Con Cor Alco PA assembly diagram

lrbusjockey May 20, 2015

  1. lrbusjockey

    lrbusjockey New Member

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    I recently acquired a Con Cor Alco PA in the Black Widow paint scheme. I understand that this loco was probably never actually produced in the proto type. It looks great and my opinion is that it should have been. This model has been in storage for about 20 years and obviously needed cleaning and lubrication. You would not believe the crap I dug out of the trucks. I'm very surprised that it was still operational. Anyway, my dilemma: during disassembly, one of the copper pickups fell out of the truck assembly and I have no idea exactly where it was positioned. There are 2 of these pickups and I need a diagram to figure out where they should go. This is a second edition PA (maybe a third) and it has the all silver body....solid top with 2 bottom halves. I have checked the Con Cor website and there is no diagram to be had. If anyone knows where I can find one, a link would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
     
  2. lrbusjockey

    lrbusjockey New Member

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    I should have mentioned that I plan to put a decoder in this PA for DCC operation. It may be that in the motor isolation process, I will not need the 2 brass pickups. Any pointers would also be greatly appreciated. I'm new to DCC, so I have a lot to learn.:eek:hboy:
     
  3. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    I believe they really don't do much other than reduce the amount of side to side play of the axle in the truck frame. Some folks I know put a little bend in them to provide a little pressure on the inside of the wheels on one side but I never did. The truck would probably function well enough without them but I always leave them in.
    [​IMG]
     

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  4. lrbusjockey

    lrbusjockey New Member

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    Thanks, Russell. Your illustration really helps. My pieces are apparently damaged, so I will just leave them out and see how well the trucks perform. I was a little concerned that the 2 pieces were somehow used for power pick up. Good to know that they are probable not necessary. Now, all I have to do is figure out how to isolate the motor for DCC. It should be fairly easy, but I will have to modify the chassis for the decoder. The dremmel tool should take care of that little task. Again, thanks for the info and the illustration.
     
  5. brokemoto

    brokemoto TrainBoard Member

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    These things, despite their age and being superseded, are still good runners.

    A few years back, C-C did update these things. The new power chassis has flywheels and may even be DCC ready. I have some of them, and they are better than the older issues. I am not a DCC user, so I did not pay attention to their being DCC ready, or not, but I seem to recall DCC's being mentioned in connexion with them. Perhaps a DCC user who has the newest version can confirm or deny.

    The official line is that SP sold its last PA to N de M in 1967, which means that they were around in the Black Widow era, but I seem to recall that they went from Daylight directly to Bloody Nose then retirement. It seems that I recall seeing one on the SF Peninsula after 1967. Unlike many roads, SP did like its PAs.

    The old shells will go onto the new chassis.
     
  6. Spookshow

    Spookshow TrainBoard Member

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    The most recent release (2003) came equipped with an 8-pin NMRA-style DCC connector, so they are about as DCC-Ready as it gets -

    [​IMG]

    The dummy B units came equipped with Soundtraxx decoders and speakers (giving Con-Cor the distinction of having released the first sound-equipped N scale locomotives - years before anyone else) -

    [​IMG]

    Cheers,
    -Mark
     
  7. rogergperkins

    rogergperkins TrainBoard Member

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    Mark Peterson alias Spookshow has a website with a considerable wealth of information on n-scale locomotives including photos, etc. and evaluation. His website would be the place I would check for this.
    http://www.spookshow.net/locos.html
    And this takes one to the PAs by Con-Cor:

    http://www.spookshow.net/loco/ccpa.html
     
  8. brokemoto

    brokemoto TrainBoard Member

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    Thank you, again, Spookshow.

    Another reason why Spookshow's website is an indispensable resource for N scale.
     
  9. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    Looking at Russ' photo, I believe the bronze wipers were designed to improve current flow to the chassis halves. While they may not be absolutely necessary, they would ensure continuous current flow by being tightly screwed to the truck frames and constantly wiping on the chassis. The loco probably will operate without the wipers, but it may hesitate at times as the trucks wobble on uneven track, especially after the truck and frame metal begins to corrode slightly.
     
  10. JMaurer1

    JMaurer1 TrainBoard Member

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    On the SP, the PA's were mainly purchased as passenger locomotives and so they came with the Daylight paint on them from Alco. SP 6039 was repainted into the halloween paint scheme (black with orange on the nose) and 6024 was painted into a variation of the paint scheme (orange and black, but the orange was the shape of the later red wings). No SP PA ever appeared in the black widow paint (or for that matter the Lark paint...daylight layout but light and dark grey), although they do look good in that paint.
     
  11. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    The brass wipers do not extend far enough to contact the chassis halves. They just lie flat against the truck side frame and only make contact with the inside of the wheel next to them when the axle slides over far enough.
     
  12. Earthsavior

    Earthsavior New Member

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    I made an account to post the assembly diagram for you (I found one and scanned it), but I can't as a new account. I can try to PM it to you, if you'd like.
    Edit: Looks it it attached anyway. Hooray!
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited by a moderator: May 20, 2015
  13. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    That is the newer production DCC ready chassis. It has brass inserts with cone bearing pockets that hold the axles for lower fiction. I did not realize Con Cor made those changes. Thanks for posting that.
    [​IMG]
     
  14. Earthsavior

    Earthsavior New Member

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    Oops. My bad. Hopefully it'll be of some use, though.
     
  15. Carolina Northern

    Carolina Northern TrainBoard Member

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    Wow, this is really a different chassis. Looks to have all the latest bells and whistles. Don't know how I missed this.

    the Kato PA looks and runs amazing, but doesn't come in Southern. May have to get some new chassis and repower my shells.

    Don
     
  16. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    The OP does, indeed, have the second iteration of the PA, first sold in the late seventies/early eighties. The first version has a long motor which fits down into a pit in the lower part of the frame and has the cup gears, etc. There is a top cover plate which screws to the lower frame to keep the motor and gears in place. It didn't have the auxilliary copper pickups that are the subject of this thread.

    The second version has a more square motor and it fits into the upper part of the frame and there are two lower parts which are insulated from each other and keep the motor and drive in place. The remaining drive is pretty much the same as the first version. This version does have the auxilliary pickups which Con-Cor evidently added to ensure better current pickup. Each copper pickup is screwed to one or the other truck frame halves and the fingers are supposed to stick out to contact the back of two of the wheels. If they don't they are not correct. In other words, they are wheel wipers like on most other earlier N scale locos.

    The extra pickups aren't absolutely necessary but...

    Doug
     
  17. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    That is what I assumed. However, I have yet to see delivered from Con Cor with the "Wiper" bent to make constant contact with the inside of the wheels. I suppose they were provided to be "adjusted" by the end user if needed. ;)
     
  18. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    Yeah, Con-Cor's usual M.O.

    :teeth:

    Doug
     

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