doctorwayne25 or 30 years ago, I was nice and flexible, too.
Wayne,
Why did you have to remind me of how badly I have aged?!? Now my right knee has decided to get in on the act!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Hi Charlie,
I have my friend's Hudson, and the screw which holds the torque arm (which serves to keep the gearbox in the same position relative to the motor) is, surprisingly to me, a 1-72 screw, about 3/16" long. I have a screw just slightly longer than that, and it's in place, in the photo below...
...so should work in your loco, too. This one also has a Taneda motor.
As you can see, the motor is connected to the gearbox via U-joints, which is the factory-installed version. I suspect that the previous owner of yours may have had one of the U-joints slip on its shaft, which could put one of the two female ends at a position other than 90º to its counterpart, pretty-well negating the proper operation of the U-joints. If he wasn't aware of the necessity of the proper positions, may have decided that the tubing would be a better choice. Tubing can work very well, and on my travels today, found a store which offers the same tubing which I mentioned earlier.
I've taken only a cursory look at that "pipe" into the banjo frame, so I haven't yet come up with a solution. My friend has several other CNR locos, Mountains and Northerns, which also have banjo frames, and on all of them, the pipe that's represented by that plastic tube is brass and either disappears into the banjo frame like the plastic tube, or is soldered to the outside of the banjo frame. It never occurred to me when I was there, but that means that the banjo frame on those locomotives is connected to the firebox, rather than the frame.
I'll see if I can get him to send me some photos of one of those locos upside-down - maybe the Hudson could be modified in the same way, without too much effort.
Anyway, I have a suitable screw for you, and I'll send you some of that tubing, too. Please send me a PM with your e-mail address and mailing address, and once I figure out a cure for that plastic tube/pipe, I'll send the parts mentioned and, if I come up with a simple-to-install water pipe, one of those, too.
Wayne
Hi Wayne,
I sent you a PM.
Thanks for all your help!!
I wonder why the drive on my loco is just tubing. I can't find any marks on the shafts that would indicate something had been attached. The wheels have little to no wear according to the seller who is a large retailer of brass. I certainly can't see any. There even is a little white paint overspray still on the drive surface of one driver that hasn't worn off.
CN Charlie
Happy to report that thanks to Wayne, my K5a is running very well and silent too.
He truly is the 'Doctor of steam'.
Thanks, Charlie, but I'll also add that Charlie found a bit of a problem with the alignment of the motor relative to the gearbox, and without even needing to ask, determined a suitable remedy, which took his loco from not running at all to running very nicely.
This is a good example of having an issue with something and asking for help, which many here are happy to offer, but also about doing a little investigation on your own, finding the cause, and figuring out the cure. I'm impressed by Charlie's resourcefulness.