08-14-2009, 05:46 PM
That was quite a nice job on the "Big Emma", and he had some other nice ones, as well.
We both looked at those TH&B Berks from Division Point, but they weren't used on the line to Port Maitland (my modelled interchange point with the TH&B). That let me off the $1800.00 price hook,
and then I suggested that it wouldn't be too hard to convert the Bachmann loco, if Mister Nutbar really wanted one. I guess have to make myself less credible, as he immediately went out and bought one. 
It's now sitting, untouched, in my shop: the work doesn't appear to be all that difficult, although it will be time-consuming (as are most of my "projects"). My problem lies in getting started - I currently have ten loco rebuilds lying about: the Berk, a fairly minor conversion of a USRA Mike to a CNR loco, three major re-builds of Bachmann Consolidations into CNR locos, two Bachmann 10-Wheelers to be modernised (new boilers and cabs), an old John English Pacific to be brought up to current standards, a Bachmann 2-6-6-2 to be altered for one of my free-lance roads, and the TH&B Consolidation. The last one has been done by many using the Bachmann loco, but I have a chassis (unpowered and not geared) that has the properly-sized drivers, and I hope to build a loco (and tender) around it. These locos were similar to some of NYC's G-class, I believe. I just have no interest or ambition to work on any of them right now. 
As for your problem with the motor in the Hudson, I had a similar problem with the loco pictured below. A PFM model of the B&M B-15 Mogul, it had a very tiny open-frame motor and would barely run. I bought the biggest can motor that would fit within its boiler, then realised that the firebox was too narrow to permit it to pass over the motor. 
[album]1315[/album]
My solution was to mount the motor in the boiler, then use universal joints (maybe from Hobbytown) to connect it to the drivers. To separate the superstructure from the chassis, remove 3 screws and lift it off. Replacement requires tweezers to align the male and female parts of the driveshaft, but performance, especially low-speed, is great and pulling power has been increased as well.
Anyone wanting to add brake gear to their freight (or passenger) cars first needs to decide how far they want to go with the detail. I have done cars with the full piping, connecting rods, etc., etc., but most of it isn't visible when the cars are on the layout. I've pretty much settled on modelling only the air pipe from the control valve to the brake cylinder on most house cars. Most of the rest of the piping is visible only if you regularly stage massive derailments, wherein many cars roll down trackside embankments, unashamedly displaying their underbodies.
The other "visible" brake parts beneath a car are the rods connecting the brake wheel to the brake cylinder, and those connecting the brake cylinder actuating piston to the trucks. The only really "fiddly" part, for me at least, is adding that short length of chain between the brake cylinder's clevis and the rod to the brakewheel.
None of my hoppers, covered hoppers, flatcars, or gondolas have any brake detail beyond that which came with the car originally.
Here are some views of freight cars with brake rigging.
This is a modified Accurail car - not much to see with that fishbelly underframe:
[album]1316[/album]
...and as seen from below - note that the air line from the AB valve to the brake cylinder actually originates from the floorboards, not the valve . Also, no trainline or connection to it, no pipes between the reservoir and the AB valve, no dirt collector and no release rod, either:
[album]1317[/album]
A Tichy reefer, with "K" brakes:
[album]1318[/album]
...not much to it, although I did add the trainline (crossing through the underframe at right, with a connection to the brake cylinder):
[album]1319[/album]
A Bowser X-31 boxcar - the brake rodding is noticeable here, with the light background, but not so much under normal viewing conditions:
[album]1320[/album]
...the piping from the reservoir to the AB valve was included only because the reservoir is so close to the sidesill:
[album]1321[/album]
An upgraded Train Miniature ARA boxcar - not too much visible from this angle:
[album]1322[/album]
...however, from below there's too much visible, as I didn't bother to removed the original cast-on brake gear from the underfloor - the pipes from the reservoir to the AB valve are the original moulded-on ones, as replacement wire ones would have gone in a similar location and been just as invisible from trackside:
[album]1323[/album]
Another Tichy car with "K" brakes - because this car has a straight underframe rather than the slight fishbelly style of the PFE reefer, the brake gear is more visible from the side - keep in mind, though, that layout lighting usually won't reveal so much:
[album]1324[/album]
...here's the underside - note that the trainline has been modelled, but is "interrupted" where it passes through the centresill:
[album]1325[/album]
Finally, another Tichy car, this time with the more modern AB brakes. With the brighter lighting and a straight centresill, there's a fair amount of brake stuff visible:
[album]1326[/album]
...this one got more piping than I usually bother with, including those between the reservoir and the AB valve, but you'll note that they aren't visible in the side view. The real ones have even more, equally unnoticeable from trackside:
[album]1327[/album]
Hmmm. Sorry, but in answering your comments, Michael, it appears that I've strayed a bit off-topic. :oops: Still no missing products spring to mind for me, though. 
Wayne
We both looked at those TH&B Berks from Division Point, but they weren't used on the line to Port Maitland (my modelled interchange point with the TH&B). That let me off the $1800.00 price hook,
and then I suggested that it wouldn't be too hard to convert the Bachmann loco, if Mister Nutbar really wanted one. I guess have to make myself less credible, as he immediately went out and bought one. It's now sitting, untouched, in my shop: the work doesn't appear to be all that difficult, although it will be time-consuming (as are most of my "projects"). My problem lies in getting started - I currently have ten loco rebuilds lying about: the Berk, a fairly minor conversion of a USRA Mike to a CNR loco, three major re-builds of Bachmann Consolidations into CNR locos, two Bachmann 10-Wheelers to be modernised (new boilers and cabs), an old John English Pacific to be brought up to current standards, a Bachmann 2-6-6-2 to be altered for one of my free-lance roads, and the TH&B Consolidation. The last one has been done by many using the Bachmann loco, but I have a chassis (unpowered and not geared) that has the properly-sized drivers, and I hope to build a loco (and tender) around it. These locos were similar to some of NYC's G-class, I believe. I just have no interest or ambition to work on any of them right now. As for your problem with the motor in the Hudson, I had a similar problem with the loco pictured below. A PFM model of the B&M B-15 Mogul, it had a very tiny open-frame motor and would barely run. I bought the biggest can motor that would fit within its boiler, then realised
that the firebox was too narrow to permit it to pass over the motor. [album]1315[/album]
My solution was to mount the motor in the boiler, then use universal joints (maybe from Hobbytown) to connect it to the drivers. To separate the superstructure from the chassis, remove 3 screws and lift it off. Replacement requires tweezers to align the male and female parts of the driveshaft, but performance, especially low-speed, is great and pulling power has been increased as well.
Anyone wanting to add brake gear to their freight (or passenger) cars first needs to decide how far they want to go with the detail. I have done cars with the full piping, connecting rods, etc., etc., but most of it isn't visible when the cars are on the layout. I've pretty much settled on modelling only the air pipe from the control valve to the brake cylinder on most house cars. Most of the rest of the piping is visible only if you regularly stage massive derailments, wherein many cars roll down trackside embankments, unashamedly displaying their underbodies.
The other "visible" brake parts beneath a car are the rods connecting the brake wheel to the brake cylinder, and those connecting the brake cylinder actuating piston to the trucks. The only really "fiddly" part, for me at least, is adding that short length of chain between the brake cylinder's clevis and the rod to the brakewheel.
None of my hoppers, covered hoppers, flatcars, or gondolas have any brake detail beyond that which came with the car originally.
Here are some views of freight cars with brake rigging.
This is a modified Accurail car - not much to see with that fishbelly underframe:
[album]1316[/album]
...and as seen from below - note that the air line from the AB valve to the brake cylinder actually originates from the floorboards, not the valve
. Also, no trainline or connection to it, no pipes between the reservoir and the AB valve, no dirt collector and no release rod, either:[album]1317[/album]
A Tichy reefer, with "K" brakes:
[album]1318[/album]
...not much to it, although I did add the trainline (crossing through the underframe at right, with a connection to the brake cylinder):
[album]1319[/album]
A Bowser X-31 boxcar - the brake rodding is noticeable here, with the light background, but not so much under normal viewing conditions:
[album]1320[/album]
...the piping from the reservoir to the AB valve was included only because the reservoir is so close to the sidesill:
[album]1321[/album]
An upgraded Train Miniature ARA boxcar - not too much visible from this angle:
[album]1322[/album]
...however, from below there's too much visible, as I didn't bother to removed the original cast-on brake gear from the underfloor - the pipes from the reservoir to the AB valve are the original moulded-on ones, as replacement wire ones would have gone in a similar location and been just as invisible from trackside:
[album]1323[/album]
Another Tichy car with "K" brakes - because this car has a straight underframe rather than the slight fishbelly style of the PFE reefer, the brake gear is more visible from the side - keep in mind, though, that layout lighting usually won't reveal so much:
[album]1324[/album]
...here's the underside - note that the trainline has been modelled, but is "interrupted" where it passes through the centresill:
[album]1325[/album]
Finally, another Tichy car, this time with the more modern AB brakes. With the brighter lighting and a straight centresill, there's a fair amount of brake stuff visible:
[album]1326[/album]
...this one got more piping than I usually bother with, including those between the reservoir and the AB valve, but you'll note that they aren't visible in the side view. The real ones have even more, equally unnoticeable from trackside:
[album]1327[/album]
Hmmm. Sorry, but in answering your comments, Michael, it appears that I've strayed a bit off-topic. :oops:
Still no missing products spring to mind for me, though. Wayne