I love the photos of all of these awesome locos!! PSG, Is the tooling differnt on the rivarossi challenger than that of their 2-8-8-2? I installed a Digitrax decoder on my Rivarossi 2-8-8-2. The Rivarossi 2-8-8-2 power pickup was split up between the loco and the tender. I dont remember if the 2-8-8-2 picked up power on both sides of the loco but I dont think it did. I installed the decoder into the tender. On my former 2-8-8-2, the can motor was located in the rear of the loco with power contacts on the top and bottom of the motor. I used electrical tape to isolate the power contacts. I hope this makes sense....I installed the decoder many years ago and sold it last year.....memory is a bit foggy on the topic.
American heavy electric traction has always been a personal favorite .. yes, I also like steam and diesel ... but there's just "something" about heavy electrics that really captures my attention. Most overall favorite is Great Northern class W-1's: Next (wouldn't you know...?) Milwaukee Road L'il Joes. Overland Models Inc. is (hopefully) going to release their n-scale brass Milwaukee Little Joe soon ... I have one on order: And while many people go "gah-gah" of Pennys GG1's, I think New Haven EP5's actually look far classier: Among diesels I'm primarily an ALCO fan ... and among ALCO's give me the "Brute" C636:
All mine are still electric. But as for the prototype, as diesels became more efficient and numerous, it was easier for railroads like the Virginian, Great Northern and Milwaukee to maintain one type of locomotive and not have to switch out power when going from one district to another. The north east corridor is pretty much all that is left of the old New Haven and Pennsy electric lines.
Matt: How did you isolate the motor from the frame below? The 4-6-6-4 is the same design as the 2-8-8-2. The only place for a decoder is in the tender of both loco's. Stay cool and run steam.....
I am racking my brain trying to remember how I did this.... I dont remember 100% the specifics but I must have routed power from one rail from the loco and the the other rail from the tender. I remember solder leads to the brush caps of the motore. I must have used Electrial tape to isolate the motor. with the soldered leads goint to the decoder in the tender. Then power from the rails going to to the decoder. One lead from the loco and the other coming from the tender. I am not 100% sure this is how I did it as I did this conversion back in 2000. This was the first and last successful hard wire decoder install I have done. I also wired up the headlight directly to the dedoder....this was a mistake as the headlight was an actual light bulb and the decoder did not produce enough juice to light it up. The install was not perfect but it did work. Here is a link to the only somewhat closeup photo of the mallet. I can only count three wires so I am pretty sure I wired it up as I described above. http://www.madamericancows.org/trains/Images/Plywood_Central/Picture 021.jpg I cant belive I don't remember the details.....I am this way with IT stuff too. I often have to reverse engineer my own creations In some ways, I regret selling this loco. I decided to sell it when Athearn annouced the Challenger. Now, I dont even have that on reserve order.
Here are some quick photos of my fav BN SD40-2...these photos are from the former Plywood Central last year.
On the 4-6-6-4, the lower brush cap can't be accessed without taking the entire frame apart. I can access the top brush cap. The entire motor is cradled in the metal frame. I would venture to take it apart, but replacement parts aren't available. Any front bulbs would have to replaced with leds. Can you remember how you disassembled the motor from the frame? Stay cool and run steam.....
Well this is a tuffy! But I would have to say my pair of Weaver RS-3's an on going project, Highly modified and detialed. Seconed place would have to go to my new old red Caboose GP-9 I just aquired.
I did have to disassemble the locomotive entirely less the drivers....it was a hold your breath move considering how much of a newbie in N-Scale I was (still am). I relied on my electronics / computer background on that install.
If I could only have one loco on the pike, it would be this InterMountain A-B set (thats one loco right...) mostly because I put the most effort into modifying it with the correct angled number boards and painting, decaling and weathering it. Erik
And that is why your handle is SD90?? Nah I am just busting your chops some . I think the SD40-2 is one of the most popular locos made along with the F series loco (probably the most popular)
I have a pair of Atlas GP30somthings in Bangor and Aroostook. They are so perfectly matched runners that I can put one on the front and one in the middle of almost any four foot train with _no_ derailments, using DC.
I've probably answered this at least twice on this thread since it started back in the Dark Ages seven years ago, two years before I even joined TB. Anyway, my favorites in 10/31/2007 are these, all diesel, all run in four unit consists, all DCC-equipped: 1. Intermountain F-3s 2. Kato RSC-2 3. Atlas H44 4. ER Baldwin Sharks 5. LL FAs (-1 and -2) . . . 20 (or so) LL-GP 20s under Bachmann F-7 shells 21. Kato RDCs Other units run in two unit consists: 1. Atlas Trainmaster 2. LL Erie-Builts (hard-wired DCC, and you don't need a bigger consist) 3. LL C-Liners (hard-wired DCC) No steam. I've gotten really disillusioned about even the best offerings when they are run hard on my layout. More later.
Okay, that'll be one dollar in damages..... Mine would have to be this one. When i went to the dark side many moons ago, I sold everything except this one SD40-2. I just couldn't pull the trigger and sell her. Maybe it was the hours spent swearing at the decals before walking away and coming back. This is, and probably will remain, the longest (time wise) custom paint job that I will ever do. Brian
Of my Central of Georgia fleet my current favorite is the GP-7 but if the custom paint job on the RS-3 turns out well, then the RS-3 will be my fave. Of my NS fleet I favor the GP38-2 although the SD70M sure looks good too!
