Weaver 2 Rail 2-8-0

Hi, I too bought one, also a Weaver 2 rail 2-8-0, from a guy on ebay.  As far as the tether, make sure it is plugged in ALL the way.  I had to work at mine a bit.  My fingers hardly fit between the engine and tender.  I used a flat blade screwdriver to kinda push it in all the way.   Make sure the trucks on the tender didn't get turned around when shipped.  Make sure all wheels are on the rails.  Another thing you can do is turn the engine upside down and touch the wheels with the bare tips of the power wires to see if they turn.  And again check the tether, while upside down, to make sure it is plugged in all the way.

Rick

Thank you! I have done all that Tether is tight!. I will take to my Hobby guy and let him look at it. If not, back it goes.

As far as I know, the 2-rail version did not come with sound.  You might try to hook the motor directly to power.

I have one here - I can look at it.  They usually run smoothly with no sound or smoke.

I believe it was possible to order this locomotive from Weaver with TMCC in 2 rail. Weaver never did jump on the DCC bandwagon like Atlas did. Most units delivered were plain D.C. as Bob mentioned but if you are getting "the sound of steam" or any type of sound then maybe your locomotive has TMCC. I would try to power it with AC. Then cycle the power like a regular 3 rail locomotive. If it does move in conventional mode under AC then it does have TMCC. 

If you want to sell the 2-8-0.....please contact me. What RR is your model decorated for, Tom? Thx. Tom

My hobby guy says it runs just fine on AC. I have never had a 2-rail AC locomotive. I must think about running on my layout. Since it has no center rollers, I have to run it on track with isolated outside rails.

You were right Phil, It has TMCC. The question is--how to I wire the track. It has scale wheels so I can't run on tubular track. I would have to run it on tracks, like Gargraves, with wooden ties, with both outside rails powered from AC. I have never had to do that before. I have two rail DC track but would need a separate transformer just for this locomotive. I am too old for this!

You could remove the TMCC, someone would probabaly buy the electronics, then simply wire it for DC.  You did say it was a 2 rail loco right?   

If your layout is a conventional 2 rail DC layout, as AStarr indicates above, remove the TMCC board and wire the model as a conventional DC loco.  The motors in Weaver Locos are DC can motors.  If you are not capable of doing this, your local hobby shop may be able to do it for you.  When I convert a 3 rail Weaver loco to 2 rail, I always remove the electronics packages and return them to the model's owner for his disposition.  Some modelers install DCC boards after a conversion.

Joe

My suggestion, sell the TMCC equipped loco to someone who would love to have it and buy another that is straight DC.   It should be obvious on the box.    These things show up at shows all the time.

That way, you make two people happy, the TMCC user, and you.

One of the reasons I bought this locomotive is that it has blind drivers. That means it can negotiate areas on my layout that have the old Atlas 24" radius curves. It would just be my luck that it has uncommon wiring which I now have to deal with.   In addition, Converting it to conventional DC will require installation of contacts on the drivers to pick up the DC which are not there now! I think my best bet is to send it back and cut my losses!         

Tom I am glad I could help figure it out. If it will run on AC on 2 rail track then it has pick ups for electrical power. You don't have to add any extra contacts if you don't want to. The most common way 2 rail steam locomotives pick up power is the locomotive will pick up power from one rail, I forget if it is left or right, and the tender picks up power from the other rail. 

All you have to do for the most basic set up is take each of the incoming power wires to the TMCC board and disconnect them from the board. Then connect the wires that pick up the electrical power directly to the can motor. (Also disconnect the wires from the TMCC board to the can motor) You will now have forward and reverse but no sounds and lights. 

Thank you Phil. I may have the tech do that. He already has it! That would at least get it to run on My Gargraves and Atlas O layouts.

I saw one of these locomotives run once and it ran very smooth. It was the D.C. version. I never knew they had blind drivers. I would like to own one someday. 

If it were me I would install DCC and sound but to each his own. 

Hudson J1e posted:

I saw one of these locomotives run once and it ran very smooth. It was the D.C. version. I never knew they had blind drivers. I would like to own one someday. 

If it were me I would install DCC and sound but to each his own. 

I believe Atlas has the tooling for the 2-8-0 now so you'll probably get your chance.

You guys have been very helpful. I do not use any DCC and, at this point, I have no desire to start!

If your loco has globes not LED's this is what you need to power the globes and for the wiring to reverse the loco keeps everything neat and tidy you only need one I have shown three because they were there My friend Bruce Temperley makes them for me as he operates the railroad with me and happens to be a good friend.

I convert locos all the time to straight DC mostly Atlas SW's if you run LED's the little module is slightly different as you don't want the full current blowing the LED's. Any person interested in electronics can make this in a couple of hours start to finish. Roo

jonnyspeed posted:

Hudson J1e posted:

I saw one of these locomotives run once and it ran very smooth. It was the D.C. version. I never knew they had blind drivers. I would like to own one someday. 

If it were me I would install DCC and sound but to each his own. 

I believe Atlas has the tooling for the 2-8-0 now so you'll probably get your chance.

Johnny, I believe the Weaver originally cost around $550 but that was what--10 years ago? Or possibly more. Nothing against Atlas because I like Atlas but with their rolling stock approaching $100 what do you think the MSRP on the 2-8-0 will be if and when Atlas reissues it? 

Does it have a prototype?

jonnyspeed posted:

Hudson J1e posted:

I saw one of these locomotives run once and it ran very smooth. It was the D.C. version. I never knew they had blind drivers. I would like to own one someday. 

If it were me I would install DCC and sound but to each his own. 

I believe Atlas has the tooling for the 2-8-0 now so you'll probably get your chance.

Maybe within your lifetime...........

bob2 posted:

Does it have a prototype?

I do not believe it does. The story I was told was that guys were asking for a generic reasonably priced steam locomotive that would be a great runner. Well, Weaver built it in many road names but it didn't sell as well as it was predicted it would. That could be wrong it is just what I heard at one of the shows I went to. 

I originally had one of these on pre-order but I came into some money and I changed my pre-order to the Sunset NYC Mohawk. I figured I may never have enough money to buy one of these brass locomotives new ever again. I love my Mohawk but even though the Weaver 2-8-0 doesn't have an exact prototype I still think it is a nice locomotive.

Just in case there are any DC fans interested here is the module on the right (the larger one) for the LED's compared with the smaller one for Globes these are designed to fit into Atlas SW's of course the same thing could fit into virtually any DC or analog O scale loco. I intend to use the locos for the steel mill some marked "Remote Control" with the Engineer standing out front and I will be putting a flashing yellow light on the cab roof and two lights at the rear as well as the standard headlight at the front but that's another story for another day. Roo.

Progress report on my Weaver 2-8-0. It runs well under the following conditions: It runs and makes sounds on Atlas O 3-rail track with both outside rails energized. It runs on my Gargraves loop with both outside rails energized. It does not run on standard Lionel track. I have to be careful to have on AC running to the rails. It will probably run on my 2-rail DC track if I put AC into both rails but then I have to be careful to switch back to DC when running my regular O scale trains. I haven't tried putting regular Lionel cars on the same track. I am using 2-rail O scale cars behind it as it has a Kadee coupler. I consider it a strange wiring arrangement, but it can take sharp curves. Is it worth keeping--I guess, as long as I don't burn up a locomotive. Stay tuned!!!!

There you go.  I have AC outlets on my power pack for just such contingencies.  I use "banana plugs" so I can select AC or DC.

You cannot run Lionel on 2-rail track, because, among other things, the wheelsets will present a direct short to either AC or DC.

My Gargraves test "L" section has three bolts to which I can "Alligator clip" my power, feeding any combination of rails.  I rarely use the center rail - last time was for Myron Biggar, who wanted to know if a Lobaugh Berkshire could be fitted with center rollers.  I put DC on the center rail.

it sounds as if you already have a 2 rail engine if it doesn't run with a center rail energized and you don't get a short from the outside rails. I think what you have is a TMCC controlled 2 rail engine. easy to convert to DC or DCC.

"I haven't tried putting regular Lionel cars on the same track. I am using 2-rail O scale cars behind it as it has a Kadee coupler."

If you do you will short out your system. Even if you are using 3 rail track (not all 3 rail track has the outer rails electrically connected) with just the outer rails energized "regular Lionel cars" will still short out your system.

"It does not run on standard Lionel track." 

It doesn't run on standard Lionel track (I assume you mean tubular track) because the two outer rails are electrically connected. No 2 rail locomotive can run on track like tubular Lionel because of the outer rails being connected to one another (electrically). 

I didn't really realize what I was getting into when I bought this engine. The seller was not forthcoming with a lot of information. It was listed as a 2-rail locomotive! I assumed it would run on DC. I have never paid any attention to TMCC or DCC for that matter. I run a conventional analog system and like to it keep simple. Apparently as long as I feed AC to the outside rails of Gargraves or Atlas O track, this engine will run properly. I don't know about turnouts. All of my mezzannine tracks currently have no switches so I should be OK!

Tom, the only reason I mentioned DCC earlier was because I thought you wanted a sound system. I was not suggesting you go out and buy an expensive DCC system. I thought that sound was something you wanted since the locomotive does have sound now. I see now that you don't care about sound. You may not have known what you were getting yourself into but I think you got a good deal on this locomotive because 3 railers will pay money for the electronics you have in that locomotive. As I mentioned earlier it would be easy to connect the pick up wires directly to the motor or even better to use the board that Roo suggested to use. Then you will have a locomotive that operates exactly like all of your other locomotives. If you can't do it I am sure that there are guys out there that can. Perhaps you can trade the TMCC electronics for their labor. This way it doesn't cost you anything. I would offer to do it for you for free but the shipping back and forth would be a killer. 

Thank you, Phil you have been most helpful. I am recovering from all of the angst of purchasing more locomotive than I expected. I could easily have had my tech guy change it to standard O Gauge two rail DC ops. I do not see any driver contacts on the locomotive currently so I don't see how it would pick up current from the track on a standard DC system.

 I do not see any driver contacts on the locomotive currently so I don't see how it would pick up current from the track on a standard DC system.

2 rail engine - One side of the engine has drivers that are not insulated - that's one contact right through to the frame.

One side of the tender trucks are not insulated - there's the other pole right through the trucks to the tender frame.  

Insulate tender from engine and run wire from tender frame to one motor contact; wire from engine frame to other motor contact.  Set on track and apply power.  Fun may or not ensue.

That's about as simple as it can be done and I'm sure that it can certainly be made far more complicated and will be as well.

I was able to run it last night in my computer room which is 11X12. My mezzanine track is one foot lower than the ceiling. It had a sizeable train of 2-rail cars. After about five minutes of sustained running I began to detect an odor. I looked up from my PC and saw generous puffs of smoke emitting from the stack! Wow---does it smoke!!!! Now I know why I have seen adds for scented smoke!

MWB, explained the electrical pick up better than I could.

Tom, that's pretty cool about the smoke. I didn't know Weaver put smoke units in their locomotives. I would highly caution you though, do NOT run the smoke unit totally dry. There may be a smoke On/OFF switch somewhere under the locomotive. If you run it dry it could possible overload the TMCC electronics. I would advise keeping it off until you have some smoke fluid to keep the unit moist.

Everyone has an opinion on smoke. Some guys love it, others hate it. My opinion is that a little smoke is cool--a lot is suffocating! My favorite scent is "Christmas Pine". How about posting a pic of the locomotive?

ALL Weaver 2 rail TMCC die cast steam engines had smoke and sound just like the 3 rail engines did. That is why it only runs on AC power. The Weaver 2-8-0 and 4-6-2 die cast engines were sold as 2 rail DC, 2 rail & 3 rail AC with TMCC sound and smoke.