I have been asked and authorized to pass this along.
Apparently, all units shipped to distributors/dealers in the last two weeks have the new counterweights installed.
PLEASE check your engine before ordering, as supply is, and will be, for the units made with loose counterweights, and some have been installed!
Place locomotive on flat surface or track, grab the left and right counterweight on any axle but #3, and rotate in opposite directions.
BAD ones can be 20° or more, new ones less than 5, often just a rattle, and that's with the screw loose. With the screw tight on new counterweights, there will be no play. On old counterweights, screw tightness does not matter.
Thank-you.
"Another problem is that some of the consumers are not even taking the unit out of the package before asking for parts. We have replaced the counterweights on all units we have shipped out for the past two weeks and now I am afraid that they are asking us to replace the counterweights on units that have already been corrected."
I will certainly conduct the test before requesting the counterweights. Thank you for the timely tip. It's been interesting(?) reading the sometimes heated debate about this. I'm just glad I have mine and look forward to running it...as soon as we move. Sigh.
Another way to see if your K-27 locomotime has the new counter weights is to remove one of the weights from the rear axle (the easest to remove). Look inside where the mounting screw goes and if you see slots in the mounting face, if you do you have the old weights, if there are no slots you have the new weights.
James
Wouldn't it be safe to assume that if we received the loco prior to the announcement that the counterweights would be replaced that we will need to do so? That if not already loose they will become so? gj