PS3 install into Weaver M1 2 rail/ PS3 draw bar question?

Joe,

Did you get the PS3 tender frame?   If so you can install the wireless drawbar with a little fabrication and cutting depending on how adventurous you want to be.  I just completed a full PS3 install on an engine made in 2004

Dave

I got this from someone who I believe removed it from a tinplate engine. It would be easier for me to reverse the drawbar's direction to utilize it.

The tender has a round pin and the engine needs a straight horizontal connection.

Can the 6 wire PS3 drawbar be reversed? I will check it with my meter, I just want to make sure I'm not overlooking something internal in this drawbar?

One of the complaints about this early Weaver model was the size (electrical draw) of the large can motor.   I have one (three rail) that has an EOB upgrade, seem to run fine.  Mine has the long haul tender with lots of room.

Eight wire tether was covered with a piece of shrink tube.  There is no smoke, other than the original sleuth smoke unit,  no front coupler, or front light control.  

I have another problem now and this 2 rail engine may just go back on the shelf!

As I'm testing with my meter, there is a dead short between the 2 inside blind driver's tires and the axles. The outer two driver's tires are insulated. If I'm correct about this, the engine will short out my layout every time it hits a hill in the track!

David Minarik posted:

Joe,

Did you get the PS3 tender frame?   If so you can install the wireless drawbar with a little fabrication and cutting depending on how adventurous you want to be.  I just completed a full PS3 install on an engine made in 2004

Dave

I missed your reply Dave. I did not get the tender frame. Just the drawbar set-up.

Here's my third attempt at configuring this tether to the set-up.

I have a spare PS2 10 wire wireless drawbar swivel, for tender side only. I need to get a ten wire drawbar and the engine side plug to make that set-up work on something. It's a long haul PRR tender with PS2 3 volt board inside. I might attach it to a little Atlantic that had PS2 5 volt that died.. or Someday I might get my hands on a 5 volt PRR Q2 to use it on.

 I saw so many drawbar packs from MTH and did not realize until now just how many different set-ups there are. It appears that most have right angled sockets and some are different configurations of that. Let alone the different number of pins being used.

Maybe I could paint on that snot traction product to insulate the blind drivers? I wonder how long that would stick onto the smooth tires?

It's a typical day for me with the fun of trying!!

My auto wire strippers bit me again!

and now I look in the mirror and my left eye looks bad!

I got the install done. Then I swapped out the sound file and the chain file. The board made the reset sounds after the first 2 power cycles.

I didn't get the tape right as the original chain file was set for a different tach tape. So when I changed the files I'd have to start over. I guessed at the stripes at it was double. So I set the chuff at 2 for now and it looks close.

 For some reason the playable whistle stuck on as I was going for the shutdown anyways. The engine made it's shut down sounds and half way thru the volume went louder than I've ever heard any file go! I had cut the video right before that happened because of the stuck whistle.

Just because it is PS-3 does not mean you need the drawbar.  It is even simpler it is only 6 wires.  You can splice the wires to the normal upgrade steam kit connection if you want to. Just get the wires to between engine and tender connected correctly.  You will have 4 spare wires:-)  G

Thanks G. I did look at that. I either had to waste the extra wires from a PS2 tether, use a PS1 with 2 extra wires needing a spare coupler, or use it as is.

I cut the heck out of the tender's floor until I got it working right. Would have been easier to use the PS2 tether.

Now someday to have Joe F make new tires for better traction.