ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
It has had its interesting moments. I had to replace the gearbox with a new Northwest Shortline one that had the same basic dimensions. I then had to solder a mounting pad to the frame, and fabricate a motor cradle from brass stock. The cradle will screw to the frame like the old Pittman motor did. The motor will be siliconed into the cradle to get the correct shaft angle. The motor and gearbox shafts need to be aligned correctly or there will be binding when it runs resulting in crappy low speed performance. It's also interesting to put one together that you did not take apart. You never know what problems were there and what you might find. I was lucky. This one passed the glass test. Roll the chassis across a piece of glass and the drivers and running gear must roll freely with no binding. Very demanding but worth it! I have to mount the motor, and install a decoder (no sound for this one). It will be worth the trouble. here's what one of the sisters looked like:
Right now is a great time to make another post at this fine coffee stop.......because the past is gone........and the future is not yet here. As such, there remains only now. Ok that moment slipped away already........so we'll just keep trying.
Almost two weeks ago I received a package containing one new kato N AC4400CW locomotive painted in the colors of the modern Canadian Pacific Golden Beaver livery....number 8509. It is quite stunning to behold. At the moment......another is enroute to me......arriving tomorrow will be number 8541. Then I shall have two. Canada is my favorite country north of the USA!
Hiya Gang!
Thanks for the anniversary wishes, bit cchillier here today, was 58 when I awoke, got up to 80, supposed to be 55 tonight! Yahoo!, Give my AC a break! Of course the only means a few more weeks til we have to clean the chimney and get wood delivered! Oh well!
Hey Jeffrey, that Pennsy unit looks good!
Out til alter!
That shell is probably older than I am! Mid to late 50's, maybe early 60's Penn Line. It can't be any newer than fifty years old. Penn Line went bankrupt and closed in 1963. The chassis is 80's-90's Athearn blue box.
Well I spent much of the day working on the Varney F3A and an ancient F7 B unit, maker unknown. I was thinking it was Athearn but it doesn't have the tab slots that seem to be on all Athearn F's with the exception of a few HI-F models I've worked, but this doesn't appear to be from that era. Right now it's on a modern Athearn F7 chassis that's had the mounting tabs removed from the sides of the fuel tank. The ends of the shell had to modified slightly to allow it to sit correctly on the coupler mounts. The Varney has been put through a simple test to see if the motor works. I connected it to a 12-volt DC power source and it runs like a scalded dog. I put it on a postal scale and it maxed the scale out. I can't wait to see how much it can pull!
Good morning. It's 72° with 100% humidity. The high will be 95° but will feel like 104°.
with a
Lots of thunderstorms in this area yesterday. Some rain, very little wind, no damage to speak of.
Today I have somewhat of a mystery I'm trying to solve. I have an F7B shell that I can't identify the maker of. Here's a photo:
At the moment it's on a modified Athearn chassis. The number on the shell is either 9508-B or 9506-B. I did a Google search and 9508-B comes back to a Proto 1000 F3B. Totally different animal. 9506-B comes back to an Athearn F7B but it has the slots in the sides to mate with the tabs on the frame. This shell doesn't have those slots. It has everything else but not the slots. I thought AHM could have made a copy but no dice. Their 9506 is a C-Liner. Anybody have any clue? I'm tapped out.
I may get into town today to do some grocery shopping. But that's not set in stone yet. No other plans.
Could it be a Lionel/Athearn;Cox Athearn; or Mantua? Irvie Athearn used to provide shells and entire locos to other "manufacturers" who wanted to cash in on the "HO Train" popularity in the early '60s.
It appears to be Athearn from the photo, but the PRR green is closer to the prototype PRR green vs the more greenish color that Athearn used. Perhaps a customized redo. The small road numbers on the unit follow PRR practice which also indicates something beyond what a manufacturer offered back when.
Locomotive forensics are somewhat out of my league, except that I still have some undecorated BB F7s in my project box, waiting for me to become inspired.
This morning it's 71°, clear and sunny. It's supposed to go to 79° or so......TV Weather dude claims it's Fall, because it's past Labor Day. I suppose he flunked the four seasons while in Meteorology school.
Jeff - I wonder if that B unit is a Globe Models plastic shell that Irv Athearn introduced to the mrr market in 1954? There is an interesting anecdote about Globe "across the street" posted by CNJ841 at this link, you'll need to scroll halfway down the page to see it.
Good afternoon all,
It's a bit warmer here but not too bad about 82* I think.
I been working all morning posting info about Broadway Limited SW 1500 Paragon Loco's my supplier is taking last minute orders for. Looks like a very nice loco and my sales rep said he has one and really likes his.
Jeff - I wonder if that B unit is a Globe Models plastic shell that Irv Athearn introduced to the mrr market in 1954? There is an interesting anecdote about Globe "across the street" posted by CNJ841 at this link, you'll need to scroll halfway down the page to see it.
Got some grocery shopping done today. Received a Varney Burlington F3A in the mail. It has it's original drive. It runs but not very fast. The motor is a bit stiff. It'll work better later when I can get some CRC 2-26 into it. It's an old Pittman DC-71 open frame motor so that won't be a problem. The drive system is intact and all eight wheels pull. If I can't save the motor I can always swap out the chassis with one from an Athearn F7 or one the Athearn clones. Also got a seven piece Dremel drill bit set. Now I just need the chuck. I can use the chuck I have but getting bits in and out of it can be rough as the chucks teeth tend to jam. When that happens I have to remove the chuck, pound it on the table top several times the shove a screwdriver into the back of it and force the bit out.
52° and Sunny, this morning. A pleasant day is in store.
Perhaps, I will get the lawn done this morning. I will accompany da boss to her Rheumatologist this afternoon.
Looks like a large fleet of Varney F3s is building in Louisiana. My first set of "covered wagons" was an ABA set of Varney F3s painted for the FEC. I later bought an AB set. They were "gear driven", which was supposedly "better" than Irv's "rubber band drive". Ha! My "Hi-F drive" F7s out pulled the F3's every time, although they lacked speed control.
Looks like a large fleet of Varney F3s is building in Louisiana. My first set of "covered wagons" was an ABA set of Varney F3s painted for the FEC. I later bought an AB set. They were "gear driven", which was supposedly "better" than Irv's "rubber band drive". Ha! My "Hi-F drive" F7s out pulled the F3's every time, although they lacked speed control.
Most of my Varney's were made in the fifties but one or two I think were made in the late forties. At least one is from the sixties. The only Athearn Hi-F locos I've had were non-op. They came in junk and parts boxes. Well that's not entirely accurate, I had one that the motor worked. An RDC but I never put bands in it. I just used it as trading material.
*
Good morning. It's 83° with 71% humidity. The high will be 95° and will feel like 104°.
with a
Been a little busy work on the Burlington F3. I have the drive out of it and will likely start on disassembling it later today. For now the Burlington shell is on an Athearn blue box power chassis. I wanted some weight in it but the Athearn superweight sits a bit too high so it makes the shell ride high and it's a bit heavier than I wanted. So I spent a couple of hours slowly cutting and grinding it down to size. The top middle portion has been removed and the rest of the top has been ground down about an eighth of an inch. Now the shell looks right at home on the weighted chassis.
According to USPS tracking my Dremel chuck should arrive today. I've been using the old one this morning. It only jammed up twice. But then I only changed bits twice too. Getting the bit out requires that I remove the chuck and insert a small screwdriver in the rear of it and push the bit out. Then I have to use the screwdriver to force the chucks teeth open. After twelve plus years it's just worn out. No other plans for today.
I did something this morning I'm rather proud of. I changed out two light bulbs in an overhead fixture on my own. There's an exercise machine close by. So I balanced on my one foot and hung onto the exercise machine with my left hand while I reached up and changed the light bulbs out with my right hand. That's an accomplishment in itself.
.