Coffee Shop XXXVI-2/4/2013

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Got my two Atlas FP7's today. They're 70's era. One is UP 912, the other is BN 9794. The BN loco runs fine. The UP however has a problem. On the front truck there are two fingers that hold the truck onto the frame, or should I say there would be if they weren't broken off. I got this loco AS-IS with NO warranty stated or implied. So went on Ebay and grabbed one in fair condition for $20 to use as a parts source. The UP unit is also missing the coupler retainer pins and a horn.

Currently the BN unit has horn hook couplers. That's about to change so fast. It's getting a pair of Kadee #148 Whisker couplers.

The mailbox was like the 'horn of plenty' today spewing forth all kinds of good things, expected and unexpected.
I got three tank cars, two which need some attention. A Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers lapel pin. Two video cassettes. One titled 'Thunder on the rails', the other is about Grand Central Terminal. I also got a box from Canada which I haven't ripped into yet.
 
In the box from Canada I found among other things four locos. A Tyco 2-8-0 Consolidation. The motor (tender drive) looks to be hopeless. Another steamer, a Lima 0-4-0t would probably run well with the right care. It'll look good on one of my shelves. A third loco, also a Lima model is a Plymouth switcher CN #76. It seems to have some pickup issues. It wouldn't do well on anything less than code 100 track anyway. It has pizza cutters that can handle the thickest Pizza Hut has. There's also this Lima diesel, CN 3220. It somewhat runs. It would probably run quite well after a thorough cleaning. However I'm more interested in seeing if I can adapt the shell to fit a better quality chassis.

P1011979.jpg
 


jeffrey-wimberly said:
In the box from Canada I found among other things four locos. A Tyco 2-8-0 Consolidation. The motor (tender drive) looks to be hopeless. Another steamer, a Lima 0-4-0t would probably run well with the right care. It'll look good on one of my shelves. A third loco, also a Lima model is a Plymouth switcher CN #76. It seems to have some pickup issues. It wouldn't do well on anything less than code 100 track anyway. It has pizza cutters that can handle the thickest Pizza Hut has. There's also this Lima diesel, CN 3220. It somewhat runs. It would probably run quite well after a thorough cleaning. However I'm more interested in seeing if I can adapt the shell to fit a better quality chassis.

P1011979.jpg
Click to expand...

Hold up there Doc!! :eek:
Give that Lima Alco a good cleaning an d re-lube before you condemn that chassis! I got one at an auction last year, cleaned and lubed it and it runs great! She's now in line at the paint shop for new livery!
 
Too late. I've already fitted the shell to a Stewart chassis. I don't run anything with a pancake motor anyway and this Lima chassis has a king size flapjack on the front truck. It runs with plenty of screeching, caterwauling and sparking.
 
jeffrey-wimberly said:
Lima Alco C420 shell on Stewart Athearn powered AS16 chassis.

DSCN3166.jpg
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Ooohh, mine had a can motor and an Athearn clone driveline,,,,must be a later model....That Tyco steamer, change the tender and it makes a great steam "dummy" engine!:rolleyes: Ive got 2 of em, occasionally I'll stick one in the middle of a freight at a show. I get more compliments on how well the pusher was speed matched! :eek::p
photo%20roster%20010.jpg
 


Good morning. It's 46° with 88% humidity and patchy fog. It'll be cloudy with a high of 65°.
pcloudy-1.jpg


No particular plans for today. Just whatever comes up I guess.

dscn3180.jpg
 
Jeffrey, that is a beauty green BN F-unit. I plan to have a few of those someday. Not sure how the question mark got on there. Wasn't me lol.



Mike
 
blackz28 said:
jeffery you made a heck of a motive power upgrade for the L&A
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It's only one of four FP7's I have. Three are 70's era Roco/Atlas and one is an 80's era Roco/Atlas/Con-Cor model. I have a fifth 70's era Roco/Atlas model coming that I'll be using as a parts source to repair one of the other units that has a damaged truck.

railfan said:
Jeffrey, that is a beauty green BN F-unit. I plan to have a few of those someday. Not sure how the question mark got on there. Wasn't me lol.
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They're all over Ebay for under $70, standard DC only. They're very easy to convert to DCC.
 
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Jeffery- you have mentioned using the Kadee whisker couplers several times.
I assume you like them.
What makes them better than the old standard Kadee with the spring in the box?
 
PNKFLOYD said:
Jeffery- you have mentioned using the Kadee whisker couplers several times.
I assume you like them.
What makes them better than the old standard Kadee with the spring in the box?
Click to expand...
The spring is part of the coupler, not a separate piece. That's one less thing to be handling during the install.


The mail carrier has come and gone. I got my 9-oin harnesses for the DH123 decoders I've had here for ages. They can now be of some use. That gives me four Digitrax decoders now. Two DH123's and two DZ125's. Right now I'm looking at one of the recipients of one of the DH123's. A Burlington Northern Roco/Atlas FP7. The other DH123 will go into the Union Pacific Roco/Atlas FP7 after I repair it. Both units will be lubed while I have them opened up. While inspecting the UP unit I could see evidence on it that it was dropped at one time or other as it has a scuff mark on the edge of the top of the shell. It's hard to see even if you're looking for it. As the box is undamaged that means it wasn't in the box at the time or this is another box. That would account for the front truck being broken and some parts missing. I have a gray primered unit coming that I gave $20 for to use as a parts source for the UP unit and it'll provide more project parts. It should be here sometime between the 19th and 27th.

That should give Pinky and The Brain ample time to take over the world!
 
blackz28 said:
come on jeffery start up the steam program (hint -hint) :)
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Nah. There's not much to these steamers. One is an 0-4-0t that has a half-fried pancake motor and some severe pickup issues. If someone wants to fix it they can but it won't be me. I'll never use it for more than a paper weight. The other is a POC Tyco 2-8-0 with a tiny pancake motor in the tender. It doesn't run at all and I don't see it as being worth fixing. The most it'll ever do here is hold down a display track. I had one very similar to it many years ago. It was a non-running piece of trash too.
 
I worked on both the Lima 0-4-0t and the Tyco 2-8-0 today. The motors in both are pretty much shot. They run somewhat but definitely not well. The little Lima loco MIGHT be capable of pushing/pulling a couple of cars provided it could keep running. The pickups are in really sorry shape. The Tyco is a basket case plain and simple. The motor will run but it can't even pull it's own weight. I don't see these two as being anything more than shelf queens. The little Lima Plymouth switcher runs but it needs really clean track. It's a pancake drive and doesn't have any grind or squeal. It only required a light cleaning. I can use it to do the honors when I have pizza. The flanges are massive.

Converting the BN FP7 to DCC will likely be tomorrows project. I'm about tinkered out for today.
 


Jeffery- I understand the value of juggling one less part while installing a coupler.
I'm using an Optivisor more and more.
But, I cannot do much about my fat fingers, except use tweezer more often.

Stay warm and cozy this weekend.:D
 
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