WHAT’S ON THE WORKBENCH AT THE MOMENT

@GeoPeg posted:

Bill, I'm pretty sure yours has an LCRU in it, the original TMCC board. The newer version LCRU2 has a 6 pin molex connector on the end of the board with the heat sinks, just to make the distinction. The wires to your motor, pickup rollers and ground are all hard-wired to the board. The Front/Rear couplers, the headlight, strobe, and the prog/run switch all connect to the pins as shown below

I think you said yours had a strobe, so it would be this one:

George

thanks once talking to you on phone it confirmed what I thought

@harmonyards posted:

my buddy Lou (Lou1985) looked at the prototype with me, and said it looked like a squashed down big boy tender behind that locomotive....that’s why I had to section that tender shell.....everything else was fairly simple.....I think I wound up taking 11/32” out of the center ....or close to it......Pat

I mean it also helps when someone has a Big Boy tender shell and chassis sitting around to experiment with .  

I just finished my Premier ATSF 2900 class Northern and already have another project. I already have a massive Premier ATSF 5011 class Texas with PS2 3V. 

A friend (where I get my projects from) found an earlier PS2 5V 5011 class that had been around the shop a bit. Banged up from kicking around the MTH parts departments as a donor or warranty return it looked worse for wear, missing all electronics, motor, flywheel, and worm shaft. Friend was able to add a worm, flywheel, and a nice big 9234 roller bearing Pittman motor. Also threw in a ATSF Blue Goose tender chassis, and I sourced a Lionel ATSF 20K gallon tender shell. Ended up with this pile of parts.

Now if you're an ATSF guy you might know where this is going. I already have a 5011 class Texas. I don't like to own duplicate models of the same locomotive (ok except the 3 Premier ATSF 3460 class Hudsons I own) so this Texas needed to be different. I got inspiration from this article: https://oscalekings.org/WP/gar...f-2-10-4-class-5001/

No one has made a ATSF 5001 class Texas in 3 rail O, so I'm going to make my own. I've already sourced the major components and an outside bearing pilot truck. The model is sitting like this now.

I'm going for accuracy, but some things won't be perfect, such is 3 rail. The 5011 class Boxpok drivers will remain as there are no equivalent size 3 rail Baldwin disc drivers like the 5001 class used. There will be other changes to match the prototype. The number boards will be relocated to the sand dome like on a 5001 class. The stack is going to be changed to the proper flip stack. No one makes the correct ATSF hand operated flip stack so my friend Pat, @harmonyards, is going to machine the proper stack out of brass, once I get him the correct measurements. I have to knock the incorrect stack out of the boiler first and take measurements. Locomotive will be numbered 5009 and it'll have PS3, so I can double head it with my 5011 class Texas if I want. It will be one of one when it's done. Only 3 rail 5001 class Texas. 

Just an update on my 1990 Weaver RS3 GPD TTOM locomotive. Bought replacement drive tower from P&D, lower gear kit from Fine Scale, and Cruise commander from 3rd rail. It's a tight fit in there for sure! Anyway, here is the result, drive by at speed step 5 out of 100.

Great job Darrell, glad you got it running.  Very smooth!!

Here’s some of what’s on my bench at the moment 

Wow! You are the man Alex, multitasker extraordinaire! 

Pete

@Norton posted:

Wow! You are the man Alex, multitasker extraordinaire! 

Pete

Thanks Pete ! 

Alex

Alex, that's a WORKBENCH full!  I get confused if I get more than a couple on the bench at the same time.

I’ve found the cure for the common KLine cold.......how about a Conventional Kline scale Hudson, sporting a MTH Premier chassis!?....now the motor is bigger and in the back....where they’re meant to be!,....no more 385 Mubachi in a scale steamer....🤮.....

Pat

Cool, how much work to adapt the boiler to that chassis?

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Cool, how much work to adapt the boiler to that chassis?

Not as awful as one would think,....an evening to figure it all out, half a day to make it all fit....the evening was just to say to myself, “ am I really going to do this??” ....😁

Pat

@harmonyards posted:

Not as awful as one would think,....an evening to figure it all out, half a day to make it all fit....the evening was just to say to myself, “ am I really going to do this??” ....😁

Pat

Hmmm ... some would agree with you, others like me are fraught with indecision, brought on by years of making wrong ones, plus a lack of experience in soooo many train repairs/upgrades/modifications which quickly leads to the "make every mistake you can" syndrome. The only redeeming factor is that I do enjoy it so!

Totally awesome that you can keep track of so many projects at once! Given my propensity for losing and mixing parts, I have learned to keep each one of my projects in just-right-sized plastic containers, which I stole from my grandson - he mixes his Legos with his Lincoln Logs, and a plethora of Minecraft figures, etc., so his are all now in a very large tote!

To regain the topic, I just wrapped up a 224 repair, a 261 repair, in the middle of a 671 repair, and have a very clean 2020 running around the test track, needing just minor touch-up! Steamer Days!

             Back on the REA Building again..........

Just wrapped up a TMCC upgrade of this little jewel.  This is the SMR General Haupt, an actual scale model of a General locomotive.  The electronics are in the trailing boxcar, no way it fits in either of these pieces!

As an interesting contrast, here's how much larger the MTH RK General is when compared to a true scale model.  The General locomotives were really small!

Today it was raining too much to haul my table materials to the house, so I decided to give the old 211 Texas Special another shot. I just cleaned the brushes and everything with rubbing alcohol and connected the rebuilt ZW transformer to the track. Either the cleaning or the high power got it going pretty well. Could have been a combination of the two. Once I had it running, I got to work on making a new horn for the top, from scratch. It turned out pretty well for a rush job. I then ran to the auto parts store and grabbed a couple of bulbs and cleaned and rewired the socket. It has a light again! I also added a lens to the front to make it look more like an actual headlight. Now I've got to come up with a plan for fixing that front apron and hope that will brace the front coupler up enough to keep the truck from derailing in reverse. My other project is to add some semi transparent plastic to the windows to hide the "hollow" look.

I also rewired and cleaned one of my two whistle tenders, bringing it back to life, for the second time in a week.

I also added a new headlight lens to my old 1666. 

The last thing I did was add new truck springs to my 2020 Turbine. The front truck was jumping off the track way to often today. The only other thing it needs is a switch to turn the new smoker on and off. It runs you out of the room in just a few minutes as it stands. 

I'm really hoping to get the table materials in the house tommorow and get started putting it together.

To think this journey started back in 2015.... It's taken five years just to get to the point where I can start a layout. I don't know how much more time will pass before I can get scenery on the table. I have some goodies coming, Thanks to Tom, which should give me a good start.

Since the San Diego Model RR Museum is closed until further notice, I have had the opportunity to work on my own engines (instead of the club engines).  My workbench projects for the last few weeks have been:

1) Finished the TMCC ERR upgrade to the MTH Amtrak Genesis PS1 engine with excellent results.

2) Fixed two of my engines that were "jerky" runners by pressing the wheels (with gears) closer together.  Don't know if anyone has had this problem, but somehow the wheels with gears developed too much play and ran erratically.

3) Did some TMCC antenna upgrades on engines that were marginal at the SD3R layout.  I was doing one of these upgrades on a Century Club 2 TM-1 Trainmaster when I noticed two traction tires were gone.  I had to remove the truck in order to replace the tires and it was a PITA to get the wheels back into the right position.

@Roger L. posted:

I was doing one of these upgrades on a Century Club 2 TM-1 Trainmaster when I noticed two traction tires were gone.  I had to remove the truck in order to replace the tires and it was a PITA to get the wheels back into the right position.

That's the Lionel truck design that I detest!  What in the world were they thinking when they did those?

I made some cosmetic changes to this new to me MTH Challenger.  I painted a few parts, darkened the driver rims and handrails, lowered the bell a little, and fixed the fireman’s side eccentric cranks so they’re oriented properly.