What is the thread size on these. Lionel shows many shoulder screws with 4mm, .156" (=4mm) and .160" (=4.1mm) shoulder diameters. Seems to me one of these would work.
https://www.lionelsupport.com/...;q=Shldr&match=0
Could be a whole lot worse Mark. Easily fixed.
Pete
@MELGAR posted:I run my Reading 0-6-0T scale switcher (same diecast model shell as the new LC+ 2.0 version) ahead of an MTH 40-foot Schaefer beer refrigerator car and an MTH Bobber caboose. Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal Railroad #15 0-6-0T operated on a waterfront yard and pulled 40-foot boxcars arriving on barges to nearby industries. A picture of BEDT #14 shows it pulling four 40-foot boxcars with no caboose. The Schaefer Brewing Company plant on Kent Avenue in Brooklyn was adjacent to parts of the Terminal Railroad.
MELGAR
Melgar, I think your modern Schaefer beer car and caboose is the perfect consist for this "little engine that could." It's perfect for light loads doing yard work. Can't wait to get mine. Arnold
@Norton posted:What is the thread size on these. Lionel shows many shoulder screws with 4mm, .156" (=4mm) and .160" (=4.1mm) shoulder diameters. Seems to me one of these would work.
https://www.lionelsupport.com/...;q=Shldr&match=0
Could be a whole lot worse Mark. Easily fixed.
Pete
The thread size on most of the screws are bigger than the 2.5mm threads on the stock rod screws. I didn't want to change the threaded hole in the driver, I'd like to find a screw that fits. Most of the ones with 2.5mm threads are listed as unavailable.
There is indeed quite a bit of slop in the side rods, giving the engine a hitch in its gait, but I have an older version that's not much better, if at all. It's always had that same hitch. If larger screws can't be found, it seems an insert or bearing in the side rods would do the trick. The first person who figures that out gets my sincere admiration. 
I bought one tonight on impulse from Trains and Things in Ewing NJ...it’s a PRR version and it was the last one he had.
It runs okay...doesn’t really like MTH switches...it’s bounces through them.
The tiny wheels make this bounce through many switches. It actually doesn't bounce too bad through the Ross switches, but I'm betting it'll do some bobbing when it goes over the Ross double-slip switches.
FYI, I checked the worm gear on mine and there was plenty of lube. There wasn't any I could see on the axle bearings and side rods, however. Oiling around and putting some miles on mine is smoothing it out somewhat.
Mine finally arrived today!! It's cool little engine. The smoke fluid mine came with sure stunk something awful. It cleared up quickly though.
My wires were routed tightly away from the flywheel via ziptie behind the motor.
I also have the unsteady motion. I turned the momentum setting up to high and then pulled a heavy train after it rain slow laps by itself for a half hour. It runs well as long as I'm not changing the speed. It also has a weird gate to it as it rolls where it's like a bike with two bent rims. I will say it seems like the chuffer can't keep up at high speeds. It's like the speaker is clipping but it happened at all volumes. Could be me.
I'm happy with it on the whole but I'm not sure I would get another. I'm going to cross my fingers some modifications can be made to smooth it out. I will say it sure can pull/push for its size!! I had 4 Lionel die-cast hot metal cars, plus the weighted buffer car I use with them, plus 4 fishbelly hoppers filled with fake coal (coal slag from TSC). The locomotive didn't take off like a rocket but it sure smoothed out that stutter start 
It even backed the coal cars up a 3% grade while pulling the hot metal cars along. I was impressed.
It almost looked like the wheels were turning before the linkage.
@BillYo414 posted:I also have the unsteady motion. I turned the momentum setting up to high and then pulled a heavy train after it rain slow laps by itself for a half hour. It runs well as long as I'm not changing the speed. It also has a weird gate to it as it rolls where it's like a bike with two bent rims. I will say it seems like the chuffer can't keep up at high speeds. It's like the speaker is clipping but it happened at all volumes. Could be me.
perfect analogy (bike with bent rims) mine too !
Mine also sounds awful at medium to fast speeds.
@BillYo414 posted:I also have the unsteady motion. I turned the momentum setting up to high and then pulled a heavy train after it rain slow laps by itself for a half hour. It runs well as long as I'm not changing the speed. It also has a weird gate to it as it rolls where it's like a bike with two bent rims. I will say it seems like the chuffer can't keep up at high speeds. It's like the speaker is clipping but it happened at all volumes. Could be me.
It's not you, the chuff goes nuts pretty quickly as you speed up. 
It does kinda' "hop" down the tracks as well.
No doubt bushings could be made. I made a few for the Moguls but have no interest in cranking them out for this engine given how many are out there. This is something Lionel should address, like offer replacement rod screws or rods or both. If Mike R was still around I am sure he would have picked up the ball.
Pete
Well at least my mind isn't playing tricks on me @taycotrains @gunrunnerjohn
I keep hearing about the Mogul thing but wasn't around for that. I'll have to see about bushings. Tonight's not the night though. Another night.
I ran it some more. I like it haha it could be better but I appreciate the way it gets around.
@taycotrains posted:I will say it seems like the chuffer can't keep up at high speeds. It's like the speaker is clipping but it happened at all volumes.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:It's not you, the chuff goes nuts pretty quickly as you speed up.
Apparently 4 chuffs/rev. isn't always best, particularly when the wheels are small. This has been discussed before. Everyone seems to want the 4 chuffs, but 2 chuffs/rev. may have been a better fit for this engine. A slow speed is the only cure, but then, these weren't high speed engines by any means. One of the videos shows the operator with the engine just hauling a__ around the track. These engines never did that. That's why they called them "switchers."
@breezinup posted:Apparently 4 chuffs/rev. isn't always best, particularly when the wheels are small. This has been discussed before. Everyone seems to want the 4 chuffs, but 2 chuffs/rev. may have been a better fit for this engine. A slow speed is the only cure, but then, these weren't high speed engines by any means. One of the videos shows the operator with the engine just hauling a__ around the track. These engines never did that. That's why they called them "switchers."
Right. And if I could just get smoother creep speeds, it would be excellent. Especially because this thing didn't blink an eye at pulling some weight.
I cannot tell a lie though...I do enjoy a high speed lap every now and then. But I usually let the postwar engine do that because it really flies
Hmm, I've had a totally positive experience running my brand new LC 2.O BDET 060 steam switcher on my Postwar tubular track layout with 022 switches and mostly 022 curves. No wobbles, no jerkiness in the way it runs, at various speeds using the LionChief App. I wonder if the type of layout impacts this engine's performance.
I have no advanced operating systems like Legacy and TMCC, and no modern track and switches like Gargraves, Atlas, Ross, etc.
It's also possible that I am not as particular about the operation of my locomotives as others on the Forum. For instance, I never run my engines at extremely slow speeds, but do run them reasonably slow to do yard switching. My BEDT switcher seems slow and smooth enough to do such switching.
IMO, the price (I paid $233 including tax), performance and appearance of this steam switcher could make it very popular in the O Gauge model train marketplace, but I'm no expert about such matters and could be wrong.
Arnold
I'm very curious what you folks think of the BEDT 060 switcher running in reverse with a modern boxcar in the video below:
In my opinion, it's running slow and smooth enough for yard switching operations.
So far, I'm very happy with it, but there may be other, more expensive switchers that are better for switching operations.
What do you think? Arnold
@Arnold D. Cribari yours definitely runs smooth! Doesn't look like it even has the wobble. I mean I'm happy with it. I was just surprised to see these operation oddities.
But! I'm a man of my word. I basically broke my shoulder in another thread from patting myself on the back for fixing things if I didn't like them. So that's the route I'm going to take. I'll look into this bushing stuff and see what I can discover.
Looks satisfactory Arnold. Is that conventional or with a remote?
MELGAR
@MELGAR posted:Looks satisfactory Arnold. Is that conventional or with a remote?
MELGAR
Mel, I used the LionChief Universal Remote. Arnold
I’m glad some folks are having smooth running success with this nice little engine.
Still waiting on mine. My CC has been hit. Not concerned yet. My birthday is Sunday and I have a suspicion that my wife interested it.
I received my engine today. Upon investigating mine indeed have the slop in the siderods. I also noticed that the center set of wheels are sprung and can move up and down. I am wondering if this is the reason the rods have such large holes. Being sprung may be to smooth the engine over switches. I have not had a chance to run it though as the layout is undergoing a major rewire. I may set it on the test rollors just to try it out.
Mine showed up last week. Ran fine the first few days. It was pulling 3 J&l slag cars and 3 scale hot metal cars, no problem. Issues arose a few days ago. I set the ID to the cab number 76. However, when I attempted to run it under LCS on my iPad it decided its ID is now 51. I tried resetting it; reprogramming it. It will not change its ID. Sometimes it starts up in conventional mode. But, it runs fine in Bluetooth which ID’s at 76. I like the little guy. I just wish he would listen to me. 😁
@breezinup posted:One of the videos shows the operator with the engine just hauling a__ around the track. These engines never did that. That's why they called them "switchers."
Yeah, I saw that one! Had the same thought.
@taycotrains posted:I bought one tonight on impulse from Trains and Things in Ewing NJ...it’s a PRR version and it was the last one he had.
It runs okay...doesn’t really like MTH switches...it’s bounces through them.
Maybe its just me...... but.... I don't know that I'd be pulling 12+ scale cars behind it either.
@RickO posted:Maybe its just me...... but.... I don't know that I'd be pulling 12+ scale cars behind it either.
You think the drivetrain is weak? Or the motor is crappy?
This locomotive has the small set motor. While it's reputed that they improved the motor over the old version of the same locomotive, they are infamous for the motor frying. I know I won't be pulling large consists with these little guys. I'm going to see if I can double-head mine, curious how they run that way.
@BillYo414 posted:You think the drivetrain is weak? Or the motor is crappy?
John pretty much covered it. Regardless, at that small of a size the best can motor they can find isn't going to be as durable as a good old fat Pittman motor found in the bigger steamers.
Having said that. Lionel now puts Canon motors in their scale steamers which are nowhere near as good as the Pittmans in the TMCC stuff.
I sure as heck wouldn't be putting die cast cars behind it. Lets be realistic here. 2or 3 plastic cars behind it is fair and doesn't look silly. Its a VERY small switcher, not a road engine.
I'm amazed how this docksider is dwarfed by the B6 0-6-0.
Simply my opinion. I typically put no more than 10 cars behind a scale Mikado. I save the 20+ car trains for the Mohawk and Berkshire in my fleet.
Gotcha. It is a surprisingly short locomotive. I haven't decided if I'm going to use mine to pull my hot metal cars or just assemble consists in the yard.
I like to buy a B&O, PRR, and a Reading with Bluetooth.
Although they are a little temperamental, I did get my two in an MU configuration and they seem to function well that way. This gives you the pulling capacity of what, maybe 5-6 cars? 
In an odd configuration detail, I notice that turning on has what appears to be multi-level smoke control, though it doesn't actually change the smoke volume. I pressed the + three times, and it took three presses of the - to turn the smoke back off. However, the power draw or smoke volume didn't change for any of the "levels".
I drove mine around a lot more tonight after work and it's really just got a quick take off now. It runs through Atlas 0-72 switches without missing a beat and ran nice around the test loop at slow to moderate speeds.
So it's apparently just got launch assist haha
My BEDT 0-6-0T runs well EXCEPT it doesn't like taking the curved route through an Atlas O 054 switch! At its slowest speed, the front driver jumps the track when it enters the frog, resulting in a derailment that trips my power supply breaker. At faster speeds it noisily bounces through the frog most of the time. Is anyone else having problems with this engine on Atlas 054 switches?
I have not. I wonder what makes them jump like that.
I can see what's happening on my Atlas 0-54 switches: the guard rail on the switch is not guiding the front driver set into the curve sufficiently to keep everything on the correct side of the frog point. I wonder if the flanges on the drivers aren't thick enough for the guard rail to work effectively... or maybe my drivers are slightly out of gauge?
Hard to say. I repaired my Atlas switches so maybe mine are inadvertently modified. Is your Atlas switch older?
Yes, my Atlas switches are older. However, my Lionchief Plus 2.0 0-6-0T is my only locomotive that has problems navigating my Atlas 0-54 switches.
Well that blows my theory out of the water. I have read the older switches were quirky but I'm guessing the wheel base/lighter weight of the 0-6-0T could be hurting you. It's hefty for its size but it's definitely not a big locomotive.
BillYo414, you may be right that my problem may be my switches, not the engine. I have a very new Atlas 0-54 switch still in the box... I'm going to pull it out in the morning and try running my 0-6-0T over it. I'll report back with the test results!
Let us know for sure. I bought my two 0-72 switches on the cheap because they were broke. I patched them back up since it's just a test loop. Maybe my experience isn't a good one to go by?
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