Could this be considered the doozie?

[up1950s]

A Doozie has a motor .

[tom mann]

Doozie:  Little Joe. ;D

[bobcat]

I'm not thrilled at all about this. I was hoping for an AFT train, but I would rather have it in a set like Kato has been doing.

Getting it piece meal and at these prices means I won't be building an AFT train. :'(

[Packer]

To me, the AFT should have a T1 pulling it.

I think it shoulc have Burlington Northern Bicentennial diesels
http://www.freedomtrain.org/american-freedom-train-consist-burlington-northern-diesels.htm

[Dave V]

In some respects, I hope this is the "doozie," or at the very least said "doozie" is something I'm not the least bit interested in.  With the recent flood of Kato, ESM, Bluford, and BLMA announcements related to CR, PC, PRR, Amtrak, and the like, my hobby budget is almost completely spoken for over the next 6-9 months.

[Mark5]

Hey. we're still talking about this!

[sirenwerks]

I think it shoulc have Burlington Northern Bicentennial diesels
http://www.freedomtrain.org/american-freedom-train-consist-burlington-northern-diesels.htm

That's kinda my point, the loco release should be a multiple choice thing. I love the GS4 in Daylight colors just as much as the next guy, more so in WP black, but don't force feed it as the defacto AFT loco. Especially since it was the late-comer to the AFT roster and in and out of the shop so often while performing its duties.

Besides, it's a great excuse for someone to make a T1 finally (no, not me, for all those tempted to advise me to enter the N scale manufacturers ranks). They can paint it in Chessie System Steam Special colors for Lee, too. Actually, I won't bash the CSSS, it was what hooked me as a kid into MRRing, despite its LGBT paint scheme. Maybe they could even paint it in Reading colors for Rich.

[Bob Bufkin]

O.K., O.K., I know this is not the doozie from Kato.  Still a doozie on it's own behalf.  Kinda of expensive and I would also like the Reading T1 for this.  As far as the COLA, it's not a doozie to me.  Nice train and all that but nothing spectacular.  Kato's done plenty of UP passenger equipment in the past, so I don't get excited about another one.  

Everytime I see the Freedom Train I get a little pissed.  I missed being part of the military crew onboard this train by a cats whisker.  Still makes me mad that I just missed out riding it across the U.S.

[Mark5]

A Reading T-1 would be very cool indeed.

Mark

[Dave V]

A Reading T-1 would be very cool indeed.

Mark

Agreed.  Pennsy leased some T1s in 1956 to ease a power shortage.  I could use one!

[FloridaBoy]

If this set costs more than $50, you are getting totally screwed. That is, if the loco is the Kato GS4.  I have one and at its very best it is an overpriced, tempermental (Kato's words to me) piece of junk.  (The POJ comment was mine).

Consider this........3 pole motor, single set of drive wheels (drives other wheels with valve gear), flying traction tires, break apart boiler front and roof when being removed from box, need I go on???  And to top it off, don't send it back, you will be charged.

I am not blasting any other product, as I consider Kato probably one of the best if not the best, but they truly fell down on this one, but still have the arrogance to overcharge us, the naive, fallable, American market. 

I just paid to have mine repaired, and instead of running it and endangering to break it again, it is now a very overpriced, overrated shelf queen.

Ahhhhhhh, thanks for the venting!!!!!  I know I am going to get nasty emails from U-No-Hoo again, but my pre-holiday present is to warn my fellow forum participants of this loco......in advance.

Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

[Puddington]

Are we allowed to critque Kato in this hobby.....? I mean; "can we"....? ;D

[FloridaBoy]

Yep,
Kato like every other manufacturer can make some "doozie" errors.  Remember the way out of proportion Geeps from the late eighties?  Remember the first run of Kato Mikes which drawbars broke, and couldn't pull squat?  Or, how about some of those "experimental" frames with loosey goosey drivetrain connections (GP38, GP50).

Look exactly what I said, and I even sprang for a GG1 yesterday.  It is my opinion, my OPINION the "mountain" platform is not their best effort.  Even the other locos I mentioned I am not entirely unsatisfied and own and run several of each of them.  I still believe overall Kato and Atlas is leading the pack with high quality and quantity locos and rolling stock over the years.  I am not knocking Kato, I am knocking this particular product and their completely blind faith defense of it. 

On other forums, there have been attempts to convince me of this loco's innate quality, to which I replied, "I am expected to believe you or my lying eyes".  I do not wish any notoriety with this knock, but frankly, I feel totally stupid for allowing myself to get royally screwed by my blind faith in Kato's newest steamer.  Although I am a Pennsy modeler, I will always love SP, bloody noses, spider noses, Cab Forwards and Daylights.  I ended up purchasing  a ConCor GS4 which is what I use to run my set, while the Kato steamer watches from its assigned spot on my display shelf.

'nuff said.  I will say no more.......

Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman 

[SkipGear]

It is my opinion, my OPINION the "mountain" platform is not their best effort.

You critique would be so much more credible if you actually identified the loco correctly......

The GS-4 is a 4-8-4; considered a "Northern".
A Mountain is a 4-8-2. Kato doesn't / hasn't made a Mountain.

[Lenny53]

So I am assuming 99 bucks for 2 custom painted Micro-Trains HW passengers cars, now that's a doozie.