Both Portland Rose and Columbine have the wrong trucks (ISH vs OSH). I knew they was going to ship this way from an email back in Aug, but forgot about it until I was putting my set away tonight. Even though Paul made it sound like they wouldn't be shipped that way. Two more sets of trucks I'm going to have order to go with a bunch of others. Sad that we are going to have to spend at least $24 to correct the problem. Really surprised no one has said anything about it. Chris
Until KATO remakes the frames for the coach and dome coach so they accept clip-on instead of screw-on trucks, which were the way these cars were made originally, they'll remain the way they are. Be happy they re-did the upper deck of the dome-coach so you can light the whole car with one lighting kit. Otherwise you'd be buying 2 of those per dome, too.
I agree with Td, "we" will not be making any changes. i come from a 1:1 railroad family and have been playing with, uh operating, models for 65 years. I am too stupid to know the difference between ISH & OSH trucks. Have no clue. For me, the most important thing is that they are using passenger style trucks that are silver color and look real nice on the cars. The second most important is that they will roll better than most any other brand of passenger truck on the market and will put on a very good public showing for any N gauge display. I guess I am saying that I am not a rivet counter. Carl
Maybe its me, and I'm missing something here. But looking at the bottom of the Dome-Lounge (although one end is "round") and Dome-Diner, and comparing them to the Dome-Coach, they look the same, albeit one detail. Is the difference in how the body attached to the frame? Would a frame swap work? I'm not sure that what Kato has would even be the correct underframe details for the current dome anyways. I'll have to research that on another day, even though that is probably something I won't change. Lights aren't an issue for me, as the cars will get tinted windows anyways, and don't intend to install any on either this train, or my Daylight or Coast Starlight either. Most of my trains run in bright lighted areas anyways, and the white LEDs just look too unrealistic to me. And guys, I didn't intend the post to sound like a whine per say, merely asking for help in the wrong way. Chris