I was poking around on the Kato website just now and noticed they have released the GS4 replacement traction tires for sale. 2 bucks for 2 sets. I remember there being quiet a bit on the topic of the GS4 TT's, so I figured I'd mention this here.
I've been checking the Kato site every day since July waiting for promised GS4 parts to become available. The other day I finally see GS4, I click on the listing and all I see are darned traction tires. Apologies to those who need traction tires, but where are the rest of the parts?
I waited and waited for a drawbar to appear, and I finally got impatient and sent it in for repair. I think they sensed my impatience the whole delay in getting a reasonable amount of parts available, so they went easy on me for the price of the repair. They charged me ten bucks for a replacement drawbar and installation, which I consider perfectly reasonable for a "someone else doing it" type of repair. I will, in the end, pay more total for shipping. One nice thing is that I got them to make sure the 1st generation electrical isolators were in correctly so now I can put the EM13 I have had since last summer in with confidence.
It may be wise to order a few sets of GS-4 traction tires while they're still in stock and available.
Cant you guys use Bull Frog Snot in place of the TT's ? I have an older LL (i think) diesel that had TT's...they where rotted and slipping. I cut em off and us BFS and its still running great...JMO...thnxs. .
Bull Frog Snot is my answer to old worn out traction tires. On my work bench waiting for me to put back into operation are a number of steamers. BFS to the rescue and they will be back-up and running.
Rick: You're going to try BFS. That's amazing..... Now all your old steamers can be resurrected.:thumbs_up:
A kato rep told me that the spare parts order was lost during the first runs and they never recieved their parts. The parts should be available after they get the run of wartime locos finished. I just hope they will have all the parts I need without having to spend a fortune.
