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Well, here we go again....

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Well, here we go again....
Posted by Postwar Paul on Saturday, June 22, 2019 9:32 AM

 The 258, which was a train show special, suddenly stopped working.

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Saturday, June 22, 2019 9:35 AM

Maintenance is the one constant in model railroading, whether it's N, HO, G, or O and S.  Things need help occasionally. This 258, which I believe is late pre war, about '41 vintage, has worked all these years with just lubrication. Now, I'm forced to go deep.

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Saturday, June 22, 2019 12:33 PM

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Saturday, June 22, 2019 12:36 PM

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Saturday, June 22, 2019 1:16 PM

Forgot I had these

 

 

 

 they'll come in handy...

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Saturday, June 22, 2019 3:05 PM

E-unit "done daid," as they say down South?

Yeah, it happens.  As good as they were I suppose they were never expected to last 75+ years.  At least you figured it out quickly.

Beats a blown circuit board!  Groannnnnnn...  Bang Head

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Saturday, June 22, 2019 3:25 PM

Yes, I'm I'm having to go in here

 

 

 I'm goin' " Whole Hog"

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Saturday, June 22, 2019 3:28 PM

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Saturday, June 22, 2019 3:30 PM

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Saturday, June 22, 2019 3:33 PM

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Saturday, June 22, 2019 3:36 PM

A test of patience, and steady hands

 

 

 

but got it back to gether

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Saturday, June 22, 2019 4:44 PM

 Okay, I know it's not pretty...

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Saturday, June 22, 2019 4:47 PM

But, it works !!!

 

 

 now, to finish the shell....

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Saturday, June 22, 2019 5:21 PM

 It has a nice sheen to it

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Saturday, June 22, 2019 5:25 PM

And the silvered face will give it a vaguely Espee look....

 

 

 

 

 let's let it dry overnight.

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Saturday, June 22, 2019 5:56 PM

This 2025 is subbing we a pre war train

 

 

 

 

 until 258 can come back to work...

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Sunday, June 23, 2019 9:40 AM

 Cowabunga, man!!!!

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Sunday, June 23, 2019 9:43 AM

 It works !

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Sunday, June 23, 2019 9:46 AM

Project:

 

 

 

 

 

 Complete !!!

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Posted by Penny Trains on Sunday, June 23, 2019 6:57 PM

Now all you need is a vandy!  Wink

Trains, trains, wonderful trains.  The more you get, the more you toot!  Big Smile

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Sunday, June 23, 2019 7:26 PM

Espee steam had a clean and beautiful look ! To be trackside in the late '40's!!!

I saw and photographed 2472 in'91 on it 's way to Railfair in Sacramento.  Beautiful engine !!

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Posted by Penny Trains on Sunday, June 23, 2019 8:30 PM

She has that rare combination of grace and power.  Big Smile

Trains, trains, wonderful trains.  The more you get, the more you toot!  Big Smile

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Sunday, June 23, 2019 11:22 PM

In the days of steam, many railroads favored one builder, or another.Espee bought heavily from Baldwin ( aside from the Daylight engines, which were Lima). The clean looks of 1920's Baldwin products are downright beautiful. !! One of my favorite eras in locomotive design.

Pennsy built a majority of their engines, with the overflow going to Baldwin.

New York Central liked Alco, as did U.P. With their Challengers and Big Boys.

1920's Baldwins  are beautiful !!

Frisco 1522-  I rest my case !!!

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Monday, June 24, 2019 8:16 AM

There was an obscure term applied to the Baldwin passenger engines of the 1920's, obscure because I believe it was only used in the South.  They called them "Georgian Engines,"  because the '20s were also the time of Colonial Revival architecture, based on the Georgian style of the 18th Century.

The Southern Railway PS-4 is a good example of the same. and so's that Espee Pacific.  Nice!

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Monday, June 24, 2019 8:47 PM

Flintlock76

There was an obscure term applied to the Baldwin passenger engines of the 1920's, obscure because I believe it was only used in the South.  They called them "Georgian Engines,"  because the '20s were also the time of Colonial Revival architecture, based on the Georgian style of the 18th Century.

The Southern Railway PS-4 is a good example of the same. and so's that Espee Pacific.  Nice!

 

In the book " Illustrated Treasury of the American Locomtive Company", O.M. Kerr makes reference to the " Georgian Locomotive " in reference to C&O's F-19 Pacific. This is a beautiful locomotive ! Although it is an Alco product, in this particular instance, Kerr refers to the lines of the locomotive. This could be a universal description of a very beautiful engine ?

Although Baldwin usually owned the look !!!

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Posted by LL675 on Wednesday, June 26, 2019 10:28 AM
that looks great! I have messed with a few E Units...maybe because I haven't done more, but I dread them. Just as soon pull'm out.

Dave

It's a TOY, A child's PLAYTHING!!! (Woody  from Toy Story)

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Wednesday, June 26, 2019 6:49 PM

LL675
that looks great! I have messed with a few E Units...maybe because I haven't done more, but I dread them. Just as soon pull'm out.
 

Now I don't have to worry about the E-unit !

 

But here's the kicker:

still having some issues with this engine. It's not the E-unit !

But if I remove the brush plate and clean, it runs a few laps.

So, I need to change brushes, and there is a poor connection at the brushtubes. I know this because there is sparking where the metal tab that the wire hooks to touches the brush tube. It is only a mechanical connection, and the connection is old and dirty. 

So, a few little kinks to work out...

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Wednesday, June 26, 2019 7:52 PM

I tried repairing an E-unit once, started on it and BOING!!!  Parts went flipping everywhere.  Oh brother...

So when the E-unit went on my 736 I pulled one out of an old post-war 2-6-4 I got dirt cheap as a parts donor.  Cleaned it, installed it, problem solved.  

TM Books and Video has a Lionel repair DVD that shows you how to repair an E-unit, among other things, but to their credit they don't try to make it look easy. 

Next time one goes I may just try a Dallee Electronics replacement, although I'd miss that E-unit buzz.

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Wednesday, June 26, 2019 11:23 PM

Flintlock76

I tried repairing an E-unit once, started on it and BOING!!!  Parts went flipping everywhere.  Oh brother...

So when the E-unit went on my 736 I pulled one out of an old post-war 2-6-4 I got dirt cheap as a parts donor.  Cleaned it, installed it, problem solved.  

TM Books and Video has a Lionel repair DVD that shows you how to repair an E-unit, among other things, but to their credit they don't try to make it look easy. 

Next time one goes I may just try a Dallee Electronics replacement, although I'd miss that E-unit buzz.

 

I have the TM video, and I've watched it many times. My opinion is there are a lot of things much more difficult to tackle, but the E-unit I usually get it back together on the 3rd try. Much rather do that than change pick up shoes on an operating car !

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Posted by Postwar Paul on Wednesday, June 26, 2019 11:25 PM

Not ready to declare victory yet......

 

 

but pulling this pre war train smoothly at 8 to 10 volts, no exce ssive sparking

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