Kato GS-4 and Daylight 10 Car Set: How Steep of Grade?

[tehachapifan]

As I watch with bewilderment as my Kato 10 Car Morning Daylight set stalls and bounces all over the shipper's system (it showed as out for delivery yesterday, but then today it says it has been transferred to USPS now), it dawned on me that I don't know if my GS-4 can even pull this set up my grades (2.7% at the steepest). Anyone able to confirm or deny?

[jagged ben]

Probably.  I think I've seen someone do that at the club.

[tehachapifan]

OK, good to know. Thanks!

[greenwizard88]

The katousa page states that the GG1 can pull a 15 car set up a 4% grade. The GS-4 isn't that different, design wise, in so far that it has a motor and two wheels with traction tires on them, just as the GG1 has. I would honestly expect somewhere in the same vicinity for pulling power.

I can for sure say that it can pull the 10 car set up a 2% grade that includes an S-bend just prior to the grade, and the grade is on a curve, and it does so without any sweat, because that's what I had on my old layout.

[tehachapifan]

Great! Thanks!

[apudelek]

Buy a couple more for helper service??? Would be a cool addition for operations...

[Dwight in Toronto]

My GS4 effortlessly pulls my 12 car set up 2% grades on 20” radius curves.

And I’ve recently been adding my own flicker-free LED strips to the coaches, which means added weight. I’ve got four cars done, and each gets a couple of resistors, rectifier, voltage regulator and good-sized electrolytic capacitor (as well as a random selection of N scale seated passengers). 

I’m not sure how many grams added per car, but the weight WILL add up once all 12 are done.  I’ll report back on whether or not the GS4 can still cope after all the lighting is installed.

[nickelplate759]

You should be OK with those grades, but the SP did indeed use helpers on the Coast Daylight north of San Luis Obispo

[tehachapifan]

OK, thanks to all that responded!

[tehachapifan]

My 10-car set arrived and, yes, the GS-4 can pull them just fine up the 2.7% helix (oh, no! Jules is going to want a sip of my soda for saying helix! ).

BTW, are these cars beautiful or what!

And they roll amazingly smooth!

[peteski]

My 10-car set arrived and, yes, the GS-4 can pull them just fine up the 2.7% helix (oh, no! Jules is going to want a sip of my soda for saying helix! ).
And they roll amazingly smooth!

They're Kato!   

I'm also impressed with how they handled the articulation of the diner and the double coach.  The optional Kinematic couplers also make the train look like a continuous "snake" of cars.

BTW, are these cars beautiful or what!

Yes, the red/orange scheme is very pretty.

[tehachapifan]

Yeah, I need to get the kinematic couplers, although they seem to be very hard to find now.

[peteski]

Yeah, I need to get the kinematic couplers, although they seem to be very hard to find now.

Since the Daylight set was recently re-released, maybe Kato will re-run the Kinematic coupler sets for i?

[Dwight in Toronto]

I’ve had my Kato Morning Daylight 12-car set for quite some time, and had always taken for granted how remarkably well they roll, especially considering that the trucks are all factory-equipped for track-powered coach lighting.

It wasn’t until I took delivery of Rapido’s The Canadian 10-car set, and was completely dejected by the dismal rollability, that I realized just how immensely superior the Kato design truly is.  Even after having Rapido carry out the required alterations to improve rollability to reportedly be “the best that they can be”, the Kato coaches are STILL at least 50% better rolling.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

My 10-car set arrived and, yes, the GS-4 can pull them just fine up the 2.7% helix (oh, no! Jules is going to want a sip of my soda for saying helix! ).

BTW, are these cars beautiful or what!

And they roll amazingly smooth!

Where'd you get it from? Big Kahuna hobbies?