The Trivial Pursuit Question from (The scrappers inferno): WHAT IS IT!!!

[Anonymous]

Hello one and all.

I am a regular over at the Atlas Board, a Trainboard member born and Raised so to say.

I have recently come upon a real stumper of a problem. I purchased a locomotive here a couple weeks past, and I cannot figure out for the daylights on the Espee what the heck it is.

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My Valentine's Day was beautiful. Instead Of having to deal with complex issues through mass expressions on afferction, I was able to take that resource and put it into a new locomotive, Aha aha aha!

The locomotive is rather nice in weight, and I really like the look of it. It is a nice small little 0-6-0 Fleischmann, or at least, it has a Fleischmann Coupler affixed to the brass frame that is under it. When I got it, I found it to be pleasently heavy. The Worm Gear is nice metal, as is the drive gear on the axle. I tried power, and soon found that the motor wouldn't turn. In looking at the motor, underframe, and gear connection through the bottom, I notice that the underframe had been bent I.E the engine at one time fell or got crushed, with the main bend being centered somewhere over the rear driver/gear connection. In looking at the huge ding in the cab roof edge, I am guessing it got crushed.

Not a problem though, never a serious problem. I cranked those screws out, tore it down, and straightened the frame. Simple enough. Next, I again set power to the motor, and to make sure there was no wiring getting in the way, I disconnected the motor from the frame and from the wiring harness by resetting the solder point. At this point, the motor was entirely free of the engine.

I now tested the engine, putting power directly to the poles/leads/brush assembly; you know, one side in, one side out. It did not turn. I then set my fingers to the rotor, and found that there was resistance in the drive. In the next couple of minutes, I came to hate the designer of this locomotive motor, as it is awful. If you ever run into one of these motors, don't tear it down unless you have too. Basically, the rotor is held in a magnet by two motor mount frames that are attached to either side of the magnet, and these mounts have room to slide back and forth, so that the rotor can be positioned in the magnet with a little adjustment. This took a little doing, but I finally got it. Then came a harder part, as the bottom mount is welded/soldered to the mounting bracket that attaches it to the frame. That mounting bracket, a simple piece of flat brass, came off the motor during the Autobody work, as the damage had bent its correct flat straight position into an obtuse angle. I soldered that back on...and now I have torn it off following a couple days of deep thoughts.

Up to now, I have been able to get the motor to run better; finding where the best position for the rotor mounts wasn't fun, especially without a box wrench. But I got it.

Now there is a bigger problem. The motor that Was droning like an electric motor should is now Screaming. Yes, Screaming. What do I need to do to remedy this solution? A little Labelle light oil in the bearings? I really would like a solution...this annoys me, because up to now I have almost everything ready to make this a worker once again.

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I shot a couple quick photos...I am starting to like some things about this thing, for on, I can take it apart and put it together in less then a minute...motor and wheels, another five minutes and they can be reduced to components likewise and put back again...just don't tear apart the motor.

I took care of the wheels in the first ten minutes of getting this, a little MAAS and the wheels will be cleaned up. The wheels run smoothly, not much too complicated here as they are only attached to two of the drive axles via drive rods.

So here are the pictures of the Locomotive.

The metal on the cab seems about right for an Early Fleischmann era steamer...but the underframe doesn't entirely make sense...



These three parts are what holds this whole thing together. Bottom brass plate makes up the porch, then the screw attaches up through the smokestack.


Note the uncharacteristic brase strip steps...although the weight is right, I am still not sure that this is even still a Fleischmann.


Ahh...the pain in the rear motor. It isn't entirely out of action yet. The rotor turns Veery nice and smooth now, but you have no Idea How much fiddling it took to get there. I am a bit bothered though, because tihs isn't exactly like the Fleischmann motors I know...

Note that the rotor brackets can be adjusted forward and back. It is like this in all four holes, which means trouble getting the rotor set...especially if your tools are a pliers to hold the nut and a screwdriver to drive the screw.



And the bottom. Here is another tragedy...I am going to have to remove the bottom plate, so I can resolder that mounting bracket onto the rotor shaft bracket where it should be. That will fix the problems of meeting the motor to the frame, which is an issue Outside this screaming problem.

Thats about it.
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I still want to build a remagnatizer. I run into a lot of older stuff, as I really enjoy the brute mechanical features of the old timers, this stuff was built well but after this many year, I am not at all surprised if the magnets have been weakening. I am rather talented at rebuilding electric motors...when all the parts have precise fittings!

So then, What is it!!!!

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(Since I started focusing on the construction of the beast, I stopped worrying about the operational characterestics of this motor a little while ago....).

You see, the rear coupler is distinctly a Fleischamnn coupler. Vut in examining it closly, I discovered something highly unusual. Someone had lopped of the nubs and then drilled out the center so they could tap it into the bottom of the shell. I then looked at the brass strip walkways out front, and I noticed that they were attached with one screw to the boiler, but that one screw is set a little OFFset...

There is this peculiar nut and bolt assembly through one of the steam domes. If anything, this is probably there to hid the gapping hole left by this bolt if it were removed.

So at this point, it is my guess that someone shoehorned this whole contraption together. I have surrendered the motor over to the Motor gravediggers, it might be good for a future animation project, off to the shoebox with it! I do with I could remove the worm gear from it and have it set onto a motor shaft...I would have to find a motor, which I am not going to do now(I might during spring break).

The last mystery here is where did these individual components come from? I cannot line this shell up with anything by Fleischmann, but it is a metal that scratches easily with metal, and is very shiny when scratched. I am guessing that it is a Lead alloy of some sort, whatever it is, the cab walls are 1/8th to 3/16 inches thick (2mm)...The flash in the front windows was not factory removed. The steam chest is apparently of the same vintage, as it is also the same metal. I am guessing the lights were stripped off of something else, the holes tapped, and then the lights set up. One heck of a job if you as me, because there looks to be very little mistake in it other then the offset angle of the leads to the nose bulb.

The lead harness is a higher quality part, as it uses a sprung wire rather then a sprung leaf(and that gives me a VERY GOOD idea how to take care of some of my Other wiring concerns elsewere). I Have NO idea where the frame, wheels, or motor come from. The motor has five sides (poles?) to it, The rods are only attached to the front and rear driver, they are solid drivers as well. It is incredibly simplistic.

That is all I have for you. This engine will make an excellent project for repowering, seeing hos somple it is...the motor mount is perhaps the greatest as it provides worlds of freedom towards expansion.

BK

Two Steamers diverged in the forest and took the road less traveled into the Ditch.

[lionelsoni]

It looks to me like the flanges are too small and the wheels too close together. The gauge should be at least 7/8 inch and preferably 1 1/4, or more.

[Anonymous]

I just checked it to a piece of Powerloc track. Thought the Flanges are about 1/16th one and inch (1-2mm) from being perfectly matched on either side, the rim is adequately matched. It moves through curves easily (moing mechanism with 0-5-0).

It has room in there, but at the same time, it remains comfortable on the track. I tested it on a switch, it makes it through beautifully.

As such, I conclude that the wheels are gauged to HO track.

[Anonymous]

Marklin shell on a Fleishmann drive?