Woops;Destroyed Imperial Bigboy;UPDATE

SPENCE

GLAD YOU GOT IT RUNNING. LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED SOME BLACK DIAMONDS FOR THE TENDER

STEVE

Man, those things that bring on a cold sweat.  However, our locos would look really stupid with scale tires hanging around them like tug boats. : (

Sorry for your loss and hope you can do something to turn this "God of Iron" into a survivor.  I have lost cars to the floor and were able to recover them with some adjustments or just minor loss of detail like a latch on a Rail King boxcar door broken off.  This might help us to build some passive scenery or other barriers around switches or curves with floor exposure where derailment action is more likely to occur with adverse consequences.

It is actually an E-Clip.  You can see the difference here and it's easy to tell why they call it an E-Clip.

 

Here's a C-Clip

 

 

 

Here's an E-Clip

 

Right John, the c-clip is actually an inside snap ring.

 

Art

John,

 

Thank you for the correction!

Spence,

So glad you got her running.  I've never repaired a bent cab roof, but do know that when some folks try to bend theirs back it ends up breaking.  Don't know if it needs to be heated first, but you may want to research the process before diving in.

Hi Spence,

 

That's great you got her running, now time for some bodywork

 

Alex

I straightened out a bent roof on a 2025 steamer a few years ago.  The trick was to apply pressure to the roof to straighten out the bend.  It took me about a week.  Die cast zinc will slowly cold flow if a constant pressure is placed on it.  Just take it easy.

 

I have straightened out 711 switches which are also die cast zinc.  

You can get any kind of clip you need from McMaster Carr.

Spence,  If you take the shell off, the roof of the cab may be a separate part.  I know on Premier models it is.  So MTH maybe able to help if they have that part.

 

I have worked with MTH on engines that were dropped, and they can even repaint some touchup work if necessary.  The question is cost versus value.  But it the roof is a separate detail part, it would be worth calling to see if they have it.   G

Congratulations on getting it running!

 

Gilly

I thought about putting down those rubber tiles in my aisles to help protect falling objects.  I thought to myself, why would I need to invest in these, I'll be careful.  So I just epoxied my concrete floor. 

 

After reading this thread, I do believe I will invest in those rubber tiles after all.  They may not prevent all damage, but they will lessen it.

 

Sorry for your pain Spence, but be assured we have all learned something from this.

 

Ron

 

 

 

 

Thank you everyone for your kind, funny, & helpful remarks. This is a great forum to be on.

I have 2 questions; is there some place where I can get a schematic of this engine or does anyone know the size of the clip I will need?

 I don't own a set of calipers to measure the width of the pin.

 

Take the truck with the pin with you to the hardware store, and pick out a pin that will fit.

glad to see it lives. I had same engine but sold it.

 

seems the wick always getting burned and smoke dropped off hopefully you have better luck.

 

the bent roof on engine is repairable with slight heating of roof and careful manipulation can be accomplished. 

 

I like you have had a few engines drop 4 feet to floor but my own fault!

 

had a raised bridge and no micro switches to cut power to tracks after the 3rd time of repairing an engine the micro switches were installed. and to this day I will run a train in each direction with bridge up to verify the track power is off so engines stop 2 feet away from repairman's gulch!

 

have a great train day and enjoy the imperial big boy the sounds are incredible!

Bob; the pin is on the engine itself not the trucks. I really don't want to bring the engine because I have everything dry fitted on it plus it weighs a ton.

Spence;

I was shocked and saddened by the damage, but glad to hear you got it running.

I never tried to reshape something like that roof without breaking it off, good luck.

Have you contacted MTH about the clip? If not in stock they should be able to tell you the size you need. Regarding advise on the Premier roof being a applied part (assuming yours is an Imperial RK unit), perhaps one of the Premier parts will fit.

 

Time to consider how I'll avoid such an instance on my new layout.

You should be able to "guestimate" the size of the pin.  Buy a couple that may fit.  They are pretty cheap, and you can return the ones that don't work.  Most Service-Star HW stores have a good selection of small hardware like this.  If not, an autoparts store should also have some.  If you have a Harborfreight  store will have a multipack of various sizes.

 

Russell & Bob; I intend to call MTH service dept. when they open at noon & hopefully get the info I need.

Very nice. I wish I had that yesterday. (LOL)

Had to check in on this thread.

 

It runs! It doesn't wobble. It can be fixed.

 

Nothing new to add; pleased to see it run - and run well.

 

Heating the cab roof is a method that can work - I've did it once years ago on a

friend's PW steamer. But it's case by case. Try it. What are you going to do - mess

it up? Hopefully the RK does have a separate cab. 

 

Coal load repair: small gravel sprayed flat black.

 

Got some e-clips at Ace Hardware last week.

 

Once it's presentable, weather it, dirty it up (washes; Bragdon's powders) - it's not like

"COND: EX" is an issue any more. Have some fun with it.

====

 

Plus, Mr Wolf - your loco seems to have been well made. Yup.

 

 

Spence - Please don't take this as anything other than an attempt at humor and not trying to make light of your misfortune.

 

 

Remember Joe Btfsplk from Little Abner?  I have a friend that is always having really bad luck and the only positive is the stories that are generated.  The other day he was mulching leaves with his riding mower and put it in the garage while it was still hot.  He went out in the back yard to have a cigar and his wife hollered at his that the garage was on fire.  The mulched leaves caught on fire and nearly burned his house down.  Major damage to the garage and his car.

 

Art

As others have said, ouch, I feel your pain.

Worst case, you will have to spring for a new one.  Place the dead one either on far away siding with good side showing, or else put it "on the scrapyard ground" with workman working on it as in scrapping it.

Art; LOL

Spence I am glad you are able to repair the engine. I wasn't so lucky with one of mine.

 

Doug

You can buy a meter and a dial caliper from Harbor Freight for less than $10 each.  I bought a couple of meters 2 years ago for $2 each.

 

Appears it's running! Just in need of some repairs.

I got some of these, the 'cheapie' versions from Harbor Freight (yours look much nicer). Then dropped my DCS remote and missed the mats by a only mere two feet or so. However, they are quite comfortable for my little fat feet to stand on. I still think they are a good idea though. 

Reminds me of the time I rammed my HO 4449 into the cat, busted the drive axle lose, so glad it still works. Fortunately my life like docksider was the floor jumper, where is one of those in O gauge when you need one. I was thinking something about Montgomery Scott from the Enterprise level of talent may have been needed, till I saw it lives!

Well . . . what about the cat?

She stared at me with a look of, and your point. She was unharmed and lived many many years.

I have straightened out 711 switches which are also die cast zinc.  

I don't want to hijack the thread, and I'm not sure of protocol, here, but I do want to find out more about how you did this.  Can we start a new thread concerning straightening 711 switches (and die cast zinc in general), or is it ok to continue the discussion here?  E.g., what tools and techniques did you use, how long does it take, how to you measure progress, etc.?

Thanks.

 

Steven J. Serenska

Straightening bent die cast is an interesting topic that should be a new post because of its interest to many on this forum.

Here is a post I started about straightening die cast:

 

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=16951

Thanks for link.  Just added ModelTrainForum to my list of forums!!