SOUNDING 5X KATO ET425 (VIDEO)

[vadimav]

Hello to All!

 

A lot of time i spent  in aim to make stable run, light and sound of  KATO ET425!

 

I was frustrated by KATO quality for Eurpe!  Weaker current-pickup springs than ones at trains for USA!  So little quantity ща  motor trucks! Even 3 pole motor!  No inter-car electrical joinments for better pickup and lights, Small large-flange wheels(Pizza-Cutters USA tm), weak coupler  with notches, leading to derailments... etc!

 

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SO!

Let us begin:

 

I bought 5  KATO ET425! and after a lot of handwork it's ready now! 

 

There are 4 small video clips from my ready part of C55 NScale DCC fully automatical layout :

 

1)

 

2)

 

3)

 

4)

 

 

============ REVIEW OF REPAIR ===========

 

 

1)  WHEELS:

 

Original wheels are smaller than KATO mainline USA wheels, and have big flanges and bad profile!

 

Therefore i change all wheels:

 

There is a comparison photo:

 

 

 

2) BODY:

 

Body don't have whole metallic chassis, consist of a lot of parts, joined by latches and too weak.

I was forced to glue some parts together in aim that thain dont start to spill at hands.

 

3) RUNNING GEAR:

 

This train has only one motor car with only one motor truck!

One of 2 axles - with isolated traction tires! I shocked!

I was forced to remove traction tires wheels and i was also soldered  second cardan from syrringe needle and installed  second motor truck, using some dremelling and drilling:

 

Comparisom photo here:

 

 

Secong truck can be easily installed with small dremelling work:

 

See details:

 

 

4) SPRINGING:

 

KATO made backlash of contact lamellas into trucks!

Leaning on body springs, they have enough backlash to follow rail irregularity!!!

THIS IS A BIG ACHIEVEMENT OF KATO!

 

4.5) TRAVELLINGABILITY

 

Needle metall bearings - This is second achievement of KATO!!!!

 

BUT a SPOON of  TAR (a fly in the ointment) are:

 

Lamellas are too weak (in comparison with ones at USA trains) and can be easily turned!   

Question to KATO:  Why?

 

 

5) WEIGHT:

 

Original weight of motor car = 40g. Only half of them falling into one motor truck!

It's too little for stable run up to hills!

 

Therefore, after adding second motor truck i also add some weights at bottom cover.

 

See photo:

 

 

6)COUPLING'S MOVEMENT :

 

Couplings have a prominent  notches, which prevent easy movement of cars at deflection by turnouts.

 

Photo:

 

 

Also last windows at cars has prominent ends! They must be dremelled off, because they stop free movement of inter-car bayans !

 

7) СOUPLINGS:

 

Couplings are too weak, and train can spontaneously de-coupled at hills.

I strengthen it 2 times, using U-springs from berrilium bronze:

 

Photo:

 

 

 

8) LIGHTS:

 

Original lights shines too weak, because light pass via comprehensive light-pipe!

I discard it and use LEDS near  headlight outputs:

 

Photo:

 

1)

 

2)

 

3)

 

9)SPARTIUM (SnoW PloW)

 

Original train have not any spartium, and one can see first truck!

It's not applicable at our railroads, and therefore i add it!

Also U can see the lights:

 

Photos:

 

1)

 

2)

 

 

10)INTERIOR

 

I painted it at white color in aim to save power of LEDs.

Also U can see rail wires and copper wire support for LED board.

 

 

Photo:

 

11)SOUND:

 

Original train havent any sound. There is the procedure of installation:

 

Photos:

 

1)

 

2)

 

3)

 

4)

 

 

12)ELECTRONICS :

 

Original decoder havent any powerpack, AUX light output, panto's pads and sound.

Therefore i use ESU LokSound 4 decoder.

 

For better cooling at warm days i use copper heat sink. Decoder was glued by ThermoConductive EPOXY.

 

See photos:

 

1)

 

2)

 

13)  COMMON E -PICKUP

 

All my 12 car  train was divided into 2 electrically independant part.

Each part have 1 loco and 5 cars.

5 cars was joined by 5 wires permanently!

2wires - rails

2wires- interior light

1 wire - pantos

 

Photo:

 

 

Locos has  small 5 pin connector , which allow to separate it from cars.

 

14)PANTOS:

 

Original train have non-springed and non-conductive pantos.

It's obvious that for better e-pickup we must use panto-resource!

I change it into working and springing Sommerfeldt pantos, and join it to decoder's power via 2 Shottky diodes!

 

Both left and right rails are starting to be duplicated by pantos electrically!!!!!

 

All 5 pantos of my train  make E-pickup almost uninterruptable by any dirt!

 

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Thanks for attention!

Vadim

[Bernard]

Vadim - Thanks for posting the photo step by step procedure....really impressive work you've done!

[keitaro]

most definately

 

bigger question is where do you find the time to do this ?

 

Great work 

[cteno4]

Vlad,

 

great work! lots of hacking and whacking involved there! thanks for all the instructions great for ideas for other stuff as well.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[vadimav]

Please,  can You tell me, how i can improove KATO products in future? Can i write to KATOModels head?

 

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Thanks,

Vadim