So I have accepted a challenge to dig the swollen/rotting zinc pest frames out of a bunch of DCESharkman's IM locomotives without damaging the shells ! This is just the start !
On the 11 I have worked on so far...yes. I got the frames out...mostly in pieces. I salvaged the shells and the guts out of the frames.
Thankfully, I've only lost one tunnel motor frame to this so far and it was back when IM was able to send a replacement. Keeping fingers crossed on my other half dozen!
Based on the numbers DCE was reporting he had issues with I am guessing you'll at least be busy for a couple of days You are able to salvage the motors and trucks as well?
Shell...DC board...motor....worm gears...pickup strips...trucks...couplers...frame screws...fuel tank covers. Anything that wasn't actually frame. Checked the motors with jumper wires and they all seem to run just fine.
It's too bad that casting and milling frames is a complex affair, else someone could crank out replacement Intermountain frames.
Yea... I am thinking most people with the IM Locomotives with frame rot just threw them in the trash ! Milling new frames even with CNC would be cost prohibitive for a private endeavor ! Sad that a company like Intermountain turns their back at this whole frame rot fiasco !!
George, needs to finish this story. That is when he is finished. So far, he is the Ressurector of a few dead locomotives. The guy morticians fear.
To give him all would have been to much without a larger vehicle. About 6 Bankers Boxes of substantial weight would hold all the victims of Intermountain incompetence. On a comical note, IM did replace 1 bad frame set on a Tunnel Motor, but the replacement was 1/2 an inch shorter than the original. Not sure how or why that happened, but it looks stupid watching the shell slide back and forth while moving and such action also leads to derailments. In short their fix was not worth the postage to send it.
Just a wild thought but does not Shapeways also produce metal parts. So if a zinc pest frame could be salvaged intact for measurements is it possible to print metal frames.
My SD45 from them has a short frame issue as well. When I converted it to sound I mounted the speaker/baffle vertically on the tail end of the frame which fit almost perfectly. It does keep the shell from drifting forward.
Not trying to profit from your tragedy, but if you want to get rid of any of those parts, I have several IM FT frames (1A , 2B) sitting here and if I'm not mistaken, all the F units use the same components. I've been stealing parts from these for years, and they've kept my other FTs alive thru the "IM doesn't have parts" times, but I might be interested in getting them back on the rails.......or just picking up a few spare parts to keep my others going down the road.
