Workshop Wednesday

Wait until I get Keith to program it for smell!
Thanks Mike

 

Can I place an order for a half dozen?

 

Hopefully soon Sherrel !!

 

A couple from the latest run of Tangent's 86' boxcars.

 

I'm gonna need a wider monitor. Ha!

 

Ha. I hadn’t done any in a while, kinda forgot how big they really are.

 

I have a modest bit of progress to report.

I'm still making inching forward on the final Stewart/Kato F I have on hand. Got all the needed holes located/drilled, got the unwanted dynamic brake grids sanded/filled/smoothed, along with some other seam sanding. Here's a pic from a few days ago...



It's now ready for the skirts/tank/battery box mods I like to do, and then it will be time for the wire work. (Fabricating the needed custom rails/etc.)

I've also been setting up another op session, this time for two of my friends. However, the date we agreed upon has snow/ice in the forecast, so that will probably nix that date. Darn. As always, I was looking forward to it.

Late this afternoon I spent a bit of time with one of my ready-for-sound P2K GP7's to see if I can make an Atlas SD26 cab and low short hood fit. (Short GP18/20 type cab n' short hood on a GP7 in 1964? Yup. I've had a brainstorm.) After some careful filing on the Atlas cab, it snuggled right down like it was made for it. The front tabs even clicked in place!



SO, the cab will fit nicely. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to sacrifice the P2K cab in order to cut-off the exit step assembly (Engineer's side) so I can use it to plug the hole that exists beneath the Atlas cab. There could be other parts n' pieces from the P2K cab that will need to be used as well, all of which remains to be seen.

Next item on this project would be to fit the nose fit to the shell, which will irretrievably alter it. However, I will not do so on this particular P2K GP7. This one is ready to send off for sound, so it will remain a high hood GP7, thus fitting the low short nose will have to wait until I pull one of my NIB undec GP7's out of the box and start in earnest on my kitted Geep idea I have.

Lastly, my pair of P2K GP7's I shipped last Wednesday arrived at The Whiz's on Saturday... and he finished them LAST NIGHT... and they were to shipped today! (Wow!) Ol' Whiz was on the top of his game this go 'round. Way to go Whiz!

Really liking the looks of the P2K GP7's now that one has hit the layout. Great looking models. Anxious to start getting some of them in KC&G paint.

All fer now!

 

Lookin good Andre. The low hood idea from the Atlas unit was great. Nice job.

 

Thanks Steve. Your kind words are much appreciated.

The unit that will get the cab kit was trailing in a consist when it was involved in a derail. (That dad-burned Ozark Sub is a toughie.) The damage it sustained destroyed the short high hood and cab. The battered unit has been sitting in the dead line at the Magnolia Shops for a while. The struggling KC&G couldn't afford to purchase a replacement unit, so it was decided to purchase a cab/hood "kit" from EMD and try to get it back into service themselves. The cab kit is on hand now, so it's up to the fella's at the Magnolia Shops to make it happen. They'll work it through as soon as they can. Right now they're trying to get a handful of F units patched up and back in service. Being short of power and the funds needed to address the issue (new units) makes for some long hours for the Magnolia Shops and some trouble-filled trips for the poor souls in Train Service. Bankruptcy and reorganization is a mighty tough row to hoe.

 

Think of the poor humper who had to sprint back to get the pin.

 

Thanks Keith.

As you are well aware, I have a tendency to create Fronkensteen engines! ( )

I really like the looks of the P2K's. In addition to using my latest P2K (only DCC/Sound one at the moment) yesterday afternoon to switch the Branson Yard (upper stage), just last night I used it to make a non-session transfer from Branson Yard to Clarskville Yard (lower stage). I was so enjoying playing with the sound features and the look of that little engine as it moseyed toward the big grade. When it started down that grade and the weight of that train hit it in the butt... the gear lash lurching started. The lurch is really bad. What a quick way to spoil all the nice sound effects and visuals that were being produced.

SO... I guess I'm going to have to order up a selection of thrust washers and shim all the worm gears/etc in my P2K's.

Sure wish I'd discovered the gear lash issues before I'd sent them off for sound.

P2K owners w/grades beware!

 

Thanks for the tip Keith. Unfortunately, it didn't noticeably help. Darn.

Upon further review, I'm not so sure it's just the worm run-out. I'm a'feared this may be in the gear towers themselves: Simply not deep enough mesh among the gears resulting in excessive slop.

Upside: MU'ing with one of my Front Range/Mashima GP7's kept it in check on the descent. Plus, it could be that MU-ing two P2K's may help cause one to minimize the other so a smoother descent is the result.

I'll figure it out, and if it's fixable, I'll apply the fix to all my P2K Geeps.

All fer now!

 

Are you sure the gears aren’t cracked Andre? Those units are notorious for cracked gears. It would be rare to find one without damage. It was a manufacturing error but they kept at it for years and left it up to the owner to fix.

 

Hey All,

Got stuck in a training class that is taking a good deal of my spare time. Since last week, I managed to get some sculptamold in and put down a base layer of scenery. The track is roughed in. I had an immediate stall on building the trestle., though. I had to restock on lumber from the tiny lumber baron up north. Should have supplies in for that over the weekend. I did not want to work on the creek too much until the bridge was built.





Take care all and stay warm. Of all things, we might get snow here in San Antonio early next week.

-Bob T.

 

Bob T:

You're amazing. Seems you're ALWAYS creating, making, adding to your layout and equipment! Once again you're at and creating something that will add to your overall theme!

Steve:

All of my P2K GP7's and my P2K FA1/FB1 have had their cracked geared axle sleeves replaced within the past couple years with new Athearn geared axle sleeves. I also bored out the replacement geared axle sleeves to reduce the stress on it. (Without doing this, the stock axle sleeve is a very tight, almost press-fit, which more readily leads to failure.) The engine runs like a Swiss watch switching cars, or pulling trains on level track or upgrade. It's the descent w/train that reveals the issue.

Mike:

Nice work on the caboose! Digital printing is really changing model railroading.

 

Bob, glad you never let up. It will be a great addition.

Mike, what scale? Looks awesome. I know one of the other members offers those on Shapeways but I have not tried one yet. It’s a must have for Frisco freight though. Can’t wait to see yours.

Andre, sounds like you already covered the obvious. Crazy it is just descents???Can you run it downhill with the body off to look for any movement?