Rebuilding a brass GP35.

I have 2 like that.   I replaced the motors with ones similar to the Weaver Pittmans, not sure if same model motor.

I am pretty sure these are Max Grey, no USH.    Mine have the fabricated gearboxes and I think one came in an original MG box.    They run really nicely once lubed a little.    I put NCE D408SR decoders in mine and a sound only decoder in one.  

I don't know of a modern mech that runs this smoothly and it is fun to watch the journals go up and down in the sprung trucks when running over switch frogs.

I installed the big Sagami can motor, even smoother and much lower power draw. Sound is planned along with lighting circuit from Richmond Controls.  I have yet to see a decoder's onboard lighting be as good as his circuits.  I ran the model back and forth over my short test track to test it around my AHM curved track.  No problems, smooth and quiet.   Mike

Here she is back together, sporting a MRC 645e3 prime mover sound decoder.  Sounds good just idling there.  Lighting functions are dead on this decoder, but the rest works fine!  Just using the stock lights for now.  Still debating what to do with the upper oscilating warning light between the number boards and the roof strobes that Chessie actually had on some units.  Do I just make the oscilating warning light function or do both?   This engine had neither if we go by the road number.  So I am leaning toward just making the upper light a Mars or Pyle Gyralight in forward direction.   Mike

How are you re-attaching the handrail posts?  I have a similar model in beautiful T&P orange, and am not quite ready to apply heat.  Maybe if I spring for a resistance soldering setup . . .

Just super glue right now, I to need to get a resistance soldering set up.  I did have to put the original permag motor back in, the dog bone shaft cup I have is wallered out and wont stay tight on the can motor's shaft.  I will put it back in eventually.  Runs pretty nice with the original motor anyways so I might just leave it that way.  I am looking for a pre DCC era Mars or Gyralight circuit that does not have to be wired in line with the motor feed. And not one of those dual filiment flip/flop bulb circuits.  The upper light is a dual beam Mars/Gyralight.     Mike

artfull dodger posted:

Just super glue right now, I to need to get a resistance soldering set up.   Mike

You might want to take care when you go to solder those glued joints. I have read where trying to solder a joint that has been super glued can be a real PITA.

Simon

I will clean them to bare on the back of the stanchion and carefully scrape clean the body spot.  Its more the fumes when you take soldering iron to something with ACC glue on it.  Talk about stink and burn the eyes!  Did that once, never again!   Mike

bob2 posted:

How are you re-attaching the handrail posts?  I have a similar model in beautiful T&P orange, and am not quite ready to apply heat.  Maybe if I spring for a resistance soldering setup . . .

I have a friend who has used a resistance unit on painted models, sometimes not damaging the paint and sometimes otherwise.

Simon

The super glue is holding if I keep my ham fisted hands away from the hand rails!  I am amazed it runs so well for an early brass model.  But I have read that O scale models built by KTM for various importers usually ran pretty darn good.   Mike

One of the reasons it's so hard to not damage the paint is that resistance soldering requires an electrical contact between the tip and the work.  If there is paint on the brass it wont make contact and produce heat.  It will, sometimes if the setting is turned up to high but that damages the paint. What I do is scrape a tiny bit of the paint off to make a good contact and use as little heat as possible to make a good joint.  A little touch up and rusted weathering and you'd never know.  

If you use tweezers, you can hold them together producing heat w/o electrical contact  with the work and apply, but that is no different than using an iron.

Peter

Here is todays progress, I repaired the coupler and fixed it to the can motor's shaft with some JB weld, so far its holding good! It if comes loose again, I will just put the old permag motor back in it. Mike