Razorback Traction Co: A Handy Dremel Hack!

[M. Mitchell Marmel]

First, a brief recap of the 2/15 Springdale Train Show:

(As seen in last Sunday's photos.  Alas, my camera went missing along with my lighter, flashlight and measuring tape, so that's the only shot I got.)

As you can see, the Red Rocket II was running the "Red Train" at the show (AEC Security Car and Radioactive Waste Car off camera, followed by various red boxcars and hoppers and such).  However, a couple of hours into the show, the RRII started doing a rather good imitation of a coffee grinder and was sidelined in favor of the Red Rocket I...which was kind of problematic, as the plain Lionel speaker sprawled in the cab of the RRI is much quieter than the Williams True Blast horn in the RRII, and could barely be heard over the crowd noise at the train show!

Anyhow, after unmounting and dismantling the RRII's power truck and giving same a good bath in mineral spirits (enough carbon and metal shavings there to compress into a Lionel commutator brush!) followed by a light oiling and reassembly (the RRII has a new spring in its step and is quiet as can be now!)  I turned my attention to the anemic horn in the RRI.  Long term, I'm going to want to get another Williams True Blast speaker for RRI, as it just pumps out more decibels than the Lionel speaker does, but for now, I've settled for taping the speaker's face to the wall of the cab opposite the E-unit, so that some resonance from the shell can be had.

In order to fit the Lionel speaker to the shell, a bit of metal must be trimmed from the edges, which is where the Dremel comes in.  Using a large cutoff wheel, one trims the outer edges of the speaker square to fit.  Alas, my variable speed Dremel was shuddering and sputtering like a small plane running out of fuel in those old Republic serials...

Dremel puts some of the better designed commutator brushes I've ever seen in its Moto-Tools.  Precision cut, nice strong spring, and a braided wire between the brush and a plate at the top of the spring to ensure the electricity gets where it's supposed to go.  Unfortunately, as the brush wears, the wire goes taut and then you get sparking, arcing et cetera. 

Now, at this point, the Thing To Do is to go out and get another set of brushes for the thing...unless it's ten o'clock at night and you don't really feel like driving the five miles to Lowe's or Walleyworld just then.  So, Yr. Humble Servant cast about for a quick workaround.  Poking through a tackle tray repurposed as a parts box, I came across an errant Lionel commutator brush.  Would this do as a quick fix?  As it turns out, the answer is a hearty "Yes!"  The Dremel fired up eagerly, and the project was duly completed.   And the horn in the Red Rocket I is a bit more emphatic. 

Me am happy camper!  :)

Mitch

[M. Mitchell Marmel]

UPDATE:  Got even more oomph out of the Lionel speaker by fabricating a resonator for the speaker using the bottom of a Dixie cup, cut to fit and fitted over the speaker!  Remember, "SCROUNGE!"

Mitch