44 Tonner

[SirTainly]

Fast work Richie, nice going.

[Chris333]

Can I play too 



The hood seems a little bit wide, because mine is a hair wide and it is wider. Grill area is slightly different, but there could be a prototype for it different than mine.

There are dimples for drilling (handrails)

This is way easier than all the work I put into mine :

[tom mann]

It is possible I cleaned Chuck out, yes.

But what else am I going to power the 44 tonners with?  A shorted Dash8?

If you used a shortened PCM chassis you'd get sound as well  ;D

I'm on a tight time-budget with these.  I can't wait that long.

Richie, looking good so far.  It looks like some stretching is necessary, though.  I was afraid of that.

[tom mann]

The diamondplate walkways are an unexpected bonus.

[railspike55]

Anyone interested in Arcade Attica 44T

usloki.tripod.com/ Companies.htm <http://usloki.tripod.com/Companies.htm

http://usloki.tripod.com/images/44ton/44tonaar1.gif

http://usloki.tripod.com/images/44ton/44tonaar2.gif



http://usloki.tripod.com/images/44ton/44tonaar3.gif

[up1950s]

If I suck the chassis as far up the shell it will go by snipping off some of the wheel contact vertical contact tabs , the foot boards are too close to the rail and the coupler hole is too low .

 I think there are 3 cures , but which one is correct , or how much of 2 or 3 need to be done to correct this .

1  Don't mount the chassis too far up the shell , maybe even add a spacer . This will leave room for the truck wiring and will align the coupler hole and footboard height . However there will be some visible chassis below the sill lower edge .

2 The other is to suck it up as tight as you can by doing some alternate wiring method , and modifying the footboards and coupler hole .

3 Maybe the side sill should be extended a bit lower .

[Chris333]

Richie,

Do you have 44T drawings? I could scan and E-mail them.

Don't forget you need to get power from the trucks to the motor. I don't know if I'd be messing with those tabs, but I haven't messed with mine yet either.

Also If you look at mine on the right I made a notch in the pilot for the coupler. The coupler isn't there is that photo, but it ends up at the right height.

If anyone else want those drawings E-mail just PM or E-mail me.

[randgust]

Richie... everybody....

Do everything you can to save the entire Kato electrical contact and suspension system intact.  It won't work right if you just try to solder wires to it.  It has to be 'sprung' or the geared-end wheel contacts will erratically touch.  You've have one that looks OK but runs like crap and will stall a lot.

The running boards need to be really thin - about .010.  If you look at the original Kato frame, you need to leave the first 'level' side reinforcement intact.  That will give enough vertical clearance for the wipers and the ears.

If you are going to lengthen the frame - I have yet to find a solvent cement that will hit that Kato plastic.  Best bet is to drill some additional holes around and then use 5-minute epoxy to hold everything together after you stretch it.  I had to redo the Shay when the frame snapped, and the Climax was built this way originally.

Chris, I know what you mean.  I thought that shell looked that good.  I would have never built one from complete scratch if that was available.

If you don't want to fight the frame length, carve some off the fuel tank.  My fuel tank is shorter to compensate.  Also remember you have to have room for the end side steps in there.  On the prototype the trucks are slightly behind them; if you imitated that with the 'thick' trucks we have to live with the resin overlays I don't think it would clear at all.

[Chris333]

Hey if someone E-mailed me and I didn't get back let me know. I think I deleted (by accident) an E-mail with the word "Railwire" in it.

So far I got Tom and Ray.

Thanks

[up1950s]

I won't need them Chris , thanks for the thought .

[up1950s]

Richie... everybody....

Do everything you can to save the entire Kato electrical contact and suspension system intact.  It won't work right if you just try to solder wires to it.  It has to be 'sprung' or the geared-end wheel contacts will erratically touch.  You've have one that looks OK but runs like crap and will stall a lot.

The running boards need to be really thin - about .010.  If you look at the original Kato frame, you need to leave the first 'level' side reinforcement intact.  That will give enough vertical clearance for the wipers and the ears.

If you are going to lengthen the frame - I have yet to find a solvent cement that will hit that Kato plastic.  Best bet is to drill some additional holes around and then use 5-minute epoxy to hold everything together after you stretch it.  I had to redo the Shay when the frame snapped, and the Climax was built this way originally.

Chris, I know what you mean.  I thought that shell looked that good.  I would have never built one from complete scratch if that was available.

If you don't want to fight the frame length, carve some off the fuel tank.  My fuel tank is shorter to compensate.  Also remember you have to have room for the end side steps in there.  On the prototype the trucks are slightly behind them; if you imitated that with the 'thick' trucks we have to live with the resin overlays I don't think it would clear at all.

Thanks Randy , I am going to use another chassis . I will keep the long truck pickup wipers in the chassis . I will loose the PC board and contacts . I will wire the motor to the center of those long truck pick ups in the chassis which will be glued near the center of its span to the chassis . That should retain the conductive flexibility of the original design .

[kiwi_al]

I too have succumbed to the lure of the completed shell. I still have my half scratchbuilt one to finish.
Since I'll need to stretch the critter mechanism, I'll have to get 3 more critters. ;D ;D

[up1950s]

I decided to not streach mine , I will do as Randy did . I will cut back the center skirting a touch so the trucks look more centered . I am not going to make this any harder than it has to be . There is enough to do as is , and I want working couplers .

[randgust]

You don't need to buy another frame to stretch the frame.  You can do it with a very simple styrene plug.  Zona-saw it, insert a .040 segment, put it back together.  The difference I propose is that you drill a network of say, .035 holes around the joints and 'pile on' epoxy from the back so that the epoxy fills in the holes and adds to the joint strength.

I don't think I added any more than about 3' on the Shay, I don't think Chris did any more than about 18" on the 44-tonner.

On the driveshaft - cut it in the center and you'll notice it is a square cross-section.  Put both ends into a piece of square tubing:



Works fine.

This is the Shay.  You can also see I drilled and tapped through the circuit board, so the circuit board itself became structural and helped hold the extended frame straight.

[tom mann]

I sent John Heathman a message using the Aboard forum message sender and haven't heard back from him.  Does anyone have an email address for him?  I really could use 12 sideframes*.


*I happen to like the stock 107 grey Kato frames.  They're pretty cool.