Hi all. Just picked up a Kato Snoot BNSF #6799 for 50bucks from a dealer at the Greenberg show today. As I continued walking around I started thinking ....somewhere I thought I read the Kato Snoots were problems? I don't remember if it was HO or N. Anyone have any info? I also got a deal on a DeLuxe Innovations Sante Fe Twinstack set. 45bucks from another dealer. All in all a good day at the show , but the Snoot concerns me .
I have a couple of N scale Kato Snoots and have had no problems, same with the SD-40-2. In fact I have never had a problem with a KATO engine other than the nessasary cleaning and tuneup once in a while which is probablly more of a cleaning of the trainroom problem, read Dust! I believe there was electrical pickup problems with the HO SD-40-2's but Kato corrected the problem and sent out replacement parts. As for the paint schemes in HO & N, that's a different story. Most that I bought were Un-decs to paint correctly in Santa Fe.
Perhaps you were thinking about the Bachman SD40-2 which are not exactly the best engines. I have seen many unfavourable reviews here about them. The KATO Snoots run great or at tleast that is my experience.
Moose, I have two of those Kato snoots in BNSF and two in ATSF. No problems mechanically. A lot of talk went on about the headlight placement being wrong for most roads and that the nose is a couple of inches too short for the Santa Fe version. All in all, I'm very happy with my units. Sounds like you got a good deal on yours. Also, great deal on the deluxe twin stack!
Champion I have had not one problem with my Kato SD40-2s or snoots. I have 15 (and am now after a BC Rail before May)of them and they all run well. My only complaint is the terrible couplers they come with, but the M/T conversion solves the problem. As previously stated the initial run of HO locos had small problems but as you would expect they were quickly corrected, thyis included replacement truck sideframes.
Yeah, the two problems were the HO ones has mangled paint schemes on the N scale ones, some locomotives painted for a certain locomotive had the wrong length nose Mike BTW, inches do matter! [ 04 March 2001: Message edited by: atirns ]
Have several Snoots, and the only problem I have is with the couplers, but changed them all and they run perfect. Running and ducking when I say this, but I was in a newsgroup and I think the "rivet counters" were complaining about something with color or the way the rails were. Since I am a bad person and don't follow the rules, I didn't pay much attention. But my snoots run great.
That doesn't make you a bad person. It's your railraod. Run it to your rules. As long as you like it - then it's good.
I have two Kato snoots and they are really run well, but the problem is coupler... Which coupler is the best?
Hello Seokyoung Ahn, welcome to trainboard, and particularly to the N scale forum But explore the rest of the site, there are some excellent topics to peruse I have some Kato snoots, and if I remember correctly, I used Microtrains 2004 couplers.
