1. Larry E Shankles

    Larry E Shankles TrainBoard Member

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    I have no problem with either the triple unit or the double unit. I would guess that Calzephyr's car is not correctly assembled. My double unit did not have all the clips and tabs correctly engauged and I suspect that if I had I ran it the way it was I would have had similar problems, but I noticed this immediately upon removing it from the box and worked with it untill it was all together. I do agree that the cars would probably run better with a little additional weight.

    These cars are real sobs when installing the lighting kits. I especially had a lot of trouble getting the triple unit back together. Just getting the single unit shells back on is tricky, There are more clips and tabs, which all have to be exactly lined up and connected, than on any of Kato's previous cars. Add the very complicated articulated joint, with just about more parts to hold in exact position at the same time than I have hands, and you have quite a challenge. I had to take the articulated cars apart several times untill I got them back together correctly and they would run properly.
     
  2. Calzephyr

    Calzephyr TrainBoard Supporter

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    Tony... you're RIGHT!

    There must be a bind in the articuation because when I lift slightly either end of one of the coach sections... the whole thing lifts up as if only one solid piece... no vertical flex in the articulation area... therefore the Talgo truck lifts up off the track. I guess this is a factory issue and I'll have to send the articulated coach back to Kato.

    UPDATE:
    I have just been tinkering with the articulated coach... sort of exercising the articulated area to get it to 'freely' move up and down. There was definately something wrong within the articualtion area because it was 'clicking' while I was flexing it up and down. Once the clicking stopped... I put the car back into the consist. NO MORE DERAILMENT !!!!!

    Thanks for your input Tony... you probably saved me from sending this car back to Kato
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 17, 2008
  3. skipgear

    skipgear TrainBoard Member

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    Glad I could help. I couldn't get my car to even end up in the position your was in the picture so I figured something wasn't quite right.
     
  4. skipgear

    skipgear TrainBoard Member

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    GS-4 Undressed!

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    As you can see the lighting is controled by a nice neat board that could easily be replaced with a clip in decoder for DCC control of the lighting. There is also room above the motor for a small decoder if you would want to add your own and use the light board as a soldering base. It looks like there might have been plans for a weight over the motor. I could have been removed to improve ballance of the loco, who knows. It has what appears to be the standard Kato diesel motor in it including dual flywheels.
     
  5. skipgear

    skipgear TrainBoard Member

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  6. Westfalen

    Westfalen TrainBoard Member

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    There's something for one of the decoder manufacturers to look into.

    Other than lack of DCC light control it looks like a very nicely done mechanism, see what you get when you don't outsource your manufacturing to China.

    I'm now even more eagerly awaiting mine's second trip across the Pacific.

    P.S. thanks for pulling it apart to show us the insides.
     
  7. UP_Phill

    UP_Phill TrainBoard Supporter

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    I should have mine in a week....from the Chuckster!
     
  8. SirTainly

    SirTainly TrainBoard Member

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    me too, really lookign forward to it too! It's just a shame that the Big Boy and the GS are out together, my wallet is hurting.

    Now all I need is for IM to announce their cab forward and Athearn a DD40AX and I'll be broke.
     
  9. Willyboy

    Willyboy TrainBoard Supporter

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    Caboose Hobbies received their shipments of GS4's yesterday. They told me I should receive mine by the end of this week. Will be taking a close look at the double articulated coach posted above to see if I have the same problems. The only thing I will probably add to it later on are the lighting kits and the Richmond Controls Mars light when it becomes available.
     
  10. river_eagle

    river_eagle TrainBoard Member

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  11. AB&CRRone

    AB&CRRone TrainBoard Supporter

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    Looks great, River_Eagle!


    Ben
     
  12. SLSF Freak

    SLSF Freak Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    NScaleSupply charged my credit card on Tuesday so I was hoping to get this set in by at least Saturday - no joy! :( With the holiday on Monday looks like I'll have an extended wait - getting impatient! hehe

    -Mike
     
  13. Calzephyr

    Calzephyr TrainBoard Supporter

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    Hey River Eagle... I loved the run-by and the soundtrack to go with the Daylight. Seemed to be the perfect combination of film and music. Great job!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 21, 2008
  14. river_eagle

    river_eagle TrainBoard Member

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    thankx, one of the two music tracks that came on my computer
     
  15. dave n

    dave n TrainBoard Supporter

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    Wow, those really look great - can't wait to get mine (hopefully this week). River Eagle, very cool videos!
     
  16. J Long

    J Long E-Mail Bounces

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    I got this email today. Looks my daylight set is in transit. I thought I was a backorder guy. Can't wait!

     
  17. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    I just got my GS-4 and ten car set. Thumbs up! :thumbs_up::thumbs_up:

    I tried it out on the test track at my LHS. It runs really smoothly, and the slow-speed seems really good. There isn't really enough room on the test track to line up the cars, but I will try it at my club layout soon.

    The only kind of wonky thing in my humble opinion are the lights. There is no reverse light, which is just weird, and the Mars light is a little strange, heavy emphasis on the "simulated" portion of the phrase "simulated Mars light." I was the first to hit the LHS once the emails and phone calls went out, and so the hobby shop owner saw the rear light not shining for the first time on mine. We tried another. He called Kato, I think a little panicked that perhaps he got a bum lot with malfunctioning lights. Their response was that no one uses the GS-4 for switching. We both got a good laugh out of that.

    The side rods look really nice, and there's way more detail on this than I would expect for under $200 off-the-shelf.

    I ordered some CB&Q Dragon Red (for a WPRR caboose project), paid for my order, and left happy.

    I can't wait to try this on the club layout. :tb-biggrin:
     
  18. CHARGER

    CHARGER TrainBoard Member

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    Got mine today, and it is great, ran it on the test loop of unitrack tonight for about 20-30 minutes, overall very impressed. I was a little worried after reading about the mars light, but to me it looks just fine. Especially considering the price.

    I only had a couple of issues out of the box...

    I also experienced the leading truck derailments, happened about twice during the run...

    After coming down a very small grade, and entering a turn, mind you without a transitional curve, the slack action of the cars had a tendency to force open the couplers and uncouple the train...

    With all the griping over the MARS light I was surprised nobody mentioned this...
    The rear facing light on the Observation car looked quite pink/purple to me. Even my 4 year old daughter got excited when she proclaimed daddy's new train has pink on it!

    Over all though this is my first "major" Train purchase, and I am very pleased, waiting for some one to come out with a sound decoder for her though.

    Anyone know with the Kato decoder installed how does the lights function if the decoder cant do it...

    Someone asked, Yes the lights, incl MARS stay on when stopped, Running on unitrak , with MRC Prodigy controls, under DC. Might be different with a strict DC Controller...

    Brad
     
  19. AB&CRRone

    AB&CRRone TrainBoard Supporter

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    I'll be interested in knowing if you continue to experience derailments. Mine derails going through Unitrack #6 turnouts. I even replaced two turnouts with brand new ones with no improvement.

    The lead truck technology leaves a lot to be desired. Similar technology as the Bachmann Northern of the 1970's. At least the Northern was also equipped with weights on the pilot wheel axles. I don't see any way to add weights to the GS-4 axles, however.

    Ben
     
  20. CHARGER

    CHARGER TrainBoard Member

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    What is the trick to taking KATO Steamers out of the box. I swear every time I take my Mike out, and put it back in I am going to break something...And now I am really per plexed by the Daylight's box araingement. What happened to the cab detail that was advertised, I cant even see it on mine...
     

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