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 Posted - November 14 2007 : 09:19:27 AM
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Hello All-- Last night, I finished an "experimental" Tyco steamer conversion that I thought I'd share. I recently picked up a Tyco/Mantua 0-4-0 Shifter (with tender). It needed some TLC to get it back in running form; in fact, it needed more than that. No matter how much I cleaned it up, oiled it, etc., I could just not get good enough electrical contact through the tender wheels to keep it from running erratically--especially forward--it did better in reverse. I remembered that I had a good mechanism for an 0-4-0 booster. The booster picks up current with wipers on the drivers, since it has no tender. I modified the booster's frame to accept the shifter's boiler/cab, and just did away with the wire and drawbar to the tender, replacing it with regular couplers. It works fantastically now, crawls at slow speed, and maintains great electrical contact. The conversion was a bit more complex than just changing out the superstructures, however. The booster's frame is slightly different, especially to the rear, from that of the Shifter. The other route I could have taken, which I may still attempt, is to keep the Shifter in original configuration, but add the wiper assembly from the Booster on to it. This would yield a better result, but would require drilling a really small hole in the frame and notching out some metal to add on the wipers.....if anyone else has experienced erratic operation of steamers, please share your story! Chris
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Country:  USA ~
Posts: 874 ~
Member Since: October 15 2007 ~
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Posted - December 07 2008 : 02:57:44 AM
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A:
I think I know what's wrong with the tender. A lot of these have corroded at the truck top. Remove the trucks, sand the truck pivot top bright, and gently remove any corrosion from the king post with a hand wire brush.
The wheels might also be oxidized. Heavy oxidation from storage, I find, is best removed with /very/ fine sandpaper. First I try 1200 grit crocus cloth, then 600 grit silicon carbide (black) sandpaper. I don't use anything coarser! Then wipe the wheel clean with alcohol. Normal running should be enough to keep anything else from accumulating except road grunge, which can be removed with alcohol and a rag.
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Country: USA ~
Posts: 432 ~
Member Since: March 04 2008 ~
Last Visit: December 28 2018
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