@gunrunnerjohn posted:Alex, it's quite possible you can simply pull the pins from the one crane mechanism and put them in the shells for the other. They look to be both JST-EH connector types. The gears, OTOH, look like you'll have to restring those.
Exactly what I did , still a lot of work lol
No doubt it was a lot of work Alex! I had to restring one of those, that's all it took for me to avoid them! 
@Alex M posted:I use to file them down with a 6 inch sanding wheel. Now I send a bunch of them to Pete (Norton) and he cuts them down to size with his Metal lathe.
Alex
Good to know I wasn't the only one filing them down by hand.
My lathe may arrive before I do the other Niagara.
This post inspired me to fix the one sitting on my workbench last night.
It was much easier than I thought; the second will be a breeze.
The gears were really chewed up:
I used the brass gears from Lionel but I also have the delrin gears from NWSL.
@RickO posted:I had to go pour myself a drink after seeing that video Alex LOL! Good luck with the repair.
I'd like to see a video of your success when its complete.
Hi Rick
its actually complete , I’ll post a video later on
Alex
I didn’t like the universal joint coupling system in those CC Niagara’s for one second....this locomotive is just such a **** poorly engineered toilet, I took a whole different approach, I divorced the motor from the gear box altogether, then modded the gear box to be self standing with a floating spring design, this way, I could use a dog bone and coupler set up....took all the stress out of the driveline, and allowed the gearbox to float around and do it’s thing....this is just my solution, Alex & Pete have their own fixes as well.....Pat
I have 2 projects in process. The first is my scratch-built, free-lanced Union station.
The second is my custom painted and decaled Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines coaches for 0-31 curves.
Both projects are on temporary hold while I care for my elderly uncle, a train enthusiast also, who is preparing for his 3rd major cancer removal surgery in two years to take place this coming Thursday.
@Randy Harrison posted:I have 2 projects in process. The first is my scratch-built, free-lanced Union station.
The second is my custom painted and decaled Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines coaches for 0-31 curves.
Both projects are on temporary hold while I care for my elderly uncle, a train enthusiast also, who is preparing for his 3rd major cancer removal surgery in two years to take place this coming Thursday.
Very nice, Randy, particularly your Union Station.
Arnold: Thanks for the kind words. If you are interested in a step-by-step progress report, click on https://ogrforum.com/...ess-update-1-29-2020 I have not had time to work on it lately due to my family obligations, but, it is still an active project.
Hi Rick
Here’s the video of the crane in action. Had to cut the sound out , because I mentioned the customers name. Figured he would want to remain Anonymous.
@harmonyards posted:I didn’t like the universal joint coupling system in those CC Niagara’s for one second....this locomotive is just such a **** poorly engineered toilet, I took a whole different approach, I divorced the motor from the gear box altogether, then modded the gear box to be self standing with a floating spring design, this way, I could use a dog bone and coupler set up....took all the stress out of the driveline, and allowed the gearbox to float around and do it’s thing....this is just my solution, Alex & Pete have their own fixes as well.....Pat
I knew that Niagara was going to the right guy! 
@harmonyards posted:I didn’t like the universal joint coupling system in those CC Niagara’s for one second....this locomotive is just such a **** poorly engineered toilet, I took a whole different approach, I divorced the motor from the gear box altogether, then modded the gear box to be self standing with a floating spring design, this way, I could use a dog bone and coupler set up....took all the stress out of the driveline, and allowed the gearbox to float around and do it’s thing....this is just my solution, Alex & Pete have their own fixes as well.....Pat
Just swap a MTH Niagara chassis under it and be done. You know that's the best option. It's a better chassis from the start. I think you can do it 
.
@Steaming Jon posted:Fried the motor in this guy last Friday at the club...
It had been running for a while, and at some point I realized it had been too long since it had gone around... found it barely crawling along, and it was pretty hot... was hoping it would be fine after it cooled off, but nope... you can see the windings on one pole are black... Atlas’ website says they actually have the motor in stock for this!
Got this one back on the rails! Hardest part was swapping the worm gear on to the new motor...
@Steaming Jon posted:Got this one back on the rails! Hardest part was swapping the worm gear on to the new motor...
How’d you do it??.....please share!..
Pat
In the first part of this video is a Lionel 6-18071 S.P. Daylight. It is my first and only Timko motor conversion. It along with ERR Cruise Commander runs like a dream. On my workbench in the end of the video is a Lionel 6-18045 Commodore Vanderbilt. I sent off the motor to Timko and now awaiting for another ERR Cruise Commander to arrive.
@harmonyards posted:How’d you do it??.....please share!..
Pat
Ok, let’s see if I can put it into words... motor removal requires removing the boiler shell from the chassis, then removing the lower cover from the frame followed by removing the drivers. The motor bracket is then unscrewed from the frame (the screws are behind the rear drivers). The motor then unscrews from the bracket, and the hole is big enough that the worm gear fits thru...
The worm gear is very securely pressed on to the motor shaft. There’s probably an appropriate puller, but I don’t have one... I used some pliers, a hammer, and a tiny screwdriver to drive the shaft out of the gear. Not pretty, but it worked... I used a c-clamp to press the gear onto the new motor. I made extra sure the other end of the c-clamp was only touching the other end of the motor shaft to avoid damage, and I carefully pressed the gear on a tiny bit at a time...
Reassembly is basically the reverse of disassembly. I found it easier to remove the side rods before reinstalling the drivers because it’s a bit fiddly to get the drivers in sync with each other due to the idler gear between the drivers...
Hope that helps!
Currently on the workbench
of course all wiring will be trimmed to proper size , soldered, heat shrink , and wire tied
I haven't even started on that ATSF Texas project and picked this up, a Premier UP FEF. My first non ATSF or SP locomotive, but it's a western road so it's ok. Little paint work, a PS3 kit, and a motor and it should be a runner. So now I've got 2 locomotives to work on when the weather cools off. That should keep me busy/out of trouble.
Finished the last K-Line ALCO FA AA upgrade. MOPAC Eagle AA. Added two power trucks to the trailing A with a tether to the leading A. Now four powered trucks for the pull. And a Williams ALCO soundboard. I'll post pics tomorrow.
Two projects going on. The first is applying new K4 decals to a Legacy GP7. *Mucho striping*. Of the 2 variations SL-SF had for black and yellow geeps, this one is the more difficult...I have another GP7 to strip and redo later, but it will not be this scheme. I find one to be sufficient.
Next is a reproduction of an actual QA&P tank car (unlike the 2 fantasy tank cars I did last year). I am working from two poor quality photos scanned from two different QA&P books. Among the duties this car performed were providing water for the bridge gang cars, and hauling fresh water to the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Paducah, TX.
I have not yet printed the decals for this project as I am still monkeying around with some cushion car graphics (another 2 car fantasy project). The artwork for the tank car is finished as seen at the bottom of this photo:
My workbench is overloaded and cluttered.
Model boat slow build process.
This is a spinoff of a previously posted buildup in this forum, using Plasticville Hospital parts. It is in crude shape needing a good weathering coat to cover lots of blemishes. Also need to add light system.
This is my first attempt to motorize a dual blade helicopter. The first installed motor/blades works. The second blade got destroyed in the process and waiting parts from Atlantis-models. Helicopter is an Army Mule 1/48 scale model from Atlantis-models.
My attempt at “Move the crane not the train”. Having difficulty mating motor shaft to ¼” rod. Still working on solution
Sinclair Gas station and truck. Need to finish interior windows of building. Old Plasticville gas station repainted. Atlantic-models 1/48 scale Sinclair gas truck model.
040 Switcher engine #1615 needs front headlight added and a few other minor parts. Engine runs great.
@James McGehee Jr. posted:My attempt at “Move the crane not the train”. Having difficulty mating motor shaft to ¼” rod. Still working on solution
I'd use a cable and pulleys at each end of the track. Under the table have a gear motor with a spool to slowly move the crane along the rail.
These two Scale-Craft K4 chassis were tested just this morning after looking over several locos. Early version with center axle drive and a later one with the rear axle drive. Turns out the later one is rough due to lack of stack up on the motor install.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42iGFNvshK8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzkFM-Pjv2Q
Also one of my Scale craft Mikado from a few years back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX00w9e81FI
Neither of the K4's was insulated for two rail and I think they will stay that way.
Wow Dennis, pretty amazing!! What's the gear ratio on these, have you ever measured it? I noticed the middle driver is blind (unflanged). Will they run on 3-rail track?
Thanks to Gunrunner john for his suggestion on my Moving the crane not the train project.
@Ted S posted:Wow Dennis, pretty amazing!! What's the gear ratio on these, have you ever measured it? I noticed the middle driver is blind (unflanged). Will they run on 3-rail track?
The k4 and I think Hudson could have come with blind drivers but you find them both ways. They could run on Gargraves pretty easy but the smallish flanges would make it hard on tubular radius aside. Not sure on the gear ratio, the catalog states 16:1 but not sure if sll mine reflect that.
Did some engine maintenance today. Put a battery in my Lionel D&H RS-11, wired a WbB GP-9 in series to slow it down. I was going to do my WbB Center cab but when I opened it I found that it only has one motor. Need to build a diode string for that one.
Freshened up the lubrication on all three too.
Bob
I recently bought an Atlas SD-35 on that auction site. Good price and I expected some problems. First problem was the gearbox in one truck was bone dry and the worm wheel on the idle shaft as well as the worm was totaled. Luck would have it that I had an identical chassis with motors also from that auction site which I purchased with several other such chassis for parts about five years ago. So I had all the mechanical parts to repair the new SD-35. Another problem that I intended to address was something I have had to repair on several other locos which had plugs on each end of the motherboard where the chassis ground and the center rail connected. When these locos jump the track you can get a short running through the traces on the motherboard which quickly burns through the trace. This can burn either center rail or outside rail traces. The outside rail traces are not as likely to short out as the center rail however on many locos the trucks are electrically isolated from the metal chassis/frame so the short runs through the motherboard rather than the chassis. I have added PTC polyfuses to these locos to protect the traces on the motherboard. The photo was made after adding a center rail buss between the pickup rollers and the PTC polyfuse on that buss but before adding the buss for the outer rail conductors. The wire is superflex silicone and can get very hot without melting the insulation. The connections to each end of the motherboard connect to the same place on the buss so the potential to each connection on the MB stays the same should one of the trucks derail and it's pickup roller gets grounded. I did the same mod to the connections to the truck frames also. I do have a question about why the trucks are insulated from the loco chassis/frame. Does this improve the signal to the R2LC ? On some of my early pullmor TMCC conversions I made a ground strap from the trucks to the frame trying to suppress any arcing between the trucks and the frame. I am guessing that is the purpose here but seems it is much more complicated way to accomplish the same thing while making the trace on the MB more likely to get fried. j
@JohnActon, ...nice John, .....good work....I like your cribbing system...cheap and effective.....
Pat
@Dennis Holler posted:These two Scale-Craft K4 chassis were tested just this morning after looking over several locos. Early version with center axle drive
That is a smooooth runner. Very nice.
@harmonyards posted:.I like your cribbing system...cheap and effective.....
Pat
The best thing about it. No one wants to borrow it. Didn't have any O scale concrete blocks. j
Re-detailing a Lionel Legacy 2-8-2 into an Erie N-2 USRA Mikado.
I relocated the dynamo to the back of the boiler and added some steps. Then added some conduit and airlines to the area behind the bell.
Finally stripped the W&LE lettering and numbers, getting ready for decals and weathering...
Tom
Finished up my C&O Yellow Belly. With the ERR Cruise Commander and Timko's motor this is one smooth runner now.
Got the tender for the ATSF Texas project done. The large "Santa Fe" is factory Lionel lettering. I changed the numbers with decals and clear coated everything. I also repainted the MTH trucks and tool boxes black from blue. I'm working on finishing up the locomotive.
Moving along on the Premier 5011 to 5001 class Texas project. Just waiting on a friend to make the correct flip stack out of brass stock and me to make number board inserts. Then it's cosmetically done. I'll just need to install electronics and wire it at that point.
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