I model the SP/Cotton Belt, CB&Q and Erie Lackawanna! A bit transcontinental but that is how you end up loving different liveries and operations. I am afraid I am an old hand in model railroading, which shows in the age of my rolling stock! On entering into DCC I encountered the following challenge; I have a very nice Precision Scale Co brass SD40T-2 from 1980's, which is a beautiful runner on DC and powered by two ENDO spuds. I have seen conversions of Tenshodo spuds, but nothing on ENDO spuds. Despite trawling the internet I have not been able to find a drawing or exploded view of them. I would like to be prepared before embarking on the dismantling of the bogies.
Above all is this DCC conversion of ENDO spuds possible?
Can anyone help, please?
Many thanks and greetings from Scotland
Rolph
A quick google doesn't turn up anything for "endo spud" ... Those some kind of self-contained truck / motor combination?
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
ENDO appears to be a Japanese brand of model trains, mostly tinplate/train set level.
If their power truck has wires or bars of some sort leading fromt he pickups to the motor brushes that can be cut through to isolate the track pickups from the motor brushes, then they should be easy to convert to DCC. If the connection path is built in to the frame of the power truck, it's probably not doable as there generally is no way to isolate a self contained motor liek that. I'm thinking similar to Tyco and Life Like power trucks used in 70's train sets.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Thanks for your replies! The Tenshodo spud can be converted as the pick ups are possible to isolate from the motor terminals. The way it is designed makes this possible, but as I do not have a drawing or similar showing how to disassemble the ENDO and there by giving a clue to how the motor is connected to the pick ups I am in the dark. What I had hoped for is, if someone possesses a drawing that they can PDF and send to me.
If the worst comes to the worst I will have to dissamble the spud and find if it is impossible or not!!!
Cheers
Hey Rolph
How did it go. I have one of those too. I want to get the Endo spud dissassembled from the body, open it up and clean and maybe lube it. Did you "remove the spud"?
SWBA99 Thanks for your replies! The Tenshodo spud can be converted as the pick ups are possible to isolate from the motor terminals. The way it is designed makes this possible, but as I do not have a drawing or similar showing how to disassemble the ENDO and there by giving a clue to how the motor is connected to the pick ups I am in the dark. What I had hoped for is, if someone possesses a drawing that they can PDF and send to me. If the worst comes to the worst I will have to dissamble the spud and find if it is impossible or not!!! Cheers Rolph
First, I had to learn what you were talking about. I Googled ENDO spuds, and got all kinds of different links and pictures of potatoes.
Then I tried ENDO trains, got it. I did find a web site. You might have to figure out how to translate it, depending on what browser you use.
Maybe you can find some thing on the site.
Mike.
My You Tube
Hi!
I did not get any further as the track ends somewhere in Japan. There is a webpage that i assume is about Endo model railroad items, but as it is all japanese i cannot decipher. Tried to find a contact email, but that also was thwarted by the japanese text!
I have sent a question to the new owners of Precison Scale Co with the hope that they would have a contact, but alas they have not bothered to reply.
So in short I am stumped, as we say in Britain!