Atlas/ Kato vs Atlas/ China running quality

[6axlepwr]

Oliver, the Utah Railway models were sold a LOOOOOONG time ago. Maybe add a few more OOOOOO.

That is what I remember. How well they ran.

My current and first locomotive project in N-Scale is to build my fleet of CPT&C GP28's. All this is dependent on how well my fan housing turn out. If all goes well, then I will design the photo etch grills for them. Then I will see how well a GP35 36" rad fan prints out and if that goes satisfactory, then I will design the grills for it as well and I can build my visiting NYC GP35 power.

I have a bunch of stuff in the design and wait stages for these projects so it is going to take a few months before they all come to fruition.

Brian

[Ed Kapuscinski]

One thing to mention about those old AK EMDs: the hoods are too wide and the number boards too short. This problem persists with the China versions too.

We don't have other good options right now. But it's a thing to be aware of, and also something I'm almost sorry to mention because now you won't be able to unsee it.

[6axlepwr]

Does not bother me. I have learned to accept, live with and work with what we are given. If I simply cannot stand it, I will not buy it. We as consumers cannot change what we get from the manufacturers. They say they listen to use. Then reality hits and it is obvious they do not. So take it or leave it and make of it what you can.

Brian

[brokemoto]

One thing to mention about those old AK EMDs: the hoods are too wide and the number boards too short. This problem persists with the China versions too.

You forgot that the wheelbase on the GP-7/9 is incorrect.  This is because they put a GP shell onto an RS-3/RSD-4/5 chassis and changed the truck frames. 

N Scale of Nevada did sell a kit to fix this. I  never did try it.  The one or two people whom I know that tried it mentioned that you had to break in the  thing once you changed the frame halves.   It did not change the performance one way or the other.

Are the hoods too wide on the A/K SD-7/9?  if so, that would be a shame, as my two A/K SD-7s are still among my best running locomotives.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You forgot that the wheelbase on the GP-7/9 is incorrect.  This is because they put a GP shell onto an RS-3/RSD-4/5 chassis and changed the truck frames. 

N Scale of Nevada did sell a kit to fix this. I  never did try it.  The one or two people whom I know that tried it mentioned that you had to break in the  thing once you changed the frame halves.   It did not change the performance one way or the other.

Are the hoods too wide on the A/K SD-7/9?  if so, that would be a shame, as my two A/K SD-7s are still among my best running locomotives.

Lol, oh yeah, I forgot about those old GP7s and 9s because I never even really think of them as anything beyond parts donors for RS3m conversions.

[peteski]

You forgot that the wheelbase on the GP-7/9 is incorrect.  This is because they put a GP shell onto an RS-3/RSD-4/5 chassis and changed the truck frames. 

N Scale of Nevada did sell a kit to fix this. I  never did try it.  The one or two people whom I know that tried it mentioned that you had to break in the  thing once you changed the frame halves.   It did not change the performance one way or the other.

Well, not only the trucks were spaced way too close together, the Geep's bodies were elongated, which exaggerated the weird appearance.


The N scale of Nevada frame kit just extended spacing between the trucks. The loco is still too long.  Spookshow (as usual) has a a review.
http://spookshow.net/loco/atlasgp79.html

[/quote]

Are the hoods too wide on the A/K SD-7/9?  if so, that would be a shame, as my two A/K SD-7s are still among my best running locomotives.
[/quote]
Obviously you don't notice so it doesn't bother you.  Life is good. 

[6axlepwr]

The hood is too wide on the SD40, SD45 and SD40-2 as well.

I remember back in the day when I was all in on N-Scale and had a crap ton of parts. This is when you could order your hearts desire in parts and the manufacturers carried them. Especially Atlas. I was building a high hood N&W SD45 and used the back end of an Atlas GP40 to build the high short hood. That is when I found out that the Kato hood was to wide. The Atlas hood did not mate up perfectly. Close though. Funny, in HO scale, the Atlas hoods are too wide.

[brokemoto]

Well, not only the trucks were spaced way too close together, the Geep's bodies were elongated, which exaggerated the weird appearance.

Here is mine.







I sold all of my non flywheel Atlas/Katos and a couple of the flywheel.  The only reason that I did not sell this one is that it was a gift.  I do not sell gifts.  I did do a MT conversion with the Official MT Kit, though.  I just took this photograph.  I put it onto the track.  It made a lap in each direction at thirty SMPH around the Short Creek and Nopedale portion of my pike without stalling.  I put it onto the track, opened the throttle and it ran like it never had been sitting.  The SC&N main line is a folded dog bone arrangement.  It is a four foot N-TRAK module in the middle (thus Atlas Flex) with three by four end loops that connect the Red and Yellow.  The main line on the end loops is Kato UNITRAK.  The Blue is a parade track and connexion to several business sidings.  It is connected to one of the end loops.

This is not a true A/K, it is a Kato, but the two were almost, if not exactly, the same.  Mine is a GP-9.

[peteski]

I never knew that Kato sold those misshapen Geeps under their name.  I thought they were only sold under Atlas name.  Does the box end show GP9 and a Kato part number?

Kato-packaged version of this model doesn't show in Spookshows locomotive encyclopedia either. No GP9s sold by Kato at all. Only the Atlas version.
http://spookshow.net/loco/atlasgp79.html

[brokemoto]

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/medium_146-160223104643.jpeghttps://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/32/medium_146-160223104643.jpegDoes the box end show GP9 and a Kato part number?

Kato-packaged version of this model doesn't show in Spookshows locomotive encyclopedia either. No GP9s sold by Kato at all. Only the Atlas version.
http://spookshow.net/loco/atlasgp79.html

I had a B&O, as well.  I suspect that it was Kato packaged, but I forget.  I sold it.  It was not a gift.  It had a three digit road number, which was pre-1957.  It had dynamic brakes.

Of course, you, Spookshow or anyone else who wants to use this photograph on a website  or whatever, especially for the betterment of the hobby/Good of the Order can use it or re-post it anywhere.

[peteski]

Interesting.  It looks like the part number and model description was added onto the paper insert as a sticker?  Typed up on a typewriter?  It doesn't seem like a standard factory produced run of models, but some sort of special run. Kato seems to always fully print their box inserts.

The paper insert is also past the Kato USA blue insert they used for the GP38-2 (which was their first n scale loco after they severed their Atlas connection).

@spookshow any idea as to what this Kato GP9 is?

[robert3985]

You forgot that the wheelbase on the GP-7/9 is incorrect.  This is because they put a GP shell onto an RS-3/RSD-4/5 chassis and changed the truck frames. 

N Scale of Nevada did sell a kit to fix this. I  never did try it.  The one or two people whom I know that tried it mentioned that you had to break in the  thing once you changed the frame halves.   It did not change the performance one way or the other.

Are the hoods too wide on the A/K SD-7/9?  if so, that would be a shame, as my two A/K SD-7s are still among my best running locomotives.

I remember how intensely disappointed I was when I saw the Kato "Toonerville Trolley" Geeps.  I bought N-scale of Nevada frames to at least get the wheelbase to look halfway decent on my two undec'd models, and the kits ran fine from the start, with no "break-in" required...just make sure you didn't lose the little cast-metal universal joint extension...but, the cab and hood length were something I couldn't get over, since I was running them with my Hallmark brass Geeps with an instant eye-to-eye comparison always present.

So, I never painted them up and put them on the shelf...put the original chassis back in 'em and sold off the N-Scale of Nevada chassis'.  Later, while having fun with my teen-aged sons, we decided to see how many times the Kato Geeps would survive running off the end of one of the layout modules at speed.  Interestingly, they never did quit although the plastic bodies were pretty much demolished.  After that, I just sh!t-canned them, not even saving the guts...and didn't feel an ounce of regret.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[NSEGeorge]

There are a number of Kato USA generated products (including some of their contract work for Atlas and ConCor) that are sold in Japan as Kato products, and you can find them in old Kato catalogs sporting green labels instead of the Kato USA blue.


George

[Spades]

N Scale of Nevada frames are still out there.  The frames were limited hand crafted items. Even with the frame adjusted truck spacing it still didn't look right.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/394389514835?hash=item5bd3726a53:g:VYAAAOSw7ZZjo7gX&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoCR59DZyh3POCzB%2BCda6h3ezH2Zg766UzzZjbJIpf3A8uQ3%2FUQOIJ4af5qD9t7TKnZwhimOn8TALbnbHqHbpKkibEr1E6iDATL3HGs1t0ex5cCdllocUC35JPhXNnhOk3fmlhDMDjAqT7VmJl8jib7SIpo9fBhcwG1YhaU37rnxKyIy7v3ZusfLmng6OKPr5la8jn7yoDIIJQzz%2B%2FuZAGQI%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_z-p9fLYQ

[brokemoto]

It looks like the part number and model description was added onto the paper insert as a sticker?  Typed up on a typewriter?

Stamp or something set on a typesetter?  I have seen some Atlas products like this, as well.  In fact, I had an Atlas/Kato undecorated RSD-4 that had only a catalogue number stamped onto the paper insert.  I sold it some time past.

My little brother gave it to me as a gift.  My father took  him shopping at some hobby store in Massachusetts to buy it, but I am not sure which one.  Peabody?  At the time, my little brother was still living with our parents on Hood Pond.  I doubt that my brother remembers where he went.  Sadly, both Dad and the house on Hood Pond now are gone, so I can not ask Dad.