Proto 0-8-0 switcher

[TVRR]

Hi, I recently acquired a 0-8-0 by Proto, 1st run, with the usual problems. I have rebuilt the draw bar which was broken and fixed the electrical plug issues but now I'm faced with it's biggest problem, a lack of pulling power.  The issue does not appear to be related to the TT's (BFS added already) but to a lack of weight. Is there anywhere under the shell that additional weight can be added effectively? Already placed a lead "tool box" under the smokebox and looking for other hiding places. Suggestions greatly appreciated!

[rhiadon]

Well color me green with envy. I've been trying for months to find one of those. I don't have a solution for you. Congrats on your new "toy"

[Rasputen]

Skipgear posted an image of his mods here:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=32698.msg371969#msg371969

[mmagliaro]

There are a lot of simple things you can do to really get more pull out of the Walthers/Life-Like 0-8-0.

Make sure that your drawbar is free to flop up and down a little on its screws at each end and make
sure the 6-wire harness is not exerting any upward pressure on the rear of the engine.  Those two points
make a lot of difference to how well this engine pulls.

Next, yes, there are many open spaces inside where you can add more weight.
From about the middle to the front, on either side, there are wide open spaces where you
can put some thin sheet lead. 
There are some small molded metal weights in there already, but they don't nearly fill all the available space.
While you're at it, ditch the stock weights altogether, as they are "safe" white metal that isn't nearly
as heavy as lead or tungsten.

You can pack a lot of weight up inside the cab where it won't show if you are careful.  I put a lot of little
tungsten disks up inside the roof and along the walls of the cab.

Here is a very long, and sometimes painful, thread on that engine.  But if you have the patience,
a lot of my improvements are interspersed throughout this 40-page tome:

http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=41937&whichpage=3

That is a famous, long thread that is littered with arguing and personal attacks.  Just ignore that junk
and read the nuggets of useful info about this engine that are contained there.

[TVRR]

Thank you one and all for the help. I read the long and sometimes painful thread and scoffed several ideas that may help. Sometimes a thread seems to take on a life of it's own.

[sd45elect2000]

That was a painful thread to read but hidden inside was some good info.

I have two of the LL 0-8-0 engines I never took out of the boxes (yet).

Randy

[Chris333]

My axles are still holding up 

[delamaize]

My axles are still holding up 

I added a bunch of weight to mine also, and mine is still fine. I have 2 of them actually, One is still a 0-8-0, the other one has been modified to be a 2-8-2t, both run great still.

[mmagliaro]

To this day, the geared-down one I modified is by far my favorite switcher.  It can only reach a top speed of
about 20 mph, but it is *superb* in the yard.
I have another one, and I keep meaning to do the same reduction motor swap... just not
on the top of the list.

[TVRR]

Finally finished stuffing lead into the little beast and it's tender, got 1/2 oz in the engine and 1/2 more in the tender. The tender electrical pickup improvement was striking, before it tended to stall on switches and diamonds. While I'm sure a lot more could be added this works well for me. I've used it with a dozen cars and that will be about all asked of it.  I want to add a DCC decoder via the plug in the tender. What decoders have you found that fit? Old posts show an M-1 by TCS but there must be others by now. Your choice?

[powersteamguy1790]

Finally finished stuffing lead into the little beast and it's tender, got 1/2 oz in the engine and 1/2 more in the tender. The tender electrical pickup improvement was striking, before it tended to stall on switches and diamonds. While I'm sure a lot more could be added this works well for me. I've used it with a dozen cars and that will be about all asked of it.  I want to add a DCC decoder via the plug in the tender. What decoders have you found that fit? Old posts show an M-1 by TCS but there must be others by now. Your choice?

I would use a TCS Z2 decoder with a harness to fit the plug. I recently used the Z2 decoder in a LL 0-8-0 that I recently found. When these first came out I used a Lenz mini silver decoders in my fleet of 0-8-0's. The Z2 allows you to add more weight in the tender. I used a NMRA standard eight-pin plug, soldering the seven wires of the decoder to the plug. This allows you to seat the decoder in the plug in the locomotive.

As far as weight is concerned you can build a lead tool box and cement it between the the tender trucks. This does wonders to improve the tracking of the tender.  Paint the lead weight grimy black or you can over the periphery of the cemented tool box with Evergreen strips and then paint those black. I also packed the locomotive shell with A-Line lead strips. This is discussed in the article. I also used moldable lead in many parts of the locomotive shell.

My decoder installation of the mini sliver decoder in the LL -0-8-0 was published in N Scale Magazine in  May/June 2008. A copy of that decoder installation can be found easily on my blog if you don't have a copy of that N Scale Magazine.

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5028786899562113913#editor/target=post;postID=6196850390209560442;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=2;src=postname



Have fun with it...

[peteski]

Heads-up on the Z2 decoders.  A while ago I read on this forum that if you enable the Vmin/Vmid/Vmax 3-speed table (CV 2, 5, and 6) the decoder behaves weird and last week I have experienced that myself.  If you plan on using those settings I would recommend against using Z2.

[powersteamguy1790]

I had no issues with the Z2 decoder that I recently installed in the LL 0-8-0.  I tried the three speed table and had no problems. I frequently use the Z2 decoder in many Japanese steam locomotives and have never experienced the behavior that you just cited.

[powersteamguy1790]

Below is a better link to my website.

I would use a TCS Z2 decoder with a harness to fit the plug. I recently used the Z2 decoder in a LL 0-8-0 that I recently found. When these first came out I used a Lenz mini silver decoder in my fleet of 0-8-0's. The Z2 allows you to add more weight in the tender. I used a NMRA standard eight-pin plug, soldering the seven wires of the decoder to the plug. This allows you to seat the decoder in the plug in the locomotive.

As far as weight is concerned you can build a lead tool box and cement it between the the tender trucks. This does wonders to improve the tracking of the tender.  Paint the lead weight grimy black or you can over the periphery of the cemented tool box with Evergreen strips and then paint those black. I also packed the locomotive shell with A-Line lead strips. This is discussed in the article. I also used mold-able lead in many parts of the locomotive shell.

My decoder installation of the mini sliver decoder in the LL -0-8-0 was published in N Scale Magazine in  May/June 2008. A copy of that decoder installation can be found easily on my blog if you don't have a copy of that N Scale Magazine.

http://powersteamguy1790snewjjje.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-addition-of-weight-and-decoder-to.html



Have fun with it...

[peteski]

I spoke with the TCS rep last weekend at the Springfield show.   When I described the problem when using CV2, 5, and 6 he acknowledged that TCS is aware of the problem and that it's a bug in the decoder's firmware.  They are going to fix the bug and when they produce new batch of decoders with the fix they will offer replacement to people who send in the older decoders (that exchange will be treated as a standard repair service offered by TCS).

So a guess some people are just more sensitive (anal?) than others when it comes to noticing speed changes of their locomotives.