90 Tips and Tricks Challenge

[phrankenstign]

I doubt there is anyone here who can list all 90 Tips & Tricks mentioned on the cover of the Vol. 33 No. 1 January 2020 issue.

 

It would be nice if someone from the CTT staff would supply the official list of "90 Tips & Tricks".

[alank]

Well I doubt I could find 90 tips, but I bought the January 2020 issue just for the cover and the story that went along with it.   I don't have the Santa Fe Alco from 1958, but have the Texas Special 210.   A lot of the story from that time could be our home back then.

While we are talking tips, I have a question.  

The other day I was working on resurrecting a 1951 2026 that just came my way.  In the process of working on it, the threaded stud for the drive rod snapped off, leaving the threaded portion in the threaded hole on the center driver.   Have you had any luck drilling and retapping something like that, or do I just try to get a new drive wheel, and have it pressed on.   I guess I am looking to find the best cost effective repair for it.   Drill and tap, new driver pressed on or find a good 2037 motor with magnatraction.   

[ADCX Rob]

alank

...a 1951 2026 that just came my way.  In the process of working on it, the threaded stud for the drive rod snapped off, leaving the threaded portion in the threaded hole on the center driver...

Extract that nub from the wheel. Go in from behind if you have to.

[alank]

Rob,

When you say go in from behind, does the threaded hole go all the way thru?  I will have to remove the driver, right?   Thanks for your reply..

[lionelsoni]

Have you noticed that the center drivers are slightly larger (at the tread) than the others?  You can rock the locomotive fore and aft on flat track.  A 2037-motor transplant will correct that, along with your broken screw problem.

Another problem with all of the Adriatics is that the front-truck pivot is much too far forward, so that the engine oversteers on curves.  If you experience derailing to the inside of curves, moving the pivot to the front cross-member of the motor (keeping the axle at the same location) will fix that problem.

[ADCX Rob]

alank

...When you say go in from behind, does the threaded hole go all the way thru?  I will have to remove the driver, right?

It does not go all the way through, but it could if you drill it from behind. A bit with good bite will spin that screw out when you come at it from the bottom. I don't know if there is room to do this w/o removing the wheel.

Alternatively, you could try extracting with a left-hand bit from the driver face. This will jeopardize the threads, though.

[alank]

Bob and Rob,

    Thanks for responding...  At this point I wish I had not noticed things weren't seated right the other day when I attempted to tighten.  I don't like broken engines and if it were a larger screw I would know exactly what to do.

     Replacing the driver would be the most logical solution if I had the tools, but they aren't readily available to me where I presently live.   A 2037 motor is also good if I were running this thing.   This engine just came my way and needed a little TLC, which I often do.   I have no plans for it, but feel like I am the person to fix it.   I used to think I could have worked for Lionel.

I have another of this version 2026, but I never spent a lot of time studying this engine.   My original 2026 came before my birth in 1949 to my older brother for Christmas that year.   A parallel to the Jan 2020 CTT story of 208 Alco is the authors picture of him at an early age with Lionel Trains and one I have with me at Christmas 1951 in my grandfather's basement with our 2026, me being a year and 1/2 old.  I have no recollection of memory at that early age, but do have rememberance at around age 4.   The orignal 2026 saw plently of use growing up, but always ran and smoked well.   I gave it to my nephew a number of years back as it really was his father's engine.  

I will have to study the difference between the 2026 and 2037.   I have a 637 sitting on my work bench so I think that will be the same as the 2037, correct?   That engine too just came my way via a flea market last year.   What a day of finds when I found that 637.   I got a 309 sign set in a box marked Madison Hardware, found a 45 watt transformer, almost like new, and something else I can't remember right now all for around 25 dollars.   I didn't even want to go that morning, but my daughter was looking for something and the family dragged me.

Well I will wish every one a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year season.   I had off last week and time to spend looking at my old Lionel catalogs.   Those catalogs from the mid 50s sustained me for a long time.   I bought the latest CTT just because of the Alco on the from cover.

I also recieved a video for Christmas, titled "Rails to the Catskills".    It says it was produced in 2014, but this is the first I have ever seen it.   Video of the O&W and other railroads of the Catskills.   

Well at this time I have to sign off or I am going to miss church.   Thanks for your responses and hope you too had a good holiday season.   Wishing you well.

                                                                               AlanK

[lionelsoni]

My first choice to remove a broken screw is to try to find a spot off-center on the broken face that is irregular enough to rotate the screw with a sharp pick or needle by hammering on it at an angle to the screw axis.  Often the screw is loose enough for this to work.

Failing that, I would try to grind a screwdriver slot into the broken end with a thin Dremel cutoff wheel (and inevitably a little into the surrounding metal).  Your screw (4-36?) is probably too small for that.

Then I would try to drill a shallow hole right on the boundary between the screw and the sintered iron, to create a notch in the side of the screw, and would go back to trying to turn the screw using the first method above.

[alank]

Good suggestions Bob....I will approach it that way...Thank You..Alank

[phrankenstign]

lionelsoni

My first choice to remove a broken screw is to try to find a spot off-center on the broken face that is irregular enough to rotate the screw with a sharp pick or needle by hammering on it at an angle to the screw axis.  Often the screw is loose enough for this to work.

Failing that, I would try to grind a screwdriver slot into the broken end with a thin Dremel cutoff wheel (and inevitably a little into the surrounding metal).  Your screw (4-36?) is probably too small for that.

Then I would try to drill a shallow hole right on the boundary between the screw and the sintered iron, to create a notch in the side of the screw, and would go back to trying to turn the screw using the first method above.

 

Were those suggestions a few of the 90 Tips & Tricks included in the January 2020 CTT?

[Penny Trains]

I don't know about January, but the February issue:

has an article titled:

50 GREAT IDEAS!  How-to tips for improving your layout

By Roger Carp

 

I read it today and I think he was being a bit conservative.  A liberal, such as I am, could easily subdivide each of those fifty tips into at least three separate tips increasing the total to a minimum of 150.

 

For example.  Let's take No. 9 (one of the shortest).  The text reads: "To camouflage flat lines of track, vary the elevations surrounding them.  Gordy recommends using cuts, bluffs, and bridges, just as he did."

 

Rewritten it becomes:

 

9a: Camouflage flat lines of track.

9b: Vary the elevations surrounding the lines of track.

9c: Gordy recommends using cuts, bluffs, and bridges, just as he did.

 

The best teachers are the ones who do their job without a pupil realizing he or she has been taught.  My aunt, a 5th grade teacher, taught me that.  Based on how much I feel I've learned after reading each issue of CTT I feel I have no reason to doubt the cover math is correct if not conservative.

[Flintlock76]

Love that up-coming cover!

It's a BL-2, the Basset Hound of diesel locomotives!

Take a gooooood look...

https://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/c_dg_basset_hound#  

[phrankenstign]

The intent of placing the number of great ideas on the cover is to attract potential readers to buy the issue.  Whether each one can or cannot be subdivided is irrelevant.  The point is to supply the reader with the number stated.

 

When People magazine has their "100 Most Beautiful People", they don't randomly have pictures of those 100 intermingled with others who aren't in the list.  They post each person along with their respective ranking in their list.  That makes sense, and that's what readers expect.  I think when a magazine prominently displays a number of whatever they've counted on the cover, readers expect to see each item from that list designated as such inside the magazine.  That's why I would like to see a list of the items from the January CTT issue.  The February CTT issue's designated list inside the magazine is what I'd like to see as a general rule whenever a number is mentioned on the cover.

[Dave45681]

phrankenstign

........

When People magazine has their "100 Most Beautiful People", they don't randomly have pictures of those 100 intermingled with others who aren't in the list.  They post each person along with their respective ranking in their list.  That makes sense, and that's what readers expect.  I think when a magazine prominently displays a number of whatever they've counted on the cover, readers expect to see each item from that list designated as such inside the magazine.  That's why I would like to see a list of the items from the January CTT issue.  The February CTT issue's designated list inside the magazine is what I'd like to see as a general rule whenever a number is mentioned on the cover.

 

Yup. 

I still renewed my subscription the other day (so it's not like I'm going to stamp my feet and threaten to not re-up or anything like that ;)), but this ridiculousness is getting old. 

The actual list was a nice surprise/shock now that there have been so many fake out covers regarding an actual list.

 

[phrankenstign]

I am a long time reader of this magazine who has collected every single issue from Volume 1 Number 1 onwards.  I enjoy the content that is geared more for fun than for serious modeling.  I've always felt the practice of putting a random number of tips/tricks/hints on the cover without an associated list inside was a cheap sales tactic CTT didn't need.  In fact, I wouldn't mind if the number was as low as 5-10, so long as an associated itemized list inside the magazine detailed each one:

 

5 innovative tips for grouping sidings with similar operating accessories in a logical way

10 imaginative tricks using relays to actuate mulitple accessories/turnouts together for fun operations

5 easy, realistic ballasting techniques

10 great layout sound dampening hints for quieter operations

10 useful tips for getting the highest prices when selling trains & accessories

10 best layout planning tips to ensure trouble-free operation

5 major pitfalls to avoid when planning a layout

Solving the 10 most common operational/layout problems

5 simple ways to display a collection

 

The intent isn't to wow readers with incredibly high numbers.  The intent is to highlight specific areas that can be addressed sufficiently with each issue.

[alank]

Hi Bob,

     Well I had limited success today trying to do the repair using a combination of your first choice and the last choice.  I got a lot of the screw out drilling and hammering at an angle,   but after clearing as much as I could, I tried a small easy out and then tapping with a 4-36 tap.  I dont think I got it all as I didn't have a bottoming tap.   

Bob where do you find that the 2036-18 Main Crank Screw is 4-36 thread?

So after limited success I did a Rub Goldberg  with a bunch of machine screws and hardware I have around.   I took a threaded standoff, like used to be on the back of old PCs and threaded that into the driver.  I then used washers and the standoff along with the siderod then follwed by one more thin wash and a slotted machine screw to make the fix.   Everything the way it is now only protruds out by about and 1/8 of an inch more.   Doesn't look bad, and works.   I may see if I can shorten by the 1/8 when I have more time, but the best way would be a 2037 motor or a new driver and keep it original.

On another note though, I got another 2026 like this over the weekend.  It was a incomplete engine coming from someones junk box.   It was just a 2026 shell, motor with drive rods and the hardware to secure, front steam chest, no pony wheels or other, dirty and all, but had what I needed.   The  body when cleaned up was better than the one I had, so I have lots of opportunity to fix.

Anyhow it was a good few hours working on it and all, and made me happier than when I broke that other screw.   Thanks for your suggestions.

                                                                                 AlanK

[lionelsoni]

I put a question mark after that because I meant only to suggest a possibility.  Lionel used to use some odd screw sizes, and I didn't want you to assume that, for example, a number-4 screw would have been a 4-40 and mess up the threads.