Allegheny Eastern: Clean Slate

[GaryHinshaw]

I hope my post didn't come off as snarky; it wasn't intended to be.  The main point is that LKO's question is valid, but when you crunch the numbers, the effect is small enough to ignore.

[LKOrailroad]

I didn't think it was snarky. Your math is what I was thinking when I wrote the post. Didn't actually DO the math so didn't realize it would be such a small difference.

[DKS]

I hope my post didn't come off as snarky; it wasn't intended to be.

Not at all. I was merely pointing out that it's an example of what sets the Railwire apart from all the rest...

[svedblen]

The radius of the helix is unaffected by the incline, ...

...I suspect this is within Frank's error budget.

Beware, what is coming is theoretical mumbo-jumbo, and as it turns out, with no practical impact at all. Anyone allergic to that kind of rambling can stop reading now 

Whether the radius is unaffected or not depends on if you are referring to the horizontal radius or the radius of the "inclined" helix planes. The latter will stay unaffected, but the horizontal one need not. But as Gary says, if you are determined to keep it unaffected, you will loose 0.02" for each lap. And this will accumulate to a total of 0.08" for a 4 layer helix, meaing the top of the last post will be off by the same amount. And that might no longer be within budget. No big problem, you can deliberatly compensate by moving or enlarging the holes on the upper levels. But anyway, an issue you probably cannot ignore.

The opposite approach would be to accept a slightly smaller helix radius, and move all the posts towards the center until once again each ply layer makes a complete lap. In this case all the posts would stay vertical and the only post-position-adjustment needed would be when attaching the posts to any horizontal bottom or top layer. The radius adjustment would be a factor 2pi less than the 0.02" path loss, meaning it would be about 0.003". Truly within the error budget.

So Frank, I think your helix will come out just fine, because you will probably automatically lessen the helix radius (by a mere 0.003") until everything is square, thus compensating for the now famous Hinshaw Lap Loss.

So, what did this post contribute? Nothing really. But I warned you 

And Gary, I hope you did not find this snarky. It was supposed to be entertaining, and hopefully interesting 

[kelticsylk]

No track laying recently, just Christmas. The grandkids and I have been running trains over the completed Track 4. The trackwork needs lots of improvement. The grades aren't as 'level' as I want so the roadbed may need to be realigned vertically. I've already started on a better helix. The track joints are causing some of the issues, but there are places where the track straightens for a bit and creates a radius tighter than minimum. I'm hoping the slots in the new helix solve this problem.

In the meantime, Santa left a PRR I1s under the tree. I captured the 'Hippo' doubleheading with an L1s up the grade to Gallitzin...

The I1s cost about $50 and came with the boiler already shifted to line the steam pipes with the cylinders. It also sports MT couplers. Needs some electrical work in the tender to improve pickup. I also have to round off the German style square cylinders.

Regards,
Frank Musick

[kelticsylk]

I hope you guys won't mind, but I've providing a link to my blog where I will be creating any further updates on the progress (or lack thereof) on the Allegheny Eastern.
http://kelticsylk.blogspot.com/

This allows me to write something in one place rather then updating several threads at one time.

If this is a problem, please let me know.

[LKOrailroad]

Please drop us a note here when you make blog posts so we know to have a look.

[kelticsylk]

Punch List
http://kelticsylk.blogspot.com/

[kelticsylk]

Some new entries...
http://kelticsylk.blogspot.com/

[Dave V]

Frank, are you running DCC?  Curious as to how well that I1s can be converted.  Whether or not it runs well, it looks really good--every bit as good as that GHQ/Kato hybrid L1s in front of it!

[Lemosteam]

Dave, hope and Frank don't mind if I chime in here...

That Minitrix is really easy to convert.  the OEM motor is completely isolated from the frame once the spring below the motor is removed.  The motor's front bearing pilot and rear screw mounts are isolated by the plastic commutator housing.  One would only need to add 8 wheel pickup in the tender (Magliaroize it  ) and solder leads to the lower OEM motor contact.  The upper is already soldered to the drivers pickup board/driver wiper assembly in the image below (I already repowered the loco in the image with a LL motor but the chassis is virtually untouched electrically).  BTW the same is true for the Minitrix K4 chassis.



The lower blob of solder is the positive and the upper blob the negative- note the screw that holds it in place picks up the entire chassis negative from the axle shafts.

This picture is BEFORE I cut off the back set of drivers and fitted Kato Mike drivers to the Minitrix axles to make my L1.

The two holes at the lower corners of the motor will let the tender negative and positive into the chassis thru the back wall  An led can be isolated easily too.

[Dave V]

Lemo, thanks for the picture and info!  If I do decide at some point to try to tweak a Trix I1s, I'll be coming back to this thread!

[kelticsylk]

Dave,
Funny you should ask. I do have DCC but only a few engines have decoders, the two Pennsy steamers don't. The DCC system has not been reconnected as yet. I'm using an MRC controller for the tests.  As for pickup, I found the issue with the I1 is not electrical, it's physical. I haven't reduced the wheel flanges yet. It runs perfectly fine on the code 80 in the helix with no stalls. On code 55, however, the flanges actually keep the wheels from contacting properly and it runs terribly.

After toasting a K4 while grinding the flanges I'm a bit cautious and have to work up the nerve to work on the I1 and a new K4 coming in the mail. That's why I posted that thread about building up the tire rather than grinding up a perfectly good set of wheels.

Lemo,
Replacing the drivers on the axles seems like a cleaner alternative to grinding. How tough was that to do? I also like the idea of swapping motors. I think I saw something on how to do it, but don't remember where. I know you have to remove the side of the motor mount, but that's all I recall.

I'm assuming you are putting the decoder in the tender. Did you have to lengthen the decoder wiring or are the leads already long enough?

[Lemosteam]

Dave, you are welcome, you may find some helpful info on my H10 Youtube videos which is a shortened Trix I1.  The atlas thread below may help too.

Frank, I have conversion images on my L1 in my flickr account, www.flickr.com/lemosteam .  The trickiest part is reconnecting the siderods and making 1 new axle.  See this Atlas thread:

http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=68986

[kelticsylk]

More tomfoolery...
http://kelticsylk.blogspot.com/