All- With all the Current , better running Locomotives out there.. why would anyone want to attempt this> Tyco and Pancake Motor Rebuilding and Repairing - YouTube ? Why? Me, I would simply remove the actual Manufacturers Locomotive Shell and place it on a better running Chassis with Little , no modifitaction ! Tom
Heck, I have worked on many Lima N scale pancakes to improve their performance and afterward, they run considerably better, if I do say so, myself. And then, we can talk about Aurora Thunderjet 500 pancakes! Doug
I have two old Lima locos from the 1970s with the pancake motors - a GP and an F unit. They have 4-wheel electrical pickup, 4-wheel drive, almost no weight in the chassis, and an awkward plastic-on-plastic joint for the power truck to pivot in. One one of the two, there was a manufacturing defect such that the thin piece of the frame on one side of the power truck was too thin and almost not there. The starting speed was shockingly high. It's such thoroughly bad technology that you almost have to respect it.
If you're spending money on a better chassis, you might as well just buy a new locomotive altogether. Not sure why saving a Tyco shell is worth it, unless it holds some sentimental value.
That's about what I was thinking. One could find a used but newer chassis at a train show at a bargain, but not for much less than a complete engine with a shell. Then again, would an old shell easily fit on a newer chassis? That would require some work anyway. But you're right about the sentimental aspect. If my 50-year-old Model Power sharknose ever quit, I would maybe swap the chassis with another working one (of which I have two others), but there are so many of those old MP sharks out there... But those old beasts don't quit easily!
