Nathan's MDC 2-6-0 Construction Thread


Ladies and Gentlemen of the forum:

I have recently acquired an MDC 2-6-0 kit. I am very excited about this, and I want to share the journey of its construction with all of you.

Tomorrow I will actually start on this, and the first pictures will be posted then. This thread will actually have several purposes-

1. To be where actual progress gets posted (there will be pictures!)
2. To serve as a place where your advice can be posted (consider this as me asking for it!)
3. To serve as a place for the forum (you) pester me for progress reports, because if I don't have the kick-in-the-pants that I know I will get from you, it won't get worked on.
4. To serve as a place where anybody in the future who happens to be looking for advice on one of these can find it.

I will also say this: the work schedule is very random, I never know more than a day out what will be happening for the next day. I may or may not have time to work on the thing and still get an appropriate amount of sleep. So please, I ask for patience but still do pester...

A journey of a completed locomotive starts with a single screw... =P
 
OK, hurrry up and get started. Times a wastin. Just kidding. I have two MDC Shays to build. Maybe this will get me motivated. I'll be watching your thread very closely. Ron
 
First Post: Progress!

So as promised, I started on the thing.

Started out with the frame, cleaned off all of the flash with a knife and an emory board. Took a while, but got there. then I installed the idler gear, then started on the running gear. As I stop for the evening, the thing rolls freely. Have some pictures!

Next session, I will install the motor and such. After that, I will work on the superstructure.

I am also considering putting a Tsunami decoder in the tender. Thoughts on that?



 
This is a little tip on building MDC kits I learned many years ago. When you have the main and side rods on the loco and connected to the cylinders, place the rods on one side so they are parallel to the rail/ground, and the crossheads and piston rods are at the limit of their travel in and out of the cylinder.

Adjust the seating of the cylinders so that the drivers axle centers, the cranks on the drivers, the main and side rods, and the piston rods all make a deadon straight line into the cylinders, at their max in/out. This will contribute greatly to a very smooth running mechanism.

Some loco kits that I've built have been "off" just a little. This causes a small hitch in the "get-along" that mimics a driver being out of quarter, when they really aren't. You know its right when, after all flash removal, you can roll the mechanism across a sheet of glass and there is no bind. This is also true with all kit locos, whether they are Bowser, MDC, Arbour, etc.

I hope I have described this clearly enough for you to understand.:)
 
Interesting... I dodnt quite do that but the mechanism does roll nicely.

anyway, a quick update... The loco runs very smoothly, I put the motor in and lubed everything, all the siderods etc. Next will come the electronics. I have a spare DH123 decoder that I will install for now (making do with what I have on hand), and considering a sound decoder if it runs well enough.

But now, its 3:25am, and I have to go to work...
 



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