Bachmann GE 70 tons switcher

[faraway]

Still fighting the noise. I gave up on the source of the noise, the drive. But I intensify my efforts to make the shell as heavy and stable as possible to be no resonator like a drum. The weight is under long hood and got an extra plumb. The glue is intentionally fixing the sides of the hood to the weight too. Two small weights are under the roof cab and the cab is fixed glued to the shell.
The fifth shell has been modified yesterday and it helped.

Another point is the way how the shell is fixed to the drive. Two screws in the center but the shell should also "touch" the drive at the front and rear. I have to check that and make sure the front and/or rear of the shell are not free swinging.

Those of you with larger layouts where a little switcher might have to run longer distances at higher speed should be careful not to stress the drive to much due to the additional weight. The 70 ton drive is very sensitive because a brass worm works on a plastic tooth wheel with a lot of play. That is a perfect milling machine!

[Catt]

Not sure where you got that factoid, but I'm pretty sure it's spurious.

Here are two right off the bat that are have been in more-or-less continuous service and haven't been in the M&E roster.

Actually I miss typed it was every 70 tonner they could purchase. That used to be right on the M & E's website.

[Squidbait]

Actually I miss typed it was every 70 tonner they could purchase. That used to be right on the M & E's website.

That makes more sense. I know a lot of them have been scrapped, but GE did make 241 of them in various configurations.

[faraway]

The trucks of the 70 ton switcher may be not perfect assembled at the Bachmann China factory. I did unmount some of them and about half of them did roll like a good car on the table. The material used is very soft/flexible and the button part as well as the two mounting screws may be source of misalignment. It is well spend time to carefully reassemble the trucks until they roll perfect on the table. The steel axis should get some lube. They are dry while the gear wheel are over and over covered with lube.

[shortliner]

Reinhard - if you haven't seen it, you might like this <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12kgCCiXGLA&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12kgCCiX ... re=related</a><!-- m -->

[faraway]

Reinhard - if you haven't seen it, you might like this <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12kgCCiXGLA&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12kgCCiX ... re=related</a><!-- m -->

Oh yes, that is great video. I love ii and it has been a big part of my motivation to look deeper into the MET.

ps. Currently on hold because I am to frustrated by the noise Bachmann's 70ton switcher makes and limited time to do at least three more shells in MET paint scheme. May be I have to keep them in the cabinet until spring 2013 to have time and nice sunny wether to do the rattle can spray job on the balcony.

[jwb]

Here's the current state of affairs at the M&ET:
   
Here's a shot of one of the 70-tonner replacements:
   
I hope someone will come out with an RP20B, they run in California on the M&ET and the heart-transplant NWP.

[jwb]

As long as you're back, Reinhard, here's the current state of the Bachmann 70 tonner I started with the leftover Microscale 70 ton decal sets you sent me. (This is Ventura County Ry 1)
   
The problem I'm having is one I've had frequently with some Bachmann locos -- the PC board went bad almost as soon as I ran it. My next step is to remove the board and hard-wire the pickups to the motor, since I'm on straight DC. Do you have any suggestions? What did you do when you replaced the decoders on yours?

[faraway]

Your shell looks great!!

I did remove the PCB and replaced it with a small universal PCB to solder the wires from the trucks and the decoder wires in place. The universal PCB is glued on the motor with sticks tape.

The weight is glued with sticky tape under the long hood of the shell. More weight is permanent glued into the shell after they are painted and the cab and hood of the shell are glued together to minimize vibrations.

The lamps will be done later when I did select the eight drives to be used.
I intend to glue one LED with a resistor at the cab side into the shell. More is not required because they will always run hood to hood and the hood lamp will be dark all time.

I did one drive half an hour ago (MET second row). Complete disassemble, oil all axis, assemble the trucks very carefully. They should run free on the table. It became more quiet but I am not satisfied at all. There is a lot of grease on the trucks and on the worm gear but the axis in the trucks and of the worm gear are dry. The trucks are very soft. They must be assembled with great care to keep the gear aligned.


an hour later
Waiting until spring reads awfully.... I did start the three shell now

[jwb]

I'd like to get more info on how you apply the white and mask the body, while you're at it!

[faraway]

I'd like to get more info on how you apply the white and mask the body, while you're at it!

The steps I did for the first five shells and I indent to do for the next three too are as follows:

1. All over light gray primer

2. All over white with special attention on the middle area

3. Mask the white belt (That is the tricky part. The hand rails are in the way)

and put a casual cover over handrails and the part to become black.

4. All over read with special attention on the top part

The white belt masking will stay. It is used for the black part too.

5. Mask the red part

6. All over black with special attention on the bottom and the hand rails

(got a problem with the black and primer. They did not match and the black shows a chemical reaction )
7. Remove all masking tape

(has to sit for several hours until the shells can be handles save)
8. Apply decals (Again the hand rails make it difficult to do the large front decal)

9. All over semi gloss and paint some details

All paint is applied with the rattle can from the next home improvement market. They are no special model brands. The semi gloss is from a LHS intended to be used on airplane models.

[EM-1_7600]

Thats a NICE fleet of 70 ton switchers, how do they pull for their size? Thats one switcher, I don't have!

[faraway]

Thats a NICE fleet of 70 ton switchers, how do they pull for their size? Thats one switcher, I don't have!

They are nice pullers but I need to MU two of them to switch 4-6 70' cars in tight curves.

[faraway]

Fresh out of the paint shop. That completes my M&ET roster of four pairs of 70 ton switchers (601 - 608) to fully utilize my staging yard of four tracks. 606 - 608 are the new kids on the block. I will focus on their drives now to reduce the noise as far as possible. Lights are postponed until that mayor issue is solved.

[jwb]

Looking at the yard tracks in the foreground reminds me of a photo I took of the M&ET transfer yard with the BNSF in Empire:
   
One detail I've seen now and then at various yards is a wind sock. There's one to the left here. Don't know if there's one available near HO scale for aircraft modelers.