Wabash Brakeman Car # 3424

Does the car have the correct blue or white sliding contact shoe?

Yes it has the white slider.  I was just doing some more testing and the original contact strips work flawlessly.  I tried the reproduction trips again with mixed results.  Then I thought the report contacts were not quite high enough, so I bent the bottom plate ever so slightly so that the contact rails would be a bit higher. This didn't seem to help either.  

Sand the top of the control blades.

I'll give that a try.  But right now, it's time to rest my eyes.  See you in the morrow.  

Double check the contact top alignment to make sure they match the originals.  If they're out of line slightly, operation will be erratic.  Also, make sure the wiring in the car and both the slider and pickup wheels are clean. 

Mitch 

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Double check the contact top alignment to make sure they match the originals.  If they're out of line slightly, operation will be erratic.  Also, make sure the wiring in the car and both the slider and pickup wheels are clean. 

Mitch 

Erratic operation is exactly what is happening.  I have already tried bending the base plates ever so slightly in order to keep the tops of the contact rails up as high as possible.  But what I noticed is that the contact rail piece is sloping toward one end.

I think I might try to bolster the contact rails from below.  I'll have to put a piece of tape on the bottom portion of the contact rail piece to keep it from shorting on the center rail.  

Check that the roller on the other truck is making good contact with the center rail when the shoe is on the trip slides. 

I did a bit more experimenting with the brakeman trip mechanisms today.  As I thought, the contact blades were a hair lower than they should have been.  I bent the tabs downward ever so slightly with a flat screwdriver.  I also inserted some card stock, doubled up, between the baseplate and the blades.  This raised the blades enough so that now the brakeman isn't bumping his head on the bridge.....LOL  After several circuits around the layout, all seems to be working well.

I would like to add that, Paul Misuriello was kind enough to call me today to discuss the issue.  I had purchased the parts from him, Train Worx, at the Allentown meet a couple of weeks ago.  My experience at his table, was a good one also.  He has everything displayed so that anyone can quickly find any part they are looking for.  

How about when the brakeman operates while going over a remote uncoupling track?  The white slider-shoe is 'sprung' in the 'down' position - is this correct?  Further,  the brakeman car is challenged to go over my 45 degree cross-over too as the white slider-shoe hits the center of the cross over. 

I need actuator blades, tell-tales etc too - any ideas where I could get my hands on these?

@RichardVB posted:

How about when the brakeman operates while going over a remote uncoupling track?

The shoe may be worn, then.  The groove should be fairly narrow.

The white slider-shoe is 'sprung' in the 'down' position - is this correct?

Yes.

Further,  the brakeman car is challenged to go over my 45 degree cross-over too as the white slider-shoe hits the center of the cross over.

Another indication of a worn shoe. 

I need actuator blades, tell-tales etc too - any ideas where I could get my hands on these?

http://www.ttender.com/ will have all the parts you need! 

Mitch

I bought extra mounting plates and using the original control blades placed them a few inches before and after the telltales.  This way the brakeman is either down or up in plenty of time to not hit the telltales.

Be sure to remove the control blades from the telltale mounting plates.

@CSXJOE posted:

I bought extra mounting plates and using the original control blades placed them a few inches before and after the telltales.  This way the brakeman is either down or up in plenty of time to not hit the telltales.

Be sure to remove the control blades from the telltale mounting plates.

Yep!  I followed a similar approach when making Fastrack actuators. 

Thank-you Mitch!

Does the shoe look worn to you?  Also, how hard is it to replace?  Instructions?

Further - in a real-world situation (obviously I'm no brakeman) - isn't the man supposed to 'hit' the telltales and this indicates to him that he ought to lie down NOW?

Jeff at the Train Tender is who I thought of too.  Appreciate the reminder.  He's great!

@RichardVB posted:

Thank-you Mitch!

My pleasure!

Does the shoe look worn to you?

No, which raises the possibility of a weak spring or loose, dangling rivet falling below the groove when the car is upright.

Also, how hard is it to replace?  Instructions?

If you're familiar with postwar trucks, fairly straightforward.  With the shell off, undo the horseshoe clip and let the truck fall free.  Unsolder the wire connexion.  Pry open the tabs for the coupler plate, and you can get at the shoe plate and rivet.  Cut the rivet, install new shoe and rivet, resolder wire, reassemble. 

Further - in a real-world situation (obviously I'm no brakeman) - isn't the man supposed to 'hit' the telltales and this indicates to him that he ought to lie down NOW?

Well, yes, but from a toy standpoint, it's visually more interesting that he misses.

Jeff at the Train Tender is who I thought of too.  Appreciate the reminder.  He's great!

Agreed!

Mitch

I also purchased the reproduction contact rails. They are the same height as the originals however once they are installed on the original telltale brackets, they are about a 1/16" low. I placed six pieces of yellow notecard material between the slide rails and the telltale bracket and this seems like the correct amount. I verified the final height using a level over a set of the original telltale assemblies and the ones with the reproduction slide shoes and added card stock until a level reading was observed. I still may have to "fine-tune" the setup for a reliable operation. The newly purchased telltale assemblies are going to be placed in a spot where there will be adequate clearance no matter what while the original telltales really need to work on either side of a planned tunnel.