hey guys, it looks like kato has pretty much given up trying to keep parts stocked for the Mikado. After attempting to detail the model, I have made a modelers worst nightmare: I lost two parts on a multicolored carpet. After a two hour search they are most unfortunately gone. So, does anybody have the two parts I am in need of? I need a handrail, C3, and the whistle, B2. If anybody has any parts please respond or contact me at ericw95@concast.net. Also, it would be helpful if anybody knows where I can acquire these parts. Thanks in advance for any help offerred.
Eric.... As funny as this sounds...this has worked for me TWICE in the past. I have a shop vacume. I use an OLD pair of THE Wifes pantyhose and loosely hold it over the nozzle end. I vacume in the general vacinity of the lost part. The small mesh of the nylon prevents really small stuff from getting sucked into the vacume. Like I said...I have found 2 LOST parts this way. Might be worth a try...JMO .
That is actually a really good idea. I will definitely try that in the morning, hopefully with the same results haha.
I've seen dead locos on the 'bay go for decent prices. You may need to wait for the next one to show up, however.
Eric, I have replaced the whistle on several Mikes with Bachmann whistles. I have extra handrails. E-mail me at jgeisert@cablerocket.com
I bought a new Mikado at a LHS a few years back in my long awaited Erie roadname. When I brought it home to assemble it, it was missing a handrail, and I wrote to Kato to see if there was a spare parts pack. They were out at the time, and periodic checks afterward yielded no success. I went to my LHS which is very nicely stocked with hobby building supplies. I went to the little exhibit with brass rods and tubes and got an idea. The next day, I brought in my stanchion sprue, and went toward the thinnest brass rods in stock. I found one tube that fit like a glove, and I have long since forgotten the diameter and took my rail nips and cut it to fit. As for whistles, I would take a look at other steamers and the illustrated parts assembly instructions, and take a small piece of sprue, file it to "as close as possible" shape and paint it with brass paint. If you want to periodically check with Kato, I do know they stock replacement parts when the loco is "active" and being distributed, but between production runs, they run out quickly for a lot of reasons, some their fault and some ours. I know it may seem to disturb the pristine nature to install non-factory parts on these little gems, but for me this method "broke the ice" for me to weather and repaint and decal a couple of mine. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
Sounds like a good idea, although I think for now I'm just gonna modify a Bachmann Consolidation whistle. If only Kato's customer service was as helpful as Bachmann's! Thanks again for everybody's helpful suggestions.
