Indiana Harbor Belt Switcher Kit Problem

Andrew, I've seen these come up on E-bay often. Maybe you could find a basket case and use it for parts. Three are on the right now but not basket cases. Good luck. Don

Thanks. 

I dunno; the idea of a Lionel transfer might work, not sure. You'll have to pack a lot of weight in the boiler, that's for sure.

I do know that I built one of those years ago; the valve gear was monstrously difficult to assemble. I later obtained a motorizing kit, but the tiny 3-pole motor was pretty much useless. I think I ended up putting a Pittman motor in it, which helped greatly...FWIW.

Mark in Oregon

This ought to be easy - the drivers were often replaced with metal tired drivers, available with the motorizing kit.  There has to be a zillion of them out there.  Trucks are still available new, but not that steam booster truck.

Well, I'm a 3-rail O Gauge person. 2-Rail O Gauge Model Railroading is super hard to understand for me.

@bob2 posted:

This ought to be easy - the drivers were often replaced with metal tired drivers, available with the motorizing kit.

I built one of those un-motorized kits years ago (bought it new from Klein's) and it had metal-tired drivers. I never got the motorizing kit  and could not persuade Ken Henry to build me a drive train for it. We were both members of the WB&A tractioneers at the time so I had frequent contact with him.

PRRMP54:   Monstrously difficult was an apt description for the valve gear assembly. Mi survived but it did not---still a great static model on a garden track!

Opinion, these AHM IHB's are numerous on E-Bay and can often be had for cheap, I would not kill myself reworking the chassis for this unless you had one of the CLW retrofit drives to replace that factory drek, as the CLW set is a quantum upgrade over the AHM/Rivarossi drive, and puts the model on a level field with at least Weaver's, other CLW 's, AN's etc , and if you have an older 8 wheeled drive like Hines for example, by all means apply.  

The factory HO motor on these is indeed an Achilles heal, but again if you can get a cheap donor for those missing drivers the finished factory-drive model can work with short consists of Delrin trucked cars, preferably styrene 70's era AHM or Roco's. However pulling either old school O Athearn/AN etc or newer Atlas cars of any real length and you'll smoke that HO motor in a few short minutes.

Your "mileage" my vary.  I have one of them with the original drive and I just periodically replace the motor with a cheap donor off of ebay, usually one of those industrial switchers no one wants.    

https://ogrforum.com/...2#147690501495354992

Well, to be honest, I have all Lionel Trains (with a few Marx, two K-Line, one MTH, one American Flyer (O Gauge) and a few HO trains) at both my parents' houses. So, I don't have that drive wheel set yet. Is there another eight drive wheel set like Lionel's that's 3-rail?

I found something like this that's exactly made for this kit. I wonder if that'll do, although I don't have 2-Rail O Gauge track. https://www.ebay.com/itm/O-Sca...7:g:sz4AAOSwL0xe2tfM

Yow!  Mine cost $12. New.

This is a spectacular plastic model.   I gave mine away.  It ran just like Pete said.  Valve gear worked fine.  Get the Max Gray version - lifetime brass, not as well detailed, worth ten times the plastic one.

Opinion.

https://ogrforum.com/...2#147690501495802022

Which one? The Max Gray kit or the drive wheel chassis? 

Also, I found some nice O Gauge 2 rail track on Google Images. If I build a permanent layout in the future, I'll add a nice independent loop with my little switcher. (o gauge 2 rail tracks)

I have a much, much better deal for you.  Do you have a US address?  If not, you get to pay postage.  For four of these . . .

Again, the AHM is an exceptionally accurate model.  It is, however (ugh) plastic.

it can be converted to brass, as you will see, but better to just find the Max model for around $500.

Here is your plastic engine bed, converted to brass:

@bob2 posted:

Yow!  Mine cost $12. New.

This is a spectacular plastic model.   I gave mine away.  It ran just like Pete said.  Valve gear worked fine.  Get the Max Gray version - lifetime brass, not as well detailed, worth ten times the plastic one.

Opinion.

"Yow" is right!   

In my humble (and no doubt useless) opinion, that is way too much to spend on something you'll probably end up modifying anyway. If you think you might someday lean towards going 2 rail, I think bob2's suggestion of looking for a Max Gray is the wisest approach...or just find an already built AHM model.

If you want to stick with 3 rail, it seems there are often very affordable examples of the MTH "Rail King" 2-8-0 on eBay. Perhaps you could make one of those fit the AHM superstructure...Happy hunting!

Mark in Oregon

Andrew, take bob2's offer and get the wheels (and axles?).  The rear tender truck takes regular AHM wheels with the thin axle ends, might be some 3-rail alternatives in your spares box that could be filed down to fit.  The front tender truck wheels have square(??) axle ends to fit the outside cranks.  If they are the ones that are missing, just find a different O-scale truck, no-one'll notice, lets keep this cheap for the moment. 

Yes, get a circuit of 2-rail track, but first do the loco, it'll fit on your 3-rail track and as an 0-8-0 might get round some of the curves - pushed by one of your other locos?  This is all about fun!  Finding good second-hand parts, buying brass, creating a layout that looks more like the real thing is just waiting for you.  Us Brits realised that 2-rail O-scale is it many years ago and luckily Lionel never signed up all the retailers over here.

Keep us up-to-date with your 0-8-0 and BTW several O-scalers over here have found a front (Pony) truck and made a 2-8-0 road engine with plain tender trucks, look good.
Jason

@bob2

These are all good ideas. I will have to think which idea of yours works best for me. I can't afford anything that's high above $300-$325, since most model trains look highly expensive for my family. I'll forward this thread along to my father and see what he thinks. 

Okay.  I will put them back in the drawer for now.

You think he misunderstood my price?

I think so Bob.

Andrew - what I meant was - free.  I will even put the stamp on the envelope if they ship to a US address.

https://ogrforum.com/...2#147690501530254072

Oh, I got ya. Yes, put them aside for now. I need to think which of you guys' ideas works best for me.

I think he fainted at free. Give him some time to recover 

(too cool Bob 😎)

I have the 382. Its small wheel  flanges dont like tube track much, nor tight curves. I run it on 0-36 Super-O reliably (after a pilot truck mount mod) , semi-reliably on 0-32 tube track. I'm betting the 382 (4-6-0) is more nimble than yours fyi. But it also exceeded my expectations with great low speeds and pulls as well as a L-General, maybe better. 

I'd still finish, but you may need flat top rails to be really happy.

Conversion from 2r to 3r was easy. Tie all the wheel contact plungers together as one polarity, and add a roller set to the gear cover, tender, etc. for the center rail. Use a bridge rectifier to get DC from AC track.(no reverse, but a reverse board is another option. A BR is just dirt cheap; like me .

@bob2 posted:

Andrew - what I meant was - free.  I will even put the stamp on the envelope if they ship to a US address.

"bob2"

...you are an exceedingly generous fellow... 

Mark in Oregon

No I'm not.  I am "paying it forward."  I have received far more than I distribute.

Nobody twisted your leg....

Hi all, picked up a 0-8-0 AHM/Rivarossi U-4A, it has rollers and a E-unit I did not take the shell off yet, it does run a little slow forward and fine in reverse,, does anybody have this engine in 3 rail? Anyone have a parts list? And how is the best way to get missing parts. Any help will be great. Engine will get a good service and I will find out what type motor. Thanks

@Sitka posted:

Hi all, picked up a 0-8-0 AHM/Rivarossi U-4A, it has rollers and a E-unit I did not take the shell off yet, it does run a little slow forward and fine in reverse,, does anybody have this engine in 3 rail? Anyone have a parts list? And how is the best way to get missing parts. Any help will be great. Engine will get a good service and I will find out what type motor. Thanks

Wow.  Lots of rust and corrosion Mark.

Even getting all the metal to metal surfaces cleaned up would certainly help.       After you get her opened up and all the lubing done let us know how it runs.   Maybe a video.  Good luck.

Thanks Dallas, right it will get a good service after I take the shell off and see what we got. Fun project. God Speed, Mark

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Wow.  Lots of rust and corrosion Mark.

Even getting all the metal to metal surfaces cleaned up would certainly help.       After you get her opened up and all the lubing done let us know how it runs.   Maybe a video.  Good luck.

Wow!  I would love to know what motor, parts, wheels, etc., were used for this interesting conversion!!  Since the original was made for 2-rail operation, at least half the wheels were plastic.  Where did those wheels come from, and how is the motor connected to them!?

@Ted S posted:

Wow!  I would love to know what motor, parts, wheels, etc., were used for this interesting conversion!!  Since the original was made for 2-rail operation, at least half the wheels were plastic.  Where did those wheels come from, and how is the motor connected to them!?

Ted will post some photos when I get this loco broken down. Mark

@Ted S posted:

Wow!  I would love to know what motor, parts, wheels, etc., were used for this interesting conversion!!  Since the original was made for 2-rail operation, at least half the wheels were plastic.  Where did those wheels come from, and how is the motor connected to them!?

Ted, Finally took the shell off here are some photos. The past owner put in a PW Lionel motor along with a E-unit, Motor is getting degreased. Lot of plastic parts to bad the frame wasn't diecast, Will send a video when up and running. God Speed!

Hmm... looks like a Lionel 736 Berkshire gave its life for the cause.  What's interesting is that the builder wisely chose to put the worm wheel on the THIRD driving axle (which minimizes the amount of accumulated "slop" in the side rods, transferring movement to the other axles.)  Probably for ease of packaging, Lionel and American Flyer designs were often geared to the LAST axle, a sacrifice of performance which unfortuntately has persisted to this day.

Are the wheels metal?  And is that a magnet I see above the last pair of drivers??  Sorry for all the questions, and thank you for taking the time to share details of your unique find!

@Ted S posted:

Hmm... looks like a Lionel 736 Berkshire gave its life for the cause.  What's interesting is that the builder wisely chose to put the worm wheel on the THIRD driving axle (which minimizes the amount of accumulated "slop" in the side rods, transferring movement to the other axles.)  Probably for ease of packaging, Lionel and American Flyer designs were often geared to the LAST axle, a sacrifice of performance which unfortuntately has persisted to this day.

Are the wheels metal?  And is that a magnet I see above the last pair of drivers??  Sorry for all the questions, and thank you for taking the time to share details of your unique find!

Yes Ted all wheels are metal and that is metal stock, don't know if the past owner put it in or was with the kit. See how she runs in a few days. maybe a member has one that has been modified and will share some history about this engine. God Speed! Mark

@Sitka posted:

Yes Ted all wheels are metal and that is metal stock, don't know if the past owner put it in or was with the kit.

The kit did not come with that drive - you had to get a drive unit kit and they were all 2 rail.

I wonder if the tooling is still around?