Improving the operation of Steam Locos.

 

If your locos constantly stop over points (turnouts), de-rail, don’t pull the loads you want, within reason (no 10 Lima 12 wheelers loads up 1 in 30 grades with any loco), have shorts, etc then look at the following reasons: 

 

·       Too light with not enough weight on the driving wheels.

·       The front pony truck lifting up the driving wheels.

·       Poor electrical pick up.

·       The “neoprene” drive tubing worn causing slipping in the mechanism.

·       Over lubricated.

·       A lack of lubrication – requires a service.

·       Shorts in the tender wheel’s side frames.

·       Not enough or no “spring” tension on the front pony wheels.

 

The detailed notes on adding weight and improving the electrical pickup are about the Austrains C36. All these items can be applied to all sorts of locos. Adding weight “over the drivers” and fitting extra pickups will improve the performance of any loco.

 

Adding weight to the Austrains C36

 

There was an article in AMRM about modifying the cab footplate to shift some of the tender weight onto the rear of the loco. I never tried this.

 

Adding a DCC decoder to this model, I have tried numerous mounting methods. To add sound, you have to fit the larger sound decoders and a suitable speaker in the tender. To do this I had to remove a fair proportion of the supplied weight “plates”. Recently while adding a Soundtraxx Tsunami decoder to Bill Dunn’s 36s, I noticed a novel approach to adding weight to the 36 “loco”.

 

Adding weight to a loco is nothing new and with the current discussion on the weight of the Eureka Models AD60 Garratt, I went out and bought some lead sheeting from Bunnings, $18 for a sheet 440 by 440 mm. It was easier than looking for some under the house. I was so impressed with Bill’s “adding weight” to his 36s I will do mine this way when I get time. Having to dismantle the loco to fit a DCC decoder is a good time to fit some extra weight and get better performance.

 

Increasing the weight of the 36 – Bill’s way.

 

Bill added lead pieces and brass rod, cut in numerous shapes and added to the loco in every nock and cranny on his locos.

 

 

 

 

 

Bill’s Austrains 36s weighed in at:

 

 

 

 

 

Increasing the weight of the 36 – Marcus’ way.

 

With the body of the C36 removed, the body weighs 26 grams (no extra weight).

Added lead to the cab, not exactly pretty but I need the weight, now weights - 77 grams

Added “Lead Shot” – 16 grams (bags sold by AR Kits) to the smoke box by placing some electrical tape over the wires to the 0.8 mm LED headlight (this is a 2nd release C36), pouring in the lead shot and “sealing” with Microscale “Kristal Klear” to hold the shot in. Held the body vertical and left it 24 hours to set. Placed some electrical tape over this.

“Leaded up” body now weights 94 grams an increase of 68 grams over the “standard” body. Well worth it.

 

Jammed lead in between the body and cylinders and glued some lead on the mechanism between the rear drivers.

 

Weight of the loco is 306 grams and including the tenders, 392 grams.

 

 

I added “Bill’s lead weights” to my Tsunami equipped C36 plus

 

 

Adding weight to the tender, helps keep the trucks on the rails for better electrical pickup (if fitted) but the loco has to pull this around as extra load, be aware of this.

 

All of this lead, increased the total weight of the loco and tender from 342.5 grams to 425.0 grams and the loco ONLY (no tender) from 224.0 to 304.5 grams. More importantly this increased the weight OVER the C36’s drivers by 80.5 grams.

 

This gave the C36 a much needed increase in “pulling power” especially on layouts with grades like the 1 in 40 grades on my Main North, enabling the C36 to pull a 6 car RUB set where previously it could only “pull” a 4 car set. One of the problems of a double deck layout and having some of the “prototype” grades on a layout.

 

 

Pony Truck spring.

 

Initially the C36s came with a spring that caused the weight on the driving wheels to be transferred to the pony truck, resulting with wheel slip at the first hint of grade when operating with a “normal train” for this loco. Austrains did supply a better spring but not after I had mucked about with the spring and bought a new one.

 

On all the 36s that I have added a decoder to, I have cut off about 3 coils of the fitted spring to just give enough pressure on the pony truck to prevent de-railing. You may have to experiment with this. If too much is cut off, a couple of suitable washers can be fitted to space it out again.

 

Add tender pick ups to the 36.

 

See Adding Extra Pick Ups to steam locos.

 

Lubrication of the mechanism.

 

It is important that all the bearings, bushes etc are lubricated. The regularity of servicing will be determined by usage, but at least once a year. Never over lubricate the bearings and axle boxes as this can cause irregular running caused by intermittent electrical pickup from the wheels.

 

A common problem that requires lubrication, is when the loco mechanism, in this case a new Eureka AD60 Garratt made a funny clicking noise caused by a “dry” motor bush. Lubed with one drop of oil and the noise was gone.

 

When lubricating the mechanism, apply ONE drop of oil, never more. A good type of oil is the Labelle range of oils that come with a fine tube applicator that makes it easy to form a drop and ready to apply to the bush etc.

 

I use Peco “Electrolube” on any bush/axle or keeper plate that is used to pick up the current as this has electrical conductivity properties that help the current flow. Not all oils have these properties.

 

For grease I use Labelle 106 with Teflon.

 

Shorts – Tender wheels shorting on the side frames.

 

DJH kits have the tender wheels and side frames with small clearances. With the loco running through points there is a fair bit of “rocking & rolling” that the wheels can contact the side frames and if these wheels are the insulated ones, then this creates a short.

 

Remove the side frames and file away some of the “metal” until there are no shorts.