For a while now,I’ve been contemplating Kato’s N scale GS-4 in mag advertising and other,and I’m about to make the jump.It seems to be a real jewel,at least is a beauty,but I’d like to hear from anyone who has seen one running to have an opinion.And if I buy it,I’d like to find a sound decoder for it.Kato specifies a decoder (EM13) but say it’s a “motor function decoder”.Any info would be much appreciated.Thanks.
By the way,I’ve asked about Athearn’s N scale Big Boy a while ago and have ordered one that I should receive beginning June.I’m thrilled…just can’t wait.Strangely enough,while these Big Boys and Challengers are litterally storming Ebay,they are very hard to get for my local LHS who had to phone a few different distributors to find mine.
One of our club members debuted his Kato GS4 4449 at a show with us on our large N scale Modular layout. (DC)
Within 5 minutes, the loco suffered from the dreaded traction tire syndrome - “BUT!” - we feel it was operator error due to one of us holding the loco still while the drivers were spinning.
Once refitted, the engine ran for several hours non-stop (except for red signals), it was very track friendly (considering the modular less than perfect track joins) and hauled well (10 car train of ‘old’ Kato SP Daylight passenger cars) and ran smoothly.
The layout has a 15 inch minimum radius, 2.5% grades and track joints on curves/grades as well.
It ran again at the large Brisbane Model Train Show for a couple of hours with a 21 car train on the same layout (9 of the ‘old’ Kato SP set plus a new ten car set and 1 new two car articulated add-on set)
Last week, we hosted a Scout Group at the clubhouse, and once again, the Kato GS4 was put to work, this time, two hours of running with various scouts (and cubs) operating the train, other than a few overzealous speed approaches to turnouts, resulting in several mild derailments, the engine behaved flawlessly.
Many condemnations were made about these engines when first released, missmanagement will certainly give problems, but treat them as the fine piece of machinery that they are and I think you will be most happy. (Keep in mind the DCC conversion problem that Kato arrested and came up with a solution for very quickly for the first run).
Teditor.