Butch, Rusty is correct about the stiffness of the FEF. I knew that when I was reserving the unit. I did remove some of the cylinder area and also lengthened the pilot truck a tad. BTW, it's funny how two Great Minds--Rusty's and Mine--came to the same conclusion!!
Besides that I had a real problem with the trailing truck staying on track--but some weight took care of that. I do have one 36" radii curve with easements,; like I mentioned, a 39" spiral loop plus most of my turnouts are #6 and that big guy does quite well. I've been wanting to remove just a little metal from the frame to allow the drivers (especially the center ones) just a little more side play before I finally get around to painting it--what's the rush as it's been about 20 years! Your experiences with the Sunset engines are common, but with a lot of work they can become excellent running engines--past internet messages plus a page in an old S Gaugian will describe how some of the engines have been modified. Also don't forget the Southwind UP steam engines--somewhat simplified, but good runners. Also the upcoming USRA switcher was owned by the UP, although it's certainly not my favorite UP switcher. Cryer Gray was working on perhaps a more desirable version but apparently the program is in outer space and may never land! Bob Werre Rusty wrote: > > > I think you will find that you either have to whack away at the > cylinder covers on the FEF in order to get it to go around a 42 inch > curve, or lengthen the lead truck. I painted a model for another S > Scaler and he tried to run it on ED L.'s layout with 48 inch radius. > He had to grind away on the cylinder covers to get it to go around > Ed's 48 inch radius. If i had know they was a problem i would have > lengthened his lead truck instead. After learning the problem I made a > lengthened lead truck for my FEF and tested it on a 42 inch radius and > it worked. I've had to do this to a couple of Niagara's also but I > have no idea how well they ever really ran over time. > My layout is a true point to point with no curves so it is no longer > an issue for me and the Menlo Park S Scale is all 60 inch and bigger. > I've also been working on the Big Boy and the Challenger. I've > finished both models but am now at the stage of going back and > removing removing the drive mechanism and replacing them with a new > ones. The factory installed drive is too noisy. This is after changing > both models to NASG standards and weight balancing both engine frames > and re-springing. > I started to build a couple of 4-12-2's years ago but did not get far. > I have the drivers done but nothing else. I would like to finish that > project along with about 25 other brass projects in the planning, > construction stage. I have been thinking lately of just retiring from > the hobby. > > Rusty Rustermier > --- In [email protected] <mailto:S-Scale%40yahoogroups.com>, > "up148" <up...@...> wrote: > > > > Hi Jim, > > > > > > This is great news about the Turbine as they are the only "S" locos > I still have and I really, really wanted to run them. I've been > hanging around in "O" scale the last few years but this new house is > the last for us so an "S" scale layout is in the cards. The only other > larger steam loco I'd really like to have and run is one of the OMI > FEF-3. > > > > Since I'm still strictly a UP modeler there isn't much else in the > way of steam to run. I won't miss the Sunset Bigboy and Challenger as > they never ran very well and I'm sure 44" curves are way too small for > them, but an FEF-3 would be really nice. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Butch > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
