On another front, my literary skills seem to be returning, and I have been working on an article manuscript that no editor in his right mind could resist, so be warned. On the other hand my typing skills have not kept pace, so everybody should be safe for a while.
boB )String forever!) Nicholson ________________________________ --- In [email protected], Peter Vanvliet <groups@...> wrote: > > Last weekend I re-converted my AM FA2 to S-CAB. I had removed the > components before so that NWSLcould replace the stock AM motor with one > of theirs. The S-CAB components I passed around at my clinic at the NASG > convention were the ones removedfrom my FA2. Now they are back in their > place. > > http://pmrr.org/Equipment/FA2/index_LVL2_7.htm > > The NWSL motor replacement was a slight improvement, but in retrospect > not worth the cost. Of course, I didn't know that ahead of time. I > think, ultimately, at fault is the gearing in the AM gear tower (it has > the "low" gear). At this point in time that is beyond my capabilities (I > am not a mechanical engineer/machinist), so I will leave that issue for > my "future self" to tackle. I do plan to pursue super-detailing the > engines in the future (already have the B.T.S. parts). > > I found the S-CAB powered engine derailing on my tracklast night. I > discovered that the headlight wiring touches the front truck gear tower, > and prevents it from smoothly swiveling, so that, I presume, is the > cause of the derailments. > > My second, now un-powered, A unit would derail as well, but for a > different reason. Upon close inspection I found that the wheels toward > the center ofthe engine floated just above the rail (i.e. the truck was > not parallel withthe rail). Looking for the cause, I found that the > mounting lug (towhich the truck is attached to the frame) wasn't > perfectlystraight, so when the mounting nut is tightened, it pulled the > whole truck out of alignment with respect to the track. Loosening that > nut solved the alignment issue (i.e. all four wheels of the truck > touched the rail), but re-introduced the wobbling of the frame/shell. My > solution was to glue a piece of styrene to the underside of the frame > where the truck gear tower just barely touches the frame when tightened, > which forces the truck to sit at a slight (opposite) angle. It was just > enough to cause the four wheels to once again touch the rails. And that > solved the derailment problems with that engine. > > It was kind of fun testing that unpowered engine by having it be pulled > by my NW2. In the prototype, the FA2 engines would break down often, so > my guess is that there were times when they were indeed pulled by other > engines. > > Today I plan on fixing the headlight wire issue mentioned above, and > then doing a full charge on the engine's batteries. Then this weekend I > hope to do my endurance test (running the engine, light, on my layout > until the battery is drained). > > As Bob Werre mentioned earlier, next weekend we will be at the Galveston > show, where I hope to run the AM FA2 (A-B-A set) with a full train and > see how long its battery lasts on a powered layout (Digitrax DCC on our > club layout). > > That's what I've been up to, as far as modeling is concerned. > - Peter. > > > On 09/27/2013 9:43 am, Bill Lane wrote: > > > > > > Posting about the list being it being quiet? (:->) > > > > Who is doing real S Scale modeling? Let's hear about THAT! > > > > I am repairing an Overland USRA pacific now. > > > > Thank You, > > Bill Lane > > > > -- > > Peter Vanvliet (peter@...) > Houston, Texas > > My Model Railroad Site <http://pmrr.org/> (RSS feed > <http://pmrr.org/rss.xml>) > Fourth Ray Software <http://fourthray.com/> > Houston S Gaugers <http://houstonsgaugers.org/> > N.A.S.G. <http://nasg.org/> > -- > ------------------------------------ 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://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/
