Hello eveyone, I just recentely aquired a True-Line Canadian National U2g 4-8-4 off of eBay. Beautiful locomotive, unfortunately, the pin securing the firemans-side Eccentric crank to the main driver will no longer seat so basicly, I've now got a $500 door-stop. The model comes with a replacement "flanged" main driver, however, there's absolutly no mention on how to install it in the instruction booklet. Has anyone out there ever swapped out the stock flangless main driver for the flanged main driver? Any assistance on this one would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks! John in Little Orleans, MD
Hello John,
While I have not replaced the driver on my loco I do have a copy of the instructions that I obtained when I bought my loco in 2012. I can't reproduce them here except to give them to you here sans photos:
1. Locate and remove the 3 screws holding the gear cover.
2. Remove gear cover, lift straight up. The trailing truck will come away too.
3. The crossheads are press fit. Use a flat head screw driver to remove them.
4. Remove the side rods witout losing the small frictio washer.
5. Lift out the blind drivers.
6. Drop in the flanged drivers. Ensure the bushings are correctly seated.
7. Replace side rods. Watch they are on correct way and install friction washer.
8. Press crossheads into driver. Note crosshead has a flat spot to match up to the flat side on the driver.
9. Replace driver cover and screws. Be sure screws are snug!
That is it. Good luck. I hope your engine runs well. Honestly there were some quality control issues wirh the early production. I sent the first 2 back I bought and got a refund as they ran poorly. I took a chance on the third one as it was #895 of the run and $425. It has run flawlessly. Be very careful removing or installing the tender electrical plugs. Mine are very tight.
CN Charlie
Many thanks Charlie and my apologies for being tardy with this response (health issues i.e. pace-maker surgery). I really appreciate the info. It's been tough getting any "technical" date on these beasties.
Yea, I'll be very careful with the plugs. They do seem to be a bit "tight" when seating them.
I'm so looking forward to getting this model operational. I found a 1960s post card of #6233 pulling Train #184 in March of 1957 near the Niagara Escarpment on eBay. I've managed to scare up a True-Line 40' Baggage/Express boxcar along with two Rapido Continental baggage cars (one in the pre-1954 CN all green paint scheme and another in the 1954 two-tone scheme). Following the headend equipment is an Atlas 85’ heavyweight paired-window coach in the 1954 scheme along with a Rapido 85’ Continental lightweight coach, a Rapido 85’ Buffet-Parlour and bringing up the rear is a Rapido 85’ Smooth-side Sleeper. Talk about a “Pike-Sized” Passenger Train. It should turn a lot of heads at the South Shore Model Railroad Club’s Fall Open House in Hingham, Massachusetts this October.
Again, many thanks, Charlie, for the info. Take care and be safe out there…
John siouxline87@gmail.com
John,
Hope your recovery goes well!
The crossheads are the piece that connects the piston to the connecting rod that goes down to the pin you are re-connecting.
Do you have the manual that came with the loco? It gives some history on it plus lubrication insrtuctions and an exploded diagram of the parts. You might want to check the lubrication when you have the bottom plate off.
These models have a QSI decoder. The sound selection is limited but supposedly the whistle sound file came from a U2g.
I saw a lot of CN steam as a lad as my hometown was the last major location for steam but never a CN Northern as CN didn't run them in western Canada.
Let me know if I can be of further assistance.
What they're calling 'crossheads' are the eccentric cranks on the outer end of the mainpins. They are made up to 'lead' or 'trail' the piston position by about 90 degrees, and there will be a 'flat' on the end of each mainpin and a flat on the inner bore in the crank so when you press them back on they will 'register' the valve gear motion correctly.
The 'crossheads' are the pieces mounted to the ends of the piston rods, into which the forward end of the main rods are carried. The 'crosshead guides' are the long pieces from the back of the cylinder block on which the crosshead slides; they preserve the packing seals on the piston rod from damage as the linear piston thrust is communicated to the angled main (connecting) rod.
Hi John,
In looking over the instruction sheets again, they are calling the pins that go into the drivers as crossheads but seems an incorrect term. Anyway the pins connect the the rods to the drivers.
What number is your loco? The manual has a brief history of each and I can give it to you if you don't have it.
That is an impressive train you have assembled.