USA'S Power Shoes

[smokymtguy]

One of my USA deisel units has dropped and power pickup shoe.  I havent had a chance to look at it close enough to see how it goes back together I did try and slip it back in the slot in the truck but it slips right back out.  Anyone have any experince putting them back together. 

[g. gage]

On the two axle USA MOTOR POWER BLOCK the pickup shoes are held in place by a tab on the MOTOR BLOCK BOTTOM PLATE. Provided the tabs are not damaged turn the loco upside down, I place it on an old pillow, and remove the six screw on the bottom plate and carefully lift the plate off. Make sure the spring is in place in the shoe and slide the shoe into place. Carefully replace the bottom plate. Test the shoes, pushing down and see that they return completely.

Hope this helps, good luck, Rob     

[smcgill]

Ya I bet the small tab is missing. I've tryed to glue a small piece of styrene to the bottom of the truck, but I haven't looked lately to see if it's still there. You can run them with out them ,as some find them UGLY. It shouldn't hurt anything. Sean

[smokymtguy]

Thanks guys,  I finally got to check the deisel and it is the plastic tab that is broke.  I need to order a couple of other things from USA so I guess the bottom plate will be added to the list  Thanks again.

[Barry D]

I also had the same problem that you have.  One of the little tabs on the bottom motor block plate broke off.  So go into USA Trains and look up the locomotive you have.  Then click on the part that says parts list.  Look down the list until you find motor block bottom plate.  You will have to replace this part. Then call Charles Ro Company and tell them what you need. (They are USA Trains).  You can purchase the part at that time.  If you have any doughts about what you need,  Do what I did. I  sent a picture of the bottom plate by e-mail to Charles Ro, so they can see just what I needed.  Sometimes the pictures in the booklets that come with the locomotive are wrong.  Thats why I sent the picture.  It cost me $8.00 for the bottom plate for a USA GP-30.  I also bought new pickup shoes (part# r22-122) from them.  You can purchase any USA Part you need from Charles Ro plus frt.

Barry D.

[got-to-roll]

We see a lot of this at the Fairplex where I volenteer, I've fixed a dozen of them, Just remove the motor block and lay it on its side. Measure down .045 - .055 from the bottom plate face and drill a 1/16 (.062) dia. hole where the plastic retaining tab broke off. Drill into the next hole. Press a piece of 1/16 dia. brass rod into the hole far enough to stick out into the next hole to allow epoxy to hold it in place. make sure the new rod sticks out as far as the original plastic tab to retain the shoe.You still have to remove the bottom plate to reinstall the shoe. We showed this to Charlie Ro at USA Trains and he beefed uo the tab on the newer motor blocks.  The only thing is the hole must be perfectly vertical as the wall is thin there. The motor block will run fine with out the shoe as well. Some operators take them off so they don''t hang up in the switches. USA Trains has been good about parts if you just want to replace it.

Good luck.