MTH 4-6-0 Railking valve gear

I can't even imagine a prototype with designed in bent rods.  I have never seen one, and your analysis seems spot on, I don't know how that could possibly be anything but a weak point!

@CALNNC posted:

Does anyone know why MTH made the valve gear and cylinders wider on the coal burner 10 wheeler, necessitating a severely bent main rod, while the wood burner had a properly placed cylinder set with straight main rod?  Was there ever a prototype with a main rod with two offset bends in it?  Would seem that if there was, those bends would be a major weak point subject to bending more.

Picture(s)?

I'm gun shy on the pics I have as they are probably copyrighted and I don't need another do-better-letter.  A couple others would not highlight for a screenshot  let me copy and paste or even copy the link, but a prime example can be seen at this ebay item #296514583514   It is almost like they used the cylinders from another model to make this one.  Other MTH 4-6-0's, are fine.

From set 30-4046-1, PS2, 5v, delivered and bought in 2000. Has always run like a top, but wasn’t able to swim in the floodwaters of Sandy. It was my first venture into PS2, and a favorite of mine. Rebought the entire set, mint, offa ebay, within the last 2 years. IMHO, bent rods were never an issue affecting performance. The old one had plenty of time and miles on it before it went swimmin’!!! Just my 2 cents.

I concur with Mark on this one. I have quite a few of these 2-8-0's with the bent rods and they work just fine. My oldest is a PS2 5v with 6700 scale miles on the odometer according to the DCS remote.

@CALNNC posted:

Does anyone know why MTH made the valve gear and cylinders wider on the coal burner 10 wheeler, necessitating a severely bent main rod, while the wood burner had a properly placed cylinder set with straight main rod?  Was there ever a prototype with a main rod with two offset bends in it?  Would seem that if there was, those bends would be a major weak point subject to bending more.

On a toy, those rods are just along for the ride, …..they don’t do anything, so there’s no stress or strain on them……soldier on, you’re gonna be fine …

Pat

Thanks for the input on the bent rods.  But again, seems like a tradeoff on the cost of a redesign or a "Let's use this that we have 10,000 of.."  I redid a MTH 2-6-0 for Strasburg #89, now on a find the right 10 wheeler for Petticoat Junction itch.

@harmonyards posted:

On a toy, those rods are just along for the ride, …..they don’t do anything, so there’s no stress or strain on them……soldier on, you’re gonna be fine …

I never worried about them breaking on a model, my comment was for a prototype having bent rods like that.  However, the rods are not completely along for the ride, they actually do power the wheels, even on our models.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I never worried about them breaking on a model, my comment was for a prototype having bent rods like that.  However, the rods are not completely along for the ride, they actually do power the wheels, even on our models.

Side rods, yes, but the main rod doesn’t do a thing on 99% of our models. Some main rods ( think older Lionel with puffer type smoke units )  do strike a lever to drive a piston, but even that doesn’t bring any stress,……

Pat

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I never worried about them breaking on a model, my comment was for a prototype having bent rods like that.  However, the rods are not completely along for the ride, they actually do power the wheels, even on our models.

to illustrate what Pat said - Yes, the bent rod is only "along for the ride" on our models.

@harmonyards posted:

Side rods, yes, but the main rod doesn’t do a thing on 99% of our models. Some main rods ( think older Lionel with puffer type smoke units )  do strike a lever to drive a piston, but even that doesn’t bring any stress,……

100% correct Pat, my mistake, I was think side rods, not main rods.  Of course, on the prototype where the main rod does do some real work, I can't imagine those being bent.  That being the case, something that obvious probably shouldn't be used on something that's really a "model", it looks silly!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

100% correct Pat, my mistake, I was think side rods, not main rods.  Of course, on the prototype where the main rod does do some real work, I can't imagine those being bent.  That being the case, something that obvious probably shouldn't be used on something that's really a "model", it looks silly!

Yes, agree,….the main rod is what transmits the steam energy to rotate the main driver’s crank pin, ……what’s really fascinating ( and maybe Jack can would elaborate more if he wouldn’t mind, as he’s the resident authority ) is the size of a main rod vs. the actual piston rod that drives the main rod,…….when you look at the size difference, it can boggle your mind,……is it the cross head and guides that share some of this load? Or is the piston rod is made of the strongest steel on the planet …..

Pat

That rod looks like a bow legged cowboy.

Charlie