tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56355624718200158412024-03-04T21:54:31.105-08:00The Train Fixxer's opinion is the only one that matters....Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-67428170302005254972020-06-17T06:40:00.000-07:002020-06-17T06:41:21.348-07:00AHM Krauss Maffei ML-4000 HO scale locomotive<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>AHM Krauss Maffei ML-4000 HO scale locomotive</b></div>
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<b>Total Rebuild</b></div>
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After doing the Tenshodo SD24, I finally gained the skills necessary to revisit the AHM Krauss Maffei ML-4000 project that I started about 5 years ago.<br />
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When I started the project I found it simple to disassemble and strip all the paint. The motor is a vertical shaft with a worm that goes down to a set of brass gears inside the rear truck. Power is picked up from 2 axles on one side in the from, which is the right side and by a single axle on one side in the back. The way this thing is able to work at all is because of the very heavy weight blocks. It does run quite smooth in fact. There are 2 traction tires in the rear.<br />
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The trucks are quite detailed with a single piece sideframe and screw on bottom cover. This is the problem. There is only 1 wire coming up from the center and to add power pickup was beyond my skill at that time.<br />
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Fast forward to the Tenshodo. I had begun using the Tichy phosphor bronze wire to get more pickup out of the Bachmann and Life-Like trucks which lead to figuring out a way to do the same with the Tenshodo. That's when I remembered the Krauss Maffei. Could this method be adapted. On the front truck, it was simple and a couple quarter inch holes in the frame floor gave plenty of clearance for turning.<br />
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Now for the rear truck. There is a problem in that the motor just floats freely and is held in place with a spring clip. The floor of the frame has a steel plate which is another obstacle. Even if those two items are overcome, 2 wheels have traction tires and there is a serious clearance issue with the steel plate and motor in the way. So let's see what we can do....Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-8242364849169006662020-06-03T09:18:00.004-07:002020-06-16T09:18:43.458-07:00Bachmann pancake motor GP50 and Life-Like pancake motor GP38-2 Multiple Unit Build<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Bachmann High Nose GP50 pancake motor</b></div>
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<b>Life-Like High Nose GP38-2 pancake motor</b></div>
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<b>Multiple Unit Build</b></div>
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I've got these 2 locomotives that I found at train shows. They both have the infamous and notorious pancake motors. A few years ago I airbrushed them with Rustoleum Gloss Red Enamel. The paint jobs are actually pretty good, but did take weeks to fully cure. I also put the decals on and number boards. Then they sat in the junk pile for about 5 years.<br />
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I got the idea that I could use a 2 pin connector and make a connection between the two locomotives so that they would share power. The reason is that they have plastic front wheels with traction tire and only get power from the rear truck. Yes I could have replaced the wheels and made it all-wheel pickup, but I've lately been trying to think of ways to improve the original system without investing into replacement parts.<br />
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I rebuilt the motors to better than new performance. In fact, the motors, despite being damaged and beat up, have come back to life in the most amazing way. I've always believed in the pancake motor concept because it's proven itself in slot car racing. The motors in DVD and CD-ROM drives are pancake motors with a better enclosure and more modern cores, but they are still pancake motors. I'll probably be using one of those motors from an old DVD drive on a Bachmann steam engine that I've got sitting in the deadline.<br />
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So the concept of this operation is to make a PC board that collects power from the pickup truck. Then power is routed to the motor. But, a set of wires with a 2 pin quick connector will also be on that PC board. The male connector will be on the outside of one of the locomotives and the female with a bit of the wire leads will be on the other. When connected, the 2 locomotives will be sharing power pickup from 2 trucks instead of 1 truck each.<br />
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So let's see where this takes us....<br />
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Clean the wheels, polish them and paint the ends if you're going to do that now. Clean any paint off the part that touches the rail. Coat the back and tread area with Oxgard - it will stay greasy for a couple weeks then turn to a film.<br />
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Wipe a paper thin layer of red lithium high temp brake grease - which you get at any auto parts store in a little tub that will last decades - into the sockets that hold the axles. No more than a paper thin layer and no excess.<br />
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You will lay the wheels into the centerpiece after the wipers are installed - but do not put the side frames on. When you get to the phosphor bronze wire step, carefully set it upright without the sideframes on and with the wheels in place.<br />
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Rebuilding the power pickup trucks is one of the more difficult challenges. The idea is to keep the copper wipers exactly as they are built. They need to be cleaned with new black and red 32 awg silicone wire soldered to them. Then they must be coated with Oxgard. The new leads are threaded through the existing holes like usual. But, before doing any of that we need to make a modification for the new parts we're going to make. Look carefully at the truck and you will see a small hole where the wire gets threaded into the center so it can go up through the frame. You will need to take a 1/16" drill bit and make a second hole that mirrors the one on the other side. You will be drilling 2 holes, 1 on each side so that when you are done you will have holes that match. This is super simple but hard to describe, there will be pictures later. Look at the truck and see the holes that it came with are drilled near the axle socket. You will make 2 new holes in the same way near the other socket - like a mirror.<br />
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Now you can install the copper wipers and thread the wire - red on one side, black on the other. This wire goes through the hole that was factory made - right hand hole when you are looking at it laying on its side.<br />
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You will need a tube of phosphor bronze wire for the next step. My goto wire for this is .0125 phosphor bronze from Tichy. You will need to cut 2 pieces that are long enough to span the tops of the wheels on each side, but not so long that the sideframe can't be put back on. Lay this piece on top of the wheels and mark a spot just to the right of the hole we drilled earlier. Now tin this spot with solder and solder a red wire to one piece and a black wire to the other.<br />
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Next thread the wires through the holes we made - make sure the red is on the red side and the black is on the black side. You can't do this wrong because the center piece of the truck will fit either way, it's totally the same. Just get all the wires of one color on the same sides.<br />
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Pull the electric wire tight enough to keep the bronze wire touching the tops of the wheels. At this point you will probably need a drop of super glue to hold the electric wire tight. When you have everything they way you like it, put the side frames back on.<br />
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The pancake motor rebuild went very well. With all the parts cleaned in the ultrasonic cleaner using Mean Green, the parts looked good. The core was inspected and polished. The motor housings were thoroughly cleaned in the ultrasonic. Oxgard was applied to all the parts that needed it, but especially the screws that hold the housing and the brush covers. these screws tend to rust over time. The brush covers were polished and coated with Oxgard. It's important not to get Oxgard on the actual brushes because it can cause them to become soft. Better is to use powdered graphite inside the brush sockets to keep everything dry and free moving. Once assembled and lubed carefully with red lithium grease the testing could begin.<br />
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The red lithium gets a little stiff when cold so it helps to warm things up. Once in use, you would never believe how smooth a pancake motor can be. Also, the sound changed. The motor now sounds acceptable. The annoying high whine is much less than before. It sounds best at about 50% power. Extra weight needed to be added at strategic points to help keep the wheels from picking points due to light weight. The plastic pizza cutter wheels will reveal many track flaws. Cheap switches that have rivets holding the points will get picked frequently. At first I thought it might be a wheel gauge problem, but after checking and rechecking, I noticed that the locomotives had no problem on my hand laid switches. The problem appeared on a couple switches where I used the cheapest snap switches where the rivet is not perfect. I fixed a couple of these, but I marked them for replacement with my hand laid switches.<br />
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On the GP50 I put the socket on the rear pilot. When I wired it I kept the red wires on the right and the black wires on the left. This means that one of the locomotives needs to have the red and black reversed on the M.U. cable only. So on the GP38-2 I put a solder pad on the rear pilot and brought the wires through. This means that if I want to remove the shell I must unsolder the connections. On the GP50, I put a disconnect on the inside so I can remove the shell. One thing about the 2 pin connectors is that I shaved the off the teeth that hold the connection in place. The reason for this is that the connectors are extremely difficult to disconnect in small spaces. They are not likely to come apart so removing the locking teeth is no problem. Also in the event of some failure of couplers the locomotives will just disconnect instead of dragging themselves by the wires.<br />
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The performance of the lash-up is off the charts fantastic. Super slow, no stalls, excellent for switching ops. I would classify this as a huge success. I'll add pictures pretty quick and do a youtube video of the performance.<br />
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So.... my U36Bs.... this is what I'm going to do to them. I've pushed individual locomotive performance to the max, but with multiple units sharing power we have excellent performance. The operating reliability is so far as good as anything else and will certainly get DCC. BQ23-7s are another bunch that will get this treatment. The bonus is that locomotives can be swapped around. The AHM FM C-Liner project is now a total go - that will be a B unit with the cable on each end and the A units each with a socket.Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-31405676081186983482020-05-23T09:04:00.000-07:002020-06-01T11:45:36.710-07:00Brass Tenshodo SD24 Total Rebuild<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Rebuilding a brass Tenshodo SD24</b></div>
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<b>Part 1</b></div>
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The HO scale SD24 brass diesel locomotive by Tenshodo is a difficult beast to tame. The goal of this project is to rebuild it and keep as much of the original mechanism as possible - but not the motor. This locomotive is going to be powered by a rare earth super strong magnet 24 volt motor.<br />
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There are 3 mechanical challenges to overcome. First is the linkage from the motor to the gear tower. The original design uses a rubber hose. This is a totally sound concept and the original hose can be replaced by a slightly more flexible silicone hose. The silicone hose is very cheap and a single roll will probably last a lifetime. The shaft on the gear tower is one size bigger that the shaft on the motor, but the hose does not have a problem with that. If you have a locomotive with a worn out hose, the size I used has an outside diameter of 4mm and inside of 1mm. I also tried a hose with 3mm outside diameter and found it to be too flexible, but still usable. There is another option and that is to use standard splines and couplings like those found in an Athearn blue box locomotive. The motor has a much smaller shaft than the Athearn, but since I can 3D print these parts that shouldn't be a problem. We'll see if it's necessary after everything else is mechanically sound.<br />
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The second challenge is the power pickup. The trucks pickup power from one side only - and then only from 2 of the 3 axles. The middle axle floats and doesn't contribute to the pickup all the time. It's not a dead axle, but it's not normally load bearing in order to prevent skidding type derailments. With little to no weight on it most of the time it shouldn't be considered a reliable source of power, but.... The first upgrade that I am trying is the phosphor bronze wire trick. If I can use a piece of phosphor bronze wire that wipes the top of all 3 wheels and then use a wire to my power collection board the reliability will improve dramatically. If that works, it may be possible do it to the insulated side wheels giving me power pickup from all wheels - that would be huge.<br />
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Challenge 3 is the drive shaft connecting the 2 trucks on the underside. This shaft tends to disconnect frequently. I have successfully test a small silicone hose sleeve on the end that gives the trouble. This seems to work so far, but the locomotive has yet to complete the obstacle course of tight switches and curves that I setup. The goal here is to negotiate 18" radius curves and #4 crossovers without derailing.<br />
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The first step in the whole procedure is to make sure the trucks have reliable movement. Gear binding seems to be a serious problem. One of the worm gears needed sharpening on the drive shaft on the front truck so far, but is still suspect. One of the axle gears had broken loose. A single drop of super glue fixed that gear in place very tight, but now we have to see if the tolerance between axle and worm will mesh....<br />
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Several hours later.... the binding gear problem was solved. The gear in question was examined much more closelier, yes closelier. The gear was split. To remove it the axle was heated with the big soldering gun and the insulated wheel comes right off. My first thought was to replace it. I found a plastic replacement that I could have used if I put one on each geared axle in both trucks. Like I've said many times, shaft sizes and gears are not special. When a gear is cut, it's cut using a tool that is a standard size. The gear cutting set is like a machinist drill bit set in that the sizes are all indexed. This is why you can almost always find a matching gear to anything that needs it, as long as you know where to look. For now, I've just removed the old gear and someday I'll run across another wheelset that I can replace that axle. Unless this project turns out to be much better than expected - then I'll replace all 4 gears from my plastic replacements.<br />
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Tomorrow's job will be seeing how smooth I can get it to run before I add the extra power pickup.<br />
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The phosphor bronze wire totally did the job. The multimeter shows full voltage through the wires. Now that power available, we can test it. On the road test first we checked to see if the hoses used on the drive shafts both topside and underneath would hold. The good news is that they work so well that they will be retained. The hoses have done an excellent job. The crossover test was successful and without difficulty we went over a large crossover that has long unpowered frogs. We were able to make several times without derailing or stalling. Next we tried a string of #4 switches that are from a mix of manufacturers. Rail is brass, yellow brass, steel, nickel silver and we made it through without stalls or derailments. Then we moved on to the 18" radius test and that was no problem. Feeling extra brave, we went through a spaghetti bowl of very sharp turnouts and then down to the 15" radius that crosses open space over a concrete floor. We went through the 15" with some grinding sounds, but stayed on the track both fast and slow. I'm calling this rebuild a success so far.<br />
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Really digging into the locomotive and its inner workings has helped me step up my game to a new level. For a couple of years I've considered this SD24 a piece of junk - and for good reason. I haven't been able to find any good comments from people who have them or any stories of rebuilding them. I know they are out there and hope this story will bring out other information. Now that the locomotive is in very good working condition I can move into paint and decals. I have something exciting in mind....<br />
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Now time for some pictures....<br />
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And that's a wrap.<br />
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-15178203366894625022019-11-17T07:36:00.000-08:002020-06-10T07:10:54.526-07:001969 Majorette Saviem Fuel Truck makeoverI had an old 1969 Saviem fuel truck by Majorette. The frame was bent and the paint was in rough shape. All the axles were also bent pretty bad. So let's see what can be sone...<br />
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Rivet removal with a 4 flute end mill in a milling machine<br />
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After black primer, Jokaero Orange with a coating of clear gloss.</div>
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Armypainter Kraken Skin fenders and interior walls followed by Liquid Talent aka...Agrax Earthshade<br />
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Some decals I whipped up for another project were perfect, also some lining with a silver sharpie pen.</div>
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I like it.</div>
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-48423473033031077872019-11-01T10:51:00.001-07:002020-05-23T09:05:31.201-07:00A.C. Gilbert HO scale Alco Diesel DL-600On the workbench we have a 1957 A.C. Gilbert Alco Diesel in HO scale.<br />
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These are the before pictures for this rebuild. I don't collect them, I find them, fix them and run them. This locomotive has excellent potential and for being 62 years old it was in very good shape. It was missing a drive shaft, which was easy to fabricate. The mechanism is similar to Tenshodo brass. The plan is to replace the fully functional open frame Pittman motor with a new 24 volt rare earth magnet motor. The wires will be replaced with silicone wiring. Since the motor will be isolated, there is no reason this can't be an excellent DCC locomotive. There is also plenty of space to add big sound to this build.<br />
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We'll see what happens... I have yet to see where anyone has rebuilt one of these, though I'm sure they're out there somewhere....<br />
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-25236611936135106672019-11-01T10:43:00.001-07:002020-06-10T07:11:38.368-07:00More Athearn Blue Box DD40 rebuild photosSome more photos of the Athearn Blue Box DD40 rebuilds that are on the workbench....<br />
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-72165824775131397162019-11-01T10:39:00.001-07:002020-06-10T07:12:28.684-07:00AHM FM C-Liner Rebuild<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The AHM FM C-Liner Rebuild Project</b></div>
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The C-Liner project is coming along nicely. The much maligned from pilot was cut off and replaced with some tin I bent from an oyster tin.<br />
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The B unit is a dummy, but I've made it to pickup power which I plan to distribute through tiny 2 pin connectors to the 2 A units making a lash up that gets power from all 3 units together making for a super reliable set up. Picking up power from many wheels over a long distance should insure that it never stalls from lack of power.<br />
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-57408483110332189972019-11-01T10:34:00.002-07:002020-05-23T09:06:32.086-07:001976 TYCO Midnight Special<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>1976 TYCO Midnight Special 50th Anniversary Shark Nose Locomotive</b></div>
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The Alco RF-16 Shark Nose Diesel Locomotive built from 1950-1953 was a 1600 horsepower engine.<br />
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TYCO came out with a Shark Nose called the Midnight Special for the 50th Anniversary in 1976.<br />
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I rebuilt this model and dressed it up a bit to see how it might look. Turned out pretty good, runs decent and is equipped with LED lighting.<br />
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-78987253024854862922019-10-23T10:51:00.001-07:002020-05-23T09:06:02.936-07:00Track Planning for Beginners Part 1<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Track Planning for Beginners Part 1</b></div>
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<u>This is how I am carrying out my track planning.</u><br />
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<b>1.</b> Prepare the available space. At a minimum clean the area where the bench work will go.<br />
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<b>2.</b> Measure the space available and use a piece of graph paper to make a map of the area.<br />
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<b>3.</b> I used handy panels which are 2'x4' and I made the bench work follow the wall. <i> Going wider than 2 feet around a wall makes maintenance and operations more difficult.</i><br />
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<b>4.</b> Make a list next to your map of the possible configurations - even some you know you don't want or are impractical. <i> Consider using a 4'x8' sheet that you can walk around both long sides.</i><br />
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<b>5.</b> Start the Design Process.<br />
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<b><u>I. Visualize</u></b> what you want out of your model railroad. Imagine the things you really like and how the look and feel of the layout will make you happy. <i>Imagine showing your layout to your friends</i>. Imagine how things will look at sunrise, sunset and night.<br />
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<b><u>II. Describe</u></b> your vision by making a list of the coolest things you could think of - the look, the feel and how you would explain it to a friend viewing it for the first time.<br />
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<b><u>III. Start</u></b> drawing your best guess on your map.<br />
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<b>6.</b> Armchair modeling is when you make track plans on paper and imagine how they will function. This is a hobby all to itself - you can make track plans on paper just because it's fun. I like to keep these things in a <b><u><i>Composition Book Quad Rule</i></u></b>. You can find these in many stores and even the dollar store. Try laying out a simple industry with 1 track and a run around track. Then bend that configuration in many different ways and see if you can imagine dropping off and picking up cars.<br />
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<b>7.</b> Assuming you decided on a tentative plan and have prepare the space then build the primary bench work. I personally do not use foam tops because I nail my track in place. I do this on purpose because I like to lay down track and test it, redo it and retest it. I like cork bulletin boards squares on top of particle board. That doesn't mean you should do that. Particle board can be very tricky stuff to work with because of the numerous scenery techniques that involve putting a liquid down for scenery which will be soaked up by the board causing it to swell. I've been using it for a very long time and know its properties and how it reacts to water and temperature changes. The cork squares just so happen to be 1'x1' making it very easy to draw accurate maps. It also makes it easy to put some track on it and see if it actually lines up the way you think it will.<br />
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<b>8.</b> Start putting track and your favorite cars on the benchwork to see how they look. You can nail down some track, test it and go back to your map. Keep refining your plan using the new information from your tests. Also start small - get little parts to work and build on them, i.e., don't lay down a huge yard first. If you have an industry or a single track somewhere put that one down first and start building out from there. Many people like to lay down the mainline first and make everything fit after that. I like to lay down simple pieces and build out which then creates a mainline which only has to be completed.<br />
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<b>9. </b> Test and Retest. Rebuild and test again.<br />
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<b><u>Useful tools</u></b><br />
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2B pencils<br />
2H pencils<br />
plastic eraser<br />
metal pencil sharpener<br />
small ruler<br />
graph paperTrain Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-48551460562342662022019-09-19T20:24:00.001-07:002020-06-10T07:13:09.956-07:00Athearn Blue Box DD40 rebuild<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Working on the old MP40</div>
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The right combination of parts was found with the MP15 cab and base plus an Atlas Trainmaster H24-66 frame and finally the correct height to get the cab to see over the body was achieved.</div>
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The dual motors will be upgraded to 2 24 volt rare earth magnet motors which should give a super smooth movement like the high torque 24 volt rare earth magnet motor used in the single motor Athearn Blue Box DD40 that we did on YouTube. </div>
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-45638228095532605812018-07-20T05:17:00.002-07:002020-06-03T09:33:22.969-07:00Tenshodo Brass SD24 rebuild<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Tenshodo SD24 Total Rebuild and Repower</h2>
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I've been working on this old brass Tenshodo SD24 for a couple of years on and off. My goal is to make it a decent running locomotive.<br />
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<b>**UPDATE JUNE 2020** This project is complete and turned out awesome check my blog entry from May and June 2020</b><br />
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I selected a high torque rare earth magnet motor with a 2mm shaft. This motor runs around $6 each. These types of motors are far superior to anything else out there. They are very good on the low end, but at 24v, you never reach the top end so the locomotive may seem a bit slow. If you run trains at low speeds, this is the type of motor you want. The torque is very high, much more than you are probably used to.<br />
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I made the motor mount on the 3D printer just the right height so the motor shaft is aligned with the drive shaft on the gear tower.<br />
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Here's where the problem is located: these locomotives used a 2mm rubber hose to connect their 2.3mm shafts to the old open frame motor. I could save this hose and with a drop of glue make it work probably ok. The hose takes away just a bit of freedom of sideways movement, and that little bit almost certainly adds up to frequent derailments on most track, unless you have huge radius and large turnouts.<br />
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Let's table the hose for now and move to more serious problems.<br />
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The motor shaft connects to a hose that connects to a drive shaft that connects to a bakelite gear on a gear tower that connects to another bakelite gear that connects to another bakelite gear that connects to a worm gear on a shaft connected to another worm gear connected to another drive shaft that connects to 2 more worms. Each worm connects to an axle. That's 3 bakelites, 4 worms, 5 total shafts.<br />
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The trouble starts with mating a bakelite gear to a metal worm. Once worn a little, lots of binding will happen.<br />
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No I'm going to replace anything with another drive system. In this shop, things get fixed, so let's figure out how to solve the problem.<br />
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Getting new hose is easy, but perhaps we can make couplings. Gears are riveted on, but not impossible to replace and we have plenty of those around.<br />
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Fabricating a new gear tower is totally possible using aluminum and may be the way to go, plus I really want to make something like that anyways.....<br />
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This project has been given new life - I'm going to paint it by hand with a paint brush and it will be incredible. Check May 2020 for a new entry.Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-1242233472326056072018-07-20T04:59:00.001-07:002020-05-23T09:09:20.440-07:00Dual Motor Tyco C630 or SD24 total build and DCC prep<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Dual Motor Tyco C630 or SD24 total build and DCC prep</h2>
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Preparing Tyco Power Torque Locomotives to use 2 motors<br />
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Quite a while back I scored a Dual Motor Golden Eagle Super 630 from ebay.<br />
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Today I'm going to rebuild it and get it ready to accept a DCC controller.<br />
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Some of the considerations are:<br />
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1. Total rewiring and adding a small PC board where the DCC decoder will go.<br />
2. Making sure the motors are not fighting each and travel in the correct direction.<br />
3. All new interior wires.<br />
<br />
Power Torques are very easy to rebuild. They are far more robust and powerful than most people give credit to them. They are often derided as being terrible motors, but the reality is quite different.<br />
<br />
Wiring is quite simple, so this project was a total success. It turns out that 2 motors on a Tyco are way better than just one.<br />
<br />
<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-90043195862426667832018-04-03T10:28:00.002-07:002018-04-03T10:28:51.409-07:00Wheel weathering jig for locomotivesMake a simple wheel painting jig<br />
<br />
Take a piece of cardboard and poke a wheel into it trace it with a pencil and cut it out with your knife. Leave strip down the center open.<br />
<br />
Under the center you will place a leg to hold it up.<br />
<br />
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-43577867278876807022018-03-21T10:36:00.005-07:002018-03-21T10:36:49.977-07:00Wire Model Railroad Buildings with LED lighting<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Wire Model Railroad Buildings with LED lighting</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Part 1<br />Planning with pencil and paper</h3>
<br />
<b>Step 1</b> <u>State your Objective (your intent)</u><br />
<br />
<i>"My Intent is to have a cool lighting effect inside my building with LED lighting."</i><br />
<br />
<b>Step 2 </b><u> List Specific Requirements</u><br />
<br />
<i>"LED Lighting"</i><br />
<br />
<b>Step 3</b> <u> List the elements that are implied by the requirements</u><br />
<br />
<i>"a bridge rectifier and 1k resistor are necessary to LED lighting"</i><br />
<i>"an additional feature is that this method can use either AC or DC power"</i><br />
<i>"flexible wire of a gauge 26-30 AWG would be best for this porject"</i><br />
<i>"hot glue would be best for securing wires in place"</i><br />
<br />
<b>Step 4</b> <u> Draw a simple diagram to show the plan</u><br />
<br />
<i>"a simple drawing on graph paper, not to any scale, but showing the approximate locations and directions of the elements"</i><br />
<br />
<b>Step 5 </b> <u>Gather the materials to include tools and support tools (tape, glue, rags)</u><br />
<br />
<b>Step 6</b> <u>Prepare materials (such as tinning the wires and components)</u><br />
<br />
<b>Step 7</b> <u>Do the construction</u><br />
<br />
<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-34190801366290781532018-01-31T10:37:00.003-08:002018-01-31T10:37:39.085-08:00Make a locomotive fuel tank out of bondo<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Make a locomotive fuel tank out of bondo</h2>
<br />
Sometimes you need a larger fuel tank, or in the case of the Athearn C44-9W I got for parts, there was no fuel tank at all so I had to build it from scratch.<br />
<br />
Bondo is a product that is easier to use than you would expect. Take a piece of card board from an old box and put some of the gray bondo in a glob with a plastic knife. Then put about a cap full of the red hardener next to it and mix the 2 together. It will turn pink.<br />
<br />
You now have 3-5 minutes to glob it where you need it. I use tape barriers most of the time, but be warned that too much barrier and you can't get the bondo to go where you want it.<br />
<br />
As soon as it starts to get a bit sandy looking when you mix it up on you card board that means time is up for spreading it.<br />
<br />
Now you have 5-10 minutes where you can take a flat blade x-acto knife and trim it. You sculpt it as best you can carefully shaving it down.<br />
<br />
At about 30 minutes in you can go to the disc sander and shape it like wood. Sometimes you wait a bit longer, but rarely do you need to wait an hour.<br />
<br />
You can get it very smooth if you want using finer and finer grades of sand paper. Once you're done, you can paint it. I don't always use primer, but primer can be used to make the surface even smoother.<br />
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-16938412609116828802018-01-31T10:23:00.003-08:002018-01-31T10:23:44.677-08:00How to clean HO Scale Wheels<h2 style="text-align: center;">
How to clean HO Scale Wheels on Model Trains</h2>
<br />
There are a lot of methods to do this. My experience shows that using metal polish is the best way whenever possible.<br />
<br />
For brass, use Brasso, Simi-Chrome or Flitz.<br />
<br />
For all others, you can use those three and Noxon is also very good. I don't use Noxon for brass because I have Brasso, but it will work on brass.<br />
<br />
The results are excellent.<br />
<br />
I put the polish in a glob on a heavy duty micro fiber cleaning rag and just rub the wheels until clean, works really fast. After that I use a tooth brush, dish soap and COLD water.<br />
<br />
It is totally possible to put wheels in the drill press and do this, but you need to know how to get them back into gauge after you do that using the Tacky glue method I showed in the SDP40 rebuild video. Once wheels are removed from their axles they tend to go out of gauge quite often.<br />
<br />
There is another way to use the metal polish and that is to put it on the cloth wheel of a flex shaft moto-tool that has a slow speed and then put it in a bench vise. This works very well on wheels that don't come off their axles - this is a future video.<br />
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-87128571433480232792018-01-31T10:15:00.001-08:002018-01-31T10:15:46.671-08:00Athearn C44-9W Northwest Short Line Motor Installation<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Athearn C44-9W Northwest Short Line Motor Installation</h2>
<br />
The C44-9W project continues.... I understand why I got this locomotive for very cheap. This project was abandoned due to a lot of technical problems. The previous owner almost got it to work, but several faults cropped up making this a very frustrating project.<br />
<br />
The drive couplings all have at least 1 pin sheared off. This was a likely attempt to get smoother operating characteristics that ultimately lead to the couplings coming apart frequently.<br />
<br />
I've change the position of the couplings and used a drop of super glue to hold them. Most people aren't comfortable doing that in case there is a screw up, but if you use a tiny screwdriver and hit just one side of the shaft, you can remove it later if you need to.<br />
<br />
I use Goop to hold the motor in place. It does a very good job at cutting vibrations and can be removed if I make a mistake.<br />
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-62094908734677448572018-01-30T06:06:00.001-08:002018-01-30T06:06:07.928-08:00Athearn C44-9W Rebuild with NorthWest Shortline Can Motor<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Athearn C44-9W Rebuild with NorthWest Shortline Can Motor</h2>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
NWSL Wheelsets also</h3>
<br />
This next restoration is an Athearn C44-9W that I got "for parts or repair."<br />
<br />
It has a NorthWest Shortline 163-4 Can motor and some NWSL replacement wheels. It wasn't a successful conversion and the person who had gave up and stripped some usable parts and then sold it to me.<br />
<br />
Confidence is high that we can rebuild it.<br />
<br />
This is part 1 where we break down the trucks and get everything apart.<br />
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-10271166550152792942018-01-27T08:24:00.003-08:002018-01-27T08:24:42.029-08:00Bachmann Pancake Motor Repair Sideframe Removal<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Bachmann Pancake Motor Repair Sideframe Removal</h2>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
How to get the wheels out</h3>
<br />
Bachmann locomotives equipped with the pancake motor have 1 piece sideframes. There are a couple different versions, but they all come off the truck the same way.<br />
<br />
The sideframes are held in place by wedge shaped ends on each truck. The sideframe has a cutout on the end where the wedges fit when the sideframes are on.<br />
<br />
To remove the sideframes, carefully take your flat blade screwdriver to the end closest to the fuel tank, also known as the rear end or the back end of the sideframe. Come in sideways as much as you can and give a twist with the blade and it should pop free.<br />
<br />
DO NOT put the the flat blade in from the top and pry like you would a lever or you will break it. If you do break it, once it is off use super glue to repair it. NO OTHER GLUE will work. For extremely broken parts, especially if you are replacing the broken part with something you fabricated, then use 2 part epoxy, that is the only thing strong enough to hold a new part in place.<br />
<br />
I use PC11 epoxy, its expensive, but for model making, it will last many years and you don't end up wasting it like the kind that uses a plunger to dispense the 2 parts. For about half price, there is a PC7 which is also supposed to be very good, but I don't have that one yet. As soon as I do I'll review it here.<br />
<br />
This shows the rear clip released<br />
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Sideframe completely removed<br />
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How it lines up coming off or going on<br />
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Putting it back on or taking it off<br />
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They do have a proper direction, if you have a paint marker, put a dot on the rear end of each sideframe so you don't have to figure it out later.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Also, take a picture before you remove it, you'll notice on the U36 and BQ23-7 that those models have very easy to identify truck features that will help you get it back together again.</div>
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On the older models, those trucks are difficult to tell which way they go back, so mark them. If you forget to do this and already have them off, then you need to carefully match the slots on the ends to the wedges that hold them in place, don't worry it's not hard.</div>
<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-18000072873622912232018-01-18T10:19:00.000-08:002018-01-18T10:19:03.922-08:00Athearn SDP40 rebuild and repair<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Athearn SDP40 total rebuild</h2>
<br />
I forgot to post my rebuild and floating axle video of the Athearn SDP40 blue box.<br />
<br />
This is total rebuild with floating axle, DCC ready and excellent wiring.<br />
<br />
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-13144032604274691392018-01-18T10:16:00.001-08:002018-01-18T10:16:06.511-08:00Athearn SD40T-2 total rebuild<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Athearn SD40T-2 total rebuild</h2>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
rebuild, rewire and pimp my drive system</h3>
<br />
The Athearn SD40T-2 that I got in 1988 was a locomotive that I wanted sooo bad. I got a snoot nose specially ordered for from the hobby shop. Those were the days when I made everything Chicago & NorthWestern.<br />
<br />
I hand painted this thing and bent grab irons with a pliers from piano wire. I did hard wire it back then and coated the exposed metal with the graphite coating called Slip Plate.<br />
<br />
The problem with this locomotive is that it's big with a long wheel base. It's notorious for jumping the track on multiple turn outs.<br />
<br />
So I was wondering what project to do next when a friend asked if I could do an SD40T-2. I've got several of them and my first thought was to do this rust bucket I got for a couple bucks at the train show. Then I saw my old set of tunnel motors, 1 a snoot the other a regular hood.<br />
<br />
When CNW ceased to exist I was in shock and boxed up all my trains where they stayed for 20 years, almost exactly 20 years. I setup a new workshop and promised myself that I would destroy or strip my 72 CNW locomotives, but preserve them. I'm amazed at how detailed these locomotives were. Considering that I had all hand tools and not nearly what I have now, these locomotives look good. They aren't great by today's standard, but they're certainly operating quality.<br />
<br />
I spotted my tunnel motors in my lineup of old stuff and decided they needed this rebuild. I remember dreaming about getting this locomotive. I went ahead and did an in depth rebuild.<br />
<br />
One of the most important modifications I made was the floating axle. If you're familiar with Athearn locomotives, especially the SDP40 and SD45, then you probably know they tend to derail in yards a lot. The tunnel motors don't just derail they also throw cars off the track. The solution is to make the floating axle.<br />
<br />
This rebuild was a total success and the floating axle negotiates multiple #4 turnout with ease now.<br />
<br />
This is part 1 of the rebuild<br />
<br />
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-54032354631883262062018-01-16T11:00:00.002-08:002018-01-16T11:00:56.595-08:00HO scale horsepower measurements<h2 style="text-align: center;">
HO scale horsepower measurements</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Measuring scale horsepower for real</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
or what we really want to do</h4>
<br />
So how much pulling power do your locomotives really have? How much more do you get when you add locomotives to get a consist? Are newer locomotives better at pulling?<br />
<br />
First things first: why do you want to know? I can answer that for myself and that answer is because no one else is doing it or talking about it.<br />
<br />
Practical answer is that when you are planning a steep grade, can you pull your train up that grade? How can you keep statistics that will help you figure out that problem and record the information.<br />
<br />
There is a simple tool called a Newton Spring Scale. It's a tube with a spring and a hook that is used in physics to find out how much force is needed to drag objects across a surface or up an incline.<br />
<br />
If you're looking at the various scales you buy for a couple bucks, the one you will want to have first is the 5 Newton scale, usually the green one. The next one you want is the 30 Newton scale - you won't use that one a long until you have long trains to test.<br />
<br />
In physics you generally hook on to something a drag is across a surface or up an incline and your partner reads the scale and you get a number in Newtons or grams.<br />
<br />
On the model railroad, you use a twist tie and attach a dummy coupler to the hook. Then you put a nail or screw in your test track and put the loop at the top of the scale over it so it's laying on the track with the scale visible and the dummy coupler available to attach to a locomotive.<br />
<br />
Next, hook on a locomotive and give it some power so it can stretch the scale until it's wheels slip and that will give you a reading you can record. Add more locomotives and start a horsepower chart. Measure them separately and in groups or consists. Reverse their directions and measure again. Rearrange your consists and make more measurements.<br />
<br />
You should find that an average locomotive pulls around 1 Newton and more powerful locomotives pull almost 1.5 Newtons. Consider that 1.5 is 50% more power than 1 Newton.<br />
<br />
Hook up a train of cars and use the scale to drag them. This tells you how many Newtons are needed to pull that train. Try it again on some grades and watch how much even a light weight train increases the force required dramatically.<br />
<br />
We'll get into the conversions to change Newtons to torque and horsepower later. But for your own use, I suggest using and recording the Newton reading directly because it makes things super easy. Just so you know 1 Newton is about .22 pounds.<br />
<br />
I made a video demonstrating an Athearn SDP40, GP50 and GP60 on the bench:<br />
<br />
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-40306056773426622232018-01-12T18:44:00.001-08:002018-01-12T18:44:10.898-08:00AHM C628 motor and broken parts replacement<h2 style="text-align: center;">
AHM C628</h2>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
replace the motor</h3>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
replace broken parts with 3D printed parts</h3>
<br />
I love the AHM C628. Over the years I've obtained about 10 working models and a few more that are in very rough shape, to include one that has a terribly deformed shell from sunlight.<br />
<br />
Pretty much everything I say about the C628 will also apply to the GP18, C424 and FP45. They all have the same mechanism. Also, these models were sold as Model Power and Bachmann.<br />
<br />
If you got any of these AHM or IHC or Model Power or Bachmann locomotives as a kid or on ebay or at at train show or anywhere else and find that they have broken parts or don't work at all then I have some very good news for you.<br />
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There is almost nothing too broken to fix on any of these models. Did you totally crack off and break the motor clips or the couplers?<br />
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So I got this C628 and it had all kinds of broken and missing parts. One of the motor clips was gone, the gear towers were missing the small clips that hold the two parts together (those always break off). The couplers were broken off and the side frames wouldn't stay on.<br />
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First, sideframes. Don't cut the couple pockets all the way off, leave a little bit so the sideframes stay on. But, since you probably know that after the fact now, you'll need to drill a tiny hole for a 2-56 screw to keep them on. Problem solved.<br />
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You've got a huge hole to plug in the front and if you do it the old fashioned way of cutting a pilot out of styrene, which is a lot of work, you still need a platform to screw in the couplers. The first thing I do is take my digital calipers and measure the open pilot and then make an insert on my 3d printer thick enough to screw in couplers. I'm going to go into making pilots in an upcoming post. Quickly, what you do is make a box the size of the opening and thick enough to screw in the couplers and make a 2nd box where you subtract the opening for the couplers. If you've done any design, that will make total sense, if not, believe me when I say that is a 2 move 3d construction that is as simple as they come.<br />
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The motor can be replaced easily because it has a standard shaft size meaning that the couplings on the shaft will fit a new motor with no modification. The motor is a 2mm shaft, so take a look on ebay and find the one you like. I personally like the 24 volt motors because I know they won't burn out. Remember that you can go higher voltage than 12 volts, but not lower. 24 is a good number because power packs that have pulse or older high power models can often crank out 20 volts or more which is very hard on 12 volt motors. A 24 volt motor can take the abuse, the only downside is that it will be a bit slower than the 200mph original version you're used to. Something with around 20,000 rpm at 24v will give you about half that much on your layout and will be a little slower than and Athearn Blue Box locomotive.<br />
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I like to shave the handrails off these locomotives and replace them with brass wire that I solder in place. Just eyeball the size when you you're at the hobby store. If you're not sure, .032" wire is best to use the first time before you go smaller. Smaller wire is a lot less forgiving.<br />
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Shortly there will be a video on youtube that shows each of these fixes. Don't give up on these locomotives no matter what you see under the hood. Even the gears can be replaced if you know what to look for, but gear replacement is a whole other topic.<br />
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-16001602567981714162017-10-01T10:44:00.001-07:002020-06-10T07:13:55.399-07:00Athearn Blue Box DD40 Rebuild<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Athearn Blue Box DD40 Rebuild</h2>
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Making my MP40</h3>
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I've been working on this MP40 for a couple years now. Lately, I made some 3D printed parts to help me out.<br />
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I need better pilots and a better cab stand, so I used a Mecreator 2 to make these basic parts and they turned out pretty decent.<br />
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I used PLA to make the parts and found out that PLA is hard to sand. In the pictures below, you'll find that the surfaces are a bit rough and the accuracy is not that great.<br />
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This project is mostly a learning project and not meant to win any contests. I do have several more DD40's that will build on this concept and their accuracy should be much higher.<br />
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The next step from here is to use wood filament rather than PLA. Parts printed with wood should be much better for finishing.<br />
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First up we have an orange box Athearn DD40 dual motor that needs quite a bit of restoration:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSiM2r04bLgJEwf9bPuM6XfjZ02UQgyO0OzNHyYi5DrUOoDB4FCfEUHlpHB6nImyXAon2wMk7vkKRLMsj6liQRsW3yglQw7qAWn6N5uc0KKUMeOCAPXG-b0AqgbjyTz6a8I4JRszcSkKg/s1600/dd40_orange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="1216" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSiM2r04bLgJEwf9bPuM6XfjZ02UQgyO0OzNHyYi5DrUOoDB4FCfEUHlpHB6nImyXAon2wMk7vkKRLMsj6liQRsW3yglQw7qAWn6N5uc0KKUMeOCAPXG-b0AqgbjyTz6a8I4JRszcSkKg/s320/dd40_orange.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A top view of the MP40 Hercules:<br />
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The rear, you can see how the 3D printed parts are very rough and will require quite a bit more work to get right. Also the air enclosure. It's big, but rough around the edges:<br />
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MP40 Hercules<br />
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The xy milling table, a very handy tool.<br />
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<br />Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5635562471820015841.post-53824249924357486512017-09-15T08:20:00.002-07:002017-09-15T08:20:18.241-07:00Researching the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad in Iowa and Minnesota<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Researching the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad in Iowa and Minnesota</h2>
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Tools and Techniques</h3>
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The Fairmont Subdivision Part 1</h4>
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The question on a Facebook group was "How does the line from Vesta MN to Burt IA tie into the Fairmont Subdivision on the CNW?"<br />
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I remember an issue from the 1990's of the Northwestern Lines dedicated to the Fairmont Sub...but I don't have it handy, so once I pull it out of my archives we can see what it said.<br />
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Using <a href="http://www.openrailwaymap.org/">http://www.openrailwaymap.org/</a> I checked the status of the rails to confirm that the track at Vesta had been razed, probably a very long time ago.<br />
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In CNW System Timetable 1 from 1972, the track at Vesta runs to Wabasso and then west to Marshall. Sometime before 1972 the line from Vesta ran to Butterfield, which would have made it part of the Fairmont Sub.<br />
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At Fox Lake MN that line continued to Burt IA and on to Algona. The CNW Burt Sub ran from Eagle Grove to Ledyard, but at Burt Yard limits were in effect all the way to Ledyard in 1972. In 1981,according to CNW System Timetable 5, the Burt Sub ended at Bancroft.<br />
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Today, using Google Earth Pro with the railway overlay turned on, you can see the line ends south of Bancroft where the river bridge was taken out and is now used for the storage of grain cars. OpenRailway shows this as the Jewell Sub of the Union Pacific.<br />
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You can still see the roadbed for the tracks that ran from Burt to Fox Lake.<br />
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Back in Vesta, in 1972, Yard limits were in effect from Marshall to Vesta on the Wabasso Sub. In 1981, it was all gone.<br />
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What we need to do is fill in the blanks from Vesta to Burt and then figure out how that line tied into the Fairmont Sub at Fox Lake....<br />
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We also need to tie in the Chicago Milwaukee and Omaha sub that ran from Lake Crystal MN to Burt IA.<br />
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So here's our first working map:<br />
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Next up, we'll consult the timetables....Train Fixxerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09276518057737630377noreply@blogger.com0