Andrews truck with power pickups
|
Charlie Vlk
All- Does anyone know of a source for HO trucks that have power pickup on both sides similar to the ones that were provided on later production Life-Like Proto2000 steam locomotives. I need a pair for an HO project that I am dabbling in and would prefer the N Scale type “low friction” pointed axle pickup rather than the back of the wheel or axle pickups that seem to be the accepted norm in HO. Charlie Vlk
|
|
|
|
Richard Townsend
Central Valley is the only thing that occurs to me, but they don't have the pointed axle pick-ups. Richard Townsend
Lincoln City, OR
-----Original Message-----
From: Charlie Vlk <cvlk@...> To: main <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> Sent: Tue, Feb 25, 2020 11:41 am Subject: [RealSTMFC] Andrews truck with power pickups All-
Does anyone know of a source for HO trucks that have power pickup on both sides similar to the ones that were provided on later production Life-Like Proto2000 steam locomotives.
I need a pair for an HO project that I am dabbling in and would prefer the N Scale type “low friction” pointed axle pickup rather than the back of the wheel or axle pickups that seem to be the accepted norm in HO.
Charlie Vlk
|
|
|
|
Schuyler Larrabee
Not to hijack this thread, but does anyone know where I could buy some replacement Andrews trucks for the Life-Like USRA switch engines? I have twice now suffered a melted truck thanks to a short across a gap. At one time extra tenders were available, and I fixed the first melted truck by replacing it with a truck from an extra tender, but I now have a sound-equipped DCC 0-8-0 that is useless.
Oh, and oops, I realize that on this list, I need to mention that I use my 0-8-0s to switch FREIGHT CARS!!
Whew!
Schuyler
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Charlie Vlk
Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 2:41 PM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: [RealSTMFC] Andrews truck with power pickups
All- Does anyone know of a source for HO trucks that have power pickup on both sides similar to the ones that were provided on later production Life-Like Proto2000 steam locomotives. I need a pair for an HO project that I am dabbling in and would prefer the N Scale type “low friction” pointed axle pickup rather than the back of the wheel or axle pickups that seem to be the accepted norm in HO. Charlie Vlk
|
|
|
|
Todd Sullivan
The LifeLike P2K USRA 0-6-0 and the later production of the USRA 0-8-0 used the standard LL 33" wheelsets, which had smooth (shiny) wheels and plastic axles, with thin shim brass or phosphor bronze wires on both sides of the truck frame (i.e., all 4 wheels) as a means to collect current from both rails. I converted an early production 0-8-0 to the same setup. The amount of friction caused by the pickups rubbing against the backs of the wheels (all the wheels on the tender) was pretty small, since the trucks rolled very freely to begin with, and the wheel backs were very smooth. Using Kadee wheels would probably increase the friction due to the material and finish, but that is conjecture on my part. Central Valley wheelsets were insulated on one side and were not shiny smooth. Beyond that, they were made of brass which would oxidize over time on both the backs and treads, which I think would tend to reduce effective electrical pickup on the wheels.
Todd Sullivan.
|
|
|
|
Charlie Vlk
Schuyler- If any turn up….I asked first and am going to use them to upgrade my Life-Like HO USRA 0-8-0 to switch freight cars as well, if truth be known! Mine came without tender pickup and isn’t worth putting sound into. Even though it kills me, I will likely strip its CB&Q lettering and try to detail it for an L&N C2 to operate here in Nashville. I tried in person at Walthers “back in the day” and didn’t know about the availability of whole tenders at the time! I’ve double checked and Bachmann and BLI do not use all wheel pickup on their locomotive tenders or noisy stock cars (I don’t think the chickens in the Bachmann poultry cars are going to make sounds since it appears the screening on their cages is just printed on a steel box car body). I tried personally at Walthers “back in the day” and didn’t know about the availability of whole tenders at the time! Charlie Vlk
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Schuyler Larrabee via Groups.Io
Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 4:00 PM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Andrews truck with power pickups
Not to hijack this thread, but does anyone know where I could buy some replacement Andrews trucks for the Life-Like USRA switch engines? I have twice now suffered a melted truck thanks to a short across a gap. At one time extra tenders were available, and I fixed the first melted truck by replacing it with a truck from an extra tender, but I now have a sound-equipped DCC 0-8-0 that is useless.
Oh, and oops, I realize that on this list, I need to mention that I use my 0-8-0s to switch FREIGHT CARS!!
Whew!
Schuyler
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Charlie Vlk
All- Does anyone know of a source for HO trucks that have power pickup on both sides similar to the ones that were provided on later production Life-Like Proto2000 steam locomotives. I need a pair for an HO project that I am dabbling in and would prefer the N Scale type “low friction” pointed axle pickup rather than the back of the wheel or axle pickups that seem to be the accepted norm in HO. Charlie Vlk
|
|
|
|
So, would a satisfactory solution be this? A pair of metal Andrews sideframes, an engineering plastic bolster, and two split-axle wheelsets. Somehow it would need, I guess, a wiring connection at the sideframe/bolster joint. Not sure about a suitable bolster, but I think the rest could come out of my parts bins. Chuck Peck
On Tue, Feb 25, 2020 at 5:40 PM Charlie Vlk <cvlk@...> wrote:
|
|
|
|
Eric Hansmann
Here’s an idea to add wipers.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
And another technique. I used this last technique on a pair of P2K HO scale 0-8-0s I bought in the very first run. They are champs doing freight car switching work. Eric Hansmann Murfreesboro, TN
On Feb 25, 2020, at 5:03 PM, Charles Peck <lnnrr152@...> wrote:
|
|
|
|
william darnaby
To facilitate moving freight cars on my railroad I replaced a pair of failed P2K 0-8-0 tender trucks with those from Bethlehem Car Works equipped with home made wipers to create 8 wheel pickup.
Bill Darnaby
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Schuyler Larrabee via Groups.Io
Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 4:00 PM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Andrews truck with power pickups
Not to hijack this thread, but does anyone know where I could buy some replacement Andrews trucks for the Life-Like USRA switch engines? I have twice now suffered a melted truck thanks to a short across a gap. At one time extra tenders were available, and I fixed the first melted truck by replacing it with a truck from an extra tender, but I now have a sound-equipped DCC 0-8-0 that is useless.
Oh, and oops, I realize that on this list, I need to mention that I use my 0-8-0s to switch FREIGHT CARS!!
Whew!
Schuyler
|
|
|
|
Robert Allan
Seems to me the Proto 2000 NE Caboose had Andrews trucks with electrical pick-up. Might be able to find a basket case at a show or on the auction site.
Bob Allan
|
|
|