So I made it to the hobby shop today and the very freindly and knowledgeable staff there was able to get my Burlingtons running. Solved the issue with the one's body, and cleaned the one to get it running on their test track. Both ran ok on the test track as well, so they should last me long enough to uprade to DCC.
Anyways now that they are running I want to get the railings fixed up. I do need to reattach part of the road unit as it had been broken off at one point. The issue with the body was that one peice was on backwards, which kept the body from snapping closed. I didn't have spending cash today so i wasn't able to pick up the stuff they said to use, but I will be going back Thursday on payday to get it.
In the mean time, Is there somewhere that may still have railings for the road unit? I have the plastic ones with it, but they are super bent out of shape. Also seems they don't want to hook in properly either, but that just be me with sausage fingers doing tweezer work with tweezers. If possible I'd like to get metal like the switcher.
For the switcher, only one of the front railings is broken, it is missing the part that goes back into the body. I figured this is a very minor thing, so I was thinking of some kind of glue on the rest of it to hold it in place. Would this be something I can do, as in would it be recommended for the railing? I'm also not sure if that loco is missing any other railings.
I've included pictures of the locos and some close ups of the railings (or where they go) I'm assuming with some kind of thin metal wire I could make the railings for the one missing them. If I could glue them on somehow too, i owuld do that. That is if that is something that is a good idea, I really don't know
I know you have another thread which identifies these locos as to manufacturer. While I like to help people, looking at a picture and indentifying manufacturer and date of manufacture is not one of my skill sets. I am not up to cross referencing that post with this one.
Ebay does sometimes have just the hand rails, most hobby shops do not.
Smokey Valley Railroad Products used to have stanchions and handrails but if I recall correctly, they have not been processing orders or answering emails. Someone please correct me if that is bad information.
Forming your own handrails is very doable. It is a little bit fussy, but maybe the good Dr. Wayne will show you one of his jigs for the stanchion, which forms a loop for the handrail.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Hi Wdodge0912,
There are lots of stanchions on eBay:
https://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_odkw=Athearn+stanchions&_osacat=19128&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xstanchions.TRS0&_nkw=stanchions&_sacat=19128
Forming your own railings is easy. I use 0.015" phosphor bronze wire from Tichy. It is hard enough to hold its shape and still easy to bend.
https://www.tichytraingroup.com/Shop/tabid/91/c/ho_wire/p/1102/Default.aspx
Tichy also sells 0.0125" pb wire which is closer to scale I believe.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
BigDaddy I know you have another thread which identifies these locos as to manufacturer. While I like to help people, looking at a picture and indentifying manufacturer and date of manufacture is not one of my skill sets. I am not up to cross referencing that post with this one. Ebay does sometimes have just the hand rails, most hobby shops do not. Smokey Valley Railroad Products used to have stanchions and handrails but if I recall correctly, they have not been processing orders or answering emails. Someone please correct me if that is bad information. Forming your own handrails is very doable. It is a little bit fussy, but maybe the good Dr. Wayne will show you one of his jigs for the stanchion, which forms a loop for the handrail.
The Switcher is an Atlas and the Road Unit is a Kato. as far as the model I'm not sure. I think the Atlas is a SW1500, and the Kato is an RS3, but I could be wrong. I don't think too much was said on what the model was of, more so what the brand was.
I forgot to mention the Atlas needs the metal spring tab power connection replaced, with soldering a wire in place was the recommendation. I have to do that to my F-Unit Athearn as well. Once I get a place to work on these, I'll be tearing into them.
hon30critter Hi Wdodge0912, There are lots of stanchions on eBay: https://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_odkw=Athearn+stanchions&_osacat=19128&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xstanchions.TRS0&_nkw=stanchions&_sacat=19128 Forming your own railings is easy. I use 0.015" phosphor bronze wire from Tichy. It is hard enough to hold its shape and still easy to bend. https://www.tichytraingroup.com/Shop/tabid/91/c/ho_wire/p/1102/Default.aspx Tichy also sells 0.0125" pb wire which is closer to scale I believe. Dave
How should I go about attaching them?
The switch engine is an Athearn. You should be able to find that top metal power on Ebay as well. If not, I might have one.
I always remove that strip, and replace with wiring, It's easy to do, and the connection is much better.
Look at this link, it shows the procedure, along with other Athearn tips.
http://www.mcor-nmra.org/Publications/Articles/Athearn_TuneUp.php
When looking for parts for the switcher in Ebay, search Athearn SW7. It looks like you just need a few stanchions. Measure the ones you have, and look on Ebay, there are some there.
Mike.
My You Tube
I see the pilot is missing on one end, do you have the part? Atlas is out of stock for a new one.
Jim
It does look like that, but when you go back to his first post on this, page 2 in General Discussion, scroll down to the 6th post, the pictures he shows there, it has the both pilots.
I'm not sure what's up.
You're right Mike. You can see the crack on the long hood end. He should body mount the couplers unless it just pulls light trains.
I have the missing peice. Turns out the plate or whatever that sits between the chassis and body was put on backwards, so it wasn't sitting flush, which didnt let the body go low enough to reach the tabs to lock in. The missing part was superglued back on, and had to come off to correct it. Just need to re attach it with some model cement.
The guy that cleaned it at the store said the switcher was an Atlas. I have no idea. And I doubt there is anything for it to say in the basement. I know it does look different underneath then the F unit I have.
Either way it runs, and I have 2 that can use the wire soldered on replacement.
Wdodge0912The guy that cleaned it at the store said the switcher was an Atlas.
Well, not picking a fight with the guy that cleaned it, but it's an Athearn, with the diecast truck frames.
The number on the frame also gives it away, along with the coupler covers. The loco is a 1966 vintage.
https://hoseeker.net/assemblyexplosionAthearn/Assembly%20Explosion%20Athearn%20SW1500%201966.jpg
Wdodge0912How should I go about attaching them?
The switcher doesn't need stanchions along the sides. The hand rails are already attached to the body. You could replace them with more prototypically sized wire, either using eye bolts to mount the hand rails or drilling out the core of the molded mounts after cutting the railing off. It looks like the end rails just need to be put back into place if you have them all. If some are missing it would not be difficult to bend your own.
Here are a couple of eBay listings for stanchions that should fit the Alco RS3. You might have to modify the bases a bit:
Brass -
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Precision-Scale-HO-39063-Stanchions-24pcs-Alco-Handrail-Brass-Castings/383380416518?hash=item594340e806:g:hHwAAOSw9MReJcod
Plastic -
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Precision-Scale-HO-39064-Stanchions-Alco-Handrail-Plastic-24pcs/233247539566?hash=item364ea3016e:g:MJEAAOSwIuVc9rT6
I believe that the holes are 0.022" so the Tichy 0.015" phosphor bronze wire that I referenced earlier will fit easily.
I don't see a listing for RS3 endrails so those you might have to make from scratch. Here is the Hoseeker parts diagram. The end rails are a bit complex unfortunately:
https://hoseeker.net/assemblyexplosionAtlas/Assembly%20Explosion%20Atlas%20RS3%20version%201.jpg
As an alternative to going through all of that, here is another option:
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/HO-Green-Bay-Western-RS-3-by-Atlas/254506552366?hash=item3b41c5cc2e:g:SUsAAOSw-~teIohC
It even has a decoder!
The RS is an Atlas product, try contacting their parts dept as they may have the handrails sill available.
The Atlas RS is trashed.. You would do well to check e-Bay for a new body.
There is a dealer on e-Bay that deals with shells and detail parts.
Search e-Bay stores for soo-much-stuff or type in Atlas shells or Atlas parts.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
BRAKIEThe Atlas RS is trashed..
If you are referring to the eBay listing I posted you may be right! I didn't look closely enough at it the first time to notice that the shell is loose and the frame may not be straight. Ooops!
Dave, I'm pretty sure he's talking about the OP's original RS shell. When you enlarge the picture on the OP's first post, you can see the pilot is severly cracked on the long hood end.
The picture of it he shows in this thread, the pilot is missing, so it must have broke off. The bad part is the couplers mount to the pilot, so I don't think trying to glue it back together would work.
Either way, I agree, get a new, or different shell.
The guy at the shop said to use some plastic model cement stuff to re attach the peice. For a while it was held on with superglue. I wouldnt be doing g much with it, more so want to get it looking good. It runs great as well now after he cleaned it.
Is there any shops that I could ship them to and have the rails all made?
I have the plastic rails for the RS as well, they are a little bent out of shape though
These 2 are sentimental to me, so that's why I want to get them all fixed up. I dont plan to run them hard, or for very long, as I will eventually go to DCC, and just have these 2 sit in dead tracks. They were my grandma's, so it's important to me to get them fixed up, even if it ends up costing more than just buying a new loco.
Wdodge0912The guy at the shop said to use some plastic model cement stuff to re attach the peice. For a while it was held on with superglue.
Plastruct, or MEK, which is hard to find, melt the styrene forming a better bond than superglue.
Wdodge0912Is there any shops that I could ship them to and have the rails all made?
Doubtful. You are going to have to learn modeling skills.
Wdodge0912They were my grandma's, so it's important to me to get them fixed up
I am 68 years old. My mother held on to my grandmothers' beer steins for 50 years, which she assured me were very valuable. They were not. I have a letter for my sons to read when I die that says the only thing I own that I want them to be sentimental about is my fathers' 1911, cap badge and dog tag and my parents collection of silver dollars.
BigDaddy Wdodge0912 The guy at the shop said to use some plastic model cement stuff to re attach the peice. For a while it was held on with superglue. Plastruct, or MEK, which is hard to find, melt the styrene forming a better bond than superglue. Wdodge0912 Is there any shops that I could ship them to and have the rails all made? Doubtful. You are going to have to learn modeling skills. Wdodge0912 They were my grandma's, so it's important to me to get them fixed up I am 68 years old. My mother held on to my grandmothers' beer steins for 50 years, which she assured me were very valuable. They were not. I have a letter for my sons to read when I die that says the only thing I own that I want them to be sentimental about is my fathers' 1911, cap badge and dog tag and my parents collection of silver dollars.
Wdodge0912 The guy at the shop said to use some plastic model cement stuff to re attach the peice. For a while it was held on with superglue.
Wdodge0912 Is there any shops that I could ship them to and have the rails all made?
Wdodge0912 They were my grandma's, so it's important to me to get them fixed up
I didn't say they were valuable, just sentimental. It's all I got that was my grandma's
Ebay has a listing for RS3 hand rails.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Atlas-Kato-HO-RS-3-Handrails/233490068380?hash=item365d17b39c:g:PoUAAOSw3SdeP7Qt
Ordered this just got it today, but turns out they arent the right part. I started on the front part of the body, with the shorter rails and there is a lot of extra things on the rail that doesnt match up to the train. Also they seem much shorter than what would have gone on there.
I'll take a picture here in a few hours. I have the missing peice setting with model cement right now