I'm Offically Mad At Kato

[DocGeoff]

I finally got the GS4 replacement for the first piece of junk that derailed, shorted out, and should have never been released.
So first when I opened the tender to put the DCC decoder in all the parts fell out. The weight, and the brass connections that hold the board. So after spending 45 minutes re-building and installing the decoder I finally ran the engine. Wow!. It pulled my 12 car Daylight consist beautifully. No derailments, no decoder problems. Now lets fast forward to today...
I have run this engine maybe an hour, total. And guess what? Derail! What? Why? It threw a traction tire. Barely an hour's running total and already it throws a traction tire. Man am I mad at Kato. Here they produce this beautiful Daylight set and a stunning GS4 to pull it and the engine is crap! I am sending it back to Chuck in the morning for a refund along with two decoders (one waiting for a second GS4 that now will not, repeat, NOT be purchased). Unless and until Kato gets its act together and fixed ALL the GS4 problems I'm through. There is no excuse for Kato to produce this great a looking and running engine and not have traction tires stay on more that an hour.
I'm done. I'll pull my Daylights with my PA's and E9's. I would love to have used the beautiful GS4, but not with the present production run.
Thanks a lot Kato.

[victor miranda]

Dear Chuck,
what is the going price for a slightly used gs4 with problems?

[victor miranda]

doc,doc,doc....

sorry to hear about your problems with the loco.
a model loco should never be a source of frustration.

I hope your next steamer is a far better example.

for the traction tire there are no easy fixes.
I am hoping that when Kato make parts available new traction tires resolve the issue
for the guys who are having the problem.

[wm3798]

It sounds like you might be over-reacting slightly.  However, one of the reasons I shy away from N scale steam is the apparent need for traction tires.

To me, they just invite disaster.  Aside from the immediate loss of electrical contact for the wheels in question, if they aren't installed just so, they can end up fouling the running gear, and over time, they are destined to disintegrate.

The few Kato diesels I have that were so equipped, I have since changed over to regular wheel sets with no apparent decline in performance.

My Bachmann Consolidation pulls better and performs very well without them.  Surely there's a lesson to be learned there.

Lee

[Sokramiketes]

My Bachmann Consolidation pulls better and performs very well without them.  Surely there's a lesson to be learned there.

Lee

You pulled the traction tires off?  And left the grooved driver in place? 

It really pulls better??

[wm3798]

Yikes!  You're right!  It's been so long since I've had that upside down on the workbench I forgot they were on there...  Oh well, I guess I'm doomed! ;D

Well, in that case, it should reinforce Doc's point, if Bachmann can get away with it, Kato surely should be able to get it right, especially on a model with a sticker price twice that of the Connie.

Where's my bib... I have to get seconds on the crow that's being served.

Lee