But wouldn't that be solved by putting the gear tower at the nose end of the hood? Which would obviate any problems with the shafts and universals. And I don't see any problem in trimming the top and corners of the heavy sheet brass used for the gear tower is greater clearance is needed.
With the discussion I finally went and did what I had on my to-do list and swapped the motor end-for-end, resoldering the leads so the brushes are on the same end as the gear tower and installed a brass HO flywheel from the parts drawer (I needed a length of brass tubing as a sleeve, but it worked out fine) on the free end. I don't know whether the previous owner chose it or whether it was recommended by the Cascade instructions, but it had been mounted with bathroom caulking; I scraped it off and used double-sided tape to remount the motor (I get mine from Radio Shack). And, as hoped, it does improve the running quality. Jace Kahn General Manager Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co. > The idea to put the gear tower in the center of the frame was so that I > could detail the cab interior and maybe even have enough room to stick a > speaker under the cab floor. Who knows maybe some day I'll resurrect the > project, but for now I have enough switchers to handle my current needs. > > As a side note, at one time I considered using NWSL's PDT. Though normally > available only in Sn3, you could get one built up in S standard with a > wheelbase to match the S-2. It would require using two of them, but each > truck would be self-contained with it's own motor (much like the original > Miller concept). that would leave the cab area wide open and nothing under > the hood. However, that would have been an expensive alternative. At the > time they were going for $90 a piece plus the cost to upgrade each to S > standard gauge. > > Bob Frascella > Wenham, MA > > On Sun, Aug 22, 2010 at 4:31 PM, JGG KahnSr <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Generally, I agree with your conclusions (including the idea I proposed, > > that for the same money one could have bought an S Helper > > EMD--and actually cheaper during the SHS sale--for what the Miller with > > replacement drive brought). > > I am puzzled why you put the gear tower in the center of the frame than in > > the hood end, however. With the exception of the issues > > I'd already noted, however, my Miller doesn't run all that badly. Just not > > so well as my SHS EMD's. > > > > > > Jace Kahn > > > > General Manager > > Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co. > > > > > I agree with Pieter on this one. I purchased the body/frame many years > > ago > > > and then about five years ago found a Cascade conversion kit. I didn't > > like > > > the gear tower in the cab so modified it and moved it to the hood between > > > the two trucks. The problem is that there's not enough room between the > > > trucks and gear tower to install the universals. I thought maybe I'd use > > > flex tubing on one end and a single universal on each truck. I never > > > proceeded beyond thinking about that because SHS came out with their > > amazing > > > NW-2, then I acquired their SW-1 and now I have Jim's H10-44. There's no > > > way I could ever make the old Miller Alco run as good as they do. And, if > > I > > > ever feel like I have to have one, I'd likely go the Railmaster/North > > Yard > > > route. Maybe it was a good conversion back in the day, but it can't > > compete > > > with the likes of what's out there now. > > > > > > Bob Frascella > > > Wenham, MA > > > > > > On Sun, Aug 22, 2010 at 12:58 PM, JGG KahnSr > > > <[email protected]<jacekahn%40hotmail.com>> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Miller hood will make either an S-2 or (with replacement AAR > > > > sideframes) an S-4; the S-1 (and S-3) not only have a narrower set of > > hood > > > > louvres but since they were 660HP units, the exhaust is a conical stack > > > > centered rather than the offset tapered square stack on the > > turbocharged > > > > 1000HP S-2/4. Very early Alco switchers also had a low stack like the > > early > > > > EMC switchers which most owners replaced or > > > > extended with a straight pipe. I think the earliest S-1's also had a > > > > circular fan housing on top of the hood rather than the more common > > > > rectangular one. > > > > > > > > > > > > Jace Kahn > > > > > > > > General Manager > > > > Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co. > > > > > > > > > To: [email protected] <S-Scale%40yahoogroups.com> <S-Scale% > > 40yahoogroups.com> > > > > > From: [email protected] <pieter_roos%40yahoo.com> <pieter_roos% > > 40yahoo.com> > > > > > > > Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:36:08 -0700 > > > > > > > > > Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} Miller S1.... > > > > > > > > > > Hi Bob; > > > > > > > > > > S-1 and S-2 had Blunt trucks, later models had AAR switcher trucks. > > The > > > > S-1 had somewhat more narrow radiator shutters on the hood sides (I'm > > sure > > > > there are other spotting features). > > > > > > > > > > All would have had riveted cab sides. The plain sides on the Miller > > model > > > > are a missing deta, not a spotting feature. > > > > > > > > > > I saw an ad from G&W for a replacement Miller drive in a old Herald, > > > > maybe I should scan and post it to the group. > > > > > > > > > > Pieter Roos > > > > > > > > > > Sent from my iPhone > > > > > > > > > > On Aug 22, 2010, at 12:23 PM, Bob Werre > > > > > <[email protected]<bob%40bobwphoto.com> > > <bob%40bobwphoto.com>> > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Ed, First off the Miller switcher with it's original trucks was > > really > > > > > a S-4. The S-1 had a riveted cab I believe. > > > > > > > > > > I had the entire kit, but sold it some time ago. Our local expert, > > Jack > > > > > Troxell built one many years ago. He made it into a fine running > > engine > > > > > though he did complain that the gears seemed a little on the small > > > > > side. He used the original Miller sideframes and fitted the Beverage > > > > > drive to it. > > > > > > > > > > So it can be made into a fine running engine. > > > > > > > > > > Bob Werre > > > > > BobWphoto.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! 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