Hi All,
I've watched the thread on stainless steel etc. Stainless steel is really
hard to turn and cut on a miniature lathe. I know, I have had to turn over
200 wheelsets on my Unimat III.
There are a number of elements that I always consider to get the best out
any steamer.
The first is the drive train.
Use the best motor that you can afford that has the highest torque at the
low end. Any good motor with a gear reduction head will do this. I know
some people who use $3.95 motors and program the heck out of them in DCC.
They hum and get hot. I don't see the logic in putting a cheap motor in a
$500+ locomotive.
Next check out the gearbox(es). Make sure that there is not too much play
and the gears mesh properly.
If the worm is too high, it will be noisy and it may even cause premature
tooth wear on the spur gear. Mill down the bottom of the gear box until you
get a better mesh. You may have to adjust the axel slot by removing some
material.
If the worm is too low, it will be grindy and it may cause premature motor
burnout because the mesh is too tight. Shim up the bottom of the gear box
until you get a better mesh. YOu may have to shim up the axel slot as well.
You may need to lap the gears and the valve gear using jewellers' rouge
mixed in oil. Careful too much lapping will cause problems. Make sure that
you completely clean the compound out after. I have heard that some people
have used dry toothpaste and oil as well.
I have always liked neoprene model aircraft hose as a coupling. NWSL has
nice drive shafts.
The next part is the most important. Balance. Weight must be equally
distributed over the drivers whether sprung or not. I know that it is nice
to have see through frames, but I prefer solid ones. Lower weight
distribution. The weight of most motors is at the rear of the drivers.
This causes an imbalance over the drivers that must be compensated for.
Trial and error works here by adding more weight to the boiler or moving the
given weight so that it balances the motor. If the loco has the traditional
gear tower, it will be in the way, so lining the boiler with hammered out
lead works well. Hammered out lead works well in frames as well.
Another factor that affects rail adhesion is how the engine truck and
trailing trucks are attached. If they are sprung, then they can actually
reduce the adhesion factor. I found this out on my K-3 Pacifics. The first
ones I built used the AM spring on the engine truck. Not really any
problems. Simon Parent suggested using weight in the engine truck frames
instead. The last two I build used this method and they even track better.
At any rate this is most of the stuff I do with my locos. I am sure that
you already know most of it.
BTW, it's Mr. Spock, not Dr. Spock, Ed. And the others were Tuvok from
Voyager and T'Pol from Enterprise. Just a little Vulcan trivia.
Live Long and Prosper...May Your Day Pass Without Incident.
Andy Malette
www.mlwservices.ca
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