.  I was going to put mine on the Trading Post since one just sold in September for $250 w/o decoder (mine has a decoder installed).  Due to my slothfulness I waited too long to get in on the seller's market.  Maybe eBay where I can find an audience of uninformed bidders 

[peteski]

So, the drivers use the revised axles which won't crack?  What are the other tweaks?  I already have 3 of these locos (and I model B&M and Amtrak!) and I don't really want to dish out couple hundred dollars just to find out what the tweaks are. 

Does the revised packaging equate to the giant cheap cardboard puzzle-like box with LOTS of foam rubber padding (like the FEF-3)?  I hope not - I like those clear jewel boxes.

[ryan_wilkerson]

Thanks Kelley!

Revised drivers to address quartering issues along with a few other minor tweaks and enhancements along with revised packaging.

Enjoy!

Kelley.
www.dufordmodelworks.com

[nightmare0331]

So, the drivers use the revised axles which won't crack?  What are the other tweaks?  I already have 3 of these locos (and I model B&M and Amtrak!) and I don't really want to dish out couple hundred dollars just to find out what the tweaks are. 

Does the revised packaging equate to the giant cheap cardboard puzzle-like box with LOTS of foam rubber padding (like the FEF-3)?  I hope not - I like those clear jewel boxes.

That 'cheap' (actually more expensive) packaging used on the FEF3 does a far better job of protecting the locomotives then the jewel cased GS-4's. Lots of people would toss the spacer blocks that came with the GS-4's, which allows the model to shift back and forth in the case and the model will destroy itself.  (plus the random ones that got broken as people would *dump* the model out of the case with the blocks in there in order to get the model out, among other things).

Of course, there are differing opinions on the packaging matter, but ultimately nobody wants a broken model.

Enjoy!

Kelley.
www.dufordmodelworks.com

[carlso]

I called KATO USA today to ask about the mechanism on this new release. All they could tell me was that it would have the new upgraded driver set they introduced some time ago. He said they had asked for a complete redo ala the FEF but he said that probably wasn't going to happen. The man did indicate that USA division has not seen a pre production sample so they are sort of in the dark. However, if you check out the new magazine ad I would say they have changed the mechanism. I can't remember the old version having sprung drivers? ? ?



I feel as Peteski about spending a couple 100 bucks to find out, however I have ordered one.

Carl

[sundowner]

That add is from the original release.

[peteski]

I called KATO USA today to ask about the mechanism on this new release. All they could tell me was that it would have the new upgraded driver set they introduced some time ago. He said they had asked for a complete redo ala the FEF but he said that probably wasn't going to happen. The man did indicate that USA division has not seen a pre production sample so they are sort of in the dark. However, if you check out the new magazine ad I would say they have changed the mechanism. I can't remember the old version having sprung drivers? ? ?

I feel as Peteski about spending a couple 100 bucks to find out, however I have ordered one.

Carl

Yes, the original runs had the rear drivers sprung (it is strictly cosmetic - it doesn't support the loco). That was a part of the ingenious (dare I say "revolutionary") N scale steam loco design which put large portion of the loco's mass on the 3rd (powered and traction-tire-equipped) driver. This is my approximation of the weight distribution over all the wheels. 



The drivers are now using the same design as FEF-3 (knurled solid metal rod axles, no more cracked plastic axle tubes or quartering issues), but it introduced another another issue: bearings getting out of alignment with the frame.  Max had a write-up about that problem (here on TRW). He created a plastic inserts to keep the bearings in their slots in the chassis.  I wonder if Kato revised the bearings or the frames to fix that problem/

[w neal]

You think that's cool (and it is), just wait...

"Hopefully by Trainfest..."

(Sorry, sworn to secrecy  , but do get your wallets ready!)

[nightmare0331]

You think that's cool (and it is), just wait...

"Hopefully by Trainfest..."

(Sorry, sworn to secrecy  , but do get your wallets ready!)

Oh yes...that announcement will get some people quite excited. 

Enjoy!

Kelley.
www.dufordmodelworks.com