A pair of Commodore Vanderbilts getting Pittmanized; Tales From Harmon Shops

@SteveH posted:

@harmonyards Pat, this is definitely an interesting build.  Until you posted this thread a few days ago, I had no idea what a great craftsman you are.  Great work!  I'm enjoying watching your progress on these beauties.

One question, did you use your ZW for the motor mount welding?

(Everyone else please ignore that inside joke, Pat knows what I'm talking about).

I just peed myself laughing Steve,....yep, my trusty ZW can weld battleships back together!...🤣🤣🤣🤣.....I did remember to grab that breaker, I’ll split it open hopefully before the weekend so we can see inside what makes it tick,...

Pat

@SteveH posted:

@harmonyards Pat, this is definitely an interesting build.  Until you posted this thread a few days ago, I had no idea what a great craftsman you are.  Great work!  I'm enjoying watching your progress on these beauties.

One question, did you use your ZW for the motor mount welding?

(Everyone else please ignore that inside joke, Pat knows what I'm talking about).

Steve, you need to look up some other of Pat's works. They are fascinating indeed, and works of beauty in my book.

@harmonyards posted:

Dave, one is going IR, the other will be getting a more modern tether,.....both will be losing the exposed pin tethers.....

Pat

Ah, that is a relief. sticking those pins together has always been one of my pet peeves. Nothing more breakable than something like that. When I went to hook up my CCI S2, I found the pin from the engine was missing. Scratched my head a while on that one and haven't done anything with it since. I guess that'll be a project at some point.

@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 I'm open to suggestions.  Any in particular you'd recommend?  Not sure where to start looking.

@SteveH posted:

@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 I'm open to suggestions.  Any in particular you'd recommend?  Not sure where to start looking.

You could just type into the search, "Tales from Harmon Shops" or look up Pat's posts on his profile page, or type in Pittman Harmon. Maybe that would reveal a bunch. Maybe start off on Pat's page and then try searching. There is a lot out there, either way, you'll find something that is breathtaking.

@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 Thank you for the tip.  I'll start with Tales...

Great work! I havent forgot about you...I still need to send you mine!!!!!!

Question: since these types of threads are of such high standards, why are they not in the "3 rail scale" forum. Just curious...

Mark in Oregon

@ZWPOWER13 posted:

Great work! I havent forgot about you...I still need to send you mine!!!!!!

Yeah, I have to work on that as well. Got several engines that need their pulling power upgraded from the New York Central that will shine.

@Strummer posted:

Question: since these types of threads are of such high standards, why are they not in the "3 rail scale" forum. Just curious...

Mark in Oregon

maybe look up the definition of 3RS. Just because the motor (and drive) gets changed, doesn't make it 3RS.

@Strummer posted:

Question: since these types of threads are of such high standards, why are they not in the "3 rail scale" forum. Just curious...

Mark in Oregon

No mention of kadees or fixed pilots here so 3RS is out. This would get deleted in a New York Central miniute.

Pete

@ZWPOWER13 posted:

Great work! I havent forgot about you...I still need to send you mine!!!!!!

Slow down there cowboy!!!  Pulling out my shipping carton as we speak...

I need to beat you into the Que! 

Pittmanized!  Pat, you have made a new word to add to the dictionary!

Excellent work!

I need to do this to my Vanderbilt. I love the engine, but it can barely pull it's on weight, much less the 10 Heavyweight cars they made for it.

@harmonyards posted:

Check this out!...y’all mighta thought I knew what I was doing!...not bad for a wannabe,...😁......anyways, we’ve trimmed up the stock shaft and turned it down to accept these really nice slip joint universal shafts, .......makes for a clean install,...this one is Mike’s chassis, Sid’s is up next,....gotta keep these two neck & neck ......

Pat

RC car driveshaft?

@Lou1985 posted:

RC car driveshaft?

Custom two piece model railroad driveshafts,....😉

Pat

Pittman electric motors were very popular in the 1960s for model boats.  Pittman also made motors for Lionel in the 1940s according to their web site.

I still have one boat I build from scratch, a 36 inch long Coast Guard 95 foot cutter with a Pittman Super Panther motor, Model 9002b, 3-6 vdc,  that was powered by a 6 volt lead and sulfuric acid battery.  It was build from balsa and I coated the hull with a Sears one sq yard fiber glass boat repair kit.  Oyster shell were all over the bottom and shore of the shallow bay we lived on.  This boat was built in 1960-2 and was radio controlled w/ tubes and had a 67 volt dry cell battery powering the transmitter and a homemade speed servo.  I built the boat from plans in Model Builder magazine that were not very detailed on deck gear.  I wrote the Coast Guard and they sent me set of 9in X 36in blue prints and two 8x10 B&W photos!

I also have my deceased brother's tow boat with a Pittman 9002b motor and gearing to power twin screws.  He never finished it.  He covered its hull with nylon cloth, the kind used for model airplanes.  Shown below

My Coast Guard 95 foot cutter with Pittman Panther 9002b motor and radio control, dust and all!  It took me 2 years of spare time to finish it in Hi school and a College summer.

Charlie