Kato USRA 2-8-2 modifications

[nickelplate759]

I decided to tackle a Kato USRA 2-8-2 conversion today.  While disassembling it I heard an unexpected little sound,  :facepalm:and eventually discovered that the little spring(?) that sits atop the pilot truck and pushes it down had gone missing.  What's it look like? It's hard to find something when you don't know!  I couldn't find a picture in the Kato parts listing on the web page.

[mmagliaro]

Whatever you dropped must have been something else. There is no spring above the pilot truck on the Kato Mikado.

[nickelplate759]

Thanks.   That would make it REALLY hard to find!

[Point353]

https://www.katousa.com/cgi-bin/dl/dl.pl?dl.mif,N-parts-Miakdo.pdf

[nickelplate759]

Thanks - so I'm good on that problem!

Next question - I'm replacing the orignal (rev1) drivers with new ones.  I can't for the life of me get the main driver crank pins into their holes (getting them out was easy).  Is there a method that makes this easy-ish?

<edit> PHEW! that was hard!  Got it.  I rigged up some toothpicks and tape to hold everything in alignment while I pressed the pin home with a small piece of wood.  Don't want to do THAT again!</edit>

[nickelplate759]

So - part of this modification is to install DCC. Most writeups I've seen for this engine suggest putting the decoder in the boiler, and removing all or some of the weight to make room.   I'm always reluctant to remove weight from an engine (although I did add traction tires to this one), but I'm also not a big fan of running lots of wires to the tender.  Anyone have experience to share one way or the other?

[rodsup9000]

 I put the decoder in the tender. Take the motor out and solder some super flexible 28 gauge wire to the poles to run back to the tender and coat the solder joint with liquid tape For the headlight, I run a single wire back to the tender and the other side of it goes to either side of the frame. Add about 1K resistor to the headlight wire and solder it to the white wire in the decoder. You'll have to make a little notch in the front of the tender for the wires.

[Point353]

So - part of this modification is to install DCC. Most writeups I've seen for this engine suggest putting the decoder in the boiler, and removing all or some of the weight to make room.   I'm always reluctant to remove weight from an engine (although I did add traction tires to this one), but I'm also not a big fan of running lots of wires to the tender. 

Following example uses the decoder and speaker mounted in the tender method:
https://powersteamguy1790snewjjje.blogspot.com/2012/09/installing-esu-lok-sound-decoder-in.html

[RBrodzinsky]

Bob’s (PowerSteamGuy) process, link above, is what I have always used in the dozen or so Mikado’s I have done (with more to come), both with and without sound. You do need to be careful not to break off the little attachment tabs, at the front of the boiler shell. Also, once you have your wires through the shell, use a black Sharpie to color the parts of the wire that will be visible in the cab area. 

One thing I do is slide a piece of Kapton between the lower motor pole and the bottom frame. They should never come in contact, but I did have one where clearance was not quite right, and blew the decoder (at least, not sound).

Good luck.

[nkalanaga]

There are a number of hoses between a steam loco and tender, for water and air, so a few wires wouldn't be out of place.  Instead of a large bundle, run them separately, following prototype pictures if you have them, and paint the visible portions "an appropriate color",