January Kato Announcemts..Easterners, don't bother looking : )

[Ryan87]

Couldn't Kato (or someone) cheat and tool up a Flexicoil sideframe to match the Kato HTC truck?

Sideframe no The HTC has a different axle spacing (and the traction motor sticks out the inboard end)
Kato would have to make a new gear tower (the existing flexcoil sideframes would work)

[Mark5]

Couldn't Kato (or someone) cheat and tool up a Flexicoil sideframe to match the Kato HTC truck?

Sideframe no The HTC has a different axle spacing (and the traction motor sticks out the inboard end)
Kato would have to make a new gear tower (the existing flexcoil sideframes would work)

Um, I said it would be a cheat ...

How different is the spacing? Why aren't people outraged about the Atlas Blomberg/AAR B truck? (admitedly the W/B is pretty close)

[Ryan87]

Um, I said it would be a cheat ...

Same way the NS -2 is a cheat

How different is the spacing? Why aren't people outraged about the Atlas Blomberg/AAR B truck?

The Inboard axle on the HTC is offset 6", in all honesty unless you know it it looks like their evenly spaced
so some one could cheat.

I Think why people aren't concerned about trucks is a lack of prototype knowledge The only article on locomotive trucks I remember seeing in the hobby press was from the early 1970's.... 

[Mark5]

I guess we could open the GSC vs Adirondack can of worms on GE C-C locos too eh?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I've cheated while doing an SD40-2. It's ok, I made the call myself. But I think Kato (correctly, btw) knows that they'd take lumps if THEY did it.

[Mark5]

But I think Kato (correctly, btw) knows that they'd take lumps if THEY did it.

Your ideas about Kato are different than mine. They seem oblivious to such matters in my mind.

To Kato Conrail could be the 1st name of some German immigrant ...

On the HTC/Flexicoil thing, if they were really on the ball they would have tooled the mechanisms in such a way that the trucks would be interchangeable.

[Ryan87]

On the HTC/Flexicoil thing, if they were really on the ball they would have tooled the mechanisms in such a way that the trucks would be interchangeable.

In order to use the exact same mechanism on the SD40, SD40-2 & SD45 (If they ever re release it) they had to design different gear towers. Probably cheaper (and easier) than designing two different mechanisms so the trucks would be interchangeable.

[Mark5]

On the HTC/Flexicoil thing, if they were really on the ball they would have tooled the mechanisms in such a way that the trucks would be interchangeable.

In order to use the exact same mechanism on the SD40, SD40-2 & SD45 (If they ever re release it) they had to design different gear towers. Probably cheaper (and easier) than designing two different mechanisms so the trucks would be interchangeable.

I wasn't suggesting the same mechanism - that certainly is the wrong approach. Starting with a blank chalkboard there is no reason that they could not have designed the trucks to be swappable, at least not from my point of view.

[Ryan87]

I wasn't suggesting the same mechanism - that certainly is the wrong approach. Starting with a blank chalkboard there is no reason that they could not have designed the trucks to be swappable, at least not from my point of view.

But They do use the same Mechanism. They would have to design a new gear tower that would only be used for Conrail.

[Mark5]

I wasn't suggesting the same mechanism - that certainly is the wrong approach. Starting with a blank chalkboard there is no reason that they could not have designed the trucks to be swappable, at least not from my point of view.

But They do use the same Mechanism. They would have to design a new gear tower that would only be used for Conrail.

You're totally misunderstanding me.

[Ryan87]

OK so you are saying that Kato should have designed the SD40-2 Mechanism to use the Flexcoil Truck or HTC Truck Interchangeably, Thereby having two completely different mechanisms (and Parts catalogs) for the SD40 & SD40-2?

[nscalesteve]

But They do use the same Mechanism.
Thereby having two completely different mechanisms (and Parts catalogs) for the SD40 & SD40-2?

Ryan, the SD40 (DCC ready) and SD40-2 (old run) are not sharing the same drive. the drives are different. and the new SD40-2 drive, well that is a whole other story (masterpiece !!)

[Ryan87]

Oh well yup What Idiot said they were the same anyway :-[

However now that I have the two in front of me It would be Impossible for Kato to Design the SD40-2 to Use the existing flexcoil trucks (with the centered gear tower) the frame would have to interfere with the porch.

[ljudice]

even better, the sideframes should be a detail that snaps to the truck...

[Robbman]

Message deleted