3 Rail to 2 Rail Challenger Challenge

Tim Dude,

It looks like you insulated both sides of the wheel sets on the tender trucks.  Normally I only insulate the right side of the tender trucks eliminating the need for pickup wipers on the left side wheels to pick up track power.  I fabricate insulated drawbars for my loco/tender connections from 1/8" Micarta.  You can certainly install insulated wipers but it is extra work.

Joe Foehrkolb

Joe,

Yes I was planning to use wipers on both sides wheels of the tender and doing nothing with the tender, pilot and trailing trucks, having them all insulated. While looking at one of my 3rd Rail engines, that is the way they do it, so I felt pretty good about it. That is really the next step is fabricating the wiper assembly, it might be a little while. 

Did anybody have any thoughts on my pilot truck brake shoe question? I looked at modern pictures of 3985 and can't see anything that looks like the Lionel brake shoes on it either?

Nice challenger project!

The Lionel JLC series tend to be a relatively good models and removing drivers from the body is as easy as unscrewing the bottom plate.  These models have removable sprung driver axles, while the MTH and other diecast models tend have trapped axles on a diecast frame with bearings press on.  

From the photos, it appears to be similar to a JLC Y6b I had done with the help of Joe Foehrkolb.  I did the entire model and Joe did the most critical part, cutting the wheel center and putting on new tires.  The model turned out to be one very nice brute with some very good traction with steel tires on steel rail.  It unfortunately has been hampered by an equally heavy diecast tender body as well as another almost as heavy diecast auxillary water tender.  Even while hauling those two, the model can pull a good load. I'm a big fan of electronic but I decided to leave the electronics out of it and enjoy it as it is.

If you are interested here is a video of another masterpiece by Joe.  An MTH Triplex conversion.  The UP bigboy and SP cab forward were early 2 rail MTH.

Thanks Michael, nice video. That is like reefer porn.

A really great project.  I'm enjoying this one!

A hint, when reattaching or mounting wheels use a socket of the right diameter as the wheel being installed and that fits closely to the diameter of the wheel. Use this as a drift to hammer on the wheel. Have a block of wood with a predrilled hole so the axle has about a quarter inch of axle showing. This keeps the axle square as one installs the first wheel. If the first wheel is on square then lay it flat on wood to install the second. Works well regardless whether the axles are flush mt. are extended.

Great project!

Hmmm - hammering can lead to problems.  Consider an arbor press.  I use a drill press as an arbor press, and carefully arrange steel support so the hub of the driver is squarely supported.

Or let Joe do it.  I am almost ready to have him do my Lionel FEF drivers.  Machining tires is one of my least favorite endeavors - the first fifty or so were fun.

And do not forget - quartering is just about the most important thing in driver assembly.  Most tinplate has splined axles, so mark carefully before disassembly, and use magnification when re-pressing.

I use about a 5lb short handle sledge. It works great. One does have to be gentle, but the weight of the hammer applies a nice force like an arbor press.. An arbor press would be great, but the wood block needs to be at least 1 inch and the socket adds another inch or so. The arbor press needs to have a two or 3 inch opening.

Ron H

I learned several years ago to press car wheels back on using my lathe.  With the wheel mounted in the chuck and the far axle end supported in a piece of rod held in the tailstock chuck.  The rod has a short tapered hole in its end made by drilling the end of the rod with a normal 120 degree point drill bit.  The axle end finds its center in the tapered hole.  This assures that the axle is perpendicular to the face of the car wheel when pressing it on.

For steam loco drivers, I center drill the axle ends with a No. 0 center drill when I shorten them to accommodate the scale driver width.  The aforementioned rod has a 60 degree point machined on its opposite end.  I make special "cups' for all driver sizes I work with that mount in the lathe chuck and support the tire and edge of the driver center while pressing the axle into the driver.  This results in drivers that run true.

Hammering and other methods can lead to disappointing results, having tried that before I really got serious about reworking loco drive systems for 2 rail. 

Right now I am converting a Williams GG-1 to 2 rail.  Drivers are sintered iron and machining the castings plays hell with my high speed steel cutters.  I have found it is best to grind the hi rail flanges partially off of the casting before putting them on the lathe for turning.  From past experience with these driver castings, it seems that the sintered iron wheels have hard spots near their outer edges that refuse to cut with a lathe tool.  Grinding the outer perimeter down gets past the hard materail and the wheel can then be machined but the sintered iron tends to dull the Hi Speed cutter quickly.  Sintered iron drivers were also used on the Weaver GG-1 and early MTH "scale" GG-1 models.  Axle diameters are different.  I try to avoid converting these models.

The Lionel and MTH steam models use a diecast metal driver with a separate steel tire and the driver center material machines easily.

Best regards,

Joe Foehrkolb