sunset brass repair

[mikebonellisr]

I have a beautiful looking sunset brass K5 pacific that I can't seem to get operating right.First the motor was slipping,when I had it repowered,they did not re-hook up the decoder,then the crank pin came loose and could not be tightend.Ireplaced the screw,but can't get more than a scale 30mph out of the new motor.The pilot truck also did not track well and kept derailing.I fiddled with that for a couple of hours,trying different springs and bending the leaf spring different ways untill I got it to track well.Now I find the screw that holds the truck to the leaf spring,shorts out while crossing a turnout .I think I have to file it down quite a bit,or find a thin flat head or hex head to fit.Then i'll proberly have to install another motor in order to get it to run at a decent speed...This is getting expensive in both time and money.Do you think Sunset could/would take a shot at getting thier model to run right?

[twhite]

Mike--is Sunset still in business? I never see ads for them anymore. You might try contacting Peach Creek shops in Laurel, MD--they have a brass repair department. I've dealt with them several times for used brass locos, and I've found them to be a really good company to deal with. Their website is www.Peachcreekshops.com , if I remember correctly. They'd probably give you an estimate if you contacted them with all of the specific problems. Hope this helps.
Tom

[Virginian]

Not to be mean, but I definitely think you need to get someone who knows what they are doing to work on your loco. Based on what you said about remotoring leads me to think you do not know that much about what you are doing or having done. Motors don't slip, couplings do, and that does not require remotoring. Sounds like the new motor doesn't have enough RPMs. I wonder if whoever did it for you got a perfectly good Canon motor out of the deal. I have no first hand experience, but I have heard good things about Peachtree also. Sunset is still around, but they were and probably still are importers, not repairers. As you have learned to your pain, not everyone who works on model steam engines should be doing so.
Brass steam can be a pain, but when you get it right you will be pleased, and there are still plenty of prototypes where there are no alternatives. Is this thing already painted, or do you intend to have it painted? Something else to consider, because painting usually requires complete disassembly to do it right.
Good luck.

[MidlandPacific]

Sunset does have a website, and it is http://www.3rdrail.com/.

If you take Tom's advice and consult Peach Creek Shops, I'm willing to vouch for them: they're my LHS. John Glaab, the proprietor, wrote the latest edition of the "Brown Book," and has been tweaking brass models for longer than I've been alive.

[MidlandPacific]

You might also want to try Tommy Gilbert's Hobby Shop in Gettysburg, PA: I don't know whether he still does repairs, but he's another fellow who's pretty knowledgeable about brass.

[mikebonellisr]

Thank you gentlemen...I don't know much about re-motoring, re-gearing etc.and I'm a little intimadated about working on a brass model.I'm going to give peach creek a call.

[MidlandPacific]

They open in about twelve minutes (10 AM, EST). Ask to talk to John (if you have a brass question, they'll probably get him, anyway).

regards,