The linkage on one side has come loose. I have re-attached it, but the locomotive will only run backwards. It jams in forward with the linkage in the rearmost position. Quartering refer to the wheels on opposite sides being offset 90 degrees ... correct? Any suggestions??
Yes, quartering refers to wheels on opposite sides being offset, however that should not be a problem if just a crank pin fell out. It sounds like one of the rods bent slightly from being dragged or kinked after the crank pin fell out. With the crank pin replaced, run the loco as slow as possible while keeping an eye on the rods. Look for any place where they cross over each other and where a slight offset can cause a catch. If the loco suddenly freezes but you can hear the motor still trying, take a jewelers flat head and carefully inspect each rod to ensure they are still free from obstruction. If you find an offending link that keeps snagging on another, simple bend it back to where it no longer interferes (but make sure the new bent position does not interfere with another link).
Which crank pin came out? There are only two per side on the Walthers 0-8-0, one is the eccentric crank and the other is the front axle crank pin. The #2 and #4 drivers are not connected to the side rods. I'm guessing the eccentric pin is what came out. You need to make sure that the eccentric is put back in at the correct angle. Look at the opposite side as a comparison. If you don't get the eccentric in the right angle, it will give the eccentric rod more motion than there is room for and cause the jamming.
Thank for the comments. They were not ignored, but the train was. I had to put it down for a while. After I read your posts, the linkage on the other side came out, eccentric pin. I had to leave it alone to keep from throwing it across the room. I have it running laps right now. I put the linkage pin in with a drop of super glue. Hopefully, when I put the shell back on it will still run well (no shorts). Again, thanks.
Its still running laps, but it locked up again. It seems the bearings (brass looking sockets the axle goes thru) may be swinging left or right causing the linkage to catch. I think maybe (??) the center wheels are designed to move a little, but I can see the bearings. I push them back in and it runs fine. I may have to get them held in better, but I'll see if it locks up more before I fool with it. I wonder if this will thing will ever be an "A" like it was supposed to be.
I'll answer my own question. Even though this thing will creep along by it self great, it will not pull three cars and a caboose without spinning wheels on a 13" curve. It will stop and spin out. It does look great moving a car or two around and over my turnouts and has working front and back lights, but I don't seeing it doing much more than that with out tweaking it. Even before I had to take the cover off to fix the short so I could convert it to DCC it had the same problem on 15.5" curves. I'll have to add weights eventually.
Thanks for the video. I know it should run better. I don't wanna complain every post (that's mostly what I do here), but this little thing has been a time-eater. Maybe I should have returned it up front when out of the box it had a DCC short and stalled/spun-out on curves. I dunno??? I'm still a newbie so I'm not sure how much tweaking is expected on a new, A-rated, engine. Personally, I don't think it should be much. At least its running now.:thumbs_up: The traction tires are on it. Could they be offset somehow that causes them to not grip like they should?
one of the question I have is witch run is your loco? I have a mech from a first run and 2nd run now, and the 2nd run pulls better. I packed every empty space in mine with lead, and increased my pulling capacity from 10 to 15 with no slipping on 11" radi corner Unitrak. do the bending the wires thing mentioned before too, it makes a diffrence, also the top of the drawbar has nubs on it, if you file these off, it will help the tracking, and traction a little. Overall, this is a good loco, I love mine, I even used one to make a 2-8-2T. it just takes a little tweaks to get the most out of them, the 2-8-2T I made has the saddle tank packed with lead, it weighs almost double the stock one, and it pulls like a tank. (no pun intended) the big problem I have with the 2-8-2T is pickup, due to the removal of the tender.
NONE!!! And that should go for B and C as well. I dont want to start a debate on the scope of quality, but I think it's an obvious concept that I feel is too often over tolerated, ready to run should mean ready to run! Not, tweak and tune for an hour or 10, then ready to run.
I agree. This thing may be getting close to 10 and it will take more. It would be one thing if it was used or only cost $30, but I paid a lot for it. It would also be fine to take it and work on it to make it better, but this has all been time just to make it run as advertised. Admittedly, my handling probably loosened the linkage, but I would not have had to handle it if didn't have the short. After getting it running and back together the other day, I got the bearings in place and started running it. I ran it off and on at different speeds, forward and backwards all weekend long. It got better and better until I had it pulling 12 cars well. The break in was complete. I was getting ready to post up and brag about it ... until ... the linkage on one side fell out again. This thing (or me) is cursed. I'll have to clean that hole and put more glue this time. mad:
So I finally get around to fixing the linkage on this cursed 0-8-0. It seems to be running okay; however, I can't really run it because it shorts out on 3 of 6 turnouts on my inner line. Two of them are Atlas, the other is the Peco double crossover. Its my only loco that shorts on any of these. That's two Protos recently purchased that cost a lot (more than my Katos) that have not worked well out of the box. This thing has been a nightmare and my Alco RS2 is really loud.
I know you didn't get this far yet, but here is a Proto 2000 cracked axle gear. Easy to repair using Athearn SD40-2 axle gears.
Did this come this way out of the box or just break over time? My gripe is that these two engines out of their nice little boxes are not "A" engines. Is there any thing I can do to keep the 0-8-0 from shorting on turnouts so frequently?
It breaks over the time since it was built, not over how long you have owned it or how long it has been operated. It is a "known defect" of some of these early Proto 2000 four axle engines. One of the frustrating things is that not all of the gears will crack. Some are just fine and operate as long as you have the engine. The safe thing to do is replace them all while you are repairing a few. The SD40-2 gear set costs about three dollars. One possible way to check is to turn the engine over and see if the wheels will turn under the pressure of your finger. If they do, the gear is cracked. This method is not foolproof; it is best to disassemble and check.
Flash/Fred, I know what Flash is talking about with the cracked P2000 gears. We had the gears in a loco setting on the display shelf at our shop crack over time. I ordered replacement gear sets a while back. The cracked gear issue was from the LifeLike time period. Supposedly the problem has been cured since the Walthers take over. I highly doubt that is the problem on Fred's loco. I have yet to hear of cracked or loose axles on an 0-8-0. On the shorting, you didn't specify what track. I am assuming Atlas Code 80 and Peco Code 80. I can't see how any loco would short on Atlas C80 track as they use insulated frogs. Are you sure it is a short and not just loosing pickup and stalling? Does the loco stop, or does it shut down you entire system? If it is a stall, that is a different problem. More than likely the tender is not picking up properly.
You mean the 0-8-0 is a Proto 2000? I certainly am off base on this subject if that is the case. I didn't even know there was such a thing. I must have read right past that part.
Technically the 0-8-0 fred is talking about is a Walthers/LifeLike Heritage edition. The Proto 2000 only applied to HO, this is N scale. The LifeLike/Walthers steam comes under the Heritage name and their diesels come under the ProtoN name.
Yes, sorry. I proved the assumption rule true in assuming both were Proto/Heritage. What I thought was that I was buying upscale Life-Likes (in both cases) which were to be "nicer" and therefore more expensive. The RS2 is Proto Walthers, and the 0-8-0 the Heritage Steam Collection, Walthers. I got the "more expensive," but the "nicer" and "upscale" part is lacking. So far, my Life Like F40 and SW9 are better, and they were cheap.
