USRA 2-10-2 light rebuilt

[faraway]

Lutz, I am deeply impressed what you did to that brass unit. That is far more than fixing some problems. It is heavy modification and reconstruction in the fundamentally functional areas.
There are not so many model railroaders I would recommend to buy a brass engine with the intention to get it smooth running. You are certainly one of the few

[AF350]

Wow, I have always been fastenated by those who build detail and make such great models.

Lococmotives are the one area of the hobby I have yet to explore as far as building or detailing. There are a lot big steam locomotives in brass in O gauge but the cost is astronomical.

[Schraddel]

Thank you for the laurel.

Since there are no mechanical binds and no electric short circuits and all LEDs are working, i start programming the decoder.
It is an ESU Lok Pilot Basic here plugged in, yes it has an NMRA 8-pin socket now and i will describe my proceeding a little bit comprehensive as here are some DCC newbies.

CV 1 That is the address of the loco, or their "name" in the DCC-World. Here i give the #57 as i have a Bachmann Spectrum 2-10-2 of the same USRA Type in my stock which has the #56.

CV 2 The starting voltage. Put the loco onto the test track and turn on the controller at the lowest notch. The loco should begin to crawl here. If it does'nt, raise the value of CV2 step by step until it will begin to crawl in notch one. Some older motors will have get in form of higher CV values.

CV 3 Acceleration rate. It is your choice how fast the loco will respond if ripping up the controller. Some like it if the loco will react like an race car; i not. Here i choose maximum value of 63 which means every value take app. 0.9 seconds to count. A value of 0 means race car, a value of 14 means 0.9 x 14 = 12.6 seconds, the time passing from still stand until reaching hightest maximum speed. Here i choose the value of 63 resulting:
0.9 x 63 = app. 56 seconds until the loco has full speed.

CV 4 Brake rate. The same procedure as for acceleration, but for deceleration. Here i choose values in the range between 8 - 12. It depends strong on your layout, especially the lenght of the line you have.

CV 5 Maximum high speed. Your choice. As the USRA 2-10-2s were slow locos i choose the value of 18 of 63 possible values.

CV 29 Decoder settings. The compexest CV. Before you do any CV settings here be shure what do you want really.
The settings were done by a binary code. You can imagine there are some little internal switches, called bits, in the CV 29 which will switched or not according to your choice.
Bit 1, this switch asks you if the loco should run normal direction or inverse direction? If OFF the value is 0, if ON the value is 1
Bit 2, your controller is old and only has 14 steps/notches? Then choose OFF position and the value is 0. If your controller has 28/128 steps turn to the the ON position and the value is 2.
Bit 3, should your loco be able to run in analoge mode too? OFF = 0, ON = 4
Bit 4, the ESU Lok Pilot basic has no bit 3, but if: OFF = 0; ON = 8
Bit 5, as above; OFF = 0, ON = 16
Bit 6, short address or long address? OFF = 0; ON = 32. If you want to use a long address, that means addresses between #128 to #9999, you have to change this switch before you programming CV1.
And at least you are adding all switch or better said, bit values.
Here i choose: normal direction = 0; 28/128 steps = 2; analog mode still possible = 4; short address = 0
0 + 2 + 4 + 0 = 6
That means programm the found value of 6 into the CV 29.

CV 49, Back EMF On or OFF = 0? Here i choose ON = 1.

CV 51 Brake modus, i do not need this CV really. This is intended for automatic block signals.

CV 54 BEMF component K. Here the loco made in the factory settings (CV value = 32) of the decoder a jump shortly before it was stopping. I reduced the value to = 15. You have find out in an try-and-error manner depending on the motor type to find settings which will work properly. The CV 54 estimates how hard and strong the BEMF-Government is ruling the motor. Higher values will cause a more harder governing.

CV 55, BEMF component I. Is depending on the moment of inertia of the motor (and flywheel, if fitted). As thumb rule, big flywheels -> low values. But you also have also find out in try-and-error manner which value will do it best. O.K. it is a little bit time consuming for the first time you do so, but the results will satisfy you at least. The next loco will take not so much time and at least a certain routine comes how to fix it.

CV 63, Dimmer for lights. CV values depending to your bulbs. Here i have only warm white LEDs with an resistor of 0.2 kohm and choose value 7 of 7.

This was it for the Basic. Other decoders will need more complex programming and you have more possiblities to choose.
But for them all: RTFM ! ! !

When all programming was done the 2-10-2 moves as i love it. Smooth, soft acceleration, low high speed and soft stopping without any hesitation.


Lightcheck front


Lightcheck cab interior


Test driving


One of the last working was the outfitting with ropes for bell and whistle.
For this i took a lenght 0.3 mm soft brass wire. One end will be fixed in a vise, the other end in a pliers and then pull the wire gently. It will stretch, straighten and becomes thinner.
Cut it in suitable pieces, thread it into the guides and at least into the guides on the cab front. Then solder it onto the handles of bell and whistle. The end in the cab is not soldered or anylike fixed, it reaches about 20mm loosely into the cab. This prevents the thin wire to be ripped off in case of accidental rough handling.
Now you can modelling the hanging of an rope.


The "normal perspective" you will watch the loco on the layout.


There is still some work to do.
- panting
- decalling
- weathering
- adding personnel

But i own no airbrush yet and won't painting it by hand brush. So i have look out for somebody who is willingly to airbrush it for me.

Lutz

[modelsof1900]

Lutz, looks great!

[Saharam]

jwb,
i believe Bachmann printed a series of their Spectrum 2-10-2's in this manner with big "US" capital letters. In anywhere, it will be an interesting thought to apply this lettering scheme onto the tender of my USRA 4-8-2. The 2-10-2 this thread deals with, will be lateron fully integrated in my 1940's theme rolling stock.
The 4-8-2 will be a little too big in seize for my planned passenger service. Here i think, a 4-6-0 or a light 4-6-2 will be the better seize.

Before i go further, allow me some hints on LED lighting.


This is the way i made a complete loco headlight from scratch.
- a piece of aluminium tube of suitable diameter, you also can take brass or styrene tube if you like, will make the casing.
- a piece of plastic tube which fits into the casing a hold the LED
- a 3mm common LED, the colour is important, more later
- a piece of clear styrene sheet, here in Germany everey business shirt you buy in a package has stiffened his collar by pieces of such clear styrene sheets

Cut pieces of suitable lenghts of the tubes.
Glue as pictured.
Glue a coarse cut of the clear styrene on front of the headlight an let is dry completely.
Then cut of file the surplus material of the clear styrene until you have a perfect front glass.
In this case the headlight was intended to fit on top of the smokebox of an plastic boiler, so nor further insulation was needed.
If you have a zinc or brass boiler, you have of course to insulate the wires of the LED. I did this with pieces of wire insulation of suitable diameter.


The ready mounted headlight. Some decorative elements were added too.

will be continued later, sunday meal is ready...

O.k. let`s restart.

So in this manner i have enlighted my older rolling stock. Also i replaced those pissyellow LEDs the manufacturers often have had mounted.
When you have plastic headlights there is no problem to replace the bulbs or yellow LEDs with LEDs which have an correcter shade of colour.


In the most cases when you have superdetailing parts they are made out uf white metal or brass and are not cored.
Here i drilled the casing and the smokebox front with an 3.2mm drill.
The next step is to paint the inner of the casing silver.


Here is an sortiment of LEDs i use.
From right to left:
- 5mm LED
- 3mm LED without collar
- 0603 Type LED with stranded wires
- 0603 Type LED with super fine stranded wires
- 0603 in a scratch made casing for an back up light


A closer look without the 5mm LED.

And there it is important to choose the right LED colour.
- Pure White is the brightest; it is correct for some modern Diesel and Electrics who have mounted actually LEDs and für simulating flourescent lamps.
- Sunny White are good to simulate halogen lamps in modern equipment
- Golden White is the right colour for steam engines and first generation Diesels
- Super Golden White is for older steam engines which simulates the glow of 25W incandescent bulbs or with an higher resistor still further dimmed for kerosene lanterns

And do not forget the resitors!
Otherwise your LED flashlight will do a single flash and will stay dark in eternity.
As a rule of thump i used resistors of 1.0 kohm and 1.2 kohm.
For more information on LEDs: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED</a><!-- m -->


An example for GN "Sports"-headlights. Sport because it is an sporty challenge to core them and to mount LEDs inside without a short circuit. Remember brass has electric konduktivity
In this case the only way was to use the 0603 Type with super fine stranded wire.
- coring, here it is possible to drill with an 0,8mm drill
- painting inner silver
- make a round "headlight glass plate"
- glue the LED onto the center of this glass plate
- after glue has set,
- slide the wires through the bore
- glue glass plate LED assembly onto casing.



Back to the 2-10-2.


Here the LED lights are mounted on the 2-10-2.
The wire colours are matching NMRA rules.
Blue = common
White = front headlight
Green = Aux 1, here cab interior light
The resitor for the front light is mounted in the smokebox. For the cab light it is soldered here on the end of he wire. You can plug the resitor dirct into the socket shown in below photo. For the other wires there i have soldered short pieces hard wires, cut off surplus of the resistors wire, onto the end of the stranded wires.
On the phote you can also see i have made weights out of roofers lead.


That is the wiring to the tender. The small socket is not visible on this photo, so take a look on the photo below.
I have made a wire order and a stoker engine. The stoker engine is only a stand-in untill PSC will deliver ... (This century?)


I have had made no special photos for the wiring on the 2-10-2. But it is done similar like this one.
The 3 sockets on the motor top are for the 3 wires shown in upper photo; Common, front light and Aux1.


The tender wiring the same as here.
An 8-pin socket according to NMRA rules is glued onto the tender floor. So you can simply plug in the decoder of your choice.

Lutz

Appreciable work by you !
But I prefer ready made led lights from Maglite and Fenix.

[faraway]

...
And there it is important to choose the right LED colour.
- Pure White is the brightest; it is correct for some modern Diesel and Electrics who have mounted actually LEDs and für simulating flourescent lamps.
- Sunny White are good to simulate halogen lamps in modern equipment
- Golden White is the right colour for steam engines and first generation Diesels
- Super Golden White is for older steam engines which simulates the glow of 25W incandescent bulbs or with an higher resistor still further dimmed for kerosene lanterns
...

Lutz, a very nice and handy summary

[Schraddel]

Appreciable work by you !
But I prefer ready made led lights from Maglite and Fenix.

Not quite the right seize:




And for my outdoor activities i prefer the classic Bosch lights:


Lutz

[Schraddel]

Here a bunch of parts have arived:


And some of this parts are destined to the USRA 2-10-2.

A stoker engine was fitted. Instead of soldering i drill and tap and screwed is onto the main frame. Fist coat of paint was applied, especially on the main frame behind the drivers.


A new 7-pole with RM 1.27 plug connection between loco and tender was made.


As you can see i have removed the cab window on the engineers side to represent a fully open cab window. A lever for the power bar was also mounted.


Cab seats were glued in.

So it went to the varnisher.





The next chapter in the life of this USRA 2-10-2:















Yesterday the #57 came back from the varnisher sporting a new coat of paint.
Thee is still something to do on the #57 like glazing the cab windows and assign a crew to her. Note the red upholstery of the cab seats.
And she is still much too clean so she will go to the weathering specialist.

Lutz

[torikoos]

She looks beautiful Lutz, sehr schonn!

but you are probably correct, some light weathering is probably a minimum she needs if 57 is to represent a locomotive in active service.

Koos

[Kev1340]

A fantastic result from your project I agree some weathering would finish her off a treat.

Cheers,

Kev

[Schraddel]

Some news from the 2-10-2:




Handles were highlighted in red and gauges in white. Also the cab windows were glazed.


The tender got a little bit of coal (Woodland). As the coal bunker is modeled in full extension, so it is possible to model such near empty coal bunker.

Lutz

[e-paw]

Yea steam!!!!!! Looking good.

[modelsof1900]

Lutz, a really good looking model. Congratulation!

[Sumpter250]

Lutz,

I simply cannot find the right words.

[IndyCity]

Lutz,

I second that.

Awesome work and thanks for the detailed report.