Right-Of-Way performance??

Try cleaning out the old grease first. Remove the motors from the trucks and clean with mineral sprints and a tooth brush. Don't keep running it like it is, or you might burn out the motors.

I’m gonna go out on a limb and say they are just fine.  I don’t believe R-O-W ever  produced any jackrabbits. I seem to remember their motors being wired in series, this would slow them down a bit.

I saw them run long ago - don't seem to recall much speed  (which is just fine) but hard to remember.

Consider that George HW Bush was president . . . with that in mind, the grease may well be much different!

thanks!

   john

The trucks have multiple gears and they run at scale speeds. They aren't like Lionel or MTH with rediculous high speeds.

thank you . . .that's the sort of information I was looking for.

john

The lubricant was Lubriplate.  Not my choice.

The motors are Pittman 7 pole skew wound with samarium cobalt magnets and ball bearing end bells.  Those were $60 cost back then.  Not likely a candidate for burn out.

I have said this many times before; this is a miniature piece of  heavy machinery, not a sewing machine.  Take your lubricants seriously.  The stress-strain curves look the same as the real thing.  Try using something like power brake grease and 10W40 oil.

Lou N

I had the D&H ABA and they were 'slow' as well. At the time I wanted them to run faster but realize now that they were just fine as is. Beautiful models too...  I didn't know that the D&H didn't have any B units but evidently, I wasn't the only one  :-)

c.sam posted:

I had the D&H ABA and they were 'slow' as well. At the time I wanted them to run faster but realize now that they were just fine as is. Beautiful models too...  I didn't know that the D&H didn't have any B units but evidently, I wasn't the only one  :-)

RoW, Lionel, Williams and MTH are all guilty of creating fantasy B units.  Most often for Erie, EL, NKP.

But I still have them .

Lou N

Remember, these were and are scale models.  They have great motors and a realistic speed range.  They are more precise and mechanically different than Lionel's diesels of that period and earlier, which were originally toys intended for young children.  There are PLENTY of fast locos out there, including the PAs made by Lionel and MTH.  Enjoy your Right-of-Way diesels for what they are!

One final note- work the throttle gently and avoid using the "direction" button/levelr.  IIRC Right-of-Way locos did not have flywheels, and would stop on the proverbial dime!

I’ve heard Bill Benson (then CEO of Right of Way) boasting how their locomotives have been tested in their HQ for two weeks nonstop. Definitely something worth seeing to be believed, but sounds like a testament to the performance quality of these locomotives.

"It seems to run fine but rather slowly  (compared to many Lionel diesels)."

Gosh, I hope so. If you are speaking of the old AC-motored Lionel locos, well, that's the way you don't want your locos to run. Lube everything appropriate, of course - lots of gears in those trucks. 

These ROW brass(!) PA's are impressive, to say the least. ROW was an early, big loss to 3RO. 

Ted S posted:

One final note- work the throttle gently and avoid using the "direction" button/levelr.  IIRC Right-of-Way locos did not have flywheels, and would stop on the proverbial dime!

RoW locomotives did not have flywheels.

The stop on a dime experience was somewhat eliminated by the addition of anti-commutation diodes to the reverse unit.  This prevented dynamic braking.

Know that a truly functional flywheel is one that has the maximum mass at the perimeter of the wheel.  A lead flywheel with the center being thin or spoked would do more than the brass ones currently in use now.

End of physics lesson.

Lou N

Mikado 4501 posted:

I’ve heard Bill Benson (then CEO of Right of Way) boasting how their locomotives have been tested in their HQ for two weeks nonstop. Definitely something worth seeing to be believed, but sounds like a testament to the performance quality of these locomotives.

One of the articulateds ran for 750 hours; that's 31 days 6 hours.  Stopped because it needed to be lubricated.

One of the other tests was pulling a 50 car hopper train, each with one pound of lead aboard, on the display layout which included 2% grades.  Would run for an 8 hour day.

Lou N

D500 posted:

"It seems to run fine but rather slowly  (compared to many Lionel diesels)."

Gosh, I hope so. If you are speaking of the old AC-motored Lionel locos, well, that's the way you don't want your locos to run. Lube everything appropriate, of course - lots of gears in those trucks. 

These ROW brass(!) PA's are impressive, to say the least. ROW was an early, big loss to 3RO. 

As I recall the final drive ratio was 18:1.  There was some consideration in having the ratio be able to back drive the motor wheel pushing it on the track.  Not realistic.

Those are Boston gears, brass on steel.  

Lou N

@Lou N totally agree with what you're saying re: flywheels.  I actually took several to a machine shop.  I was planning on having them "slugged" with tungsten fly fishing weights, set in a pattern along the outer rim, like bullets in the cylinder of a revolver.  This would have greatly increased the flywheels' rotational mass, enabling my Proto-1 MTH steam locos to coast, making them much more "child-friendly" without sacrificing low-speed performance.  Unfortunately it wasn't a reputable or well-managed machine shop.  After not hearing from them for several weeks, I went back and they said they "lost" my box containing the flywheels and weights.  Grrr... 

Of course if MTH had used back-drivable gears, a numerically higher gear ratio, or a larger flywheel in the original design, I wouldn't have this problem!  Eighteen-to-one is quite low for a diesel!  To clarify: are you saying gears in the Right-of-Way locos are capable of being back-driven (like a Postwar Lionel), or are they self-locking?  It sounds like you might have been an "insider" with Right-of-Way.  Thanks for sharing the info!!

Ted S posted:

@Lou N totally agree with what you're saying re: flywheels.  I actually took several to a machine shop.  I was planning on having them "slugged" with tungsten fishing weights, set in a pattern along the outer rim, like bullets in the cylinder of a revolver.  This would have greatly increased the flywheels' rotational mass, enabling my Proto-1 MTH steam locos to coast, making them much more "child-friendly" without sacrificing low-speed performance.  Unfortunately it wasn't a reputable or well-managed machine shop.  After not hearing from them for several weeks, I went back and they said they "lost" my box containing the flywheels and weights.  Grrr... 

Of course if MTH had used back-drivable gears, a numerically higher gear ratio, or a larger flywheel in the original design, I wouldn't have this problem!  Eighteen-to-one is quite low for a diesel!  To clarify: are you saying gears in the Right-of-Way locos are capable of being back-driven (like a Postwar Lionel), or are they self-locking?  It sounds like you might have been an "insider" with Right-of-Way.  Thanks for sharing the info!!

Sorry to hear about your flywheels.  You had a great idea going there.

To clarify, RoW locomotives will not back drive.  It was merely a topic of conversation but not do-able.

Insider?  Yes.  I was the electrical engineer there.  I designed the 400 watt transformer, the first onboard digital sound systems, the automatic timer based three color signals and some other stuff.

Lou N

You were responsible for this beauty?  Impressive!

David

David98 posted:

You were responsible for this beauty?  Impressive!

David

Yes sir.

Lou N

thanks to everyone for all the great info and discussions!!

I have finished going thru the units and they are running and looking most splendid.

A maintenance related note:  the motors are held to the power trucks each with one rather short machine screw, perhaps only 4-40  (did not check).  This needs to be properly tightened or checked even if not removed.  If it loosens, the motor could do serious damage to the gear on the truck.   A conservative person might use some blue Loctite or similar agent.

best

    John

CPF3 posted:

thanks to everyone for all the great info and discussions!!

I have finished going thru the units and they are running and looking most splendid.

A maintenance related note:  the motors are held to the power trucks each with one rather short machine screw, perhaps only 4-40  (did not check).  This needs to be properly tightened or checked even if not removed.  If it loosens, the motor could do serious damage to the gear on the truck.   A conservative person might use some blue Loctite or similar agent.

best

    John

 

Just for reference, blue Loctite was used regularly in the assembly of RoW locos. I remember it being a big deal; something new in the marketplace. 

Today when you speak of blue loctite it is a threadlocker for slick plastic fasteners (slick meaning nylon, polyethylene, etc).   I've used it and it works. Loctite 425. 

Lou N