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 Posted - February 16 2014 : 11:49:30 AM
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Hello forum members! It's been a very long time since I have actively been involved in the hobby, and I'm astonished at how things have changed over 30 years. Or maybe not - what else has stayed the same? A question for some of you:
I am attempting to refurbish an Alco C 430 that I have stored for decades. The motor runs fine; I was quite pleasantly surprised at its low-speed performance. But I wish to disassemble the shell so I can do some modifications on the body (change couplers to body mount, add some details, touch up paint) but I cannot get the central fuel tank weight out of the shell. Since the wires run between the shell and weight, the trucks cannot be removed, either! Any suggestions on how to accomplish this without totally wrecking the shell?
Thanks
Mike M
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Posted - February 16 2014 : 11:55:58 AM
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welcome aboard
Yes things have changed like the PRICES! 
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Posted - February 16 2014 : 11:57:32 AM
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Welcome back pipey61! You have found a great site to get involved with, very knowledgeable folks here about Tyco and most anything else model RR related.
If I had one of those Alcos I'd try to help but I'm sure someone else can help you. Have fun!
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - February 16 2014 : 12:31:41 PM
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Hollo, the tank will come off if you put your thumbs on each side and pull to out to the sides.
guard screws
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Posted - February 16 2014 : 2:13:56 PM
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| wishing you best of luck on return to hobby,like be says,prices have most certainly changed,but detail and motors have improved ken
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Posted - February 16 2014 : 6:01:38 PM
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I'm assuming here that you have a TYCO Alco 430? The weight will come out, you just have to spread the shell sides enough to let it drop out. The slim shell makes it hard to get out, as well as the trucks. You can always desolder the wires to the non-power truck, and get them out that way, if you have a soldering iron. It's a tool that will be invaluable if you are going to work on old HO engines frequently. And they're not that expensive, either, for under $20 you can get one at Radio shack.
But at any rate, the weight is simply held in by side tabs, not screws, on the Tyco 430, you just have to get the sides spread enough to get it to drop out. Look for the openings in the side of the shell around the weight.
As far as advances go, yes, these older models are very crude compared to the advances in miniature motors in the last 30 years, and with coreless motors coming this year, another leapfrog advance will occur as well. It's fun to fix these older units, as they still provide fun and enjoyment, but if you like non-noisy engines, and ones with actual sound effects, the newer models will REALLY open your eyes to the advances in the hobby in just the last 10 years alone. I personally enjoy them all, the old and the new. Welcome back to the world's greatest hobby, post some pics of your engine when you get a chance ( Silver camera icon up top in the Format area, 2nd row all the way to the right ). Not sure if you have to still have 10 non-picture posts first to start posting pictures, but anyway, we look forward to hearing more from you. And at least it wasn't a 30 year hernia, just a 30 year hiatus. 
Jerry in Virginia, USA
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
Edited by - AMC_Gremlin_GT on February 16 2014 6:03:10 PM
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Posted - February 16 2014 : 6:36:09 PM
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Thank you all for the welcome! I did manage to get the weight out of the shell - it was not held in by screws but at some point had been glued in place at the tabs. No damage to the unit. Anyway, it will now be stripped, detailed and painted to masquerade as an MLW C-424. You are certainly right about the prices and detailed models available, but I'm not prepared to scrap my old locomotives just yet.
I've read on some other forums (forae?!) that converting these older locos to DCC isn't worth the money. I'd like to ask if others have done so, and do they agree or disagree with that statement. I have a fair number of Rivarossi / Athearn / Tyco / Atlas locomotives 1970s vintage that I do not wish to junk.
Thanks
Mike in Toronto
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Posted - February 16 2014 : 8:53:53 PM
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quote:| Thank you all for the welcome! I did manage to get the weight out of the shell - it was not held in by screws but at some point had been glued in place at the tabs. |
I've seen that done, to prevent the weight from falling out when the shell bows, or has been dropped multiple times and warps it. 
quote: I'm not prepared to scrap my old locomotives just yet.
I've read... that converting these older locos to DCC isn't worth the money. I have a fair number of Rivarossi / Athearn / Tyco / Atlas locomotives 1970s vintage that I do not wish to junk.
by pipey61
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It all depends on the locomotive and it's motor. Vintage Athearns are fairly easy to upgrade to DCC. Others like Tyco take special methods to do so, and the motors aren't as reliable as other makes. Rivarossi's can be upgraded, and I think Atlas, although I've never done an Atlas before. In general, if it has a sealed can motor, and/or flywheels, it's a fairly easy proposition, the Tyco is difficult but not impossible, but wouldn't be able to pull many cars compared to the other brands with it's stock motor, but some guys have taken to putting in a pancake can motor from a CD-ROM drive that makes it much more reliable, but some tricky motor frame mods that not everyone will want to attempt, nor have the tools to do so.
So you don't have to throw away your vintage engines to enjoy them with DCC, at least some will be stout enough to upgrade to that type of control. Others will be best left as DC only, unless you have serious modeling and mechanical skills to do the difficult upgrades. I'd leave the Tyco as is , and concentrate on the Athearn and Rivarossie engines you have for upgrades. If you do the work yourself, it won't cost as much, but my Train shop charges $65/hr for doing electrical work, so you can easily price the value out of the engine and decoder ($25 and up for those ), so doing it yourself is a huge money saver. Basically you have to isolate the motor frame from the engine chassis/ track continuity first, that is the first consideration for upgrading to DCC, if it can be done easily, the decoder is no problem.
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
Edited by - AMC_Gremlin_GT on February 16 2014 8:56:11 PM
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Posted - February 16 2014 : 9:17:25 PM
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Mike - there are a lot of us who still run straight DC and have a blast with it, I don't know if this is something you are anxious to get into or just think it's what everyone is doing nowadays.
I'd say my locomotive roster - just guessing - is about 50/50 split between those which might be considered an easy switch to DCC and those which likely wouldn't be worth the trouble. Personally have nothing against DCC if that's your interest, but not my cup of tea due to the cost and just not wanting to mess with it.
http://tycodepot.com/
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 Posted - February 16 2014 : 9:42:36 PM
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Yeah! me for one, JNXT 7707!
I get used DC stuffs cause its cheaper
Tho I could use a better transformer than these
SEE??
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Posted - February 17 2014 : 12:08:32 AM
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| Welcome, Pipey !
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