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 Posted - May 02 2014 : 10:29:45 PM
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Since getting the idea to rebuild my childhood collection of Tyco, my fav engine was my Royal Blue, when it would run that is. I am thinking of putting one of NWSL's Stanton drive units in there. They can be ordered with different size wheel sets and wheel bases. It should yield a beautiful running and looking engine IMHO. Mike
Still NT's, I have Aspergers.
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Posted - May 02 2014 : 11:43:40 PM
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quote:Since getting the idea to rebuild my childhood collection of Tyco, my fav engine was my Royal Blue, when it would run that is. I am thinking of putting one of NWSL's Stanton drive units in there. They can be ordered with different size wheel sets and wheel bases. It should yield a beautiful running and looking engine IMHO. Mike
Originally posted by cadetpwr - May 02 2014 : 10:29:45 PM
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I've been looking at those Stanton drives for a long time- thinking of using one to repower an old ATT RDC set I have from my childhood. I'm always put off by the price though, and wonder how much those things can pull. Wouldn't be an issue for a pair of lightweight RDCs but for a train I don't know...
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - May 02 2014 : 11:49:15 PM
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You could also power the loco. Someone on the Yardbird or Vintage HO Yahoo group just did that with a NWSL gearbox on the 3rd axle. You might want to join to find out which he used. Those Stanton drives are excellent, but my feeling is if you're going to repower, might as well ditch the tender drive.
Personally, I'm keeping my Royal Blue stock. Not so much because of collectibility concerns, just that it is what it is: a toy train with a funky paint scheme that runs reasonably well if I maintain it. 
Btw, I assume you would use one Stanton drive in place of the original power truck? It wouldn't have much traction without tires.
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Posted - May 02 2014 : 11:54:04 PM
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I think the easiest and cheapest way is to put a bachmann 44/70 ton unit (minus the shell  ) into the tender I've done that with my Clementine unit with good results
just me Ray... and just because I have Tyco doesn't mean I am not a model railroader
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Posted - May 02 2014 : 11:57:48 PM
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Yes, replace the PT with the stanton drive unit, then pack the rest of the tender with weight. I dont mind the tender drive, less chance of messing up driver quartering. For my little layout, I dont need her to pull huge loads, just the normal set length train. I just dont care for the PT's lack of smoothness after it sits for awhile. All my PT"s need some TLC after the summer slumber while I play with G scale in my garden. The MU2 in my GP20 does just fine year round, even if it sits for awhile. The stanton isnt cheap, but what is any more if its new. I happen to love the RB's colors and am partial to B&O anyways. I dont remember what the prototype inspiration for the Tyco consolidation was, but it does resemble a B&O engine, much like the old Mantua/Tyco Pacific does. I can see the advantages either way, NWSL gear box+can motor in the engine or stanton drive in the tender.
Still NT's, I have Aspergers.
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Posted - May 03 2014 : 12:14:26 AM
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I agree with Ray. I think the Bachmann drive is a better and more economical choice for a tender drive. You can eliminate the fuel tank for better appearance, and then weight it out the wazoo.
http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=66_68_194&zenid=m0qefvbeo1i0rcuoimdpf5hfj2
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Posted - May 03 2014 : 12:30:50 AM
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I dont know that a bachmann is a better drive but I will keep that in mind. Not a huge fan of bachmann. being the service tech for 2 hobby shops, I see my share of issues, mostly on bachmann's. Once I find and buy a royal blue, it will probably stay PT driven for awhile. I have plenty of PT spare parts and know how to keep em running. Just exploring a better option. I use NWSL stuff when reworking brass engines for people. I will look into the gear box in the loco idea over on yardbird. Mike
Still NT's, I have Aspergers.
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Helm
Little Six
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Posted - May 05 2014 : 11:14:28 AM
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I too have played with the Royal Blue. I put an older style Bachmann F-7 in the tender. I made a short frame to hold the power truck and the dummy truck. With silver side frames. it doesn't look half bad with the blue and silver styling of the Royal Blue. If you use your imagination it could pass for tender booster trucks.
However, even with traction tires and loading the tender with as much weight as would fit, there was barely enough power to push the engine, let alone any cars.
I thought I had something, but it was a dead end.
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Posted - May 05 2014 : 2:51:16 PM
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What about using the engine and tender frames from a IHC/Mehano 2-8-0 for the repower project?
Regards, John ****************************
Perfection spawns doctrines, dictators and totalitarian ideas. <> Antonio Tabucchi
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Posted - May 05 2014 : 4:51:43 PM
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You could get new springs, brushes and shim that arm with a bushing. Nelson did a shim and he stated it worked wonders. I use the brushes and springs from Auto World's MagnaTraction slot car tune up kit. Does good. It's the armature that usually goes. I always wanted to find some one to help me re-wind one and redo the mags and see if it'd be like new.
" Heck with counting 'em rivets, TRAINS ARE FOR FUN! Not called the Mad Scientist for nothing either!"
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Posted - May 05 2014 : 9:22:10 PM
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I will see how she runs after I go thru and clean/tune the PT drive set up. Whatever I do, it will look like it has had nothing done to it. Thats my whole plan, for it to look like a bone stock RB, unless you turn it over and look under the tender and see the new drive set up. Pretty sure I can keep it that way using the NWSL drive truck. Mike
Still NT's, I have Aspergers.
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Posted - November 04 2014 : 6:13:40 PM
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She still runs really well. I just keep the train pulled short. Might give her a try at the local club this coming weekend on the local. Anybody know what the prototype for the engine was? Not the paint scheme mind you, but the tooling. Kind of has the look of a B&O engine in my mind's eye. Put a proper B&O style headlight on it and she has that look to her. I am not a yahoo person, does someone have the ablity to cut and paste the repower with a NWSL gear box in the engine to this thread? That would be the best option, small can motor and gear box inside the engine. I have no use for the smoke and I have always love the blue color. Would look good pulling string of matching blue shorty passenger cars. Mike
Still NT's, I have Aspergers.
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Posted - November 05 2014 : 07:44:51 AM
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Me I just power the loco and make fix the tender with standard trucks. Their are 2 or 3 of us here who have done that. Also mantua sold 0-8-0 's of the same type and frame in 2 different driver sizes. Maybe you can just locate one the drives.
frank
photos of one converted.
 
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
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Posted - November 05 2014 : 08:30:29 AM
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There is a chattanooga carcass at the local hobby shop, going to pick it up today so I can test my skills on its chassis before I do that to a near mint royal blue. Only differance is I would want to use a can motor. I never have cared for how those open frame motors ran. Every one I have seen tended to be inconsistant in its speed as it ran around the loop, even after a good tune up. With helix humper basicly out of the picture, I am supprised someone hasnt cloned the design of thier flyworm set up on a can motor with a mount for all the Mantua/Tyco engines that still need a repower. I think if I did put the motor in the engine, it would be with a NWSL idler gear box so I can mount the can motor fairly flat and link it with short dog bone coupling. This isolates motor noise and gear box noise from each other. My dream is a Royal Blue that runs as good as it looks! Mike
Still NT's, I have Aspergers.
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Posted - November 05 2014 : 7:45:30 PM
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I have the idler gear box top section from a Mantua logging mallet. It mates, I think, with the normal axle gear used in the 0-4-0 ect, this would allow me to mount a small can motor up inside the boiler and give me a nice smooth gear ratio. That being said, anybody have an axle gear or a axle set with the gear on it that they would be willing to sell, trade, donate to the project? Thanks Mike
Still NT's, I have Aspergers.
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