The video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxhs6ds_IkI
enjoy
B0B
Neat! Thanks for sharing.
Rex
Coogler Rail Line wrote:Nice! Is that loco out of the box you did you bash it? What sound unit did you have installed? I may have to get one of those!
I too would ask the same questions as Charles. Very nice indeed!
Tom Trigg
Age is only a state of mind, keep the mind active and enjoy life
Yes , it is right out of the box, the only bashing was minor stuff (see below)
The sound is a DCC Digitrax Sound-Bug the sounds and custom programing I did myself.
Minor changes:
(1) Part of the rear bottom edge of the tender was broken, so, I fitted the broken part back into the tender shell, and applied epoxy to the inside. Once dry, I lightly sanded the paint at the cracks and applied a clear dull coat. Then, to avoid breaking the thin tender shell again, I epoxied strips of carbon fiber to the inside of the shell.
(2) There are no marker lights on the rear of the tender, but there are brackets for them molded into the rear of the tender. I drilled a hole near the bottom of each molded bracket and fitted pieces of plastic coated large paper clips to hang two LGB lanterns. I then drilled another hole a little lower for wires, and installed micro-bulbs, (white, red and green) in two LGB lanterns. ( I also replaced the one red lens on each lantern with a clear one.)
(3) I made shims for the counterweights, this made it possible to run the loco but not very smoothly. I found that one counterweight had a bent screw, replacing it made the loco run a little better, but the Kay still binds at slow speed. Then I found that the offset shaft on one counterweight is bent( the whole counterweight wobbles.) I found that putting this bad counterweight on the front axle made the loco run smoother than placing it on either of the other two axles. I have counterweights on order, and hopefully replacing the one remaining problem counterweight will finally smooth the loco out completely. If I back up the loco, and slowly come to a stop when pushing three cars, (slow enough that the cars still don't slack), but, instead, still have froward pressure on the rear of the loco, then... the loco will not move at all in the forward direction. It is bound up. But, as I said, one replaced counterweight should take care of this one last issue. The first scene in the video took eleven takes because the camera dolly started moving, but the Kay didn't. Very frustrating.
(4) I removed the boiler and found four screws in the gearbox that were loose. (Two of them were at least three full turns short of having the head touch the surface of the gearbox.) I tightened them. It is also important to have the gearbox ride up and down with the third axle. On mine, some wires were caught and not allowing the gearbox to move. (I re-routed the wires.)
(5) Back to the tender. My tender had a common problem, the supports for the shell were broken away from the floor of the tender. I positioned them back in place, tacked them there with CA instant adhesive. I scuffed the floor of the tender around the supports with course sandpaper. Then I installed a dam around the base of each support made from a 1/2" tall ring cut from some pill bottles. I filled the dams with 30 min. epoxy.
(6) I reversed the fan so that it would not suck the smoke back down the stack.
(7) After an hour of running on a test oval, I noticed sparks coming from under the tender. Turns out the red and black track wires going to the trucks go through two small holes in the tender floor, (plastic) then two small holes in the tender frame, (metal) then two small holes in the truck. The constant twisting of the truck cut through the insulation of the wires and was shorting out. I replaced the wires with a more flexible wire, added rubber sleeves where the wires passed through the metal frame, enlarged the holes in the metal frame and rounded the edges of the holes. (The original holes were too small and had sharp edges.)
(8) To make a longs story short, eventually I had to remove all of the existing connectors, wiring (about 11 feet of wire and 13 circuit boards and did a normal DCC install. I used a DG583S in the loco frame. I used a 4 function decoder on the boiler front to give me red, green or white marker lights. The sound card is in the tender as well as a four function decoder for the backup light and marker lights. Sound sync is done with a reed switches and magnets in each cylinder. I ran the sync line through the draw-bar, eliminating all other wires between the tender and loco. I also removed the unused supports in the tender and mounted two 4 ohm speakers in series.
(9) Katee couplers were an easy install.
I still have lots of work to do to get the Kay ready for normal service. I need to mount a backup light on the tender (the undecorated green Kay does not come with one). It needs lettering. And of course, I still need a counterweight.
I just checked, and the Kay manages easily to pull 8 LGB passenger cars as well as 12 logging disconnects and the Bachmann 1:20.3 boxcar. It didn't even seerm to slow it down. Made for a funny looking consist though. I was worried about clearance issues. Happily, it easily goes through my LGB steel bridge. The LGB American semaphore is VERY close. I added washers to the first and last driving axles, so it usually clears the signals. I've had to relocate the signals further from the edge of the track. This was fairly easy using some modified ties to extend the signal about an extra inch from the rails.
All in all, I think the Kay is a nice addition to my railroad, and with my two shays will give me an excuse to add some 1:20.3 rolling stock.
Ash
While Bachmann locos are generally what I consider "Craftsman" type locos, If you are into 1:20.3, or just want a really big impressive loco, the Kay is not much more work than the three truck shay, and certainly a lot less work than the first run two truck shay. I also understand that the currently shipping Kay's already have the new counterweights. Some users may find that the Kay is completely acceptable. To each his own. I for one, wanted to use the Digitrax decoder because of certain features I wanted. Others have used the QSI decoder and are happy with it.
The only objectionable things I found were:
I found the Kay to be fairly easy to work on, despite it's size and weight, which usually presents problems for me.
Certainly, if you want a K27, and are running DC, and are not particular about the rock concert in the firebox, or the LED's, then The Kay should be a simple conversion to your favorite couplers and you will be done. Installing DCC is no more expensive or difficult than any other loco conversion, and simple, once you cut out all the analog and battery stuff they built into the Kay.
Im sort of new to large scale and so far the only engines I own are Bachmann 4-6-0's (Annie & Bighauler's) I don't have anything in 1:20 all my rollingstock is Bmann big hauler's and LGB and the main reason I want the K27 is a few months ago I went to Flint Michigan and got to see the real D&RGW K27 464 in action.
I have a framed picture of 464 above my fireplace and plan to display it on the mantel, I do plan on running it and got a few cases of wider radius curves to do just that.. I guess Im just scared that all it will end up doing is sitting on the fireplace mantel... I mean thats the reason im getting it but I would really like to run it too without tons of work
Get the Garden Railways newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month