AF Hudson repaired

Why can't you rebuild the smoke unit as there are plenty of available parts?

Since the headlight is not working either, maybe it's wiring? The smoke unit and headlight are in parallel with the armature. If you rewired them in parallel with the field, they will not work. Later models had a fifth wire, putting the smoke unit and headlight directly across track power.

 

But wait, do I see that it is a smoke-in-tender model? You can get a piston conversion to replace the bellows, and replacement brushes are available for the little motor.

RoyBoy posted:

 

But wait, do I see that it is a smoke-in-tender model? You can get a piston conversion to replace the bellows, and replacement brushes are available for the little motor.

It is indeed a smoke in tender unit with bellows. The smoke unit motor is running but the bellows leak. I tried to replace it with other material but failed and gave up. 

And the headlight was working; I saw on the video it was not anymore so I will take a look at that.

Regards

Fred

You can replace the bellows with a piston. Gilbert made a kit like this in the 50's.

Check this out

http://www.portlines.com/portlinesclinic35.htm

There is reproduction bellows material also available!

You can probably overhaul your Hudson using everyone's knowledge on the forum! I have learned a lot while working on my small Flyer loco collection.

sncf231e posted:

A few days ago I tried to run my AF 322 Hudson in the garden and it did not run; so I had a run with a C&NW pacific and crane car. I found out that the wiring in the tender of the Hudson was failing so I replaced the wires. Now I did get power to the engine but the E-unit would not work; it was mounted wrongly (by a previous owner?) and a spring from a carbon brush was not springy. It all was repaired and now it runs again, but without smoke-unit which I think is beyond repair.

Regards

Fred

Hi sncf231e,

     Does the motor run in the tender? I take it it does. The Bellows Material is a rubber sealed cloth and was originally used in Player Pianos. If you can find a Piano Restorer maybe they will have a piece of scrap you can have. Use the original as your patter.  You will have to acquire the special Glue used for its' attachment and to seal it together. I installed mine on each end and then started the folding to make the accordion type just as the original was so as not to bind opening and closing. Mine works very well and I have placed it on the shelf an only operate it when newcomers are watching a 71 year old American Flyer train run and smoke like in the birth of its existence at the A.C. Gilbert Factory.

    Now if you wish to change it to the later piston version like Bill suggested that could be easier. What ever you do it doesn't synchronize with the side rods at most times it is going faster then the engine but It in itself was a great accomplishment that hadn't happened before and American Flyer and won over Lionel with trains that smoked.

I hope this will help you and your search for a new smoke piston.

 

Don 

CUT UP A PAIR OF LIGHT COTTON LINED RUBBER GLOVES FROM YOUR LOCAL GROCERY STORE  AND GLUE THE RECTANGULAR PIECE   IN PLACE--WORKED FOR ME

cbat posted:

CUT UP A PAIR OF LIGHT COTTON LINED RUBBER GLOVES FROM YOUR LOCAL GROCERY STORE  AND GLUE THE RECTANGULAR PIECE   IN PLACE--WORKED FOR ME

That sounds easy; do you remember what kind of glue you used?

By the way: the smoke unit of the Hudson is OK and since I have another Hudson (326) I switched it with the non-working unit of my K5 pacific. So I really should repair and switch back.

Regards

Fred

sncf231e posted:

cbat posted:

CUT UP A PAIR OF LIGHT COTTON LINED RUBBER GLOVES FROM YOUR LOCAL GROCERY STORE  AND GLUE THE RECTANGULAR PIECE   IN PLACE--WORKED FOR ME

That sounds easy; do you remember what kind of glue you used?

By the way: the smoke unit of the Hudson is OK and since I have another Hudson (326) I switched it with the non-working unit of my K5 pacific. So I really should repair and switch back.

Regards

Fred

The original glue is what I call 'horse glue'. You buy it in granules and heat it up so they liquefy and brush it on to the end plates and the new material on the edges.

The job is a lot easier if you put the two end plates on a jig to keep them the correct distance apart and then you can wrap the material around them. The glue has a short amount of work time, 30 secs or more depending on room temperature.  It isn't a difficult job, just needs a bit of patience and thought.

i believe you can by the horse glue equivalent in a container which is already in liquid form.

 

I don't remember the glue I used ---you may need to  experiment--good luck

Doug Peck at portlines.com has replacement bellows material for about $2.50 a strip. It's not "pleated", but it's flexible so it works fine. I use contact cement (available at any hardware store) to glue the material to the end pieces.

Since I AM a player piano technician, I have easy access to the special fabric AND the rubber hose (and, the glue too). For those who don't have access, you can usually buy "fish glue" or even "cold hide glue" from a good hardware store. I use a small block of wood to space the pieces, and put the seam on the top. You can glue three sides before removing the block of wood, then glue the last side, for the seam I use "fish glue" although "Barge Cement" is also recommended (it's rather expensive though). Someone does sell a fixture for gluing the bellows that is quite clever, but a bit much if you're only doing one or two--it holds each piece so that all four sides are accessible. I have used the piston conversions, but I think the bellows, in good condition puts less of a load on that little motor. New cloth and a good tube really makes a difference in smoke production. Hmm, maybe I should offer a rebuilding service?? Let me know what y'all think.

Umbrella material with a flexible all-purpose adhesive (e.g. Duco) on each bellows plate works too.  Some repro materials sold are simply to stiff.  They don't flex enough to compress well.  

I don't understand why folks want to use "other" materials when the correct stuff is still available inexpensively. Maybe I should make up "kits" with the material, some glue crystals and instructions and send them in a padded envelope. I'll look into the postal rates. I'll bet I could put such a deal together for about $5 postage paid--but don't quote me YET!! One reason I recommend the hide glue is that the process is reversable, and it adhears well to the old hide glue that ACG used. Once you put a "modern" glue on there, you're pretty much stuck (pun not intended) with having problems the next time you fix it (which will probably be someone else, if you did a good job (it should last 30 years or so!).