Great Northern Atlantic

[Schraddel]

On the list of duty was DCC and sound.


Here a first attempt to have a look and genaral oversight for will it fit and how to do.
No it does'nt fit. Piece of resistance are the two crossmembers on the shell. The bores in the middle are tapped for the screws to keep the shell on the chassis.


It is better to made an alternative fitting. The front crossmember was removed. Instead i turned a piece of brass rod, drill and tap and soldered onto the bottom of the coal bunker. Next was to milling an oval opening for the screw in the tender frame.


Creating new current pick ups. Upper is the bottom plate for the loco. Wipers are made out of 0,5mm hard brass wire.
Lower are wipers out of 0,15mm bronze sheet fpr the insulated wheels.
The kind of pick up causes you have the insulated wheels of loco and tender all on the same side.


This collection of parts is really the entire loco and tender.
I have begun wiring the loco and fit a cheap decoder for test run only. It will be cost much more $$$$ if the magical smoke escapes out of the Tsunami decoder

About test running.
There was significant a bind on evers turning of the drivers.
Searching here, adjusting there, making over, looking general, nothing helps really to remove the binding.


At least i found the fault and had to do one of the difficultiest jobs, re adjusting the correct position of the axle bearings in the main frame.
The axle bearing had much play forth and aft between bearings and main frame. Thus causing the bind.
Here i am soldering thin copper sheet onto the frame to made the correct measures. On the right you can see a piece still to be fasten.
When soldered the excessive material was cut flush to the frame.

Next attempt.
The gearbox became noisy.
Why?
Don't know.
No idea.
Remove that thing.
Press one wheel off the axle.
Press the original gear off the axle too.
Open garbage can.
Drop original gearbox into.
Close garbage can.

Buy an NWSL gearbox.
Fit the NWSL axle gear.
Refit the wheel on the axle again, pay attention to the quartering.
Fit the gearbox to the loco.
Made an new torque lever.
And:


It runs!
Smooth, without any binds, without noise.

I put the loco together with the cheap decoder and took her to the FREMO Unna Convention this year earlier were it run as silent movie on the modular layout. My friend was happy to see her running so smooth.

To be continued, there is still a lot of work to do.

Lutz