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I have a Postwar American Flyer 343 0-8-0 switcher on my bench.  This one has the reversing unit in the tender, and a four wire cloth covered cable connecting the two. There is also a single conductor cloth covered wire running from the tender to an eyelet on the engine's terminal plate.

First question: is the single wire original?

My American Flyer service manual reprint shows the engine as I described above on the first page of the section on the 343. But then it shows the wiring as if the reversing unit was in the locomotive. Sure enough, when I looked on the internet, most of the locos were as described above. But one engine only had two wires running from the tender to the engine, and there was a sheet metal shroud covering the back of the loco. I assume the reversing unit was under the shroud.

Second question: What is the story on AF moving the e-unit to the engine?

Third question: There is a sheet metal tab sticking down from the chassis of the tender, on the right side, just ahead of the rear truck.  What is it's purpose?

Thanks

 

Last edited by CharlieS
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The wiring configuration is original. These 343's were made in 1953 and 1954. The wiring diagrams are online at myflyertrains.org. When the reverse unit was moved to the engine the plastic shroud was added to cover it. Only two wires are needed from the tender to the engine with the reverse unit in the engine. It was moved as a cost reduction. 

CharlieS posted:


Third question: There is a sheet metal tab sticking down from the chassis of the tender, on the right side, just ahead of the rear truck.  What is it's purpose?

Thanks

 

Charlie,

 

The sheet metal tab is the reverse lock out.  It will keep the loco in either forward or reverse without going through the reversing cycle when powered down.  Set it while in the desired direction and it will always start again in that direction when powered up again. 

Last edited by poniaj

Charlie,

 

I see what you mean.  I think Dave is right.  At first, I thought it was a way to limit the travel of the truck so as to avoid breaking off the wire inside the tender, but it's in the wrong place.  I have the link coupler version, but the tender frame is the same, that is, with the little welded tab.

By the way, it looks like the trucks on the tender are the kind used in operating cars with the outside shoe for activation.  It's hard to tell in the photo if the trucks have been replaced.  Is anybody else's like that? 

 

The tender trucks are the sliding contact shoe design that were used on the 346 with the tender whistle. The front truck is missing the sliding shoe. I had not seen these on the 343. It could indicate this is one of the uncatalogued 343's made in 1955. The date stamp on the inside of the engine shell would answer that question. 

The tender trucks are the sliding contact shoe design that were used on the 346 with the tender whistle. The front truck is missing the sliding shoe. I had not seen these on the 343. It could indicate this is one of the uncatalogued 343's made in 1955. The date stamp on the inside of the engine shell would answer that question. 

The loco on my bench has them. I have not removed the shell yet. I am waiting for the replacement wiring harness to arrive.

The 5th wire is correct and was designed to supply direct power to the smoker to improve its performance. Be sure to get a 5th wire diagram as a traditional 4 wire is different. You can use the diagram from any late steam loco with 5th wire such as the 316 K5, 326 Hudson, 346 Switcher etc. ( I have emailed you a clear wiring diagram that covers all three reverse unit applications.)

The tab is a truck stop. Its uncommon to have it in that location, but that is its purpose.

Gilbert moved the reverse unit to the cab to allow easy disconnect of the tenders similar to Lionel. The cover should be plastic and was used to hide the reverse unit. Its debatable which is more unsightly, the reverse unit or the cover.

The trucks on that tender have been modified. Someone added the post that holds the slider shoes. The slider shoes were used on locos with the Air Chime whistle. They improved performance and reduced annoying static. If you look you can see where the post was poorly soldered into place instead of being crimped as the factory would have done. Later trucks all had the little pin hole in them for the stud.

 

Tin

 

Last edited by LionelTin

The sliding pickups look clean and factory on the rear truck in the picture. The front truck looks like it was damaged and repaired. The sliding pickups were used on the 346 with the tender whistle in 1955. There were many 343's made in 1955 even though it was uncatalogued. The factory likely used the same tender chassis and trucks for these as for the 346 since many are reported with factory sliding pickups.

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