KriegslokBR52
Well-Known Member
I keep finding out, when i try to organise my stuff...later i can't findI wish I was as organised as this.
John's Loco Workbench - More Projects Begin...
- Thread starter jmupton2000
- Start date
jmupton2000
John M Upton
Work on LV 302 continues, the roof and add on parts have been painted in a matched mix of dark maroon but dried gloss so a coat of satin varnish will need to be sprayed when I finish.
Attention has turned to repairing the hand rails and painting certain sections yellow, including the grab rails on the hood ends which thankfully looses that plastic look off them:
Attention has turned to repairing the hand rails and painting certain sections yellow, including the grab rails on the hood ends which thankfully looses that plastic look off them:
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jmupton2000
John M Upton
The satin varnish spray did the trick and LV 302 is now reassembled:
Not perfect by any means but as a quick restore project of a cheap non runner that is now a fully operational model, not bad.
Tempted to read up on the Lehigh Valley now and maybe add to this fleet....
Not perfect by any means but as a quick restore project of a cheap non runner that is now a fully operational model, not bad.
Tempted to read up on the Lehigh Valley now and maybe add to this fleet....
KriegslokBR52
Well-Known Member
If you can get your hands on this book, it's thick, with a lot of great pictures and info.: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1350837167...5H90daA74du_VdQS0jH28Kq9e-7qJpooaAoIwEALw_wcB
jmupton2000
John M Upton
With LV302 off to the shed, another parcel arrived today:
Advertised as a spares or repair non runner, this is a Blue Box U33C which when it arrived and was taken apart, revealed that it was more of a bargain than I had realised (Gawd bless ebay sellers with poor photos!!) as it had detailing parts applied including separate grab rails, plough and pilot pipes.
Opening up, revealed why it was a non-runner:
The motor was rattling around loose and one drive shaft is missing.
Only other major issues are mostly cosmetic and hopefully easily dealt with. Need to work out what should be in these two holes though, bell probably:
Advertised as a spares or repair non runner, this is a Blue Box U33C which when it arrived and was taken apart, revealed that it was more of a bargain than I had realised (Gawd bless ebay sellers with poor photos!!) as it had detailing parts applied including separate grab rails, plough and pilot pipes.
Opening up, revealed why it was a non-runner:
The motor was rattling around loose and one drive shaft is missing.
Only other major issues are mostly cosmetic and hopefully easily dealt with. Need to work out what should be in these two holes though, bell probably:
jmupton2000
John M Upton
Good view that, thanks. Need to find a bell and also a light but everything else is there. After locating a replacement driveshaft and reassembling, I am pleased to report we have a heart beat!!
jmupton2000
John M Upton
I have had to add a new bell for the U33C to my latest regular parts order which is now on its way, apart from that, replacing the coupling I had to all but destroy to get the body off, fixing the broken cab sun shades and some cleaning up, the U33C will be good to go.
As that was laid to one side awaiting parts. another wreck arrived:
This is another spares/repair job, a cheap Proto 2000 GP9 which as per most UK based sellers of the type, arrived with the body and chassis still together, rattling around back and forth inside the box, shedding parts on its journey through the postal system.
Fortunately, this was one of those rare occasions where the seller did bother to pack a bit of packing in to lessen the movement but there is still a bag of found detached bits:
Despite being advertised as a non-runner (untested was the word used in the description which is UK ebay seller speak for can't be bothered) it does actually run but very badly, the classic Proto 2000 cracked gears of course!!
The fate for this one is unclear, a full strip down and respray is being considered.
As that was laid to one side awaiting parts. another wreck arrived:
This is another spares/repair job, a cheap Proto 2000 GP9 which as per most UK based sellers of the type, arrived with the body and chassis still together, rattling around back and forth inside the box, shedding parts on its journey through the postal system.
Fortunately, this was one of those rare occasions where the seller did bother to pack a bit of packing in to lessen the movement but there is still a bag of found detached bits:
Despite being advertised as a non-runner (untested was the word used in the description which is UK ebay seller speak for can't be bothered) it does actually run but very badly, the classic Proto 2000 cracked gears of course!!
The fate for this one is unclear, a full strip down and respray is being considered.
jmupton2000
John M Upton
Yep! Definitely cracked!!!
KriegslokBR52
Well-Known Member
Same design as Athearn?
Clunk clunk clunk clunk clunkclunkclunk...
jmupton2000
John M Upton
Athearn replacement gears No. 60024 are my go to replacement for Proto 2000 cracked gears. You have to bore out the hole a little to fit but it works.
Colorado Midland Modeler
Well-Known Member
I didn't know that they were compatible. I only have one Proto 2000 that (knock on wood) seems to be OK, but I'll definitely file that little nugget of info away in case I ever need it.
jmupton2000
John M Upton
You can actually get drop in replacement wheelsets from Walthers but they are expensive and here in the UK, very hard to come by whereas a pack of Athearn gears is much cheaper, more easily available and costs less to post here from Canada when I add them to my regular parts order:
Plus two packs will do three Geeps... For the cost of a little time with a drill bit gently boring out the holes, it is a no brainer.
Colorado Midland Modeler
Well-Known Member
That's good to know, I'll have to remember that.
jmupton2000
John M Upton
The gears have been replaced and the wheel sets returned to the trucks and we have a runner!
It seems this loco has had a hard life, the chassis has definitely been bodged at some point with the circuit board mostly gone and the lights have disappeared too but as it works, I'll leave that all alone for now. Also, looking at the wheel sets when I took them out, it was clear from the differences in colour and tread wear that they came from at least two if not three different locos!! I did a little bit of swapping out with my spares bin when I replaced the gears.
The body is now being carefully stripped of handrails and other small parts ready for dismantling, cleaning and probable repainting:
It seems this loco has had a hard life, the chassis has definitely been bodged at some point with the circuit board mostly gone and the lights have disappeared too but as it works, I'll leave that all alone for now. Also, looking at the wheel sets when I took them out, it was clear from the differences in colour and tread wear that they came from at least two if not three different locos!! I did a little bit of swapping out with my spares bin when I replaced the gears.
The body is now being carefully stripped of handrails and other small parts ready for dismantling, cleaning and probable repainting:
jmupton2000
John M Upton
Removal of the printed detail has rather wrecked the underlying paintwork but after priming, hopefully it should look better!!!!
With a couple of the original Proto 2000 plastic grab rails on the hood ends damaged or missing, I took the decision to lose the lot and replace them all with brass wire replacements.
With a couple of the original Proto 2000 plastic grab rails on the hood ends damaged or missing, I took the decision to lose the lot and replace them all with brass wire replacements.
jmupton2000
John M Upton
More detailing parts added and a coat of primer applied, looking suitably second hand, rough and ready...
And TMR have delivered (among other parts) the replacement roof bell for the U33C:
And TMR have delivered (among other parts) the replacement roof bell for the U33C:
jmupton2000
John M Upton
The GP9 now has an upper coat of CD&LR green as it is to join the fictional Coppertown roster and masking is underway very slowly for the lower half dark grey.
2302 behind is another rescued Proto 2000 GP9, now patched for the other fictional railroad I have, the CWRR, it is on the bench for some adjustments.
Meanwhile, the ebay seller who sold me the dusty non running LV GP18 302 I did the restoration on has found another equally dusty example of the same model and I bit... It's on its way to be reunited with its former stable mate.
2302 behind is another rescued Proto 2000 GP9, now patched for the other fictional railroad I have, the CWRR, it is on the bench for some adjustments.
Meanwhile, the ebay seller who sold me the dusty non running LV GP18 302 I did the restoration on has found another equally dusty example of the same model and I bit... It's on its way to be reunited with its former stable mate.
