Here is an upgrade to a Williams Brass engine. These types of upgrades require more detail work, especially when adding smoke. For the smoke unit, the PS-2 steam fits nicely, I also use a small piece of brass tube that fits down the stack and engages the brass cup of the smoke unit. This provides extra stability to the unit. In this case the shell had a bracket that held the voltage regulator. I remove the regulator and manufactured a small brass bracket that attached to the smoke unit and uses the shell bracket to hold the smoke unit in place.
The original markers are retained but wired in series vice parallel, an I add a resistor so it can be drive off the headlight wire also. The harness gets customized with the resistor and extra connector added to the upgrade headlight wires. Additionally I solder the original AC wires on to the PCB at the rear, adding the extra ground wire you see under the motor. All screws and mounts get check since I have it apart. In this case all 3 motor mount screws where loose, and the only way to get to them is detaching flywheel and gear box to rotate shaft off motor axle.
Getting the PCB mounted is the difficult part on Williams brass. I custom trim the PCB and drill small holes so I can use longer #1-72 screws custom trimmed to screw in to the original brass holes. Any interference (in this case brass lateral supports are trimmed back. I also add heat shrink were necessary to aid in camouflaging wires. I also had to trim the cab deck to allow the harness to clear. Symptom of the GS-4 over hang.
You will need to use plastic strips and epoxy for mounting the tach bracket. Get the gap just under a dime.
The tender is roomy, but make sure you account for the shell ledge that mounts to chassis. The Electro coupler is an easy fit, but extra spacer needed, route wires as close to the mounting stud, so the wires don't pull when in curves. Again the tender markers wired for series. Also pay attention to polarity. In this case Wil convention was black was + voltage and red was negative. I add molex connectors so they plug in.
I also drill and tap for 3mm screws. Using this method is much cleaner with out having large screw heads showing externally or shiny hex nuts. I also used screws and brackets on speaker with a gasket under speaker and with 2 hot glue spots to ensure damped.
I opened up the tender shell with a round file where the tether comes through. You don't want a pinched tether, or allow the brass knive edge to cut the tether when rubbing.
Williams used 3 pole motors instead of 5 and they have a very low gear ratio. 40-42 to 1. So I use the oversized tape on the undersized fly wheel. To help raise scale speed. These won't be accurate against OEM, but they will run smooth.
For my own Wil brass J I upgraded the motor to a 5 pole. Better motor and smoother operation. Simple exchange 545 is 5 pole versus the 540 3 pole.
I used the PS-2 3V production file for this one. For the N&W upgrade I used the Quillable Whistle file.
This was a 2 day effort and comes with a warranty. No waivers required.
G
