Author Topic: Rivarossi Berkshire Ressurection  (Read 8777 times)

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nickelplate759

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Re: Rivarossi Berkshire refit advice wanted
« Reply #45 on: May 15, 2019, 06:53:16 PM »
+1
Well, DCC is functional!  I put in a TCS M4 with a KA4 keep-alive.  The keep-alive is intended to compensate for the relatively poor electrical pickup of the engine, and it works surprisingly well.  The first time it derailed was a shock - the little beast just kept on chugging along the ground until it got stuck!

Putting DCC in this beast has been non trivial, and not helped any by my desire to get a functioning Mars light in the smokebox.  I have 6 wires between the tender and the engine, which is at little awkward.    Pictures when i get it all buttoned up  - right now it's a spider's nightmare to look at.
George
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I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.

nickelplate759

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Re: Rivarossi Berkshire refit advice wanted
« Reply #46 on: May 21, 2019, 12:25:22 AM »
0
Here's a last-minute surprise problem.  I put the trailing truck on and it won't pull worth a darn.  A little investigation, and a few choice words, and I finally realize that the problem is that this post (pointed to by the green arrow) is interfering with the lead axle of the trailing truck:
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It wasn't a problem before the rebuild because the original axle is very thin.  I replaced that axle with a NWSL wheelset with a 1.5mm axle, because the original wheelset had much too deep flanges. 

The post is actually an oddly shaped screw. It holds on a plate under the firebox that includes both the post for the tender drawbar and ALSO (and critically) provides for the electrical connectivity from the chassis to the decoder.  So I need the screw - but I don't really need the full length post.    I could cut down the post, but then I'd have no good way to tighten or release the screw.   I could replace it with a shorter screw, but I don't have any metric screws handy and don't know what size this odd beast is.  Does anyone know?
By the way, the screw that holds on the drawbar post (and also hold on the trailing truck) has identical threads.

This is one of the places where this Rivarossi mechanism is very different from the original Rowa - so looking at a Rowa Berkshire won't help (I already did).
George
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I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.

peteski

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Re: Rivarossi Berkshire refit advice wanted
« Reply #47 on: May 21, 2019, 01:56:37 AM »
0
If you own a thin razor saw you could shorten that screws "post" then saw a new slot into it.
. . . 42 . . .

MK

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Re: Rivarossi Berkshire refit advice wanted
« Reply #48 on: May 21, 2019, 07:30:31 AM »
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I was about to suggest the same what Peteski said.  Cut it short (but not too short!) and put a slot on the end with a Dremel or thin hand saw.

nickelplate759

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Re: Rivarossi Berkshire refit advice wanted
« Reply #49 on: May 21, 2019, 09:08:17 AM »
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I thought about that, but don't think I can pull it off.

I believe the screw is something harder than brass (soft steel maybe?) which would make using a razor saw problematic, and the slot is quite thin  A dremel cutoff disk is far too thick for example.

Anyone know what the threads are on this?
George
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I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.

Lemosteam

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Re: Rivarossi Berkshire refit advice wanted
« Reply #50 on: May 21, 2019, 12:27:16 PM »
+1
Cut it shortee and grind parallel flats on the sides so you can use pliers on the flats.

nickelplate759

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Re: Rivarossi Berkshire refit advice wanted
« Reply #51 on: May 21, 2019, 11:08:22 PM »
+2
It turns out that the screw was blackened brass, not steel.  So I got out a jeweler's saw blade, oiled it, and used it to deepen the slot.   
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Then I filed the screw shorter. 
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Hey Presto!
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and yes, the Mars light works!

Thanks for the encouragement.

Sorry for the blurry photos - just a cell phone - but you get the idea.

« Last Edit: May 21, 2019, 11:52:03 PM by nickelplate759 »
George
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I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.

peteski

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Re: Rivarossi Berkshire refit advice wanted
« Reply #52 on: May 22, 2019, 12:24:39 AM »
0
Excellent, excellent!
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nickelplate759

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Re: Rivarossi Berkshire Ressurection
« Reply #53 on: August 03, 2019, 06:36:06 PM »
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One more update - I brushed the drive wheels, valve gear and side-rods with that blackening stuff (forgot the name <edit> but have reminded that it's Neolube </edit>) that Max made available a couple of years ago.


« Last Edit: August 04, 2019, 09:08:54 AM by nickelplate759 »
George
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I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.

reinhardtjh

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Re: Rivarossi Berkshire Ressurection
« Reply #54 on: August 03, 2019, 07:05:28 PM »
0
One more update - I brushed the drive wheels, valve gear and side-rods with that blackening stuff (forgot the name) that Max made available a couple of years ago.

Neolube!
John H. Reinhardt
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nickelplate759

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Re: Rivarossi Berkshire Ressurection
« Reply #55 on: August 04, 2019, 09:38:04 AM »
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Neolube!

That's it, thanks.  Good stuff.
George
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I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.

Mark5

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Re: Rivarossi Berkshire refit advice wanted
« Reply #56 on: August 04, 2019, 10:53:48 AM »
0
Well I spent a couple of hours with the diamond files - that's REALLY slow going.

Then I hit on a faster method (figures - after I spent 2 hours with the files).   It uses a sharpening stone that I bought from the hardware store - not a fancy natural one, just a $10 manufactured stone.  It has a course side and a fine(r) side.

Take the motor OUT of the engine so it is free rolling, and take off trucks, leaving only the drivers.    Now, put the stone flat on the workbench, hold the chassis so it is standing on the stone at about a 30-degree skew (upright, but not rolling straight), and scrub it across the stone.  [ edit ] Do NOT press down hard on the engine - you still need this to be a gentle process. [ /edit ] If you do it right, the wheels will turn as the chassis scrubs across the stone.  This is important as it avoids flat spots.  I then turn the engine to skew the other direction and repeat - trying to even out the the wear.  I alternated every couple of minutes until the flanges were shallow enough.

Cool. I wonder how well this would work on a RR 2-8-8-2 ... :trollface:

Maybe one set of drivers at time.

Or at this point maybe I abandon my Y6b project and wait for the BLI version. :P

Mark