flyboy2610
Loveably weird
One thing I've never been too fond of with this locomotive is the drawbar arrangement. The tender has that big honking pin sticking up from the end of the drawbar that goes into a slot that runs the entire width of the back of the cab. That's going to allow for any awful lot of play back there! Due to the fiddly nature of getting the micro plug hooked back together, I also wanted the locomotive and tender to be semi-permanently coupled.
I took three pieces of styrene, laminated them together to get the width from the locomotive cab to the frame, then cut it to the width and height needed to fill that slot. I then drilled a 3/32" hole through the center of the styrene lamination. I threaded a short length of 3/32" brass tube with a 2-56 tap and CA'd it into the hole. This made a threaded bushing on the locomotive.
I cut the pin off of the tender's drawbar and drilled a .097" hole centered where the pin had been. I used the 2-26 tap and threaded a short length of 3/32" styrene tube. I put a small washer over a 3/8" 2-56 screw and put the styrene on the screw.
I reattached the micro plug and installed the screw/bushing through the drawbar and into the brass bushing. I adjusted the screw until the tender's trucks were both in good contact with the rails.
Still a few little things to do, but this has (mostly) been a fun project. The best part is knowing I have something that can't be purchased right off the shelf. I've enjoyed this, and isn't that what it's really all about?
I think I'll take this up to the train store and show Randy, since he helped provide parts and advice.
I took three pieces of styrene, laminated them together to get the width from the locomotive cab to the frame, then cut it to the width and height needed to fill that slot. I then drilled a 3/32" hole through the center of the styrene lamination. I threaded a short length of 3/32" brass tube with a 2-56 tap and CA'd it into the hole. This made a threaded bushing on the locomotive.
I cut the pin off of the tender's drawbar and drilled a .097" hole centered where the pin had been. I used the 2-26 tap and threaded a short length of 3/32" styrene tube. I put a small washer over a 3/8" 2-56 screw and put the styrene on the screw.
I reattached the micro plug and installed the screw/bushing through the drawbar and into the brass bushing. I adjusted the screw until the tender's trucks were both in good contact with the rails.
Still a few little things to do, but this has (mostly) been a fun project. The best part is knowing I have something that can't be purchased right off the shelf. I've enjoyed this, and isn't that what it's really all about?
I think I'll take this up to the train store and show Randy, since he helped provide parts and advice.