Best Of Arnold SW1 - what's inside (technical review)

[peteski]

The problem with ordering spare parts is - there is no place to order them from in U.S.!  The only contact info on the parts diagram is Hornby (in Europe). I contacted them (using the contact form on their website) asking how to order parts from Arnold (in U.S.).  Once I completed the form I was advised that someone would reply to me but it has been couple of weeks and nada!

I just saw an Arnold ad for the SW1 in the N-Scale magazine and there is a phone number listed for Hornby US. I'll try to contact them directly sometime this week.

[SP-Wolf]

The problem with ordering spare parts is - there is no place to order them from in U.S.!  The only contact info on the parts diagram is Hornby (in Europe). I contacted them (using the contact form on their website) asking how to order parts from Arnold (in U.S.).  Once I completed the form I was advised that someone would reply to me but it has been couple of weeks and nada!

I just saw an Arnold ad for the SW1 in the N-Scale magazine and there is a phone number listed for Hornby US. I'll try to contact them directly sometime this week.

Oh man, this is a bummer. I had sent them an E-Mail last Friday - inquiring on a couple of items. Oh well, so much for that (for now, at least).
Hopefully, they make parts available - sometime in the future.

Regards,
Wolf

[peteski]

All is not lost yet. Even if we cannot order parts from U.S. source we can try to order them directly from European online vendors (like DM-Toys). But I would still prefer to get them locally to save the hassle, extra shipping costs and lengthy shipping times.  Since Arnold (Hornby) sells these models directly in U.S. I think they will eventually set up a local source for parts.

[Joetrain59]

So, one of my usual Q's. Has anyone fit Z905's on their SW1? I have one installed with Goo only.
 Joe D

[bbussey]

I heard back from Hornby today.  The current plan is to have SW1 parts available around mid-November.  The wheelsets tentatively are scheduled to cost $7 per set, which based on the model diagram sheet I'm figuring will be $7 per pair.  No word on if the couplers will be offered separately along with other SW1 parts, but I didn't ask specifically about them either.

BTW, I sent my query to both the European and American offices.  I heard back from the American office.

[bbussey]

So, one of my usual Q's. Has anyone fit Z905's on their SW1? I have one installed with Goo only.
 Joe D

I used 1015 couplers in 2001/2004 boxes, secured with the existing screw.  So I would think it is possible to screw a 905 in place.

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=37259.msg446872#msg446872

[peteski]

I heard back from Hornby today.  The current plan is to have SW1 parts available around mid-November.  The wheelsets tentatively are scheduled to cost $7 per set, which based on the model diagram sheet I'm figuring will be $7 per pair.  No word on if the couplers will be offered separately along with other SW1 parts, but I didn't ask specifically about them either.

BTW, I sent my query to both the European and American offices.  I heard back from the American office.

Thanks for doing the legwork Bryan - I guess I'll just wait a while before trying to order those parts.

If the wheelsets are sold in pairs then that means one will have TT on it - we will need 2 sets to eliminate the TT.  The coupler does have a part number but I suspect even if it is available, the price (as a spare part) will not be reasonable enough to purchase it in large numbers.

[Joetrain59]

Brian, the screw holes on Z905's are more forward than N couplers. Not much meat in SW1 pocket for a screw there. Might have to add some styrene or someting to bulk it up.
 Joe D

[bbussey]

If the wheelsets are sold in pairs then that means one will have TT on it - we will need 2 sets to eliminate the TT.

This is my assumption as well.

[soo]

Pete , Bardzo dobra praca , Dziękuję bardzo

I just don't understand why manufactures use all the gunk??

It looks like the scene from the movie " The Replacements" with Keanu Reeves,,, where they put stick'um on the receivers hands.LOL

Locos run so much better with all that gunk cleaned out.

Wyt

[peteski]

Pete , Bardzo dobra praca , Dziękuję bardzo

I just don't understand why manufactures use all the gunk??

It looks like the scene from the movie " The Replacements" with Keanu Reeves,,, where they put stick'um on the receivers hands.LOL

Locos run so much better with all that gunk cleaned out.

Wyt

Thanks Wyt!  And in Polish too!    Referring to your other thread, I hope that you stick around here, even if you don't have a layout anymore.  You will most like still have a Internet connection and armchair modeling can be fun too. Just look at what I do (I don't have a layout).

As far as the factory lubrication goes, I'm not sure why it is done.  Kato models used to come with just enough (or sometimes less than enough) lubrication.

I think that the problem is that our models are assembled and inspected by average people who aren't modelers and aren't mechanically inclined either. They just go to work and do their assembly-line jobs all day long.  To them it seems logical that lots of lubrication is better than too little in the long run.  I think that to an average person it is  counter-intuitive that less lubricant is actually good thing.

[rhiadon]

I've just started doing my first model railroading. I've been a kind of spectator for many years but finally got the space to actually start doing some experimenting and learning. For some reason I decided to make things as difficult for myself as possible and I want to model the Pere Marquette in N scale. When I saw these Arnold SW-1's I was pretty ecstatic because the Pere Marquette used 2 of them. This gave me a great opportunity for lots of learning. I get to learn how to redecco 2 Penn Central units into PM paint. I get to figure out how to put DCC sound into these things as well.

Turns out it's quite plausible to pull off with some modifications. I've managed to put a SoundTraxx ECO-100 diesel decoder in the thing.

To do this I had to do the following:

1. Remove the stock PCB
2. File down the metal nubs on each end of the frame above the worm gears
3. Remove the shrink wrap shell from the SoundTraxx decoder
4. Remove both connectors from the PCB of the SoundTraxx decoder
5. Hardwire each of the wires to the decoder
6. Glue in some grain of wheat light bulbs for the front and rear lamps
7. Find a supply of really tiny speakers. I'm using a Zimo 8x8x12 speaker.
8. Regauge the wheels. I just did this with my fingers instead of a gear puller. Maybe this is less than ideal as it moves one wheel farther away from the gear, but it seems to work great.

I'll be finishing up tonight as my Zimo speakers just arrived in the mail. I'm pretty excited to hear this thing run around my test track. I already bought a Zimo 11x15 speaker as it was the previous smallest I could find, but it's too big so I ran without the shell. Still cool. Sound makes all the difference in my opinion.

I'll post pictures later if anyone is interested. This is my first one so there was a lot of experimenting. The second one will go better and will be cleaner

[peteski]

I'll post pictures later if anyone is interested. This is my first one so there was a lot of experimenting. The second one will go better and will be cleaner

Nice job!  I would love to see some photos.  It makes sense to start a separate thread about how you installed a DCC sound decoder in the SW1.  Personally, I would start that thread in the DCC section, but some members here disagree and put such threads in N and Z section.

[rhiadon]

FYI, I started a new thread in the N and Z scale forum with pictures. I'll post a video of the unit in action tonight.

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=37310.0

[peteski]

I found the SW1 kitbashing article I( mentioned earlier and I just edited my initial post in this thread to show the correct info.

I also heard back from Hornby USA regarding the spare parts status.  Seems that there was a very lengthy delay from when I contacted the Hornby home office in UK to when my inquiry was finally forwarded to Hornby USA.