Valve gear or connecting rod issue on steamer

[Mike Madonna]

Ron,

I've been "off line" that last couple of days. My apologies for not being able to "chime in". Petski and Max had the subject very well covered. So very glad you were able to remedy the situation. I have several of these, from both the mid-80s and late 90s. I have never experienced this with the MT class locos. That said, I did have the same issue with a Key GS-3 loco. The solder to the crank pin trick worked on that loco as well.
Those MTs do run nice... don't they 

[robert3985]

I've been following this thread with interest and it seems to be well in hand.

I haven't commented because for almost all brass repairs I do, I am using my resistance soldering station...which is an expensive item to purchase unless you're planning on doing a lot of brass repair or building brass/NS models in your future...and the fix for this problem can pretty easily be done with an iron of sufficient temperature.

However, if a modeler has a lot of brass engines, and keeps an eye on the market for good deal for ones that may be in disrepair or are broken, a good resistance soldering station is invaluable.  This is mainly because it facilitates applying highly concentrated heat very quickly to areas where using an iron would de-solder neighboring joints, or damage integral insulation, such as on a set of drivers.

In the long run, spending around $600 for a resistance soldering station with accessories that's 200 or so watts is around the same price as an N-scale modeler might pay for a single brass engine...so, maybe when looked at that way, it really isn't a price that's out of the question, especially since there are repairs and modifications that simply can't be done using any other soldering tool.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[ATSF_Ron]

Mike, good to have you back on the forum. And yes, those are sweet runners!

Bob, I remember you talking about a resistance soldering iron back when I was posting about my AC6  cab forward, which I ended up returning. I don’t see myself doing much soldering work on brass other than light repair stuff like this. I totally get the convenience and flexibility of a resistance soldering station though. For me, it wouldn’t make sense. I don’t plan on buying any basket cases and fixing them up.  Hopefully this will be one of the last brass repairs I have to do!