Lionel Chessie T-1 6-18011 Mods

No video here with Win7 or Win10.  However, I can open it and view it if I download the video and open it with VLC Media Player, don't know why Windows Media Player chokes on the video.

For videos, I upload them to YouTube and then link to them, that seems to work much better in forums.

BTW, pretty good smoke for a puffer, nice job.

Thanks John, Post updated.

If you need to find more information on the Lionel T-1 look up the Lionel number 18006 as the Chessie engine is an exact copy of the Reading Lines T-1, just has a different Lionel part number and paint job to the best of my knowledge. In real life the Chessie System either bought or rented the Reading Lines T-1 2101 and re-painted it for the Chessie System and gave it a tune-up or minor overhaul as well.

Lee Fritz

Speaking of the 18006, I have one of those that I upgraded with all my stuff, ERR Cruise and sound, Super-Chuffer, Chuff-Generator, etc.   I used an MTH fan driven smoke unit, smoke like it's on fire.   For a couple of meets, it was my Super-Chuffer demo locomotive at York.

Pretty good job J!

I've always had a soft spot for the early 90's Lionel LTI steam. Definitely an improvement over the standard units that did a rather flimsy job.

phillyreading posted:

If you need to find more information on the Lionel T-1 look up the Lionel number 18006 as the Chessie engine is an exact copy of the Reading Lines T-1, just has a different Lionel part number and paint job to the best of my knowledge. In real life the Chessie System either bought or rented the Reading Lines T-1 2101 and re-painted it for the Chessie System and gave it a tune-up or minor overhaul as well.

Lee Fritz

Any chance of getting a link for the 18006? The paperwork I have doesn't have any of the wiring with it?

Thanks in advance.

Chris

Nice work!  That is much better than original.  You've done what I have been trying to find time to do.

The link for the 18006 is :

18006 T-1 engine

Hope this helps.

John

Lionel Parts posted:

The link for the 18006 is :

18006 T-1 engine

Hope this helps.

John

 

Thanks for the help John. I got these from Lionel. I was hoping for the wiring diagrams, but apparently these must not be available.

I did find the Electric Railroad website. It's not too bad to upgrade the engine and tender with the AC Commander and Railsounds equipment. What I found expensive is the controls needed to operate the setup after modification.

Well, you can pick up an old CAB1/BASE1 setup for less than $100 typically, that's all you need over your basic transformer for operating TMCC locomotives.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Well, you can pick up an old CAB1/BASE1 setup for less than $100 typically, that's all you need over your basic transformer for operating TMCC locomotives.

I saw a few of those on eBay, but they're new and people still want a premium $ for them. So I'll continue to look......

But thanks for the info John.

Chris

Keep an eye out in the For-Sale forum here, they come by pretty regularly.

Chris,

Email Sean Marchev at Seanchev @aol.com as he had a TMCC set at the Greenberg show for a reasonable price. Can't recall how much but it was not more than $125.

Ted

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Speaking of the 18006, I have one of those that I upgraded with all my stuff, ERR Cruise and sound, Super-Chuffer, Chuff-Generator, etc.   I used an MTH fan driven smoke unit, smoke like it's on fire.   For a couple of meets, it was my Super-Chuffer demo locomotive at York.

JOhn, I have the Reading and Chessie T-1 but with the AC motors. Want to update mine for me with TMCC/Railsounds, smoke unit and chuffer? :-)

Mine was a royal PITA, the tether was the sticking point.  They don't have any place to feed the tether out logically, so I decided to put it on the apron below the cab floor.  That spot is about 1" of SOLID DIECAST!  I must have worked on that at least an hour with a Dremel and a carbide bit to hog out a big enough hole to put my 10-pin tether connector, I'm not doing another one of those any time soon!

Ok, I guess I will bring mine to hennings :-)

Nice try!

ZWPOWER13 posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Speaking of the 18006, I have one of those that I upgraded with all my stuff, ERR Cruise and sound, Super-Chuffer, Chuff-Generator, etc.   I used an MTH fan driven smoke unit, smoke like it's on fire.   For a couple of meets, it was my Super-Chuffer demo locomotive at York.

JOhn, I have the Reading and Chessie T-1 but with the AC motors. Want to update mine for me with TMCC/Railsounds, smoke unit and chuffer? :-)

If, I go down that road, I'm theoretically thinking that the AC Commander will fit in the engine and the RailSounds in the tender. The fan driven smoke unit would be later. But then again, I typically a gluten for punishment, so I may stuff everything in the tender and "hog out" a hole for the connector. If I do, I'll post up how I do it. I also noticed that the  NYC 4-8-2 Mohawk 6-18064 has a IR link on the draw bars. If we put a set of the Mohawk tender trucks on the Chessie tender, power would be from the track and not the engine.

John, You have a source and part number for that 10 pin connector?

I've attached the 2 drawings for the Mohawk.

Chris

I use MTH tether parts for many upgrades.  I also buy the matching Hi-Rose DF3 and/or DF11 connectors from Mouser if one of these doesn't do it.  For steamers, the engine connector on a small PCB is an MTH AG-0000039.

Thanks for the info John. I did a cost comparison with purchasing what I would need from the Mohawk and what Elec RR costs. It's about half. So I need to bridge the gap between the tender and engine. Its too bad that the existing harness on the engine has too fine of wires to supply the smoke unit. Does anyone know the manufacture of the tether connectors on the engine?

You'd be surprised how small the smoke unit wires can be.  MTH uses a pretty small wire, either #26 or #28 in the harness to drive their smoke with PS/2.  The only #22 wires in the tether are power, ground, and two for the motors.  The other six are all small wires.

Thanks for the info John. I ordered the universal 90 degree tether and 10 pin plug.

V/r

Chris

I was able to pick up a Lionel Cab 1 TMCC Remote & Base for $75 plus shipping. Now I just need to get the internals for the engine and tender.

Chris

So I decided to pull the trigger and go all in with TMCC on this 4-8-4...As I stated  above I was able to get a Cab-1 system. It was sold as is and all I know for now is I need an antenna for the remote, should be fairly easy.

I had a Lionel fan smoke unit I bought to modify my Berkshire Jr Polar Express, but this mod would be sooo much easier. I did change out the smoke element to an 18 ohm for the PE, but since I want to add the Super-Chuffer I'm going to go with a 20 ohm as per GRJ. It was hard to strip the chassis down for the first time, but I saw how easily it was assembled, so I felt a little more at ease. I took some careful measurements prior to removing the OE smoke unit so I would be able to put the fan driven one in it's place. I still need to remove the smoke lever from the chassis but that'll be super easy. I had to file down the area directly below the fan motor for clearance. I also plan on adding a switch to shut off the smoke unit fan and element when I so desire or...  when I'm told to do so by the Boss.

Part of the modification to the smoke unit besides the element, is that I cut the trace on the PCB separating the fan circuit from the element circuit. Part of the order I placed for the fan unit was extra connectors. So I added one strictly for the element. You can see the cut trace in the bottom right hand corner. I will also be enlarging the air hole to 3/16" when I change out the element. Just so you know...The stack is a sand blasting nozzle I had laying around. It fit in the smoke hole, so with some drilling out the nozzle hole and grinding the outside, I got it to fit up inside the boiler smoke stack. Since the boiler smoke stack is painted gray, I painted the smoke unit stack gray to match, inside and out.

The smoke unit bracket is from an old grill I once had. This is a piece of stainless I was able to cut and use. I had to file down the LTI, Inc. on the front of the steam chest to get the bracket to slide between the mount for the OE smoke unit and the steam chest. One screw and nut holds the bracket in place. Sorry don't have a better picture.

This is with the boiler on the chassis. The smoke unit stack plugs in nicely to the boiler stack and the paint matches. Its the perfect height too.

Next up will be the tether and plug for mating the tender and engine together. That should be arriving any day.

Looks good, it's coming right along.

Thanks John!

When I put the post up, I was thinking, "why did I have that extra plug on the smoke unit?"  There's no reason I couldn't add the third wire to the smoke unit plug and get rid of that unsightly monstrosity on the top. I have the wire so, why not?

Yep, they already provided the traces to the connector.   I normally route the motor directly to the Super-Chuffer through a 2-pin connector.  Then I use the smoke unit connector for the heater.  This allows you to unplug the smoke unit and take it out for maintenance, you know that will be required at some point.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Yep, they already provided the traces to the connector.   I normally route the motor directly to the Super-Chuffer through a 2-pin connector.  Then I use the smoke unit connector for the heater.  This allows you to unplug the smoke unit and take it out for maintenance, you know that will be required at some point.

John, From what I'm reading, You bypass the circuitry for the fan motor and go directly to the S-C?

Yes, the Super-Chuffer provides control and power for the fan.  Notice the fan is connected only to the Super-Chuffer here.

Got it, Just wanted to make sure. Thanks 

Spent the best part of the day re-designing the smoke unit to make it more clean looking. I removed the diode, Cap., and transistor which all were part of the 5v regulator for the fan motor. I received my 20 ohm resistors today, and bought a SPDT switch so I could isolate the smoke unit if the Boss gets agitated. Because of the way the headlight bulb is mounted on the boiler front I had to cut off over half of the switch handle. I also enlarged to air hole to 3/16". The smoke unit is ready to go. Now I need to get the rest of the electronics.

John,

Have a Super Chuffer question...The AC Commander doesn't have a chuff input. Would I connect the chuff output of the super-chuffer to where the reed switch would connect on the RailSounds board?

Thanks

No problem.  For reasons only known to ERR, the AC Commander got a duplicate antenna connection instead of the chuff switch input.  However, the chuff input to the R2LC is on pin-17 of the socket.  Instead of the chuff input, just tap into it there, it is the same as the other ERR products chuff input.  Wire it just like my diagram of the Cruise Commander with the exception of this one change.

Jayhawks, great work on your mod. John can correct me on this if I'm wrong but thinking you have AC motor on this loco; believe the chuuf generator is designed for D.C. Motor with a flywheel for the LED reader; I had to use a reed switch magnet assy from. ERR to generate a chuff for my 18006 and 18009; mounted the assy on a tender truck; ERR manuals show to mount a reed switch.  Some folks have swapped to a D.C. Motor mod; did that also but I found the gear box is geared for an AC motor; did not work well for me; bottom line check with GRJ; he is a wizard on these upgrades. Falcon70

gunrunnerjohn posted:

No problem.  For reasons only known to ERR, the AC Commander got a duplicate antenna connection instead of the chuff switch input.  However, the chuff input to the R2LC is on pin-17 of the socket.  Instead of the chuff input, just tap into it there, it is the same as the other ERR products chuff input.  Wire it just like my diagram of the Cruise Commander with the exception of this one change.

Falcon70 posted:

Jayhawks, great work on your mod. John can correct me on this if I'm wrong but thinking you have AC motor on this loco; believe the chuuf generator is designed for D.C. Motor with a flywheel for the LED reader; I had to use a reed switch magnet assy from. ERR to generate a chuff for my 18006 and 18009; mounted the assy on a tender truck; ERR manuals show to mount a reed switch.  Some folks have swapped to a D.C. Motor mod; did that also but I found the gear box is geared for an AC motor; did not work well for me; bottom line check with GRJ; he is a wizard on these upgrades. Falcon70

Thanks for the info John. We'll make 'er happen.

Falcon70, I still have the a.c. motor. As per John (I've picked his brain a lot already) in another thread, The chuff generator won't work with the a.c. motor. No fly wheel.

I'll be doing everything by ERR instructions.

John,

Got another question...With the Chuff (reed) switch connected to pin 5 and ground of the super-chuffer and the Chuff input from HDR 2 going to pin 17 of the AC commander (as indicated above) , What gets connected to the Railsounds board trigger connection wires?

Nothing connects to those in this scenario.  The chuffs go to the Railsounds via the serial data.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Nothing connects to those in this scenario.  The chuffs go to the Railsounds via the serial data.

Awesome. That's what I was hoping for. Thanks again John.

Here's an update as to where I am currently with upgrading my Chessie Steam Special.

I have the ERR AC Commander installed in the forward part of the tender. I am using the MTH tether and 10 pin connector GRJ suggested. But I opted to modify the board to get it to fit in the original place on the tender. I opted to put the RailSounds board on top of the R4LC board. You can see in the second picture that I tried to put it on top of the speaker, but I couldn't get the body on. I plan on adding clips to the coal load so I can make the load removable.

I wanted to have a coil coupler on the tender so I got a Mohawk Hudson truck and modified the frame to fit. I think I'll hook this coupler to the "Front" couple on the Commander board, because I want to use the rear one for the Aux tender.

I removed the 6v constant voltage regulator that was used for the front headlight and firebox light. In its place I added the Super-chuffer to the engine and wired everything in. You can see the grain-o-wheat bulb for the cab light. I also added a small circuit I got off eBay for a flickering firebox. I have the LED hanging behind the motor in between the brushes.

More to follow tomorrow.

Chris - the mods are looking great (and very similar to my updates).  

C&O Allie posted:

Chris - the mods are looking great (and very similar to my updates).  

Thanks Allan. I'll have more this evening and my future plans with the Aux tender.

Here's the continuation of yesterday's post.

Here's an inside view of the tender with the body on. As I said yesterday, my plan is to add clips to the coal load in case I have to get to the volume control.

I started on the Aux Tender yesterday as well. The first thing I did was remove the IR sensor and drawbar from the front truck assembly. To make up the space I added a washer in place of the drawbar. I had a manual coupler that was sent to me by accident from Lionel. This is exactly the correct length I needed to attach to the front truck and the distance looks to be correct. 

You can't see it but where the coal conveyor would be I cut out the opening for the 4 pin plug and PCB I removed from the Chessie tender. My plan is to somehow use the original 4 wire tether and connect the two tenders. I'll probably end up drilling a hole as low and centered as I can on the OE tender body. This is only going to be for operating the rear coil coupler and the rear backup light.

Now, I have a few questions for anyone who wishes to answer...

1. The Mohawk tender originally has/had the railsounds in it. Since I removed the IR sensor and drawbar, Is there a way of operating this system via the horn and whistle buttons on my CW-80 transformer (conventionally) since I can't use my TMCC remote to activate them? Also, Does the IR board have to be installed for it to operate?

2. In the photo below, there are 2 lights on the rear of the Aux tender. Is the upper one a constant "on" and the lower one a MARS light?

Thanks in advance. This is all the updates to this point.

C&O Allie posted:

Chris - the mods are looking great (and very similar to my updates).  

Allan, Did you leave the marker light on the rear of the tender or did you remove them? The photo of the aux tender doesn't have them.

Chris,

I removed the marker lights from mine since the prototype didn't have them.

Allan

Chris,

In regards to the Mohawk tender's RailSounds, is it the 1.0 version from the 1990 or the 3.0 version from 1998?

John will probably correct me if I'm wrong, but the 3.0 version probably just needs hot, ground, and serial data wire connections to a TMCC receiver. You could use the ERR dummy locomotive controller board to function that RailSounds board.

phillyreading posted:

If you need to find more information on the Lionel T-1 look up the Lionel number 18006 as the Chessie engine is an exact copy of the Reading Lines T-1, just has a different Lionel part number and paint job to the best of my knowledge. In real life the Chessie System either bought or rented the Reading Lines T-1 2101 and re-painted it for the Chessie System and gave it a tune-up or minor overhaul as well.

Lee Fritz

Ross Rowland owned the 2101 having purchased her from a scrap dealer in 1975.  He restored her for use on the American Freedom Train.   When the Chessie Steam Special and the later Safety Express were brought about Chessie and Rowland entered into an agreement to run these using 2101.  Hence 2101 was used until the roundhouse fire in 1979 damaged her beyond repair.  Ross cosmetically restored her to her AFT colors and a traded her for C&O 614.  614 powered the Safety Express until they realized that the 614 was garnering more attention than the Safety Express. 

Mikado 4501 posted:

Chris,

In regards to the Mohawk tender's RailSounds, is it the 1.0 version from the 1990 or the 3.0 version from 1998?

John will probably correct me if I'm wrong, but the 3.0 version probably just needs hot, ground, and serial data wire connections to a TMCC receiver. You could use the ERR dummy locomotive controller board to function that RailSounds board.

It's the 1998 version 6-18064 not the 6-18009. From what I read from the instruction manual for the engine and tender the whistle and bell will still activate as in conventional mode using the buttons on the transformer. Just no tower or crew talk. So, unless I remove the baffle for the speaker I have no room in the tender for anymore trons.

Great work. I am not as patient when it comes to all these electronics. I will be having the same performed on my Chessie and Reading T-1 soon. I am going to have Henning's perform my upgrade.

Latest update on my Steam Special. I believe I have finished all the necessary wiring. I have the coil coupler and rear light on the AUX Tender connected to the 4 pin connector. I then took a leap of faith and drilled a hole in the back of the Chessie tender. Its barely larger than the diameter of the tether wire. Then I connected the tether to the AC Commander for the rear coupler and rear light. Although this wasn't the ideal situation for the tether wire, this was the only way to make this work. If I came from under the frame the rear coupler would have hit the wire preventing it from negotiating the curves.

I am now up to the point of programing the Cab 1 to the engine and seeing if everything works as advertised. Our first car show of the season is this coming Saturday. I have lots of Honey-Dues that have to get done in the next few days, But I'm going to try and get this thing programmed this week. With everything modified this is now an engine and dual tender combo. Painting of the Aux tender will happen sometime this summer. I have the paint, I just need to get a good quality airbrush.

Much thanks to GunRunnerJohn for his electronic and wiring advice. Also, much thanks goes to C&O Allie for his help with answering questions about his Aux Tender. More to come hopefully later this week.

Thank you to the rest of you that provide kind comments. Its greatly much appreciated.

I was able to run the engine yesterday for the first time. It is a learning process for someone like me that has never used TMCC. Once I got the Cab 1 figured out, I was able to test all the functions. The only Oops was the headlight and reverse lights were backwards. I double check my wiring with the directions for the AC Commander and it was correct. The directions has the 2 lights backwards. But swapped the wires for the lights and everything works as advertised. Super-chuffer is awesome! With the body on the engine, it looks like the prototype when puffing. I'll try and get a video up by the end of the week.

I found out the RailSounds in the Aux tender will not work by itself conventionally. But, this is no big deal. Don't need it. Might just sell everything internal. Its much heavier than the Chessie tender.

Odd that the headlights are backwards, but I'd check the documentation again.  I just wired up two of the AC Commanders, and the lighting matches the documentation for me.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Odd that the headlights are backwards, but I'd check the documentation again.  I just wired up two of the AC Commanders, and the lighting matches the documentation for me.

This is the instructions I used. I put a binder together with all of the necessary paperwork. Maybe I just read it backwards.

That's the same version of the document I use for the AC Commander.  All of the similar ERR TMCC boards use the same mapping for the lights and smoke on the 7-pin terminal block.  Note that the AC and DC commander differ only in the first two pins next to the antenna.  For some odd reason, they removed the chuff input and duplicated the antenna connection on the terminal block.  Of course, that moved the PGM/RUN switch connection, an unneeded duplication and omission.  However, in all cases for all of these products, from pin 3 common through pin 7 feature, the mapping is the same.  Since this is hard-wired on the motherboard from the R2LC, it's pretty inconceivable to me that the two light outputs could be reversed.  I've installed dozens of these boards, multiple copies of any specific type.  That's always been true for all of them for years.

AC Commander I/O Connections

Cruise Commander I/O Connections

Cruise Commander Lite I/O Connections

DC Commander I/O Connections

You do very nice work.

Frisco Chris 1522 posted:

You do very nice work.

Thank you very much!

Here's the link to the video I did this afternoon. The power supply for the railsounds in the aux tender melts down at the end.

Chris,

Sounds great!!  Here is your video embedded so users don't have to go to Youtube directly.

Thank You Allan! Your a Gentleman and a Scholar!

I didn't get an answer from anyone on my earlier post. So hopefully the second time is a charm.

In the picture below, there is 2 lights on the back of the tender. The upper one appears to be "on" steadily. Is the lower one a MARS light or a flashing white light. I'd like to mod my Aux tender to match. Thanks in advance.

Jayhawk500 posted:

I didn't get an answer from anyone on my earlier post. So hopefully the second time is a charm.

In the picture below, there is 2 lights on the back of the tender. The upper one appears to be "on" steadily. Is the lower one a MARS light or a flashing white light. I'd like to mod my Aux tender to match. Thanks in advance.

Why not try and contact Ross Rowland for the information you are looking for?  The present website he has for C&O 614 is co614.com

My guess would be that whoever made the decision to double up on the backup lights did it for the extra visibility it created.  Good luck with your quest.

On many models, one is a backup light and one is a marker.  I don't know about the real thing...

Thanks for the replies. Took Allegheny48's suggestion... Email sent to Mr. Rowland.

Now we wait.....

I need a little help from you all... Referring back to my video after I completed the mods, Does anyone know the color name of the gray paint on the front of the boiler? I have all the other colors to repaint the aux tender, but I'm adding class lights to the boiler front and I need to touch up the gray paint.

Also, I never got a reply back from Mr. Rowland or anyone from co614.com.

Thanks,

It may be easier mixing up your own paint to closely match what is already there.   On the real 2101 it appeared to be a silver graphite of sorts with a bit of gray to tone it down.   Hope you can find the right paint.   Too bad you haven't heard back from Ross. 

gunrunnerjohn posted:

On many models, one is a backup light and one is a marker.  I don't know about the real thing...

Back in the days of steam backup and marker/classification lighting varied depending on the railroad.  Very few roads that I know of had built-in marker/classification lights on the back of tenders or even used them at all.  The only road I can think of that had tenders with built in classification lights was the Pennsy and those were the ones used on the Duplex engines and the long distance tenders that the J’s used.  I feel that the model train manufacturers have perpetuated a myth of sorts by including them on almost every steam engine they offer.  Most all tenders were equipped with classification light brackets on the rear in the event the engine's use might require them.  The backup light was used for reverse running and switching out freight cars when the engine was in use on a local which served industrial sidings.  Some were built into the rear of the tender while others were bracket mounted on the tank top. 

I have just completed steps 1 and 2 of the repainting for the transformation of the Mohawk tender 6-18064 into a Chessie Steam Special Aux tender 2101-A, like C&O Allie's. Prior to repainting the rear, I filled in the holes and depressions where the marker lights were with Scotch weld. Then I repainted the rear black and have the Chessie Yellow on the sides using the Scalecoat brand of paint. Next up will be the B&O Royal Blue on the upper part of the tender just below the coal bin. Once that's dry, I'll paint the GN Empire Builder orange for the 2 stripes. I'm taking a day to let the paint cure before moving on to the next color. I'm using a laser level on the engines tender to figure out where I need to apply the 3M Fineline tape to separate the colors.

 I had an epiphany last night realizing I could have done a lash-up with the engine and aux tender after watching a YouTube segment about the UP Aux Tender on EricsTrains. I wish someone would have enlightened me to using a Mini Commander EX to control the rear coupler and backup light before I drilled the hole for the tether wire. But live and learn, right?

Since this tether hole is small, I should be able to fill this in and paint it so it's not too noticeable. The Mini EX was shipped this morning and should be here any day. 

More to follow....

Chris,

This is looking great!!  Here are a few videos I took of my consist a couple of weeks ago at the Austin Area Train Show.  Can't wait to see your consist!

(My 5 year old pops in in the middle of my consist with the controller (she was in charge on that run))

Chris,

I am looking forward to seeing your finished product. 

When I have time to improve my skills, I hope to be able to do the same as you and Allan have done.  I also hope to be able to do the tender up as it appeared behind AFT #1.

Thanks for posting your progress!

Henry J. posted:

Chris,

I am looking forward to seeing your finished product. 

When I have time to improve my skills, I hope to be able to do the same as you and Allan have done.  I also hope to be able to do the tender up as it appeared behind AFT #1.

Thanks for posting your progress!

No problem. Even though I'm a total novice to the 3 rail community, I do have history posting progress reports online for projects I've done on classic cars. My only hope is someone will be able to benefit  from what I post for any project they may be working on. If there's something someone needs me to explain, or how I did something, just let me know.

Henry, I just looked at your profile...and like you I spent 24 years in the Coast Guard as a  HH-3F Avionicsman, C-130 Avionicsman, and then finally a HH-60J flightmech. All the while, fixing avionics equipment, being a Primary QA Inspector, right seat qual'd for startups on test flights, and then finally, being hired back as a civilian Fire Chief where I once few out of on SAR cases. You might say I have the CG in my blood now. I now have a total of 32 years of service to the same organization.

Jayhawk500 posted:

Henry J. posted:

Chris,

I am looking forward to seeing your finished product. 

When I have time to improve my skills, I hope to be able to do the same as you and Allan have done.  I also hope to be able to do the tender up as it appeared behind AFT #1.

Thanks for posting your progress!

No problem. Even though I'm a total novice to the 3 rail community, I do have history posting progress reports online for projects I've done on classic cars. My only hope is someone will be able to benefit  from what I post for any project they may be working on. If there's something someone needs me to explain, or how I did something, just let me know.

Henry, I just looked at your profile...and like you I spent 24 years in the Coast Guard as a  HH-3F Avionicsman, C-130 Avionicsman, and then finally a HH-60J flightmech. All the while, fixing avionics equipment, being a Primary QA Inspector, right seat qual'd for startups on test flights, and then finally, being hired back as a civilian Fire Chief where I once few out of on SAR cases. You might say I have the CG in my blood now. I now have a total of 32 years of service to the same organization.

Chris,

Thanks for your service!!!  I actually hit that mark myself back in February.  Each year it gets a little tougher to keep at it.   But hey, it pays the bills!

I really enjoy posts that show what people in our hobby are capable of doing. And you are doing a great job!

Again, I can't wait to see the final product!

Enjoy!

I just finished the upper portion of the body in the B&O Royal Blue. It is much darker than what is in the picture. The camera changed the hue. The middle picture is more the correct color.

See the blues do match. Can't say much for the yellows though.... The Aux Tender is a hair brighter. I'm hoping the orange will tone it down a bit. But then again we're comparing 24 year old colors to freshly painted colors.

The orange is next tomorrow.

So, what does everyone think.... Is the rear of the tender the same color as the upper portion below the coal bin? I can't decide if it's black or the B&O Royal Blue. To me it looks blue, but please weigh in. I emailed the guy taking care of ThemeTrains.com in hopes he is still in contact with the person who took the picture.

I looked at the burned out tender and the lower rear light was removed. But, then again the tender looks pretty rough.....

I have opted not to put a second light on the rear. I do have the gearbox and hand brake wheel to go on the back.

Here is how I'm transferring the lines from one tender to the other. I use a laser level. My lines may fall a bit different from C&O Allie's Aux Tender, so the positioning of the lines on the tender will differ.

Chris,

Great job!  I suggest you put the tenders on a piece of track in case the flanges are different size.  I realize on mine I did not make my orange stripe thick enough (did not take it down far enough) now that I see your pictures above.

Also, great use of a Laser!

C&O Allie posted:

Chris,

Great job!  I suggest you put the tenders on a piece of track in case the flanges are different size.  I realize on mine I did not make my orange stripe thick enough (did not take it down far enough) now that I see your pictures above.

Also, great use of a Laser!

Thanks for the "likes" and the kind comment. Point taken on the having the tenders on the track. I usually have them sitting on a piece of 30" Fastrack.  I did it this way, so I could "bend" the cars slightly so the laser was more easily seen for the camera. I'm too lazy to dig out a few pieces of curved track.

Just a quick update....I got the GN Empire Builder orange on yesterday. I have some touching up to do since the rivets on the body kept the tape from sticking. But, overall I very pleased with the progress thus far.

I'm going to mount this on the left rear side of the Aux Tender.  As of right now the wheel turns. Hopefully I can get it mounted, painted, and keep it turning. After all, we'll need to set the brakes periodically.

I removed the wire tether between the 2 tenders and reconnected the rear coupler and light in the engines tender.  I did get a bread board mounted to the chassis in place of the old motherboard, in anticipation of the Mini EX arriving from ERR.

More later....I have a couple of projects I need to finish today.

Jayhawk500 posted:

Just a quick update....I got the GN Empire Builder orange on yesterday. I have some touching up to do since the rivets on the body kept the tape from sticking. But, overall I very pleased with the progress thus far.

 

I'm going to mount this on the left rear side of the Aux Tender.  As of right now the wheel turns. Hopefully I can get it mounted, painted, and keep it turning. After all, we'll need to set the brakes periodically.

I removed the wire tether between the 2 tenders and reconnected the rear coupler and light in the engines tender.  I did get a bread board mounted to the chassis in place of the old motherboard, in anticipation of the Mini EX arriving from ERR.

More later....I have a couple of projects I need to finish today.

Looks Great!

Thanks Allan.

That is really cool I always have loved the Chessie steam special. I have the ac motor version that I would like to upgrade to ERR and a DC motor. but have no idea where to start and I heard of timko does conversions but know nothing about them.

Jhainer posted:

That is really cool I always have loved the Chessie steam special. I have the ac motor version that I would like to upgrade to ERR and a DC motor. but have no idea where to start and I heard of timko does conversions but know nothing about them.

 

I got a Timko motor a few years ago for my AF 4-8-4. Got it off of Ebay. It was a simple unscrew, replace, and re-screw, attach wires. Our Steam Specials should be the same way since they use a driveshaft to couple the motor to the gearing. Once again, being new to the 3-rail community, I didn't know any better. I would have done the ac-dc motor conversion and ordered the ERR DC Commander kit. The ERR system is straight forward. There's YouTube videos on how to do it. The only problem is, if you want to add "more stuff" to the engine, (i.e. fan driven smoke unit, Super-Chuffer) then you need to increase the size (number of wires) of the tether wire like I did. I used the 10 wire tether from MTH, think I have 2 wires left.

I can honestly say I'm learning as I go.

Jhainer posted:

That is really cool I always have loved the Chessie steam special. I have the ac motor version that I would like to upgrade to ERR and a DC motor. but have no idea where to start and I heard of timko does conversions but know nothing about them.

Such a deal I have for you.  I have one of these that was stripped for upgrade.  It has the Timko DC motor and an MTH fan driven smoke unit all mounted and ready for the electronic upgrade.  It was painted and it's all black right now and unnumbered, but you could swap your boiler and tender shell and be ready for the TMCC upgrade.   You could even sell the all black one with the AC chassis.

The Mini EX arrived today. Already installed and ready to program. This thing is tiny!  The program switch didn't come with push on connectors, so I  soldered to the pins on and heatshrinked.  I'll be using the long antenna due to the metal cover for the coal bin, unless I can find some sheet ABS and mold it. Anybody have some ultra thin ABS?  Decals are next on the agenda.

Hand brake was installed over the weekend. Now I need to get it painted up.

Why not float the tender shell, that's the classic way to create a TMCC antenna?  Some Kapton tape and plastic screws and you have a giant antenna.

Here's the latest installment for today.

I'm always a bit apprehensive to try new things, ie. (make decals). This whole process is very time consuming. I'll list what I used at the bottom of this post. But here's the left side of the tender and I couldn't be any more pleased with the results. A huge Thank You to C&O Allie for providing the WORD document so I could make the decals. These were exactly the right size for this Mohawk Hudson Tender. I did have to use the Horse vs. train race from one set and the "Chessie Steam Special" from another set, to get what I was looking for. There were 2 sets on the same page.

But what surprised me was the tender number and the gallons for the rear of the tender. I didn't realize the reason Allan had those numbers and words with a black background. So, I removed the black background and just tried printing the numbers and words in yellow. I had everything ready to apply and I put them on and you couldn't see anything. Hummmmm...So I pulled those off before they set up and went to the sides. SUCCESS!  The sides look great! Both sides are exactly the same. THANK YOU ALLAN!

Now, back to the rear of the tender. I printed out some more numbers and letters but with the black background... I did everything the same as before. To get the quality of printing I was looking for, I used the photo setting in the printer properties and BEST image quality. I printed this decals twice allowing the ink to dry in between printings. 

But on the first reprint, I don't think I left the ink dry long enough and when I sprayed the bonding spray, the yellow numbers and letters turned orange. So, now I'm on my second reprinting and I'm going to let the ink dry until I get ready to turn in for the night and then spray. That way they'll be ready for tomorrow. I sprayed 2 light coats to seal the ink, allowing the bonder to dry in between coats.

This is what happened on the first reprint after bonding.

And this is what I'm waiting on to dry. This is before bonding.

Oh, almost forgot the hand brake is now painted.

This is what I used to make the decals. I bought these off of Amazon. Best of all, these are Made in USA. I'm very happy with this product from Testors. This decal paper is for inkjet printers ONLY. I've used 2 of the 6 sheets in this process.  You need the Bonder Spray to prevent the ink from washing off when you soak the decals. As I stated in my last posts, I'm always learning, and sometimes I use more product than necessary to do the job.

Jayhawk500 posted:

Here's the latest installment for today.

I'm always a bit apprehensive to try new things, ie. (make decals). This whole process is very time consuming. I'll list what I used at the bottom of this post. But here's the left side of the tender and I couldn't be any more pleased with the results. A huge Thank You to C&O Allie for providing the WORD document so I could make the decals. These were exactly the right size for this Mohawk Hudson Tender. I did have to use the Horse vs. train race from one set and the "Chessie Steam Special" from another set, to get what I was looking for. There were 2 sets on the same page.

But what surprised me was the tender number and the gallons for the rear of the tender. I didn't realize the reason Allan had those numbers and words with a black background. So, I removed the black background and just tried printing the numbers and words in yellow. I had everything ready to apply and I put them on and you couldn't see anything. Hummmmm...So I pulled those off before they set up and went to the sides. SUCCESS!  The sides look great! Both sides are exactly the same. THANK YOU ALLAN!

Now, back to the rear of the tender. I printed out some more numbers and letters but with the black background... I did everything the same as before. To get the quality of printing I was looking for, I used the photo setting in the printer properties and BEST image quality. I printed this decals twice allowing the ink to dry in between printings. 

But on the first reprint, I don't think I left the ink dry long enough and when I sprayed the bonding spray, the yellow numbers and letters turned orange. So, now I'm on my second reprinting and I'm going to let the ink dry until I get ready to turn in for the night and then spray. That way they'll be ready for tomorrow. I sprayed 2 light coats to seal the ink, allowing the bonder to dry in between coats.

This is what happened on the first reprint after bonding.

And this is what I'm waiting on to dry. This is before bonding.

Oh, almost forgot the hand brake is now painted.

This is what I used to make the decals. I bought these off of Amazon. Best of all, these are Made in USA. I'm very happy with this product from Testors. This decal paper is for inkjet printers ONLY. I've used 2 of the 6 sheets in this process.  You need the Bonder Spray to prevent the ink from washing off when you soak the decals. As I stated in my last posts, I'm always learning, and sometimes I use more product than necessary to do the job.

 

Chris,

Not a problem - the decal job looks great!  Seeing you do your tender brings back memories of my daughter and I doing mine.  I really love that this hobby is something people can share with each other.  

That is really looking nice Chris!

Thank you to you both for the kind words! For some reason the system isn't allowing me to reply to your posts.

I have a 6"x12" .060 thick sheet of ABS coming for the cover on the coal bin. So, besides putting all of the grab irons and handrails back on I'm pretty much will be done with the tender. I did try and spray the decals for the rear of the tender last night. The black still bled into the yellow turning it orange somewhat. I do have another plan...I'll post it up if it works.

Until next time...

Chris,

Try spraying 2-3 coats of the bonder on the black decals.  I made mine pretty thick to prevent the bleeding.  I also didn't leave the decal in the water too long when applying.  I had it in there for 15-20 secs and then let it sit until the decal started sliding off the backing with just a little pressure.

Well I got it to work. Reprint again yesterday, sprayed 4 very light coats and used a hair dryer in between to ensure the decal didn't stay too wet too long. I also went to the local print shop to see if they could make something at small. He said he'd try but no guarantees. So now I have a backup plan. If the print shop fails, I now have my decals.

Okay, The print shop was a failure. Letters were too small for the printer. So I resorted back to the decals. I put the first decal on and the 16000 GALS. WATER disappeared on the black body. But yet, I can see them on the paper...DUH, I'm using clear decal paper. I should be using white decal paper so the yellow numbers and letters stand out. So, Back to Amazon....to get the correct paper.

Sorry its taken so long to get this post up. Life has gotten in the way, I bought my dream car so a total frame off restoration is in order. Now I have to paint the house and rebuild a deck before winter. Yeahhhhhh.......

But I did get the white decal paper the other day and I got the rear decals made. I'm not too impressed with the white paper, but it is what it is. I think I should be able to put a small amount of paint around the edges to hide the fact its a decal. I just wish the clear would have worked instead.

This could be my last post until the summer is over. Thanks again to GunrunnerJohn and C&O Allie for their help thus far. Thanks to everyone else for the kind words over the past few months.

Please remember to be fire safe this summer. Looks to be a mild fire season in the PNW. Hope everyone one else has a mild fire season too.

It was a long summer and things are finally starting to calm down. I was able to finish up, (sort of), on the boiler front by adding number boards. GRJ was once again very helpful in getting my brain back on track with getting the LED's wired. After some trial and error, I settled on a 8.2K ohm resistor for controlling the brightness of the number boards. These boards are connected directly to track power and won't dim like the headlight will. I still have to clean up the boiler front and repaint my mistakes. Unfortunately, when working with just a naked eyeball, things get a bit skewed. I got the boards a little crooked. I wanted to add the front marker lights, but I have to rethink some things first. I may re-do the 2101's again. I don't like how they turned out.

Here's the finished product, sort of.....

Chris, it doesn't look bad.  Even new engines sometimes have bad alignment on the boards.  

Once you get the marker lights on there, you probably won't notice it as much.

Look pretty good to me, I'd live with them unless they really bug you.

Thank you to you both. Your way too kind. Yes, The number boards will stay where they are. 

At some point I'll try to get the marker lights on. I have a flying eagle I was going to put on top of the headlight housing (from the freedom train days, besides, I like it) , but I believe with marker lights, number boards, and new bell, it would be a bit crowded. What do you think?

You've done a nice job on this upgrade.  Keep up the good work.  You are just about done!

I would duplicate whatever Ross Rowland did when he added the angled numberboards and centered the headlight.  As he stated in an interview the 2101 was his engine and he preferred the revised front end over the original Reading styling.  Your upgrades are impressive.  Keep us the good work!!!

Jayhawk500 posted:

Thank you to you both. Your way too kind. Yes, The number boards will stay where they are. 

At some point I'll try to get the marker lights on. I have a flying eagle I was going to put on top of the headlight housing (from the freedom train days, besides, I like it) , but I believe with marker lights, number boards, and new bell, it would be a bit crowded. What do you think?

 

Chris - yes, it should fit and will look good.  Your eagle has a lower profile than mine did, so it should fit with no problems since I was able to put mine on.

Great work.   Fun to watch 

Thank you all for the kind words! I have all winter to work on these mods. But I mainly wanted to get it on the track. This winter. I belive I'll have to get larger curves. I currently have 36", and I think  I need a minimum of 48".

Okay, I ordered 2 - 2mm clear  Marker LED's from Lionel awhile back. Just recently I was looking to see what resistor I wanted to add to the LED's to determine the brightness. Low and behold the clear LED's are green when voltage is applied.  My question is, Is this normal?

Also, Does anyone know if the markers on the real 2101 had a green bulb or was it clear?  The pictures I have of the engine has clear lenses on the marker lights. But I don't know what color the lamps were. If they were green I good to go. If not I need to figure out something else.

 I have just place an order to Precision Scale for some pilot parts and a new headlight. We'll have to see how that works out. Stay tuned.

Thanks in advance.

Marker (aka classification) lights were a rotating 4 sided affair that contained green, red, amber and clear lenses.  If and when they were used the color chosen would indicate what type of train it was.  Some railroads chose to use colored canvas or metal flags which served the same purpose.  I believe (tho I am not entirely sure) that the clear light indicated an unscheduled train which might have been what a steam fan trip would be classified as.  Reading that the lights you received from Lionel were not as described doesn't surprise me.  You can always tint the bulbs with thinned nail polish when you decide on a color.  You can see these in the attached image. 

Jayhawk500 posted:

Okay, I ordered 2 - 2mm clear  Marker LED's from Lionel awhile back. Just recently I was looking to see what resistor I wanted to add to the LED's to determine the brightness. Low and behold the clear LED's are green when voltage is applied.  My question is, Is this normal?

 

Also, Does anyone know if the markers on the real 2101 had a green bulb or was it clear?  The pictures I have of the engine has clear lenses on the marker lights. But I don't know what color the lamps were. If they were green I good to go. If not I need to figure out something else.

 I have just place an order to Precision Scale for some pilot parts and a new headlight. We'll have to see how that works out. Stay tuned.

Thanks in advance.

Chris,

I believe they were white, but don't know for sure.  On mine, I made them white (with grain-of-wheat bulbs).  The new Lionel version and the MTH version both have green.

Thanks for the input gentlemen. I guess I'll be ordering 2 more LEDs from Lionel. Going to have them verify before shipping that they are in fact a white LED.

I did in fact order 2 more LEDs from Lionel. Both of these were green in color when voltage was applied. Yet the description says clear. Yes, it's a clear lens, but a green LED. So I'm just going to go with the green for the class lights since I can't get the clear ones I really need.

Those ceramic 2mm LED's don't come in white, so you can get green, yellow, or red.  There are two red versions, one is the "bright" version.

Lumex Ceramic LED Choices

Jayhawk500 posted:

I did in fact order 2 more LEDs from Lionel. Both of these were green in color when voltage was applied. Yet the description says clear. Yes, it's a clear lens, but a green LED. So I'm just going to go with the green for the class lights since I can't get the clear ones I really need.

I hate to say it but, with Lionel's track record for inaccuracies, I'm not surprised.  I feel that GUNRUNNERJOHN has the right idea when ordering small parts like the LED's.  Go to a trusted manufacturer / supplier.  When all is said and done I hope you post a video of the finished engine in operation.  I admire your work and patience. 

Allegheny48, yes I'll be putting up a video when I get things the way I would like them. I have an order in to Precision Scale and the front of my T-1 will look a little different before the winter is over. I like what Wowak has done with his and others, so I'm going to copy some of his work too. My biggest problem is finding the correct color of gray for the boiler front. I think the Testors Master series paints will work, they have quite a few different grays. I just realized today how much blue is in the gray, hopefully I can make something match.

Stay tuned, there will be more to follow.

I made a  little progress with the boiler front lighting. I was able to get all the lighting into a single header, and made up a small PCB to limit all the wires internally. These lights are connected directly to track power. I turned off the bar light from over head to take these pictures, these LEDs are not as bright as they seem. I'm going to touch up the gray paint as best as I can and move ahead. Once painted I'll put in the class light lenses.  Sorry for the poor quality picture, but I think you can get the idea.  I'm still waiting to receive my hard parts from Precision Scale.

I got to looking at photos of the real 2101 and realized that Lionel didn't finish the paint job on the vermillion orange stripe on the cab. They had stopped the stripe at the forward edge of the cab. So I busted out the airbrush and, Got 'er Done! I painted the whole stripe, Not just the cab. After the paint fully cures I have to clean up a couple of spots where the paint ran under the tape but it's no big deal. My hard parts showed up today from Precision Scale. So that process will start shortly. Stay Tuned.

I also hired an Engineer and Fireman to run the engine in my absence.

Kudos to you, sir.  You have done a magnificent job with a sharp eye to the details.  You will have a one-of-a-kind engine when you are done.  Maybe you can decorate your newly acquired engineer figure to resemble Ross Rowland.  He would be proud.  Also, the front end lighting effects are spot on in my opinion.  Keep up the good work and I am looking forward to a video of the finished engine. 

I've followed this project from start to finish, and compared it to the real McCoy, and Sir, I give you an A+ on your effort, and the finished product.

Also an A+ to all of those helpful suggestions...

I'm having Frank Timko do an engine swap on a Lionel 6-18000 0-6-0 Switcher for me soon, and I think you will like the deal that Gunny offered you, and will save  you some bucks...................................Just Sayin!

I've spent all morning working on the "cow catcher". As I said, my hard parts came yesterday and I couldn't wait to get started. I'm a little impatient on waiting for the scotch weld to dry, but All-in-all I believe I captured the front of 2101 pretty well. I still have to connect the lift bar to the coupler, but the links are there. (Once again waiting on the glue to dry.)

The photos are in progression as I put this all together. Shame on me...The lighting in my computer room is very poor, which is another reason for the time consumption.

I ground off the hokey front coupler Lionel had on there.

I eyeballed and hand drilled the holes for the stantions.

Glued on the stantions and the new front coupler.

.020 Stainless Safety Wire creates the lifting bar.

Hand made the center yoke assembly and added the lifting pin. This took some time.

Added the front air hose w/ valve.

Hand formed the lift bar to resemble the real thing.

Links added to the coupler. Just need to attach to pin, somehow.

Below are pictures of the real deal. Think I nailed it..... Just need some paint after I get the links connected to the pin.

Looks great, this will be the best detailed example from that model!

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Looks great, this will be the best detailed example from that model!

Thank you John!

There will be more to follow. Next up I have to take a leap of faith....... Stay Tuned.

Allegheny48 posted:

Kudos to you, sir.  You have done a magnificent job with a sharp eye to the details.  You will have a one-of-a-kind engine when you are done.  Maybe you can decorate your newly acquired engineer figure to resemble Ross Rowland.  He would be proud.  Also, the front end lighting effects are spot on in my opinion.  Keep up the good work and I am looking forward to a video of the finished engine. 

Brandy posted:

I've followed this project from start to finish, and compared it to the real McCoy, and Sir, I give you an A+ on your effort, and the finished product.

Also an A+ to all of those helpful suggestions...

I'm having Frank Timko do an engine swap on a Lionel 6-18000 0-6-0 Switcher for me soon, and I think you will like the deal that Gunny offered you, and will save  you some bucks...................................Just Sayin!

Thank You Both for the kind words. Stay Tuned, more to come.

Jayhawk500 posted:

Allegheny48 posted:

Kudos to you, sir.  You have done a magnificent job with a sharp eye to the details.  You will have a one-of-a-kind engine when you are done.  Maybe you can decorate your newly acquired engineer figure to resemble Ross Rowland.  He would be proud.  Also, the front end lighting effects are spot on in my opinion.  Keep up the good work and I am looking forward to a video of the finished engine. 

Brandy posted:

I've followed this project from start to finish, and compared it to the real McCoy, and Sir, I give you an A+ on your effort, and the finished product.

Also an A+ to all of those helpful suggestions...

I'm having Frank Timko do an engine swap on a Lionel 6-18000 0-6-0 Switcher for me soon, and I think you will like the deal that Gunny offered you, and will save  you some bucks...................................Just Sayin!

Thank You Both for the kind words. Stay Tuned, more to come.

You should for sure make the engineer look like Ross Rowland.   Great job man.  Super fun project to watch.   

jeremy ferrell posted:

Jayhawk500 posted:

Allegheny48 posted:

Kudos to you, sir.  You have done a magnificent job with a sharp eye to the details.  You will have a one-of-a-kind engine when you are done.  Maybe you can decorate your newly acquired engineer figure to resemble Ross Rowland.  He would be proud.  Also, the front end lighting effects are spot on in my opinion.  Keep up the good work and I am looking forward to a video of the finished engine. 

Brandy posted:

I've followed this project from start to finish, and compared it to the real McCoy, and Sir, I give you an A+ on your effort, and the finished product.

Also an A+ to all of those helpful suggestions...

I'm having Frank Timko do an engine swap on a Lionel 6-18000 0-6-0 Switcher for me soon, and I think you will like the deal that Gunny offered you, and will save  you some bucks...................................Just Sayin!

Thank You Both for the kind words. Stay Tuned, more to come.

You should for sure make the engineer look like Ross Rowland.   Great job man.  Super fun project to watch.   

Your the second one to suggest that I paint Mr. Rowland into the picture. After all, If it wasn't for him, 2101 might have been scrapped, and I wouldn't be doing this now.  It just may happen....Time will tell.

Thank you too for the kind words.

Its been suggested that I paint Mr. Ross Rowland into the picture. Can I get confirmation that he is in the BLUE coveralls?

Jayhawk500 posted:

Its been suggested that I paint Mr. Ross Rowland into the picture. Can I get confirmation that he is in the BLUE coveralls?

It is too difficult to tell since the image is very low resolution.  When Ross pulled throttle on C&O 614 he always wore blue coveralls, an engineer's hat and a red bandana.  He also sported red gloves in those years and used clips on his pants cuffs (similar to what cyclists use) probably to prevent them getting caught on something.  So, if your engineer figure has overalls that should pretty much cover it.  Some of my O scale steamers have Woodland Scenics engineer figures.  They are beautifully cast and painted though a bit pricey.  One is even cast with his left arm in position to grasp the throttle.  The attached images were from videos.  Keep in mind this was almost 10 years after he ran 2101. 

This is the final product, minus the paint of course. I just needed to be patient and wait for the scotch weld to cure before trying to connect the link to the coupler.

As I mentioned in my last progress update, This is the leap of faith I was referring too. Up to this point its still completely reversible. It'll have an LED for the headlight just like before. I had to shorten it to get it to fit inside the can. I'm hoping that there will be enough light through the side hole for illuminating the side numbers.

I called Big Discount Trains in Jersey and have some "Smoke Box Gray" paint coming. If it's a match, Great! If not...I'll be repainting the whole front end of the engine, That way everything matches. So Stay tuned...More to follow.

Jayhawk500 posted:

This is the final product, minus the paint of course. I just needed to be patient and wait for the scotch weld to cure before trying to connect the link to the coupler.

As I mentioned in my last progress update, This is the leap of faith I was referring too. Up to this point its still completely reversible. It'll have an LED for the headlight just like before. I had to shorten it to get it to fit inside the can. I'm hoping that there will be enough light through the side hole for illuminating the side numbers.

I called Big Discount Trains in Jersey and have some "Smoke Box Gray" paint coming. If it's a match, Great! If not...I'll be repainting the whole front end of the engine, That way everything matches. So Stay tuned...More to follow.

 

Chris,

Looks great!!  On your headlight, you might want to lower it a little - in the pictures on Page 3 of this topic, the headlight was lowered on the CSS to be centered on the door - it looks like yours above is a little high.  Lowering it will also make room for your eagle.

Again, great work on the engine - can't wait to see the final product!

Thanks Allan. Took your advice and lowered the lamp assy. There will be plenty of room for the eagle now. I'm being patient and letting the scotch weld cure for now, Pics tomorrow.

You might consider a surface mount headlight at the rear of the headlight housing.  I use those when I upgrade steamers with my Super-Chuffer for the Rule-17 lighting, I need an LED headlight.  They put plenty of light out through the number boards.  I just glue the the 3528 size LED to the rear of the headlight housing.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

You might consider a surface mount headlight at the rear of the headlight housing.  I use those when I upgrade steamers with my Super-Chuffer for the Rule-17 lighting, I need an LED headlight.  They put plenty of light out through the number boards.  I just glue the the 3528 size LED to the rear of the headlight housing.

Thanks John. I'll look into it.

Jayhawk500 posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

You might consider a surface mount headlight at the rear of the headlight housing.  I use those when I upgrade steamers with my Super-Chuffer for the Rule-17 lighting, I need an LED headlight.  They put plenty of light out through the number boards.  I just glue the the 3528 size LED to the rear of the headlight housing.

Thanks John. I'll look into it.

Would Rule 17 (now known as Rule 5.9.1+) actually apply to an older steam locomotive?  Dimming of a headlight in the presence of an oncoming train would have been manually done by one of the engine crew members.  Just asking.........

Yes, in the real world Rule-17 would be managed differently, and for Legacy you have manual control possible for some locomotives.  However, the standard "automatic" Rule-17 operation that's applied by both Lionel and MTH is to dim the headlight when stopped.  That being the case, I did the same thing with my Super-Chuffer headlight control.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

You might consider a surface mount headlight at the rear of the headlight housing.  I use those when I upgrade steamers with my Super-Chuffer for the Rule-17 lighting, I need an LED headlight.  They put plenty of light out through the number boards.  I just glue the the 3528 size LED to the rear of the headlight housing.

John, Can you make a suggestion on the LED. Digi-key has thousands. I found one, but I think it'll be too bright.

Looking at Digi-key P/N 1416-1931-1-ND.

https://www.digikey.com/produc...16-1931-1-ND/5909378

I use some generic warm white LED's, email me your address and I'll put a few into an envelope and send them to you.  You will have to solder to them, and I use Liquid Tape to insulate the connections, then put it inside the headlight housing and glue it to the rear.  I typically use fine #28 or #30 wire to wire them.  To light them, the components required are dependent on what electronics you're driving them with.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I use some generic warm white LED's, email me your address and I'll put a few into an envelope and send them to you.  You will have to solder to them, and I use Liquid Tape to insulate the connections, then put it inside the headlight housing and glue it to the rear.  I typically use fine #28 or #30 wire to wire them.  To light them, the components required are dependent on what electronics you're driving them with.

Email sent. I'm using your Super-Chuffer. Thanks for the help.

Jayhawk500 posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I use some generic warm white LED's, email me your address and I'll put a few into an envelope and send them to you.  You will have to solder to them, and I use Liquid Tape to insulate the connections, then put it inside the headlight housing and glue it to the rear.  I typically use fine #28 or #30 wire to wire them.  To light them, the components required are dependent on what electronics you're driving them with.

Email sent. I'm using your Super-Chuffer. Thanks for the help.

Consider this Customer Support.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Jayhawk500 posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I use some generic warm white LED's, email me your address and I'll put a few into an envelope and send them to you.  You will have to solder to them, and I use Liquid Tape to insulate the connections, then put it inside the headlight housing and glue it to the rear.  I typically use fine #28 or #30 wire to wire them.  To light them, the components required are dependent on what electronics you're driving them with.

Email sent. I'm using your Super-Chuffer. Thanks for the help.

Consider this Customer Support.

SWEET! You Sir, are truly a Gentleman and a Scholar.

Throwing out a question....

The ERR AC Commander is void of the bridge rectifier and appears the same in every other aspect to the DC Commander. Other than swapping out the Pullmor motor and installing a DC can motor from Timko, and installing a bridge rectifier on the AC commander board, what other changes need to be made? I know the field wire needs to be removed as well.

The reason I ask is, I really don't like the noisy Pullmor motor, and I've read that the can DC motor will have more torque and smoother operation. Is this true? This engine is not a gear driven engine. The motor is connected using a driveshaft.

No can do, the AC Commander has different code to manage the different type motor, they are not interchangeable even with the added bridge rectifier.  They used the same PCB, but you'd have to have the code changed as well.  Since only Lionel can change that code, and I really doubt they'll be willing, just buy a Cruise Commander.

The DC can motor that Timko uses isn't a very large motor as it wouldn't fit inside the shell, so I would question the torque improvement.  However, it does make a much nicer running unit, I have one upgraded with the Timko motor and fan driven smoke.  Given the fact that it has no traction tires, I figure the wheels will slip before the smaller motor runs out of torque.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

No can do, the AC Commander has different code to manage the different type motor, they are not interchangeable even with the added bridge rectifier.  They used the same PCB, but you'd have to have the code changed as well.  Since only Lionel can change that code, and I really doubt they'll be willing, just buy a Cruise Commander.

The DC can motor that Timko uses isn't a very large motor as it wouldn't fit inside the shell, so I would question the torque improvement.  However, it does make a much nicer running unit, I have one upgraded with the Timko motor and fan driven smoke.  Given the fact that it has no traction tires, I figure the wheels will slip before the smaller motor runs out of torque.

Thanks for the reply John. I was just asking...I'll stick with the AC motor for now and see how it does once I get it back together.

I'm basically at a standstill with the mods until I get the necessary paint for the smoke box and boiler front. The smoke box gray was wayyyyyy to dark. It was more of a battleship gray. Plus I need to find a hobby shop that carries brass stock so I can make some more detailed parts.

Just a quick update and not much else to add. I'm still waiting on my second bottle of gray paint to arrive. In the mean time, I drilled the hole in the headlight and did some filing on the eagle I wanted to mount. It may not be exactly like to real McCoy, but its very close. Other than that...I have to wait for the paint to show up.

Stay tuned! More will definitely follow.

P.S. Ift's (see) funny, I've corrected this post 4 times...The Pendleton and Pepsi is kicking in.......

P.S.S.  I did make reservations for the wife and I  to ride The Holiday Express in Portland Or. on Dec.3rd. It'll be pulled by the  SP Daylight Special # 4449 all lite up in Christmas lights. Pictures will follow.

Love the eagle, cool touch.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I use some generic warm white LED's, email me your address and I'll put a few into an envelope and send them to you.  You will have to solder to them, and I use Liquid Tape to insulate the connections, then put it inside the headlight housing and glue it to the rear.  I typically use fine #28 or #30 wire to wire them.  To light them, the components required are dependent on what electronics you're driving them with.

I received your LEDs today. Thank You Very Much!

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Love the eagle, cool touch.

Thank You! I wanted to keep it from the Freedom Train days.