Lionel UP H7 2 8 8 2 - what an adventure!

Richard,

The H7 looks fantastic pulling those reefers.  Thank you for posting the pictures.

It seems this engine is particular about being on the track.  I've read several post about it now.  Do you think something was binding, causing the derailments?

I bought this a month ago and it is sitting in the box.  Other than the derailment issues, how do you like it?  Would you mind posting a picture from overhead of the boiler overhang on the o96 ?  My layout design has wider curves and I am curious how it looks on the o96...

Again, great pictures, been looking for a post like this...

Richard...nice pictures!  Perhaps the locomotive just needed a break-in period...a kind of limbering up of the parts??? 

Alan

It is a wonderful loco, I love mine.  Your video looks great with those reefers.  

I've noticed mine is very fussy about setting up the front set of drivers and the wires above them leading to the smoke unit - sometimes when I don't get it just right, those wires seem to sag down to the front set of drivers and inhibit their turning into corners and it derails on curves where it otherwise would not. 

86TA355SR ,

Here are the over head pictures and one picture of the H7 running down the main line.

The overhang is not that bad on O 96 curves. My two loops of track are set on 4.5 inch centers. The H7 overhang is clear of the outside loop. I have Ross 072 wyes at each end of my Ross 8 track yard. I have not tried to run the H7 through the yard yet. I am just happy to see it run around the layout. My Pennsy 2 8 8 2 makes it through the yard ok.

I do need suggestions on one minor issue with the H 7. It has developed a very annoying squeak that sounds as if it is somewhere in the leading set of drivers. I re oiled all of the moving parts in this area, but the squeak is still there. Has anyone run into this issue with the H7?

Here are the overhead pictures

Alan,

Maybe it just needed a little more breaking in. It ran just fine today. The trip through the yard is next, but I may need to have a few adult beverages in me before I do that, otherwise I could lose my sense of humor with this engine!

Lee,

I wonder if I moved those smoke unit wires around when I was rerailing the engine. I had considered going for the UP 4 12 2, but those 12 wheel drivers worried me.

Thanks again for all the comments.

Richard

It makes me wonder why these derailment problems didn't occur with the original 2006 model, yet does with the new one?

Thank you, the pictures were exactly what I was looking for!  It looks great on the 096 curves.  What a great looking engine, so glad I bought one.

I'll keep an eye out for the wires you and Lee are talking about when I get mine running.   Look forward to getting my layout started so I can see my H7 operate.

I have the UP 4-12-2 also and it is a fantastic engine.  Love it.  As long as your track work is smooth (it appears very nice), go for it.  You won't be disappointed.

By the way, great layout/train room!

If you've oiled all of the linkage, rods, and axle bushings it could be the pickup rollers. A tiny drop of oil at each end will help.

If not the pickup rollers, check the brake shoe detail next to each driver. Sometimes these get installed and are positioned too close to the driver(s). The metal shoe detail can rub the wheel flange and create a squeak.

I normally loosen the offending brake shoe put a small flat blade screwdriver between the shoe and the wheel and retighten. The shoes are mounted with small philips screws on the bottom of the loco.

Were these some of the artic engines UP bought from the C&O?

check you brake shoes to see if one is rubbing on a driver.  this will squeak.

Sure don't know what you mean by "arctic engines", but the C&O H-7 locomotives were FORCED on the UP by the War Production Board. The UP needed additional locomotives for the war effort, and as soon as the war was over, the UP sent those former C&O H-7 locomotives to scrap.

Rico,

I will look at the break shoes. I have oiled all the side rods and axes. It shure is a loud squeak to be coming from a pick up roller. I will check that also.

Thanks to all for the comments about the layout. I layout is a diversion from reality for me.

Richard

The C&O H-7 were not "forced" upon the UP by the War Production Board.  The fact that the UP was able to order and buy Big Boys, Challengers, and FEF-3's shows that this wasn't the case.  The UP was simply so desperate for motive power, as were many other roads, such as AT&SF, SP, PRR, RF&P, and D&RGW, that they bought anything that was available that ran.  Since eastern roads such as C&O and N&W had been able to upgrade they rosters just before the war broke out they had older power that could be spared, such as the C&O H-7 2-8-8-2, and the N&W Z-1a 2-6-6-2, Y-2a & Y-3 2-8-8-2, and K-3 4-8-2.

Stuart

Thanks for posting and I hope you resolve your issue.

This is next on my hit list to buy after I save a few bucks.

I run the larger EM-1, AC-9, Y6b, Y-3 and Allegheny on my 072 curved radii and I noticed that the front trucks sometimes do not slide side to side fresh out of the box. I add a touch of grease to the front truck mounting screw so it can slide freely and all the derailments disappeared. I then realized that the root cause was a burr on the casting of the front truck was catching on the shoulder bolt. So I took a jewelers file and removed the hard edge around the slot and bye-bye derailments.

 BTW- I picked up the UP 4-12-2 and it will run fine on O-72, it just looks odd when the center drivers leave the rail, great sound unit.

My K-Line non-scale Big Boy had a squeak like you said, and I also oiled all the side rods and axles and it still didn't go away.  I finally realized that I hadn't added any oil to the piston rod where it moves in the rear cylinder face.  I added some and it got quieter.  Added some more, and it went away.  A couple months later it came back and I added some more oil and now it's been quiet for a while.