Mel, l have no personal experience with Model Power locos, but your question about the trucks and the truck gears interested me.
Have you seen this link?
http://www.magicicada.org/cooley/trains/Model_Power_E.html
The article seems to suggest that several Model Power E-units may have interchangeable trucks.
The article also suggests that NorthWest Short Line makes replacements for some of the gears.
Hope this helps.
Rich
Alton Junction
I believe the E7's were made by Roco and the same gears were used in the Model Power FA and Shark and the early Atlas/Roco engines SD24, SD35, GP38, GP40 and FP7. I used some gears from an Atlas GP40 to fix my Model Power FA.
But I never took apart an E7 so I may not be correct, it would have been good if you took a picture of the gears and wheel assembly to see if they were compatible.
Rick Jesionowski
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Mel,
Those are the same gears that came in the ROCO engines I mentioned so any of the wheels with the gears should fit, I have a bunch of spare parts for the Atlas engines at home and may have some gears and or wheel/gear assemblies. I wil check tonight and let you know.
Gluing the gear will never work, the crack has also altered the pitch of the gear so it will be off anyway even after you tried gluing it.
Mel, that photo of the gears and your comment about the similarity to Athearn wheels makes me wonder if the Athearn gears (#60024) would fit your Model Power loco.
Also, have you checked with NorthWest Short Line? They supposedly make replacements for some of the gears.
That is a 10t axle gear used for many years by atlas, mp and roco. Nwsl does sell a replacement but they are common on ebay.
Athearn uses a 2.4 mm axle and the atlas / model power is 2.0mm.
Jim
richhotrain Mel, that photo of the gears and your comment about the similarity to Athearn wheels makes me wonder if the Athearn gears (#60024) would fit your Model Power loco. Also, have you checked with NorthWest Short Line? They supposedly make replacements for some of the gears. Rich
RR_Mel
Looking at that photo, if all else fails you may be able to swap the center axel for the far axel. (Also remove a spur gear) That would give you 5 driven axels out of 6.
Prior posts have given good advice and offers, so it shouldn't come to this.
LensCapOn Prior posts have given good advice and offers, so it shouldn't come to this.
The Proto 0-8-0 uses a similar style axle gear (though obviously a different size) and I repaired the crack in mine by reaming out some brass tubing (don't recall the actual size, but it was a common number- or letter-size drill bit). I sliced two thin segments off the drilled-out tube, then pressed them onto the shoulders of the gear while the split was held in compression. I didn't bother using glue, as it wouldn't stick to the plastic anyway.
As for Model Power E7Bs, yeah, you have to roll your own. This one was made from two A-units, along with some modified body panels. I used photos and drawings from the November '86 and March '87 issues of Mainline Modeler, and painted it for my own road:
Some of the Model Power E-units had a rattle at low speeds, and on mine, I traced it to a loose fit in the u-joints of the drive train. Shims of .005" styrene in the slots of the female joint cured the problem. These were very smooth-running locos, and that fat can motor could handle all sorts of additional weight for increased pulling power.
Wayne
There comes a time in the live of every locomotive (1:87 or 1:1) when the time comes to make it part of a static display, either in a station somewhere, or as a stripped down rusting hulk in the back shop. Rather than try to fix the locomotive, I might look to transplant the car body to a working chassis.
ROAR
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BroadwayLion There comes a time in the live of every locomotive (1:87 or 1:1) when the time comes to make it part of a static display, either in a station somewhere, or as a stripped down rusting hulk in the back shop. Rather than try to fix the locomotive, I might look to transplant the car body to a working chassis. ROAR
Mel:
I spent some time looking at your blog. It is very interesting and very well done.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critter Mel: I spent some time looking at your blog. It is very interesting and very well done. Dave
I'd also recommend the suggestion of making the E7 a 5-axle drive until you can find a replacement gear. It'll still have plenty of traction, and there'll be no more clicking. Real E units only had 4 axles driven anyway!
_________________________________________________________________
Years ago i had one Model Power E8 that leaned to one side never could run it leaning and a new LHS opened this was in 1980 and he ordered a E8 and sold me the trucks because they sold no parts and somewhere in the basement in boxes i have the old trucks.
Russell
Have you found the geared wheel set you need? I have a Roco based E unit in my fix up line. I also have several extra geared wheel sets that fit the E unit. I checked to be sure they would work. They appear to be in good shape. They look just like those in the pictures above. I would send you two for the cost of the shipping. If your in the US that would be $3. Let me know if your interested.
Larry
www.llxlocomotives.com
So many trains, so little time,
ggnlars Have you found the geared wheel set you need? I have a Roco based E unit in my fix up line. I also have several extra geared wheel sets that fit the E unit. I checked to be sure they would work. They appear to be in good shape. They look just like those in the pictures above. I would send you two for the cost of the shipping. If your in the US that would be $3. Let me know if your interested. Larry www.llxlocomotives.com
I'll take you up on that, e-mail me at melvin.perry@hotmail.com
Mel Perry