Here's a cool mod for your MTH Rotary Snowplow

Below is the video showing the spinning vortex.....

Nice upgrade.  I've considered adding TMCC to mine as well to control the blade.  A sound board would be a nice touch too, although I don't have any ideas what to use.

Jim

That looks great, thanks for sharing!  I think you've just inspired me to do a similar mod on my MTH rotary snowplow.  Could you share a little more about the adjustbale VR board and bridge rectifier you bought - maybe what specifics parts you used and where you got them?

Thanks!

Dustin

It looks great, keep up the good work. Thanks for sharing with us.

Thanks, Jim!

Dustin,

I used a Radio Shack rectifier.....http://www.ebay.com/itm/130984321712?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649            and here's the link to the VR.........http://www.ebay.com/itm/130984321712?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

I ordered 5 of them because they are so cheap. They arrived from China in a little over a week. Real good deal

In the photos, you can see the original board. I disconnected it and hooked the wiring up to the rectifier and new board. I Gooped some closed cell foam to the metal plate and then Gooped the board and rectifier to them.  I brought the voltage down to about 3.6 volts, but then lowered it a touch again when I put it on the track on my layout (not sure what the final voltage to the motor is, but I doubt it's below 3.5). I tested it in conventional and also with the higher voltage of the DCS remote. Doesn't matter....works great. Totally different spin on that car now (excuse the pun). 

Roger

And sorry about the duplication of the video.....caught me by surprise.

-Roger

The Radio Shack rectifier was part #276-1146

Thanks Roger!  I ordered parts of my own and plan to mod mine when they arrive.  Should make a seldom-used piece of rolling stock much more interesting.

-Dustin

Excellent, I will be modding mine soon as well.

Let me know if you guys run into any problems with it. And you're right.....makes it much more fun to run. 

A couple of things.....painting the "vortex" was the hardest part for me. Look at some pictures of the modern Lionel rotarys for ideas. I took a very fine pencil and outlined the pattern onto the blades. This way, if it goes crooked or not to your liking, a bit of alcohol takes it off. The Lionel rotarys are easier because the MTH blades are really 2 blades (small outer, larger inner). So, your vortex is painted on the blades and between. Use a small, very fine, stiff brush. I used latex so afterward I could scratch off mistakes with an Exacto  and touch up. When the blade is moving, any slight imperfections are invisible. Also true of the PW version.      Slowing the motor makes a HUGE difference.

While you're in there, replace the headlight bulb. I did that for this one and my Jordan at the same time. I always use Evans LEDs and for this one, Dave's got a model that comes separate from the electronics so you can install the bulb and then feed the wires through to the interior without dealing with getting the electronics through the hole. Even more true for my #58. The Jordan involved much more cutting and Dremeling of the headlight housing, but well worth it. I was running them earlier and turned out the lights......it lights up the oncoming track like a torch. And if you take a flashlight beam and hit the spinning blades, the vortex produces a very cool effect. 

You're going to like it....

Roger

I missed this previously, but it's a cool mod.  I though of using TMCC to switch it on, having the vortex really makes it pop!  I think the ERR Mini Commander will allow me to regulate the motor speed directly, I'll have to give it a try.

And speaking of pop.....hit the rotary with a flashlight beam......VERY cool. 

-Roger

I only have the MTH version, and while I like it{son too} it has three flaws I'd like to fix someday-

1) has non directional rotation...I'd like to be able to reverse it pending which way the chute is flipped{like the real ones}

2) spins waaaay too fast for my liking...this thread should fix that

{john, couldn't a simple resistor slow it down enough or a simple rotary pot?}

3) it's not built as either a steamer nor a diesel powered unit...I'd lean towards a steamer myself...so mine will need a tender for it per usual DRG rotary types and I'd probably slant the back end of it per the DRG version- but that's as far as I'd go towards a prototypical unit. 

You can fix the direction with a simple reversing switch  If you want to get real fancy, a reed switch, magnet, and a DPDT relay would do it automatically when you flop the chute over.

You might slow it down with a resistor, but I don't know the current draw of the motor.  Since those regulated DC-DC supplies are less than $2 on eBay, why bother?

I believe those were pushed by the locomotive, they're not self-powered.  All their power went into the monster snow blower.

dizzy, my head is spinnin.

there's a song there somewhere!!

What a great mod...very nice!!  I have a few of the snowplows so now I am going to have to try this....thanks!

Alan

Hmmmm, I keep looking at mine and think maybe a "Leslie" tweek with reskin in steel...with a tender- there was a Q version.

Now if we could just get snow (smoke?) coming out, that would be icing on the cake!

That would be easy enough...a good sized smoke pot, constant on fan when the blades are turning and an aimed tube at the back of the impellor...the turning "should" guide the smoke in the outward direction of your chute...should.

Oh, and if it's a steamer there should be a smoke stack too running at a decent clip as well.

You'd need a serious smoke generator to simulate enough "snow", so it would be only for short runs.

Hmmm, she'll work for sure- but fitting it will be another problem.......

Didn't these rotarys require a tender behind them?

  Mth did not make them that I know of.

 I was thinking of making one to match my Rio Grande Rotary with an old Lionel tender.

  Anybody try this?

Looks like they did, I guess we need one of those as well.

That's the route I was origonally heading for...tender is on its way, but a Leslie type would be cool too. Your DRG type would require a slight addition to the back of the car, add a boiler bulkhead into the back wall{loose the door} and add a mid sized tender. If you look up those types you'll note the back truck is farther forward to offset the boiler weight- adding a slight{3"} back addition would yield the same look- you'd be looking at making the tender "draw bar" attached...which would be correct anyway.

John, there's also the "Electric conversions" too...that run with a Slug{B unit F7/9} for power.

Most do run a tender though...

Heck, if you had two 0-4-0 drives laying around you could make a neat self propelled unit....yeah...."if"...

USA trains did the very same thing for G scale...nearly the same unit and no tender- I think MTH copied it for the most part...they shoulda put a better sping on it, but I do know the G unit has been seen clearing real powder snow. One chunk of ice or frozen snow and the impellor is toast{plastic too}.

I either run a tender or run an EMD gen boxcar behind my SP blower!

Help me, I just bought the same SP Rotary as describe in this thread, I am going

to convert mine to 2 rail, ad a Vanderbilt tender I have, then put in DCC decoder, I want to model a very "Early" model Southern Pacific Rotary, any suggestions or help would be appreciated greatly!

ncng

Nice modifications. Don't have a rotary yet, but this mod makes me want to get one.

Very nice.

SP Plows:

1.  If steam powered, they had tenders behind them.  However, I don't think Vandies ever made it back there.  Check photos for the plow you are modeling.

2.  If electrically powered, they had a F unit B unit behind it.  All power generated went to the motor of the plow.  These F's were sometimes called "slugs".

3.  At one time SP plows were renumbered.  When?  Chaeck for plow and date for correct numbering.

All steam power here ...

Tom B

"very early" or the simple early types- SP ran Leslies too.

Got a pic of what you'd like?