Russel, Could you please show some photos of the Driver-Cardan shaft unit (inside the loco under the cab)? Thank you, Franz
I will have to wait until I get back home next week for photos. I used the main axle gear from a Kato Mikado wheel set. I had to shave the center axle hole nubs off to make a flat gear that was sandwiched between two brass side plates of the gear box that I constructed. I machined a worm gear that fits on top of the gear box with a shaft that extends out the back to a flexible coupling.
Russel, Thank your very much. Any further information would be appreciated. I think with your help via TB I might try to build one. Regards, Franz
OK, here are some photos of the gear box I made. There are two side pieces and two spacer pieces held together with 4 screws. I filed the heads off the two front screws after the box was assembled to give better clearance in the locomotive body. The holes were threaded all the way through so the headless screws are still very tight. I soldered the two worm gear bearings to the top of the inside spacer pieces. I notched the back of the gear box to fit into the coupler pocket that extends from the tender truck. There is enough clearance for the tender coupler pocket to move around in the notches allowing for going around curves and changes in grade. The whole gear box assembly is held into the locomotive body by the driver axle. The Kato driver bearings are fitted into the brass locomotive body so I had to remove the contact strips that connect between the wheel treads and the wheel bearing. This is to prevent electrical shorts. The electrical pick-up for the motor comes only from the four tender wheels. I may wire a box car with additional pick-up to the tender if I encounter problems down the road.
Russel, Great!!!! It is a little bit difficult and expensive to buy a Kato Mikado in Europe. But I have several Kato European BR 86. Could you please tell me what's the diameter of the wheel and which motor do you use? Thank you in advance, Franz
The motor I used is http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10103057 The Kato drivers measure about 9.6mm in diameter at the tire (not with the flange). A single driver set from Kato is still available. Part # 11-604 however comes with traction tires. May actually be a good thing.
This was taken yesterday. Mind you, my "workbench" is a highly cluttered college desktop. The bridges were salvaged from a small switching layout I picked up way back. I plan on using them for a future model railroad set in Southern Oregon, so I painted over the existing "Lackawanna Railroad" lettering (My apologies to Lackawanna fans). The SW9 I picked up way back as well; I just finished painting it black so I can letter it for the Western Washington Railroad (where I worked last summer).
What's on my workbench? Stacks of Atlas SD 24's, GP 9's, Life Like PA's and one Erie Built (waiting for a painted UP shell...if anyone has one). All kinds of freight and passenger cars waiting for Micro Trains wheel-sets or truck conversions. Plenty of building kits and a yet unused compressor for custom painting. Can't find the fittings to hook up my spray gizmo's. Thinking seriously of selling off some of this stuff to raise money for teeth. Hee hee Haw Haw!
Am I the only N Scale Pacific Electric freight modeler in the world? I don't think so. I have a small PE system on my layout. Trouble is I can't find equipment to operate on it. I can come close but no cigar.
