Weekend Update 12/19/21

[davefoxx]

Thanks to some (not so much) arm twisting by @mu26aeh, I bought an Athearn SCL GP9 from the hobby shop where he works, Mainline Hobby Supply, Inc.  They shipped the Geep that day, and I received it quickly, despite the expected holiday mail delays.  I also bought a LokSound V5.0 decoder from Yankee Dabbler that was in my mailbox in less than eighteen hours from order finalization!  Quick shipping with complete cooperation from the USPS.  Thanks, all!

I gutted the old Tsunami/Athearn guts and replaced the Athearn incandescent bulbs with LEDs.  Some styrene tubing scraps hold the LEDs in place, making it easy to remove the shell.  Sergeant Engineering couplers are installed, and I’m breaking in the GP9 now. 🙂





DFF

[mu26aeh]

Always happy to help where I can !

[davefoxx]

Always happy to help where I can !

Call up the lady that took the George H.W. Bush loco, tell her I said, “Thanks for not taking this Geep,” and let her know that No. 1025 has found a home.   

DFF

[Angus Shops]

Leapt into the world of DCC this weekend! The current layout (post move, coming up 4 years ago) was built and wired with DCC in mind, but was being operated (“tested”) in DC, a situation with a less than satisfactory ‘fun factor’. I’ve also been upgrading my loco fleet and all purchases post move have been DCC equipped so there was a drawer full of locos not being used.

I’m happy to report that the implementation has been completely successful to this point, although I need to learn more about CV’s and speed matching. With the decoder installs in the my Intermountain FP7’s and F7B’s, 1/2 my modest fleet of 30 locos is ‘on line’. I’ve discovered a couple of surprise sound effects in my Rapido FP9’s as well - those Rapido fellows sure are a bunch of waskely wabbits.

My layout is an exercise in simplicity - 100 feet of mainline with a stub end staging yard at either end arranged in a ‘nolix’ format, with hand thrown switches, so my DCC requirements are equally basic. But it fits my prototype (CP in the Rockies) and my operational program…

The only downside on the weekend is that I bought a decoder equipped Atlas GP9 at the LHS that appears to have a bad motor. I was planning on switching the shells with one of my detailed GP7’s that is currently on an old (decoder unfriendly) chassis. Every few stops the armature stops in a position where it won’t restart without physically turning it with a toothpick. And it runs very slowly when it gets going, even at full throttle. I’m assuming this means there is a break in one of the armature windings (I recall a railwire discussion on this not too long ago). Oh well, back to the store it goes. Too bad, these things are hard to find these days…

[garethashenden]

The only downside on the weekend is that I bought a decoder equipped Atlas GP9 at the LHS that appears to have a bad motor. I was planning on switching the shells with one of my detailed GP7’s that is currently on an old (decoder unfriendly) chassis. Every few stops the armature stops in a position where it won’t restart without physically turning it with a toothpick. And it runs very slowly when it gets going, even at full throttle. I’m assuming this means there is a break in one of the armature windings (I recall a railwire discussion on this not too long ago). Oh well, back to the store it goes. Too bad, these things are hard to find these days…

The connection between the motor tabs and the decoder is notoriously unreliable. That’s probably the problem you’re having. If you feel up to it, hard wire the decoder to the motor.

[u18b]

Aaron @chessie system fan  came over recently and helped me with the continuing development of the Western Maryland Chaffee Branch layout.

[basementcalling]

Aaron @chessie system fan  came over recently and helped me with the continuing development of the Western Maryland Chaffee Branch layout.

And you cut his legs off so he could work on your very low to the floor benchwork?  Yikes, dude.

[trainforfun]

Leapt into the world of DCC this weekend! The current layout (post move, coming up 4 years ago) was built and wired with DCC in mind, but was being operated (“tested”) in DC, a situation with a less than satisfactory ‘fun factor’. I’ve also been upgrading my loco fleet and all purchases post move have been DCC equipped so there was a drawer full of locos not being used.

I’m happy to report that the implementation has been completely successful to this point, although I need to learn more about CV’s and speed matching. With the decoder installs in the my Intermountain FP7’s and F7B’s, 1/2 my modest fleet of 30 locos is ‘on line’. I’ve discovered a couple of surprise sound effects in my Rapido FP9’s as well - those Rapido fellows sure are a bunch of waskely wabbits.

My layout is an exercise in simplicity - 100 feet of mainline with a stub end staging yard at either end arranged in a ‘nolix’ format, with hand thrown switches, so my DCC requirements are equally basic. But it fits my prototype (CP in the Rockies) and my operational program…

The only downside on the weekend is that I bought a decoder equipped Atlas GP9 at the LHS that appears to have a bad motor. I was planning on switching the shells with one of my detailed GP7’s that is currently on an old (decoder unfriendly) chassis. Every few stops the armature stops in a position where it won’t restart without physically turning it with a toothpick. And it runs very slowly when it gets going, even at full throttle. I’m assuming this means there is a break in one of the armature windings (I recall a railwire discussion on this not too long ago). Oh well, back to the store it goes. Too bad, these things are hard to find these days…

I also have one RAPIDO FP9 , I matched it with an ABB set of InterMountain to get all these to start together and speed matched , I felt like one sound loco would be enough ( cost wise and sound wise ) . The hidden sounds from RAPIDO are fun !

[nkalanaga]

Just to show that I do, occasionally, do some modeling, here is my latest project, a new motor for my Milwaukee interchange.  Several years ago I acquired a Kato EH-10 at a train show, for $25.00.  It's an old-tech Kato, with the metal truck frames rubbing on the split main frame for pickup, incandescent headlight, pizza cutter flanges, etc, but surprisingly runs as well as newer models with axle-point pickup and flywheels.  Oddly, there's only one motor, with the second unit powered by a driveshaft, and, while all wheels pick up power, the two units are NOT electrically connected.

After sitting on my shelf for several years, while I tried to figure out what to do with it, it finally started to bug me.  I've wanted a boxcab for 50 years, but the only ones available are 3D-printed kitbashing parts.  Most of the 3D parts I've seen are so brittle I didn't trust them for sideframes, so that was out.  In the end I just raised the roof, added pantographs, and put jumpers between the units.  It came with a traction tire on each unit, both of which are now on the B unit, after I turned the flanges down.  It already had a MT T-shank coupler on one end, so I put one on the other, and it's in service. 



If you think the semi-streamlined cab looks funny, take a look at the real E22A!

[C855B]

... If you think the semi-streamlined cab looks funny, take a look at the real E22A!

And a passenger unit, to boot! Cool!   

[skytop35]

I think I'm calling it finished. Wearing its final lettering scheme and shown near the end of its service life is C&NW #5000A, one of a kind Baldwin DR6-2-1000. This is a 3D printed shell which was detailed, custom painted, weathered and has ESU sound. Shells available from https://firstpersonscalemodels.com/ however there is no commercially available mechanism to power it.

[Cajonpassfan]

Wow Bill, just WOW! What a beautiful model of a unique and unusual ugly duckling! Great modeling, as usual!
Otto

[sirenwerks]

If you think the semi-streamlined cab looks funny, take a look at the real E22A!

Funnily, the first time I saw this unit my first thought was that it had Japanese heritage.

[nkalanaga]

Sirenwerks:  Nope, just some sheet metal on a standard MILW boxcab, and they only did one end.  The other still looks like it did in the teens.  It was intended to replace the Westinghouse passenger motors, and allow the two passenger Little Joes to go to freight service.  As a passenger motor it wasn't really successful.  On even a 1% grade it could only do 35 mph, and couldn't make the schedule.

Eventually diesels took over the one remaining passenger train, and the two converted motors, E22AB and E23AB, were coupled back-to-back to make one freight motor, with a streamlined cab on both ends.

There's nice section on them in Noel Holley's book on the Milwaukee Electrics.

[Cajonpassfan]

Decided to plug some holes in the scenery on my layout. Had to finish wiring underneath first. Here's a bit of cardboard progress, more on my ATSF LA Division thread.
Otto