Broadway's Reading T1 4-8-4

[nickelplate759]

If BLI had offered this scheme I would have bought one.  Saw it in Dover, NH in 1975.

[nstars]

I am tempted to buy a Stealth version so I can use a decoder of choice.

I have bought the stealth version and I love it. No smoke (which for me is a plus) and a quick install of a Tsunami2. It runs very well and the beast can be very loud! I reduced the master volume to 55% and it’s still loud.


Marc

[spookshow]

Anybody know what the on/off switch underneath the tender is for? I'm guessing smoke, but there's no mention of it in any of the inserts. Or maybe it's the "EZ Reset" button for the decoder?



Thanks,
-Mark

[spookshow]

I'm still in my "run it non-stop for a week" phase, but I'll definitely be attempting to take it apart (or at least remove the shell) once that's done.

To remove the boiler shell, start by removing the four small screws underneath the trailing truck. Next, remove the single screw underneath the pilot truck. The shell should lift up and off at this point (you might have to pry the cab end up a bit to get it started). Do be mindful of the wires running to the headlight.



-Mark

[Jbub]

Anybody know what the on/off switch underneath the tender is for? I'm guessing smoke, but there's no mention of it in any of the inserts. Or maybe it's the "EZ Reset" button for the decoder?



Thanks,
-Mark

Their generic N scale steam manual (https://broadway-limited.com/pages/n-locomotive-instruction-manuals) says there is a switch to control the smoke unit. If it is on, you can turn smoke on and off with dcc command as well.

[spookshow]

That makes sense - if you're not planning on doing smoke, set it to off so there's no way for anyone to accidentally fire up an empty smoke unit.

Do the stealth units have the switch too? Mighty confusing if they did 

Thanks,
-Mark

[chessie system fan]

Do the stealth units have anything in place of the smoke unit? That seems like a great place to add some weight.

[spookshow]

The parts diagram shows what could be a weight (#32) rather than a smoke detector. Maybe that's what the stealth models have.

http://www.broadway-limited2.com/support/N%20Rdg%20T1%20Expl%20View%20-%20Loco%20Type%20C%20(1.15.2024).pdf

[learmoia]

Do the stealth units have anything in place of the smoke unit? That seems like a great place to add some weight.

Yes.. It shorts the motor contacts so can enjoy smoke when you install your DCC decoder 

[nstars]

If BLI had offered this scheme I would have bought one.  Saw it in Dover, NH in 1975.

I just saw there still is a version with a slightly different livery available through Lowell Smith.

Marc

[spookshow]

Yikes, my T1's tender derailed on a turnout and the resultant short circuit melted all six of the plastic axle sleeves. I sure hope they have some replacements for me 

-Mark

[u18b]

Yikes, my T1's tender derailed on a turnout and the resultant short circuit melted all six of the plastic axle sleeves. I sure hope they have some replacements for me 

-Mark

Were you there?
Or was this a deal where you left the room while it was making laps as part of your testing?

I saw the end result of a Kato GP38-2 that derailed and the MRC analog power pack did not go to red and shut off.   Melted truck was end product.

[spookshow]

Roundy-round testing, so I wasn't there. The weird thing is that my DCC system never registered a short, so when I finally noticed that it wasn't running it was sitting there with the headlight flashing and the entire shell super hot to the touch.

I think I must've messed up getting the pilot truck reinstalled correctly because that's where the derail started.

-Mark

[peteski]

Roundy-round testing, so I wasn't there. The weird thing is that my DCC system never registered a short, so when I finally noticed that it wasn't running it was sitting there with the headlight flashing and the entire shell super hot to the touch.

I think I must've messed up getting the pilot truck reinstalled correctly because that's where the derail started.

-Mark

Maybe it wasn't a "real" short (as in close to zero Ohms), but the resistance was low enough to pass current heavy enough to heat things up. Probably just below the tripping point of the DCC booster.  If that was occurring over extended time, the heating would continue to the point of damaging plastic parts.  For example if the booster can supply 2A without tripping, that at 12V is 24 Watts of energy.  That is a lot of heat to be dissipated in a very small area.

[GM50 4164]

Mark, sorry you had a issue with your T1. I've had that happen to other equipment and it is never desired. I hope Broadway is able to come through for you in terms of parts for repair.

On another note, I have noticed that my T1 runs well but is a little jerky. More at the medium to mainline speeds. I do not have any experience in fine tuning the programming on the Paragon decoders. Does anyone know some tips I can try using JMRI?