railandsailIs this the 44toner Bachmann truck motor that's been referred to?
Looks like it.
Note that these motors are very delicate. Make sure everything turns easily. I don't recommend trying to see how many cars your critter can pull.
They work fine with a decoder. I built a copy of Darth's switcher and it worked quite well. I used a non-sound decoder. Fitting in a sound decoder and a speaker would be a bit of a challenge but where there's a will.....
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Is this the 44toner Bachmann truck motor that's been referred to?
Looks like a 3 pole motor? Could it be run by a decoder?
I think I have a pair of small On30 diesel switchers that were kit-bashed up utilizing these power units. I'll have to take a couple of photos for ID purposes.
Brian
My Layout Plan
Interesting new Plan Consideration
That's what he used.
I just realized this thread was started 8 years ago. Still, good stuff brought out. Dan
That power truck looked a lot like the dual motor spectrum 44t trucks. One of those might work as well for small motor applications
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
Hey, Darth, it's always a pleasure to see you tackle these little critter challenges. This one is a GEM!
Those little Japanese power trucks look to be very high quality. I could see getting lost in the shop for a few weeks playing with the possibilities! Dan
It's not perfect, but it helps:
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&tab=wT1&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Farumo.a.la9.jp%2Fr0123.htm
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&tab=wT1&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Farumo.a.la9.jp%2Fr0138.htm
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Wonder if we can get an interpetation of that Japanese website/info on those motorized trucks?
Thanks for that link to the Arumo trucks! I hadn't heard of them before, but it looks like they've come up with a creative design with a lot of flexibility. The pricing isn't bad either (looks like it's about $45 each before taxes and add-ons).
It's been a while since I checked Hollywood foundry's website, and it is sad to see them go. I do know the owner was getting older and had been thinking of retiring.
Has anyone picked up the Jordan Products line? This and their other kits were good quality, so it would be a shame if they were gone forever.
Wolfgang was one of the great MRRs on this forum. Hard to believe it's been almost 8 years now.
railandsailI'm wondering if one of these motorized trucks might make a kitbash drive for these small docksider locos
Hi Brian!
Those trucks are fantastic! They fill a void left by the closing of Hollywood Foundry who made a similar unit to the one in the bottom picture. It was called a Bull Ant and came in a variety of axle numbers and wheel bases. Wolfgang Duddler used a Bull Ant in his 25 tonner.
I noticed that there are only two wheel bases available - 24.5 mm and 26.0 mm. Further investigation revealed that the company makes drive systems similar to the NWSL Stanton drives with a wider variety of wheelbases. I don't know what the wheel base on a manufactured docksider is, but if the trucks that Brian showed are too short then one of the other drives might work.
I can see all sorts of possibilities with these little beasts. Thanks for the link!
You might want to check the January 2013 MR for an article on repowering one using NWSL parts.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I'm wondering if one of these motorized trucks might make a kitbash drive for these small docksider locos,...afterall it appears they are quite compact, and often have BOTH axles powered??
http://arumo.a.la9.jp/r0123.htm
http://arumo.a.la9.jp/r0138.htm
Seeing the late Wolfgang Dudler´s name appear again filed my eyes with tears. Wolfgang was such an excellent model builder and a well deserved Master Model Railroader!
His webpage is still up:
Westport Terminal RR
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
That'a a nice little loco. Thanks for posting you article here, I know it's frustrating when MR doesn't respond to interested writers.
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
I just found a couple of Tenshodo WB-31 motor bogies that I wonder how they might be used?.....maybe for something like this??
Wolfgang
Excellent modeling! Do you have any pictures of the construction of the locomotive? I am particularly interested in how you fit the decoder and speaker into such a small space.
wedudler, that's a nice little critter you've got there! I'm also working on one of those Grandt Lines, but I'm keeping the stock mechanism. I've got it running very smoothly (except for some wheel wobble, which I'll look into), and it can really crawl! All that's left to do is paint it and make some lead weights so it can pull something.
By the way, did you have trouble cutting the window frames from their sprues? I got the left one out with minimal damage and was able to repair it, but the right one was totally destroyed (no big deal, I'll just imagine it's open). And that was with very careful cutting using a sharp knife.
Well, I'll be dar-ned.
What a great project to have selected - many thanks for sharing. I built this kit and painted it gray; I think that I paid around $12.00 for it, with a view to placing it on a wharf used by the Navy during WW2. Mine will remain un-powered because I have a log jamb of projects already needing my attention, but I enjoyed reading what you have done and with less on my plate I think that I would power mine now that you have showed us how. Well done bringing this critter to life! Bruce
What a great project to have selected - many thanks for sharing.
I built this kit and painted it gray; I think that I paid around $12.00 for it, with a view to placing it on a wharf used by the Navy during WW2. Mine will remain un-powered because I have a log jamb of projects already needing my attention, but I enjoyed reading what you have done and with less on my plate I think that I would power mine now that you have showed us how.
Well done bringing this critter to life!
With a little bit money more I've got my 25-ton
It's made from brass sheet, I've bought a driving unit and an ESU Loksound micro decoder. .
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de my videos my blog
That does seem to be the only way now. The NWSL Stanton and Flea drives are a little too big for this little critter, and I suspect the Bull Ant won't quite fit either. If cost isn't an issue, it may be possible to use just the Flea axles and gearboxes with NWSL's small 3.125:1 ratio transfer gearbox in the middle, and fit one of their smallest motors into one of the hoods. It would certainly be tight, and end up costing about $90 for the drive parts, but it might work?
Unfortunately according to Bachmann the 44 ton power trucks are sold out and they will not be making any more. I ordered a cable car power truck to see if it could be used as a substitute but unfortunately it is a little too big. It might be possible to use the cable car truck if the engine cowlings were expanded but if that is done the cowlings will interfere with the cab door. The only way to get the 44 tonner trucks is to buy a used switcher (make sure it is the early style with two motors, later ones had a single motor driving two trucks).
Thank you for your answers. That really helps
The stall current of Bachmann's motor is less than half an amp, so practically any small N scale decoder should work. My recommendation would be to use the smallest decoder you can find. I don't have DCC, so I can't suggest anything specific.
Prowler7
The first thing you have to do to choose a decoder is measure the amps the motor will draw at stall. If the draw is less than 1 amp there are several decoders that should fit in the cab above the motor. Tony's Train Exchange has a comparison chart:
http://tonystrains.com/productcompare/decoder_comparison.htm
From my unassembled Jordan kit and by looking at the pictures by the OP I estimated that the available space is approximately .94" wide x .44" x .38" high above the motor.
The chart shows Digitrax DZ125 2 function, DZ143 4 function, and NCE N12SR and Z14SR. I didn't check to see if these particular examples are current or discontinued.
This is a newby question, but I am a newby, so I will ask :
What DCC decoder would you all recommend for this project?
Awesome work & thanks for the excellent documentation!!! Nice job!
potlatcher OK, but where exactly do you put the sound decoder and speaker? No model is complete without sound these days!! Tom
OK, but where exactly do you put the sound decoder and speaker? No model is complete without sound these days!!
Tom
Right behind the "smoke unit"!!!!!!
Mark
WGAS
Darth Santa FeI tried submitting this to Model Railroader, but never got a response,
Have you considered Railroad Model Craftsman? This would probably qualify for one of their RMC Kitbash Awards
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
Thanks everyone.
farrellaaGreat model and article. I have been looking for a way to repower a couple of old Athearn Hustlers and was consideriing the Bull Ant or the new NWSL power unit. I may try one of these now that you have paved the way. Really nice work.
You may still want to use a different power unit with your Hustlers. The Bachmann power truck is over 6 scale feet shorter than the Athearn wheelbase (7' vs. 13'6"). NWSL is working on a new Stanton drive to fit the Hustler, but you can still find an old PDT occasionally too.