2343 dummy 'a' unit question

Walt it should have had one. My 2333 and my 2344 both have them. Is there a pickup roller on the truck?

Thanks Rob.  As my opening line states: "We both know that there is no pick-up assembly on it."  So 'no', there is no pickup roller on it since there is no assembly.

thanks - walt

My dummy PW 2343 "A" unit defintely has the pick up assembly and a light in it. You're not talking about the "B" cabless unit correct ? Because the "B" unit does NOT have a pickup assembly and of course no light.

I just checked my 2343 ABA and the front truck on the "dummy" A has a pick up roller. 

The 2343 Dummy "A" has a pick up roller for a cabin light and an uncoupler slider shoe.  Those parts are available from parts vendors. As mentioned above, the "B' unit is a complete dummy and has no electrical  components.

Both of the dummy As I have have pick up rollers on the front truck for light and uncoupler power.  Where can I get parts for them?  They are missing screens and handrails.

If both the rollers and their arms and and the accessory shoe are missing, you will need the entire collector assembly, #622-134.  In addition to this part you will need the collector insulator 2333-34 and two sets of the attachment hardware which includes the insulating spacer, 671-112, insulating washer 2333-42 and the screws, round machine screws 4-40 X 3/8".  Jeff Kane at the Train Tender is a good place to start.  Also the Olsen's on line library should have the service manual pages which will show all these pieces and how they go together.

As Bill mentioned, Jeff at ttender.com has all the parts you'll need. Most of the dummy trucks are compatible with the pickup roller assemblies. I've added rollers to my C units because I've illuminated the portholes on them with 4 chip LEDs, so all three units have lights in them. You can also replace the headlight lenses with nice clear new ones and put a brass tube behind it and stick a 5 mil LED in the tube and have a torch of a headlight in the A-A units.        Dual, horizontal F3s.......awesome engines.

Roger

Here's a 2343 dummy unit I rebuilt and repainted several years ago... There were a few paint changes I made from the original factory finish, but it was a runner.

Very considerate of you and your brother to restore his PW trains.  I know my Dad always enjoyed a visit to our home at Christmas time to see the old trains running around the Christmas tree with my kids.

Roger, have you posted the particulars on the F3B unit lighting installation?  Also, the same goes for installing LED's in the A units.  I've drilled holes in the A unit noses to install a second lens with two-part epoxy rims to simulate the noses of prototypes that I've modeled.  Would much prefer using LED's.

Walt, both 2343 A units from the 1950"s came with lights, The B unit did not have a light or pick-up.

Jack

Pingman,

I will take some photos of the insides of the shells of the A and C units so you can see how the LEDs were put in. It's easy and looks great.    I post them later this afternoon.

Roger

Thanks everyone!!!!

I am 100% sure that there is no assembly underneath.  I don't recall getting the truck replaced so I don't what happened to the assembly.

THanks for providing part numbers, what is needed, and where to get the stuff.

I asked my brother today if he could dig out the dummy 'A' unit so I can take it to York and possibly get what I need there at one of the parts dealers there.  What they hey, there's always a chance!!!

This is such good news - both of us will be excited to get it working again.

As always, thank you - walt

Thank you, Roger.

The 2343's rock. I cranked the voltage to full to test these when they got de-TMCC'ed and I put the old E-unit back in. The lights shine brightly in both.

Ok, below are photos of the installation of LEDs in the A and C units (I've done this to 4 F3 sets now). All is reversible without structural alterations if you are worried about altering the PW "purity". 

The LEDs are from Evans Designs. The headlights are 5 mil warm whites. The chips are the Mega-chip (also warm white). The brass tube is about 3/4 inch long and Gooped to the shell around the headlight lens. The LED bulb is trimmed to fit the tube and then Gooped in as well. The chips I Gooped below each porthole lens and can be "aimed" to suit how you want to view the most intense light (pointed slightly up or down). I added a resistor (as shown) to cut some of the brightness. I experimented with a bunch of resistor sizes. I don't remember which I used, but can figure it out if anyone is interested. One lead from each chip is connected to one from the others and spliced to the power wire from the pickups and incandescent (which I leave in place). The other leads are connected together and connected to a ground on the frame.       I have been adding LEDs to my Alco sets as well (with tiny chips illuminating the red markers) as part of a project to add a second motor to them. I will post that stuff on a new thread. 

Roger,

Thank you very much for the information, photos, and video!  They look great.

I have four sets to do: my childhood 2356 Southern AA's (or PT in LIONEL parlance), and 3 sets of repaints.

Do you have a photo of the brass installed?  Or is that shown in the P unit photo holding the 5mm LED?

Thanks, again, for the reply.  I've been installing LED's in my PW passenger cars and have yet to try the F3 units.

Pingman,

The brass tube is shown in that photo. I got the tubing at Ace hardware.....it's marked 1/4inch x 014.  Just under 3/4 inch long is perfect to accept the lens and the bulb. Goop it in and you're good to go. A new headlight lens goes a long way to increasing the brightness of that bulb.         I'll give you a heads-up about the Alco thread.

Roger

Thanks, again, Roger!

EDIT:  As luck would have it, years ago I purchased some brass tubing for a long forgotten project.  Two pieces, 12" long with o.d. of .25" and i.d. of 5mm.  I think I'm set for the 8 F3 A/P units as far as brass tubing is concerned. 

You'll have to Dremel the base of the 5 mil LEDs a bit to fit it in the tube. There's a flange at the bottom that can be trimmed.

Roger

My brother dug out the dummy 'A' unit and took a picture of the bottom of the truck assembly.  I'm including his original image and one that I tried to brighten up to make the assembly more visible.

The insulation plate seems to be there and the wires are there, the pickup assembly and pickup shoe are missing - as is shown.

Both of us aren't concerned about getting the electro-coupler working so I may not get the assembly with the pickup shoe.  have to see what's available.

Again, thank you - walt

Walt,

If the F3 units are for static display, there is no reason to fool with the shoe or the collector assembly.  If the pair are going to be operated, I'd consider adding at least the collector assembly (a/k/a center rail p/u rollers) so the dummy A unit is lighted.  Those are cheap (under $2.00) and easily installed--I did this with a PW F3 B unit using parts supplied by Olsen's Toy Trains.

Good luck with whatever you decide--I'm sure your father will be well-pleased whatever you and your brother decide to do.

Looks like the insulator is gone (broken off) too.  It's a plate that should cover the hole, if I remember correctly.  It's been a while since I had mine apart.  If I had to wager a guess, from the fact that both my dummy A unit's pickup rollers were bent, I'd say that the roller was removed because it was catching on things like switches and accessory rails, and dropping off the rail on curves.

That's a quick, cheap and easy fix. Just have to find the parts... Olsen's, The Train Tender, or even EBay... they are out there and easy to find.

I don't know for sure, but I expect the #4 screws that hold the collector assembly are 4-36s.  Lionel used these forever, but they an obsolete size.  4-40 and 4-48 are standard now.  You can't get the 4-36 screws at a hardware store.  Buy them from whomever you buy the collector assembly from.

The train runs - ever hear the old saying about running the wheels off of something?  Well, this F3 AA has been run so much since 1950 that when I had the engine rebuilt the wheels had such bad grooves in them that it was causing the frame to hit the track!!!!  I set it up on my Christmas layout every year so that when I host my annual family train party (30 family members!) it's out there for sentimentality reasons.

I thought the insulation piece was there.  There's a plastic piece, the part with the hole in it where the wires come out, that is removable by unscrewing the screw. 

That #4 screw comment is interesting.

Whatever I have to get will 'get got'!

At least the parts that in place still work.  I am in possession of it right now so that I can get the needed parts - my first effort will be by taking it to York and seeing if I can get the parts there, which is why the dummy is in my possession right now.  I hooked up some wires to see and, voila!

As always, thanks again  - walt