New Project Super detail a UP Challenger

Excited to see the progress on this! 

Today, assembled the correct 36 inch wheels for the pilot. I have pilot truck frame of the correct size, but things did not look right. Going to the scale drawings for the challenger I find the loco is two scale feet too long. So I've got to do some surgery on the loco front engine frame before preceding. 

Today I have measured everything out to decide where cutting will be required to bring all to scale.

Will have to move the  steam cylinders back a foot or quarter inch and then the pilot by 5/8ths inch. I am going to make the cuts on the cylinder and pilot mounts to avoid cutting the frame, I hope! Will have to some frame grinding for pilot wheel clearance.

I can only do this since my curves are so broad.

Doing the cutting of the front engine frame today.Some filing and ready to go. steam chest slides in and valve and piston rods trimmed.Here you see how much steam cylinders moved back.This is prototypical size and position. I want to get this operational before going further. Have to perform proper placement of pilot and grind clearance in the frame for the pilot wheels. Thein I'm going to make the valve train fully operational with moving valve rods and hopefully oilers.

Can't believe how quickly you're moving with this.  I've made the same mods to front ends, correcting the usual 3-rail compromises of elongated pilot frames and wheels.  It'll look fantastic when you have it put right.

Very short proof of concept test run. Now we have to transfer front engine weight to pilot or engine truck.

With further testing I'm getting a short and some tracking problems through some turnouts and curves. Trying different solutions, a tedious process.

 Yeah, very nice.  Are you 2-rail, or is it just something hanging down, like a lead truck screw?

I had a Williams here some years back - seemed to me the entire thing was slightly undersize, but I have been told I have no perspective - either that or the Lobaugh version is 17/64.

Are you going to do the hand hold on the cab roof?  I am having some success with K&S tube, slit in half and soldered.

Hi Bob, It seems to spec out well with the erection drawings. This is a 3 rail model, but I'll probably RC it. Regarding the cab roof have not really thought about it yet.

Worked kinks out of pilot truck ,see video, but then had to remount it in a new configuration to match drawings. Next is to cut the frame to mount the pilot assembly in the correct relationship to the pilot truck and drivers.

MMMM, love that scale chuff. NOT!

Most every thing on front scaled and aligned,  new mounts for the air pumps have to be made and fitted and the front turbopump has to be moved rearward a bit. I have to weight the pilot truck and maybe add a spring. I had to shorten the frame 3/8s to get the pilot assembly in the correct position and make a new mounting pad. Steam cylinders have been moved way back. piston rods have been shortened.

Ron H posted:

Most every thing on front scaled and aligned,  new mounts for the air pumps have to be made and fitted and the front turbopump has to be moved rearward a bit.

By "front turbopump" do you mean the large Elesco Exhaust Steam Injector, which is mounted under the Fireman's side walkway? I also think that the casting appears a bit small for such a big device. Maybe you could get a more correct scale size lost wax casting from PSC.

I have to weight the pilot truck and maybe add a spring. I had to shorten the frame 3/8s to get the pilot assembly in the correct position and make a new mounting pad. Steam cylinders have been moved way back. piston rods have been shortened.

 Looking good so far.

Thanks Hot Water.

I was converting a 3 rail MTH Allegheny to 2 rail and someone here suggested that I keep the front wheels undersized. At first, I installed what I felt was the correct wheel sized axles and sure enough the engine shorted on curves. I couldn't find out why or where exactly the issue was or I would have fixed it. I remembered the post and swapped out the wheels to smaller ones. It cured the shorting and left me wondering how difficult it would have been to pursue the issue keeping the larger wheel sets.

 So now I get to see what you're going thru here. I appreciate your sharing the work needed. I have upgraded my Williams Challenger to PS2 and it has poor high speed performance. I limit it to under 50 MPH so it doesn't make so much noise and vibrations.

 I have another old 1st release MTH factory 2 rail Allegheny that I upgraded to PS3 that recently shorted out again and wiped out the board (3 times a problem now for me). I thought I had it kicked! I admire your efforts. I have a Weaver 2 rail that also shorts and I have given up on steam upgrades for now.

 I just had a factory PS2 MTH Dreyfus go awol and I had to work on the power pick-up points. I hated steam back in my early HO days and I started hating it again in O scale. I should have stuck with diesels! Our grandson will be here in a few minutes to run trains and I can't let him know this!!!!!!!

Joe, I appreciate the comments. Re: the front truck, I've mounted it so only the front wheels of the truck swing on a curve and I grind the frame to clear the wheels where necessary. Fortunately the truck front wheels clear the steam chests or that would probably short.

Looks like a neat project. Looking forward to the final result. Wonderful work so far!

Weekend through today. Permanent mount of the steam cylinder assembly and the pilot. Additionally the valve rods were squared up and shimmed so they go straight in and out of the valve chest. Have tried a more flexible pilot truck system and different mounting springs. Next is to weight the truck as I'm still getting some derail of the truck. I've not had this problem on other locos I've super detailed. I may re-gauge them.

Now have the pilot fixed and mounted and the lead truck sorted. I can go next to the steam piping. Also, have to begin working on track alignment and joiner heights as the layout has not been maintained as it should for a couple of years.

Due to the new placement of front end pieces I've had to make new mounts for the air pumps to place in scale position. Will also add additional piping and lube lines.

What are you going to do about that awesome chuff sound ya got there? Those are some serious modifications Ron

Hey Doug,

Hope you and the family are well. I'll definitely put a sound system in it. The current Williams sound system really blows!

Good to hear from you.

Ron

I have continued to fiddle with the lead or engine truck. Have weighted it tried different mounting springs and I'm still not satisfied with its operation. Also, the locomotive is so heavy it can split the turnouts. I'll have to beef them up. I've slowed down due to the holidays, but looking forward to getting beyond this point.

@Ron H posted:

I have continued to fiddle with the lead or engine truck. Have weighted it tried different mounting springs and I'm still not satisfied with its operation. Also, the locomotive is so heavy it can split the turnouts. I'll have to beef them up. I've slowed down due to the holidays, but looking forward to getting beyond this point.

Hi Ron!  I just found this thread.  I have the same Williams Challenger.  I like those detail mods you've done.  Great job.

Did you ever finish up with the piping?  Have any current pics of your Challenger?
Thanks!

This thread is awesome! I want to learn how to do this kind of stuff eventually.

jrose609 and BillYo414, I appreciate the kind words. Actually I haven't returned to working on the Challenger for a year or so. Hopefully will do so soon.

Again, thanks for the interest.

Ron H