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painted screw got me today on MTH PRR SD35 w/PS2 conversion to 2 rail

Engineer-JoeEngineer-JoeOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER

I was finally getting around to converting engines that have been laying around here for a few years now. I converted 2 MTH UP DASH 8s last week and decided to convert the PRR SD35 next. I had already swapped out the wheel sets a few years back and traded them for 2 rail ones. So this engine wasn't being used much as it was inbetween conversion to 2 rail. Kind of in limbo, if you will.

I did test it on 3 rail track when I bought it and it ran fine. So today it got fixed pilot conversions to KD couplers. I had some cast ones but they didn't match this style. I decided to use the stock ones with shims. That took me all day and I finally got the height correct. I found a headlight wire got pinched at the factory. It was crushed by the smoke funnel. That should have gave me a clue that more would work follow.

Off to the rails for a test lap. It was pulling a bunch of cars when it jerked over the first #7 switch it went over? I followed it around and it ran fine over the #5 Atlas switches but jerked hard again when it got to the other #7 switch?

I've been having issues with my steamers over these unpowered frogs so at first, I shrugged it off. Sitting at dinner I started wondering why a diesel would act up?  So back downstairs I went. I took a meter and found that there wasn't any continuity between the engineers side front and rear truck wheels? Off came the shell with just four screws and in went the test probes. I wasn't getting any engineer's side front wheel continuity to the board or the 3/2 switch. I almost yanked out the wheels but I kept probing? I did get continuity between the wheels and the black screw on the truck. I didn't get any from the screw to the 3/2 switch. It appeared that I had a broken wire by how hard it was bent. So I started to disconnect it.

It ended up to be just paint causing this issue. The black screw worked on the rear truck but not on the front one? I replaced the screw with a 3 x 6mm steel screw and got continuity to the switch.

So... after all day of fixing pilots and mounting couplers, a simple painted screw had me at it for a few more hours. Urrggg.

So how do repair techs make any money handling these toys?

and now a close up pic shows me how sloppy my shim work was.... I'm losing my touch here. I need some PRR paint, I know.

20-2882-2 | MTH ELECTRIC TRAINS (mthtrains.com)

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Our grandson will do more testing with plenty of smoke pouring out.

I may remove the foot boards soon too?

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Engineer-JoeEngineer-JoeOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER

Happy New Year to all here too.

I might get better, but it can be tiring. This same engine just acted up tonight when I was building a large train. One axle shorted out now. Probably wasn't a problem before as it wasn't  passing power! I saw the amps jumping up and down going to 11 amps from 4 or 5. I saw smoke and it wasn't coming from the exhaust.

I got a bunch of used 2 rail diesel axles. This is the second that shorted? I blame ballast that I never had before. I'm just not sure on this engine how it could get inside the axle bushing?

I scraped the axle surface and put it back in. It works. It looks like **** inside. I'll see how long it lasts. The basement now has that bad burnt plastic smell. Worse than when you light it with a match. It's roasted from power arcing.

Somedays, I just want them to run. Days like this seem like they are common. They aren't, but they seem to be.

I should bill myself by the hour. I could use the money for other things.

Dallas JosephDallas JosephOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER
@Simon Winter posted:

The more experience you get working on stuff, the better you get at it!

Happy New Year!

Simon

@Engineer-Joe posted:

Happy New Year to all here too.

I might get better, but it can be tiring.

Somedays, I just want them to run. Days like this seem like they are common. They aren't, but they seem to be.

I should bill myself by the hour. I could use the money for other things.

HAPPY  NEW  YEAR  GANG.

SIMON  IS  RIGHT  JOE.    THIS  IS  YOUR   OPPORTUNITY  FOR  EXCELLENCE .

I  JUST  SPENT  THE  LAST  COUPLE  OF  HOURS  WORKING  WITH  PAINTED  SCREWS  ,TRYING  TO  GET BETTER  CONTINUITY  IN  MY  PREMIER  GP30  TRUCKS.    YEP ,  IT  CAN  BE  FRUSTRATING  TO  SPEND SO  MUCH  TIME  ON   R&D  BUT  I  THINK   I  MIGHT LEARN  SOMETHING. 🙃

FINALLY  LET  IT  BE  FOR  THE  NIGHT .  GOTTA  HAVE  PLENTY  BREAKS  .     😴

WITH  THE  THREAT  OF  FREEZING  RAIN   I   FIGURED  I'D  GET  RESTED  UP FOR  ANY  REAL  EMERGENCIES  TOMORROW.

GOOD  LUCK  ,  HAVE  FUN  SOMEHOW ,  YOU KNOW  YOU  DESERVE  IT  😉



.

SW Simon WinterOGR Forum Member
@Engineer-Joe posted:

Happy New Year to all here too.

I got a bunch of used 2 rail diesel axles. This is the second that shorted? I blame ballast that I never had before. I'm just not sure on this engine how it could get inside the axle bushing?



You really don't want to use anything CONDUCTIVE for ballast, and you should use a fixative to keep loose pieces from getting in your engines trucks, mechanisms etc. The ballast should appear to be loose pieces, but in reality it should be a solid mass. You can use a mix of 60/40 white glue and alcohol.

Check the scenery forum for options/details

Simon

Dallas JosephDallas JosephOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER
@Simon Winter posted:

You really don't want to use anything CONDUCTIVE for ballast, and you should use a fixative to keep loose pieces from getting in your engines trucks, mechanisms etc. The ballast should appear to be loose pieces, but in reality it should be a solid mass. You can use a mix of 60/40 white glue and alcohol.

Check the scenery forum for options/details

Simon

@Engineer-Joe posted:

My ballast is real rock that is sifted thru a screen. It is glued down. I may need to go over it again with a vacuum to remove extra ballast.

Really hard to keep ballast particles from getting loose , I would think.   With the vibration and weight of passing trains it would be hard to imagine no pieces being seperated.

I use fine coal residue from my coal bucket  to top off my hopper's plastic coal loads .  I've  used thin super glue , Goo glue and the white glue methods .   Even after brushing off loose particles I still have pieces now and then over time coming off  , even just moving them around etc., and not touching the " load " itself.

There were different products that looked something like ballast or coal JOE , and they were maybe more stable but just didn't look as good as real rock siftings or in my case coal dust.  🤓

SIMON , what do you use for ballast that might not get into those axle bearings or gears on locomotives ? 🤔

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