looking for a Kato Mike toaster.

[u18b]

Victor,

I have some experience with those bearings.

I found that it is absolutely critical that the bearing be 100% perpendicular to the axle/shaft.

Even a tiny bind reduces performance.
And when it is on properly-- wow do they work.

I look forward to seeing more.

[mmagliaro]

Hi Victor.   I figured this is what you were up to, based on your mention of a ball bearing
What is the little brass sleeve off to the right of the bearing in your picture?  Is the new bearing bored
larger than the worm shaft, so that it needs to be sleeved through the bearing?

I will be very curious to see how low you can get the current at higher voltages under load.  The most recent one I measured
draw 275mA at 10 volts.  That does seem high, but that's what it did.  Your #2, 175mA at 4.6v, would probably
be similar.

This is a fine idea.  If such bearing blocks with ball bearing races in them were available as a drop-in after-market part,
and it could significantly lower drag, well... it becomes an almost universal "engine improver", now doesn't it?   So many
engines, steam and diesel alike, carry their worms in bearings like this.

[SkipGear]

Victor,
 My 2-10-2 conversion based on the Mikado regularly pulls 70 cars. I have gotten it hot, never burned it up though. The only failure I have encountered is the coupling between the motor and worm. With 88 cars and about an hour run-time it got hot enough to soften the plastic coupler on the motor shaft till it slipped. Once it spun on the shaft it was done. I have repaired the coupler and and now limit myself to around 70 cars and have had no issues.

That said, I desperately want to re-gear the Mikado to more steam loco like speeds. I have been pulling a long train at reasonable speeds, had a coupler fail and the loco shoots off like a rocket. The motor really doesn't have enough torque for the torture I put it through. Halving the gearing would make a much better runner and probably allow me another 20-30% more cars. As a side effect, the loco should run much smoother than it already does.

[victor miranda]

I put the various parts onto the chassis I called #1
(siderods and shell and pilot and trailing trucks)

I'm going to start with the testing results.

I put the various bits and pieces onto the bb chassis (loco #1)
(siderods and shell and pilot and trailing trucks)

and I cleaned a few hairs out of the silver smokebox loco #2

all four runs are at 60sec per lap (about 25smph)
by itself #2: 150ma 4.2v (630 mW)
pulling all it can...
a 20 car train : 220ma 6.0v  (1320 mW)

by itself and the same test result as reported earlier
90ma 3.1v (279 mW)
and pulling the same train as above
160ma 3.8v (684 mW)

I may try this set of tests again
cause I find them a little hard to believe.

I had to add a half oz weight to the locos to get them to haul that train.

onto questions and coments.

Hi U18b,

as with all bearings... alignment of shafts and bearings can be very helpful.

in this case the various pieces are in plastic and it is hard to
adjust them, so I make the parts as best I can and try the result.
I try to make them a little loose and expect the shafts will spin freely.
the bearings are medium strength loc-tited in place.

if I make a second, we can compare the two.

Hi Max,

weeeeell...
the bearing cassette is 1mm Id so I replaced the Kato 1.5mm shaft with a 1mm one.
The sleeves are where the worm and joint attach to the shaft.
you can't see the sleeve inside the worm. Also loc-tited.
If you have 1mm to 1.5mm sleeves this is a pretty easy job...
well I guess a 3mm drill is required also.

the #2 loco is what I think normal for a mike...
and usually a tune-up will get it down a bit in power consumption

Skipgear,
you may want to do a search for a thread where Max put a b-mann 2-8-0 worm wheel
into a kato Mike.  It is a good idea.
If I had taken on a project like your 2-10-2...
(I can easily imagine I'd have gotten lost on my way and had yet another project
sitting here unfinished...) oops I digress.

I think I would have considered using an Atlas Grey motor
and I know I'd have considered adding ball bearings on the worm
and Iffin' I had seen the 2-8-0 gear could work... I'd have considered that.

I did not know your loco go that warm.
I think the Atlas motor the least fuss to try.
and if that is wanting I am not sure which of the other two would be
easier or more effective for you.

victor