Hi guys, I bought my first Life Like Proto 2000 Alco PA(Blue box) and when I took it out of the box I noticed that the shell is very loose on the engine. The shell is attached to the body on mine by these little tiny pegs. I dont trust them to hold the heavy chassis onto the shell when I lift the engine up. Anyone had a similar issue with their Proto 2000 Alco PA/PBs?
Thanks,
Charles
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Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/@trainman440
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Here's a pic of the shell:
and the chassis "pins"
And here's a video of me loosely lifting the engine and shaking:
I have several P2K PAs and agree that the small pegs are not very robust to secure the shell to the chassis. I wonder if your shell has become bowed out slightly due to long-term storage. Perhaps the foam piece in the box helped to push the sides outward.
The only suggestion I can offer would be to look at using a short length of good quality double-sided tape stuck to the side of the chassis to help hold the sides in place or I have used these "Sticky Dots" which remain tacky and hold well but can be released when needed to remove the shell. This stuff (fugitive glue) is like the kind of glue they use to stick credit cards to paper when mailing.
Good Luck, Ed
Interesting, good idea! Thanks, I'll try that.
Update: Welp, I am literally stupid. I was dumb enough to think that a hairdryer gently blowing on the shell and trying to push the sides inward would help give the engine a better connection at those points. In doing so one of the steps melted off. Im never doing that again. fml.
Trainman440Update: Welp, I am literally stupid. I was dumb enough to think that a hairdryer gently blowing on the shell and trying to push the sides inward would help give the engine a better connection at those points.
Something simple you might try is to put gentle preload across the bottom of the shell, between the 'holes' with small C-clamps or rubber bands across blocks, and then put the shell in hot water for a while. Do it little by little so as not to induce too much warp...
Trainman440In doing so one of the steps melted off. Im never doing that again.
Hey, Charles. We've all been there
I have a spare Proto PA shell I can send you if you'd like. It is painted in PRR DGLE with gold 5 stripes.
PRR_PA_5755 by Edmund, on Flickr
Send a PM with your address if you're interested.
Thanks, Ed
Hi, I appreciate the offer, but I think Im gonna sell it off instead. I did find that cal scale made alco PA stirrup steps, but there are other issues with this engine broken handrails, one of the metal pegs that secures the body is completly gone, etc.
Its just not worth the trouble.
Sorry for the late reply, I dont get notifications ever on my posts, so I had to manually check to see if I got any new replies.
Trainman440Sorry for the late reply,
No worries
Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor should have taught you that
I know it's probably your camera Ed, but that looks more like light grey locomotive enamel Or maybe it's my monitor. Of course, just what it really is supposed to be is a sore subject amongst Pennsy fans. Dunno if 7048 at Horseshoe is painted correctly, but in my photots taken about 16 years ago, it would be hard to tell there is any green in there, but in person, if the sun reflected off it, you could see the green flecks.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
LastspikemikeNothing works faster when you are making mistakes than using a more powerful tool.
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