Improving the Arnold S2

[Joetrain59]

The motor shaft itself. Let me find the pic.
  Joe D

[nkalanaga]

Mine was a very nice runner after replacing the wheels, no other changes made.  The only reason it isn't switching my coal transfer today is that it couldn't handle the vertical curve at the top of the grade.  The trucks can't rock enough for the (admittedly ridiculous) grade change, and the front (top of grade) axle was lifting off the rails.  Since this was also at a turnout, it wouldn't go through the curved side without derailing.  But it ran fine everywhere else, including through my not-so-perfect handlaid track and #4 turnouts.   The offending grade is ME flextrack.

I COULD have relaid the track, but since my Minitrix FM didn't have any problems, I'm still running it.  The Atlas S2 and Bachmann NW2 also run fine.  The grade is supposed to be steep, to emphasize the tight space available for the transfer, and the engine can only move two 2-bay hoppers at a time, due to a switchback, so tractive effort isn't a major consideration...

[Jim Starbuck]

This is an old thread but I discovered something that may be of interest to those considering NWSL replacement gears and wheels.
I started a scratch /bash project recently and considered using one of my two S2s both of which had cracked axle gears when I acquired them so the gears needed replaced before I could proceed. Looking at Atlas and Kato (#932090) wheelsets I noticed the gear cast into the axle tube matched the cracked Arnold gears. I had several spare Atlas axle tubes from swapping Atlas wheels into Lifelike switchers. Trimming off the axle tubes yields a perfect replacement for the Arnolds.

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The little pin from my gear puller inserts and allows the tube to rotate. Holding a hobby knife alongside the gear then rolling the gear set back and forth on a folded paper tower acts like a tubing cutter and trims the tube off cleanly.
Repeat the process for the other side.
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The gear press fits nicely onto the stock Arnold axle.

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I turned down the flanges on the stock wheelsets and now have two more switchers back in service with no cost but a little bit of time since the gearsets were spares.

Hope this may help someone.

Jim

[Chris333]

I used a nylon "wire" wheel in a Dremel to get that flash off the gears. Even NWSL gears have the flash.

[Jim Starbuck]

Good call Chris.
I did too, just forgot to add that to the post.
The nylon brush removes the flash nicely and doesn’t hurt the gear at all.

[CRL]

I recently received and installed 2 sets of the NWSL replacement wheelsets for the Arnold S2. The price has increased to $50 per set. The only plastic flash I found was on each of the plastic insulated wheel inserts where it was removed from the sprue. Also had one loose wheel on one axle, but that was easily fixed with Loctite green. Surprisingly, my original wheelsets had no cracked gears.

I still like this locomotive although I had to make all the adjustments when they were new, like filing the gear tower surrounds in the frame and straightening the worm springs.

Now for the DCC conversion. 😖

[mmagliaro]

Jim Starbuck: This is really clever!  I can't believe nobody thought of this before.  Nearly every N Scale axle gear in existence is mod 0.3, so a Kato or Atlas gear should be perfect as long as it has the same number of teeth, and diesels do all seem to have a common axle size as well.   In fact, for a lot of cracked-axle-gear issues (Bachmann?), this idea should work.  All you have to do is count the number of teeth on the broken gear and find a Kato or Atlas axle tube with the same number of teeth.  Since they are all mod 0.3, they will work.  There are a few scant ones that are not mod 0.3 - the Kato GG1 and second-generation SD40-2 use mod 0.2 - but that's not common.

[Jbub]

Jim Starbuck: This is really clever!  I can't believe nobody thought of this before.  Nearly every N Scale axle gear in existence is mod 0.3, so a Kato or Atlas gear should be perfect as long as it has the same number of teeth, and diesels do all seem to have a common axle size as well.   In fact, for a lot of cracked-axle-gear issues (Bachmann?), this idea should work.  All you have to do is count the number of teeth on the broken gear and find a Kato or Atlas axle tube with the same number of teeth.  Since they are all mod 0.3, they will work.  There are a few scant ones that are not mod 0.3 - the Kato GG1 and second-generation SD40-2 use mod 0.2 - but that's not common.

Man I love this place!  Time to fix the dd40x since Bachmann still doesn't have the part in stock. My luck though is that there won't be a comparable axle and gear available

[diezmon]

ok, now give me a simple way to replace the cookie cutters on my older LL E8s    

[CRL]

ok, now give me a simple way to replace the cookie cutters on my older LL E8s    

Replacement wheels here: http://nebula.wsimg.com/8e0447237058b48781159b49163fee67?AccessKeyId=08BEE66B97B387F20C0D&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

[Jim Starbuck]

Jim Starbuck: This is really clever!  I can't believe nobody thought of this before.  Nearly every N Scale axle gear in existence is mod 0.3, so a Kato or Atlas gear should be perfect as long as it has the same number of teeth, and diesels do all seem to have a common axle size as well.   In fact, for a lot of cracked-axle-gear issues (Bachmann?), this idea should work.  All you have to do is count the number of teeth on the broken gear and find a Kato or Atlas axle tube with the same number of teeth.  Since they are all mod 0.3, they will work.  There are a few scant ones that are not mod 0.3 - the Kato GG1 and second-generation SD40-2 use mod 0.2 - but that's not common.

Thank you Max!
BTW don’t throw away the long end of the axle tube. They make dandy shaft couplings for remoter projects. See my HH660 build photo.

Diezmon
I’m not at home to look at my LL E8s. I’ve replaced LL SW9/1200 wheelsets using the stock axle tubes and Atlas wheels removed from their axle tubes because the gear isn’t in the same location along the tube.
The Atlas wheels have a slightly longer flange to axle point distance than the stock LL making the window between free rolling and in gauge rather small. They work wellhowever. That’s where the spare Atlas axle tubes I cut up came from.
Turning down the flanges isn’t too hard to do either. I remove one wheel from the axle and chuck the axle in my pin vise the chuck the pin vise in my cordless drill since the drill chuck won’t go small enough. Then turning the wheel SLOWLY drag it across a file lying flat on the edge of the table. Turning slow keeps the flange from going out of round.
You only need to take .010-.015 off then spin them up and clean off any flash with some 400 grip sandpaper.

CRL
Thanks for the link on the replacements

Jim

[peteski]

Those half-axles in Atlas, Kato  (and other brand) wheel sets can be adjusted rather easily using simple jugs and an arbor or drill press.

See https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=33107.msg596466#msg596466 (read the entire thread for more related info).

[Jim Starbuck]

That’s some excellent information Peteski. Thank you!

I wondered the half axles could be pushed in the wheels but just hadn’t tried it yet.
My thought was to push the half axles out of some Kato or Atlas wheelsets and push the wheels onto the stock Arnold axles after installing the new gears.
I’ve got a couple Arnolds that are going to get a tuneup.
The Atlas S2 is a beautiful model (I have 2) but I really get a kick out of tuning up these older models.

[central.vermont]

My thought was to push the half axles out of some Kato or Atlas wheelsets and push the wheels onto the stock Arnold axles after installing the new gears.

Jim that idea wouldn't work because you need to insulate at least one wheel and the Atlas/Kato wheels are non insulated. That's what the tubes do other than have a gear on it it is used to insulate the wheels.

Jon

[Jim Starbuck]

Ah, thanks Jon. I hadn’t thought of that.