NORTHERN PACIFIC A-4 4-8-4 3RD RAIL

NP A-4 (cont)

Engineer's side:

Tender:

Pedestal style.

3 hatches open:

All wheels sprung:

NP A-4 (cont)

Interesting in nor center pick up rollers.

Instead of a cam on one of the drivers, a magnetic cam on one of the tender wheels triggers a magnetic reed switch.

Engine bottom side:

Tender's coupler was drooping some and I had to bend the brass assembly that connects the coupler to the tender's bottom plate.

Compared to the MTH's GN R-2 2-8-8-2 and Z-6 4-6-6-4, this northern is very long.

NP A-4 (cont)

runby video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

Ok, can anyone tell me how to post a picture so the web's software doesn't turn it sidewise? ie, above example of top of tender?

Looking great Sam.  It was a pleasure meeting you today, and I hope that you get many hours of enjoyment out of both of the locomotives. They will be MUCH happier running than sitting in the confinement of their  plastic Plano box, in the recesses of my basement. 

Best Regards,

Jerry

Problem with the antenna.

Hopefully Jerry or hotwater (with the A-5) can help.

Sometimes (actually a lot of times!), the A-4 just sits there and gives a couple short whistles if blown and no movement.

I put in a new battery just to make sure that's good.  I have to shut down the juice and move the engine to a different spot to get her to work again.  Sometimes she runs after startup and sometimes, nada.

Per Jerry's suggestion, when I put my hand over the tender, the engine then obeys the commands.  Being a novice on TMCC, what's the best way to improve the antenna reception, specifically the A-4 for those who had the same problem with this engine.   The loop of track is not very large and the other two TMCC engines have no problems so I'm figuring it's got to be the A-4 antenna that need some adjustemnt/enhancement: other than walking along with my hand over the tender

I've got one of the first TMCC sets made and it has never been updated (if there is such a thing).

thanks,

sam

Sam:

The quickest thing that we could do is to disconnect the tender shell ground, and route a separate wire and hide it under the tender.  I did that on Hot's Z-8, and it worked well. 

Give me a call tomorrow and we can discuss.

Regards,

Jerry

Thanks Jerry,

My clock says 12:30 am so I guess I can call you now :[]

TMCC bad reception (3 problems)

Talk about trying one's patience!

I've been having intermittent reception.

Some times it would work and anywhere on the loop of track, it may fail.

I separated the tender and found the screw holding the antenna wire to the top tender shell was very loose.  That was an easy fix, or so I thought.

(picture bad but there's a loose screw in there, somewhere!)

Put her back on the track and, still, intermittent reception....grrrrr.

OK, let's hold the whistle down and start jiggling things (engine that is!).

HMMMM: put side movement on tender and whistle stops.

Got the volt meter out and started checking resistance: 

Got it this time, the front 4 wheel trucks flanges are touching the tender.

A little electrical tape along each side of the tender will fix that.

That's got to fix it:

Wrong again!

The volt meter was saying one wheel is shorting out to the tender shell.

Bummer, figure bad insulation.  Take the wheel set off and it works perfectly good with the voltmeter: what the $%&*.

Put the wheel back into the truck and find the side of one wheel will short out when touching the truck frame.  Some insulation washers on the outer axle, FINALLY fixed it......hopefully, so far, so good

The chances of 3 related problems being bad are pretty slim....well used to be:[]

Now, to my next minor problem: marker and number boards aren't working.

She's running great now that the antenna problem is solved. 

Before fixing the antenna, when the motor would hum and she grudgingly would start, I initially thought the motor or drivers were binding.

Hey Hot Water, if you read this, my marker lights and number boards are not lighting.  Since you have one, just checking if you have any solutions, like some light command keyed in via the remote,  before I start taker her apart, as my initial guess, is a broken wire.

Beautiful loco.

3rd Rail issues (of course; been there...); still beautiful.

Reminds me of another beautiful brass TMCC/RS 4-8-4, offered by Weaver some years ago

(black or green boiler) - the Rio Grande M-64. Have one. Handsome. One chuff/revolution...Oy! Got to address that!

===

I just corrected this; I had referred to the loco as "Western Pacific"; it is Rio Grande.

A mistake; unheard of!

I have pretty much taken ever single steam locomotive model that I own, apart in order to disconnect the front class lights and the rear marker lights on the tender. I hate those darned things, especially when the model has red front class lights! I have disassembled each Lionel, Sunset/3rd Rail, and earlier MTH (there later MTH models have the ability to turn off and on the class lights and rear marker lights with the DCS handheld) model in order to disconnect or simply cut the darned wires.

The rear marker lights on the tenders are very easy to fix, by simply unplugging the wires that go to the markers, while the tender is opened up during the up-grade to Kadee couplers on the rear.

that's one righteous engine!!

D500,

Post some pictures of her.

====

Hot water:

I hear ya' on incorrect lights.  GN's are normally clear but, in my old age, I like the markers and number boards lit.  MTH seems to have some more sophistication on turning lights on via the remote.  Looks like I'll be doing some dis-assembly (feel like johnny 5!). 

I used to paint HO brass and could have as many as a 100 pieces after dis-assembly, BUT they never had so many wires as these O gauge have.  You would think there would be plenty of room for wires in a huge O gauge engine but those wires are wrapped all over anything and everything and, one pinched wire means a short, plus it makes it difficult to remove the engine from the boiler, especially on the articulateds: would be nice to have some connectors in key places to make it easier to work on.

Like HO grew over the years as things got more and more accurate, so it will be with 3 rail: just takes time for the manufacturers to do it.

======

Steve,

Yep, I like that long lean look, grey boiler and huge tender.

Great looking engine, although I think the wires to the LED marker lamps really detract from the good looks of this locomotive. And all steam locomotives for that matter. 

What "LED marker lamps"? These Sunset/3rd Rail NP 4-8-4 models were made well prior to LED lighting. Also, the original real steam locomotives of that era did indeed have electric class lights as well was electric rear markers, and the electric conduits are certainly visible.

Sam

before you take it apart, you might try a TMCC reset. It sometimes restores functions that were lost . Since you were having reception issues that might have occurred during that time. Worth a try.

LIRR,

Good idea, I'll try that.

Try the easy stuff, first!

Yes that is one beautiful engine...

samparfitt -

Finally got a snap (that you requested!) of my Weaver brass Rio Grande M-64 4-8-4. Not

a great shot, but better than nothing. Mine has the black boiler, TMCC, RS. I normally

do not like whitewall drivers, etc, but I haven't painted these yet. May not.

Anyway, I always felt that this loco has a USRA-look, if the USRA had designed 4-8-4's

(the NP hadn't come out with the "Northern" yet).

Your NP loco is even sharper, but they both have a "Western" look.

Thanks, Chris,

=========

D500,

D&RG had some nice looking engines.  I liked those green boilers and the L-131 and challengers were good looking.

GN only had the P-2 mountain with painted wheels.