need help with information...thanks

[glakedylan]

I was able to save enough over the last several months to acquire two P5 PRR Electrics.

I want to exchange the middle wheels to regular wheels with flanges
and exchange the traction tire wheels for the same.

i have already been in touch with BLI with no help in acquiring the parts necessary.

while i would prefer to exchange the whole assembly including wheels mounted on axles, etc.
i cannot get a straight answer from BLI if the parts are available in that format.

has anyone gone through this transformation and know what parts and part #'s are necessary.

BLI seems to be lost without specific part numbers and what combination of assemblies are available.

any information that will help me move forward on this project will be very appreciated.

thanks in advance for any replies.

sincerely
Gary

[muktown128]

I seem to recall that @bbussey was looking to change out a set of wheels on his P5 and contacted BLI about a set of wheels. 

[reinhardtjh]

@bbussey  Bryan did this in the p5a thread.  He had a bit of trouble getting BLI to send the drivers but persevered.  Hopefully he can help.


https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=53543.msg734242#msg734242


Edit: I was too slow

[peteski]

I'm also going to perform this swap and I was able to procure the wheelset from BLI (but it took some doing). They aren't really keen on providing (selling or for free) parts to be used for conversions or customizations.

Exploded parts diagram for their locos is available on BLI website. It has all the part numbers. I asked BLI for one of the outer wheelsets w/o traction tire.  The confusion is that the diagram itemizes all the parts that are part of the wheelset .  I asked for a wheelset consisting of 87, 88, 91, 92, 93, 94, 2 x 95.

But the original center axle also has extra washers/spacers on it (not shown on the diagram), so the wheels will need to be pulled off the axles, washers removed from the flangeless driver and installed on the flanges driver's axle.

There is a lengthy thread about this loco and there @bbussey provided some info about this swap.

[muktown128]

I just searched for the P5 thread and re-read parts of it.  It's a good read - lots of good info in the thread about modifications to improve how this loco runs.  The thread contains a pic of the parts diagram @peteski mentions in his reply.

[peteski]

I just searched for the P5 thread and re-read parts of it.  It's a good read - lots of good info in the thread about modifications to improve how this loco runs.  The thread contains a pic of the parts diagram @peteski mentions in his reply.

LOL!  It was me who posted that part of the diagram:  Direct link to that post is https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=53543.msg737871#msg737871  The following post from bbussey details the conversion steps.

[bbussey]

I corresponded with BLI tech support / parts for a number of days and basically begged to purchase replacement parts to swap out the useless parts.  They ended up sending them gratis.  I needed two new springs to replace the ones I stretched out so that I could install the @narrowminded solution over the pilot trucks.  But all you need from an electrical-pickup standpoint are two non-traction tire drivers.  One is a direct replacement for the driver with traction tires.  The second is more involved, as you need a gear/wheel puller/pusher to replace the blind wheels on the center axle with the flanged wheels.  You also need to add washers/bushings to this axle.  I fabricated mine out of aluminum tubing and I don't remember the thickness, but it's measurable by mic'ing the boss on the blind wheels.  The bushings can float, they just have to be present between the back face of the wheel and the engine frame.

ALSO - only one wheel on each set of drivers has the simulated quill drive and you must replace like wheels when working on the center wheelset.  The orientation on the replacement for the tractioned-driver set also must be the same.  The axle gears are either slightly off center or have a slight draft, I don't remember which.  By my initial problem after the first re-assembly was that I had one of the axles in "backwards" which results in the unit not moving.
 
The BLI solution to this day is to stretch the pilot springs to increase the tension of the pilot trucks to the rails.  While this does improve performance slightly, it does not solve the underlying problem of their being way to much vertical float on the pilot trucks and limited electrical pickup. The pilot truck arms need a hard stop on vertical movement (which is what the narrowmind parts achieve) so that the truck springs work as intended.

[bbussey]

Another note — As @peteski mentioned, the diagram sheet does not identify sub-assembly components but only each separate component.  Yet they don't send the parts broken down to that extent.  Just ask for two flanged driver assemblies without traction tires, and that's exactly what they will send (fully assembled) in a Ziploc bag.  That was part of the initial disconnect during my experience.

[glakedylan]

thank you everyone for your helpful replies

i thought i remembered bryan's swap out but was unsure

senior memory lapses are a real bummer

i think i now know what i need and how to ask for them

it is very aqppreciated\

sincerely
Gary