Rounding Bonnie's bend    
Charlie

Charlie someone gave these two cars to me they are both old Athearn kits the prr one was one where the doors and rummers were unpainted they both need a little tlc you stated on one of your posts you liked unusual markings so say the word and they are yours.
Jim

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Hello all -

I recently picked up a 25+ year old Bowser 2-8-0 kit.  It has the DC-71 open frame motor. 

The kit has gone together well so far, but upon opening the motor I noticed lots of "magnetic dust" on the magnet.  I cleaned as much off as I could by vacuuming and compressed air.  Upon bench testing the motor detached from the chassis, it is overloading my Tech II power pack almost instantly when I get above 1/4 throttle.  When it overloads, the motor is very hot (more than just warm - but not to the point of smoking). I know these motors are current hogs, but I think this pack should be able to handle it.  I cleaned the commutator and brushes, and the armature spins freely.  The armature does not look damaged at all from a mechanical standpoint.  I tried replacing the magnet with neodymium magnets, but the result is the same.  The motor otherwise starts fine and runs smoothly at low speed.

Anything else to check here before I call this motor dead?  I may fiddle with the spring strength on the brushes, but the only other thing I can think of is that the armature has a short somewhere in the windings.

Thoughts?  I contacted Bowser, but if I have to replace the motor I will probably upgrade to a can motor to reduce current draw.

Hello,

these fine locos are plagued with cracked gears. But not only the bevel pinions in the trucks are prone for cracking. There is a tiny spur gear deep hidden in the center gearbox. Here i post several photos to show in a step by step manner how to get there:


It's 3-Truck Climax with Walschaerts valve gear. The trucks are simply fixed by snap fasteners like in textiles. They can be easily clipped off.


Remove the 2 screws on the bottom plate of the center gearbox. And lift off the cover.


Remove output shaft.


Unscrew and remove valve gear on both sides.


Lift out jackshaft.


The boilershell is fixed with 4 screws:
2 unter the cab sides.
2 under the boiler.


Unscrew the small PCB and pry off gear cover.


Remove motor screws and motor.


Then you get acess to this screw hidden under the motor. Remove it.


Then you are able to lift out the center gear box.


Beware of the strutted frames. They are partly mounted on the gear box and have to be removed there.


Remove the screws on the side of the gear box.


Lift out this gear shaft.


Look an that! This is the faulty piece, a cracked spur gear (10 teeth, Module 0,5, shaft diameter 1.5mm)
Only the first releases are concerned. Later Bachmann made the little spur gear out of brass.
Remounting is in reversed order.
Hope this is helping somebody.

Lutz

this was taken out back of the shop I use to work at.
Jim

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Hello,

i was lucky to got further three Westerfield kits. This time 3 drop bottom gondolas of Santa Fe origin.

First the content of one of the boxes.


Further unwrapped.
The parts are clean and straight. No match to the former "Warp 10" kits out of the brittle resin i had built earlier, see accordingly thread.


2 Andrews trucks, 2 Kadee whisker scale head couplers and a Tichy brake gear were attached by me.




At first RTFM, here in form of the enclosed instruction sheets. Also much interesting information about the prototype can be found there.

This was only the unboxing article.


Lutz

YPMA-02 working Mannheim Yard.

Bruce

   

thanks to Charlie B one of my favorite consists is running again all 1970 Athearn that draw a whopping 3 amps.

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Now for something a bit different:
   

I got the 3-d printed kit from Interaction Hobbies, based on the rocket sled of Professor Fate in the movie 'The Great Race'


   

It also comes with the figures standing beside it as well as two seated figures.
I'm thinking of using it as a flatcar load.

WPMA-40 at Pier 32W.

Bruce