yipes! I did not pre-order. and when people started getting them last week, I waited a few days, even lost the free shipping from one place as they ran out of them Saturday. so I ordered Sunday night as all sounded well. there was movies, photos, then about a day away from delivery (about Wed.) DCC issues, and one or so reports of traction tires & derailments. Then mine having grinding noise and light issues, then traction tire (but no derailments). I guess I should have waited longer, but seemed like they were getting hard to find. especially at a lower price.
I feel no difference in drivers 1, 2 and 3. The 4th I can feel the spring. This is on both of mine, one that constantly derails and one that runs near perfect. I have no idea if the 2nd driver is supposed to be sprung. Ben
On another forum there is a message from Tony that he copied from the BLW web site... "Important Note regarding EM 13 DCC Decoder. DO NOT INSTALL EM 13 IN YOUR GS-4 LOCO. Apparently there is an "issue" with this decoder. We have received several reports of it shorting and burning out. Kato is aware of and working on the problem. BLW will post updates as available. In the meantime, please do not install the DCC until further notice." Be warned, this is what mine did. And don't run them on address "00". They need pure DC which is reported alright to run. Don't use your DCC system. Apparently the third set of drivers are touching the top of the frame causing the short.
There are a number of opinions on the shorting problem. My suggestion is wait until Kato diagnoses the problem and determines the "fix". Unless you are using pure DC put the GS-4 in the box, run something else, and be patient. I'm running mine with DC, although I did run on DCC address 00 for several laps around the room. I like the DC running so much better with the MRC "Sound & Power" that I bought for my grandson that I may leave it analog forever. Ben
It's not the EM13 that's causing the problem as others have had similar issues with different decoder brands. This just in from Kato and I quote: [FONT="]Dear Kato Customer,[/FONT] [FONT="]While the new N GS4 operates well in DC mode, we understand there is an issue with the use of DCC in the GS4 locomotive.[/FONT] [FONT="]To prevent damage to the locomotive and decoders, we ask that customers [/FONT][FONT="]DO NOT [/FONT][FONT="]install decoders in their locomotives and to [/FONT][FONT="]NOT[/FONT][FONT="] operate them on DCC until we announce a correction to this issue in the very near future. [/FONT] [FONT="]We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause some of our customers.[/FONT] [FONT="]We will resolve this issue in a timely and effective manner.[/FONT] [FONT="]Thank you for your understanding and support.[/FONT] [FONT="]Best regards,[/FONT] [FONT="]Staff of Kato USA, Inc.[/FONT]
This is very unlike Kato and knowing the Japanese, people responsible will be fronting up to see the boss at Kato, in an earlier era they would be commiting hari kari as we speak. I think the Japanese tradition of losing face being the worst possible thing to happen to you will see them find a fix. I'll be waiting to see what they come up with before I do anything to mine. Its a shame though, I've got a train show next weekend and it looks like I'll have to take a DC throttle with me.
Are we sure that Japan did this from paper to the actual model ? It very well could be that it was an American design blueprint that didn't allow enough tolerance between the TT driver and the frame .
I just got through to and talked to my supplier, I have asked them to hold off shipping the one I ordered until such time as the issues are resolved!!!
I don't think Kato USA is much more than a marketing arm of the Japanese company to sell their products in the US. I think it likely that all the work from start to finish was done in Japan. I'm confident they will correct the problem with the least inconvenience, the Japanese put a bit more effort into fixing things, a couple of expiriences to demonstrate. On my first visit there in 1990 I was on a train passing through the under sea tunnel between Honshu and hokkaido when the conductor came through and noticed a light out in the car, he wrote something in his note book and walked off. About 40 minutes later when the train made its next and last stop at Hakodate there was a guy on the platform as the train pulled in with a replacement tube for the light, as soon as the passengers were off, he was on and replacing the light. A couple of years ago myself and another member of a group were staying in a hotel in Hammamatsu one night when the toilet blocked up, 5 minutes after a phone call the guy from the front desk knocked on our door dressed in his business shirt and tie and carrying a bucket and towels, he proceeded fix the blocked up toilet (I didn't see, or want to know how) then mop up the water with the towels and within ten minutes our bathroom was as pristine as we found it, he bowed and apologised to us as he left. These are just a couple of instances of things I've seen in Japan that would leave people gaping in disbelief in Australia or the US. I think that, like the guy in the hotel, Kato will be doing a lot of bowing and apologising.
NO... not my GS-4 TT Oops now that I re-read my post... I can see where some may have thought it was MY GS-4 which had problems. Other than the light not working... MY GS-4 is still running okay... so far... fingers crossed tightly. Just to clarify what I meant... Two OTHER modelers now have claimed traction tire issues on their Kato GS-4.
Hi Guys, I have installed over 15 GS-4's with SoundTraxx Tsunami's over the last week. We found this issue last week when we started doing the mods. We did a lot of testing on the quad split frames and did find that the wheels were shorting out on the upper motor control frame. There was a lot of noise about the light board and the kato decoder being the problem but it is the driver having too much upward movment that is causing the problem. I am not sure how Kato will solve the issue but we sloved it for our customers by isolating the motor from its split frame and hard wiring the tender mounted decoder to the motor. Even if the wheels do touch there is no electrical path back to the decoder or to anything else for that matter. I don't plan on taking in the Kato decoder in that it is a motor control only decoder. One of the options that is in demand is a better Mars light and we can achieve that with the DZ125, TCS M1 or the Tsunami lighting effects. The Traction tire issue crops up if you push the loco on the rails with out power. The tire may slip off the driver. I have only seen this once and only in this circumstance. the tire has not come off in routine testing and running. Vince
For those with derailing pilot trucks: There was a plastic tab under the truck on mine that was not pushed into the frame. This is a picture of what Im talking about. Shown as delivered. I then pushed it in. I wasn't having any derailments, but maybe its whats causing some of you to have them.
Curn, I checked mine, the plastic tab is pushed in on both. I have two, one that derails and one that doesn't. I don't think the derailment with mine is related to the pilot truck. It behaves just like out-of-gauge drivers. The NMRA tool says they are properly gauged however. The loco jiggles through #6 turnouts sometimes enough that all drivers leave the rails. I'm sure Kato will rectify the cause and I'm enjoying the one that runs beautifully. Ben
Kato GS4 Am I the only one to have received his GS4, yet, or are you all having too much fun running it to write about it? Mine arrived this afternoon, and I paused only to run a track cleaner around the layout a couple times to 'dust off' the rails. She's gorgeous - plenty of wonderful detail. Conductivity isn't a problem (in contrast to ConCor's stuttering jack rabbit) - she takes superelevated curves, medium turnouts and isulated frogs with no hesitation. Smooth operation - hot knife through butter, forward and reverse. I still can't believe the low price. ONE little problem.... Although a silent runner in reverse, mine chatters a little going forward. Because it sounds like a high RPM chatter, I wonder if it's an axle end rubbing a plastic something. At a scale 80 mph, it almost goes away, but it returns when you decelerate. If only she'd run as quietly forward as in reverse. I'm eager to hear from you - does yours chatter? Any ideas? Other than the chatter, this loco strikes me as a "12" on a scale of 1 to 10. Scott
Do you use the new Micro Tsunamis and if so do you have problems with them overheating? I've installed three in my challenger and MP Mikados and they are constantly overheating and cutting out even with under 12v track voltage and volume down so low you can hardly hear it. They run forever with the sound muted but that sort of negates the reason for using them.
I got mine and it is a silky smooth runner. When I first ran it, it began to lurch and squeal on curves. The mechanicals seemed dry. First I lightly lubricated the bushings, axles, and gears but it didn't help. I then lubricated the journals and sliding rod assemblies. The problem went away and it has been running flawlessly since. Kato did a fantastic job with this. It is a beautiful train to watch. I don't do DCC but I got an email from the dealer not to install DCC. That it could damage the engine. He claimed Kato is comming out with a fix for some glitche.
Yes we use SoundTraxx Micro Tsunami. We have been installing these in the Con-Cor 2-10-2 with pickup modifications and in the Kato GS4's. In the GS4 checkout we ran the loco for over an hour in both directions with full sound and we did not have any shut down. Vince at TopHobbyTrains
ok, so for you driver set #2 does not have play allowing movement up & down as #4 does? for me, Driver set #2 has a good bit of movement up and down like set #4 does, but only set #4 has the spring action. driver set #1 & 3 no up & down movement allowed.
Mine ran (till the one traction tire spun off (And I never push a loco by hand thank you!)) smoother in reverse too. especially when brand new right outta the box. Makes a sort of grinding or ??? (noise) sound forward at slower speeds around 30 on the DC throttle. got a little better with some run in (till the one traction tire spun off). the more load (cars) the worse the noise, and also going up an incline the worse the noise. also intermittent lights. not as in flashing, more like works for a loop or two, then off for a loop or half loop. see my full posts earlier in this thread here: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showpost.php?p=476556&postcount=56 and here: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showpost.php?p=476762&postcount=66
