You think I'd know better - Trix 2-10-0 rebuild

[Lemosteam]

Keystone Details for the win!

Thanks @towl1996 ,

Gotta prove it out first.  When I test it, it may need some changes. One suggestion from Facebook is to remove the side rails above the Kriegslok linkage that are visible under the walkway.  I am not sure if they are there to support the Kriegslok linkage or the boiler, but I will find out soon enough.

[randgust]

One ordered and on the way....

[randgust]

It's taken a little frutzing and expirimenting but the printed cylinders and front end from John do work, are installed, and the locomotive is running again with the new parts on it.

Mind you, I did take about a foot off the front of the boiler in front of the cylinders, not for the fainthearted, but to me, it's only plastic and I've ended up with two other boilers anyway.   Having a surplus of three of these to tinker with makes you disturbingly brave to try stuff.

Headlight got installed, and I 'really' would like to make this one DCC, which means I really need 6 leads (2 motor, 2 pickup from the lead drivers, 2 headlinght if the decoder is in the tender) so we'll see if I can make that work.    I'm not the DCC Luddite I used to be.

[peteski]

If you install a simple dual diode circuit (which generates the "blue" positive voltage), you could eliminate one of the headlight wires.

[randgust]

I got a 6-pin TCS color-coded connector and it is WAY tinier than I ever imagined, so I don't see a commanding need to try to eliminate one wire, and getting a decoder in this thing may be way easier than I thought.   Anyway, I'm going that way.   Both the locomotive and tender have to be weighted down so the flexibility of 6 wires is an issue, but yeah, this ought to do it.

I've been buying and gumming up various tender-to-locomotive connections for years, this is an eye-opener.

I can see how down the road a socket decoder in the tender would let me jumper wire this thing around from straight DC to a decoder, and YES I know that a decoder will work on DC, but my ATSF layout has square-wave transistor throttles and those things don't like any decoders one little bit.  It's pretty rare when I'd run it there but that's still where I test everything for tracking.   I won't even put a decoder in this until it passes all manner of tracking tests with all the changes I've made in the lead truck, turning the flanges, and restricting lateral play on the lead driver.

[randgust]

This is still very much in the semi-finished state, but it is operational, and it is interesting, so I'll probably bring it to Altoona anyway.  As DC..... for now.

[mmagliaro]

When you mentioned the 6 pin connector, I went to have a look.  Are you using their "micro" connector?  Since they are 1mm pitch, are they just 1mm JST connectors?

[randgust]

Yes, the micro one, and the pins are packed in tight to each other.   Impressed.

[wm3798]

Randy, I can't see your photos.  (I've double checked my site settings, and they're in line with the recommendations)
I'm very interested in seeing how you've come along with this, but I guess I'll be seeing you on Friday, eh?
I'll be bringing my Camden and Amboy conversion (Repaired and repowered recently by @Lemosteam )
Perhaps we can stage a side by side glam shot!

Lee

[peteski]

Lee, Randy hasn't been posting any photos for quite some time.  When he did, months ago, they were hosted on his website.  His site is plain http, not secure https, so that could prevent seeing photos in posts.  But whenever Randy did post a photo, he also posted link to the photo so you could click on the link to view the photo.

Here is an example of Randy's post with his photos.
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=55107.msg764094#msg764094
If you don't see photos in that post, just click on the links.

[randgust]

It's a wonder I'm still even here at all, as modeling has slowed to a crawl since my wife passed.  I've been working all year and summer on dealing with the results from that, as well as significant house repairs that had been neglected.   I'll be at Altoona though, perhaps not was well organized as usual.

John took some time to get the cylinder print done, that was a delay on this one, but it is good and it does work and now at least it has pilot air tanks.  And it runs.  And it is quiet.  And it picks up rock-steady with those Kato trucks under the tender.  And the flanges are turned.  And it has as many GHQ Unobtanium cast pewter parts from Republic to the point where it is the Last of the Mohicans, N scale version.  I had to tweak John's print to work for me but it's still way, way better than I would have scratchbuilt it.  I don't start painting and putting on detail under I'm sure I don't have to keep tearing it apart twice an evening to do something to it electrically or mechanically.

I'm still very active and working however on the 12"=1' rail stuff, have been all over the country this summer and that's not letting up at all.

[randgust]

I'll have it at my vendor table at Altoona, in it's operable, but unfinished, glory.

[wm3798]

I walked past your table, but you weren't about...  Sorry I missed that.

I had mine with me, too, with plans to run it on the TTrak, but the joinery was a bit wanting, and she ended up throwing a shim, and the worm gear needs to be reengaged.  Would have loved to have gotten a side by side shot of the two models.

Lee

[Lemosteam]

Finally received my print after a lost shipment of the first.

Here are images of my build, which started from @randgust ’s beginnings.

I am making some minor updates to the design, but the main portion looks nice. I will be adding details to the shell, designing a front pilot truck, and possibly a longer drawbar to add to the kit.









This pic shows the shell length reduction difference.  The boiler diameter is the compromise, but shortening the shell changes the proportion more like the I1.  I will be making conversion instructions once the kit is complete and I can offer it at Keystone Details.

[randgust]

Yeah, what John said.

I'm back working on mine again after a long break.  Ed, your dad did stop by my table and saw it, right before I packed up.

I've finished rewiring it using that TCS 6-pin plug and I can't stop recommending that, DC or DCC.  I bridged the frame pickups to the tender and the motor wires to the tender anticipating conversion to DCC, and also the two headlight wires into the tender, making 6.  And with all that, it's easier to get apart than it was before and has not compromised either tracking or appearance.   Those are the most flexible wires I've ever seen in and out of that plug.

Now that I'm past that particular headache I'll resume final detailing.   John's replacement pilot/front end works fine, the only thing I did different was put on the GHQ cast metal pilot with a dummy coupler, as that's what will take a beating, and Shapeways stuff is so brittle that those front steps will never survive.   I changed pilot wheels and added just a hair of weight to the pilot truck.  I did have to mill out a little of the cylinders to clear everything on an 11" curve, my minimum.

Over on the DCC/electronics board I'm musing over putting sound it it, but considering my level of DCC sophistication it's probably beyond me so I'll just put a DZ126T in it for now, as I understand those with as many Climax DCC builds as I've done for customers.