The pot of coffee is always on [even after 2 years have passed]. Come on in. Sweet ice tea too.

[Dr. John]

I missed an opportunity to own a Corvair many years ago. My late grandmother had a 1969 Monza Coupe. Great around-town car for her. It was blue with the on the dash power glide transmission. I remember being in awe of all the leg room in the front. She got to where she couldn't drive as her eyesight failed. She told me she would let me have it if I could come get it. Unfortunately, I lived nearly a thousand miles away at the time. The car needed work and would have to be trailered back to my home. When I finally got things worked out where I could get it, I found out she had sold it to some guy for $50 !!! As the saying goes, ya snooze, ya lose!

[Anonymous]

Laz,
If I'm not mistaken, Curling originated in Scotland. Being traditionally "thrifty" who else would invent a sport that only required tossing a few rocks on a frozen pond but the Scots? This also explains the manditory bending of the elbow after a good game....gotta warm up somehow! The myth about a Scotsman wearing nothing under his kilt can be dispelled when you factor in curling. With all the kneeling down required in the game if you're not wearing underwear...well...let's just say there'd be another set of frozen rocks on the ice [;)]

Bruce Webster

[dwiemer]

evening all, just popped in to try to catch up on the posts. It is tough these days when 4 pages go by between morning and evening. I got a email that came to me via trains.com forum. It was for one of those "give me your account and I will share 10 million with you" scams. I hope no one falls for this. you will lose your money.
Anyway, Hope y'all have a great night. A bit rainy tonight and supposed to go down to the 50s. Sorry, had to throw that in for the yankees.
Dennis

[Anonymous]

John,

All the last year Corvairs are pretty rare when you consider out of the over 1.7 million made in 10 years only 6,000 were made in '69. If it happened to be # 6,000 that would make it very, very desirable since it still isn't certain what ever became of the very last Corvair.

Bruce Webster

[thor]

I had an interesting discovery yesterday, about my 4-4-2. I'd asked about lubing it because the gears were dry and having done so and not noticed as much of an improvement as I'd hoped for, I gave it a very careful inspection.

From the get go I noticed, turning the wheels, that the mechanism seemed stiff and binding every so often. There was, I thought, excessive noise from the motion too, though not enough to be downright alarming.

Inverting the loco I noticed that the last gear in the train, the one that drives the wheels, would skew quite a lot in one direction, hardly surprising given that it had at least 3/32" float on its shaft.

So I took the shell off and the crosshead and all the rods and tried turning the wheels again, thinking that without the motion things should have improved but it was just as stiff and looking closely I noticed the steel motor output pinion was biting into the full depth of the next gear and not completely clearing its teeth as it turned.

So I put the train back onto the track and measured what voltage it took to get it going at the slowest possible rate and got a consistent series of readings of 5 volts forward 7 volts reverse. At that setting it was 'cogging' badly and buzzing loudly.

I removed the train from the track and loosened the two screws that clamp the triangular gear cover through the front of the motor housing and hoped to find a way to reset them to lift the motor pinion up a hair, to stop it bottoming on the next gear and that was when I discovered how much float there was on the intermediate gears. Almost 1/8" and because of it, they were travelling out to the edge of the pinion and allowing the bottom gear to **** over on its shaft.

So I shimmed the intermediate gears with nylon washers so they were free with almost no sideplay and that of course then stopped the bottom one from skewing too. Then I shimmed the two connecting rods and reassembled the mechanism having greased it carefully.

The loco will now move extremely slowly and smoothly at 2.5 volts! Definitely worth the trouble and I'm not finished yet, not until it will creep along reliably at 2 rpm.

In my opinion that motor mount system is a bad one that can only get worse. Those can motors have soft end caps and are usually only held on by a couple of tabs. With the weight and torque of the motor its inevitable that the screws will slip and I'd bet any money the armature is binding due to the bending moment of all that weight hanging on one bushing.

I'm going to make up a camming ring to fit over the other end and inside the drilled sideplate so that the motor is properly supported and can be adjusted to get the gears meshing properly and after that I'll bet it will run slowly well.

The other problem is caused by the traction tire which lifts one wheel proud and makes the whole loco wobble. I think it has to go or get trimmed down flu***o the wheel and I'd rather have magnetraction given a choice if steel drivers were available. The wheels are under gauge by quite a bit but I think they're probably meant to be but the sideplay on the axles would be best eliminated too.

I'm going to keep at it until that loco is as good as I can make it. Its definitely worth the effort. I sat down with my coffee this morning and the loco on four lengths of straight watching it crawl back and forth for an hour, sounding like a million bucks!

[ChiefEagles]

Corvair, every Yankee should have one. It will really fly on snow and keeps on going. [;)] Wish I had the time and money to get back into restoring them. Just returned from a Mended Hearts meeting. Three young pretty physical theropists and one dietitian there. [:0][;)] Got to ask questions of the pannel on exercise and food. Came back by Radio Shacka nd picked up a soldering station. Comes with soldering iron and you dial in the tmep you want. Had one at Miss Edna's and they are great. Dial it up for hot soldering where heat is a must and dial it down to do "fine" jobs. $70 + tax. Has built-in holder and a wiping pad. Micro-wave popcorn time. Later

[dwiemer]

Thor, that is quite the rework you are doing there. I wonder if it would be possible to pull the wheels and go larger. If you have machining capabilities, it may work and then put magnatraction and extra weight. I would be interested in your progress and try to take pictures as you go. Good luck,
Dennis

[dbaker48]

Wow, so sad to hear about your nephew, Doug ![:(][:(][:(] Definitly wish and pray for the best for your entire family !!

Dr. John, the baby picture is great. The difficult journey is always worth it.

Hope you guys get the engines from Sun, don't forget the time zone and call accordingly.

OH YEAH ....... Roy...... My wife says John is pretty good looking, but I AM definetly cuter.
Anyway, John is much older, and probably a lot wiser. And he HAS a train layout.

[Anonymous]

Regarding the Four Old Rusting Doors topic a while ago....here's the Ford that Lionel built back in the early '60's. Unfortunately this is the only piece of Lionel slot car equipment I own. It seems to be in perfect condition showing no wear on the brass power pickup wipers.


Bruce Webster

[thor]

Thanks Dennis. I am an old motorcyclist with a passion for Royal Enfields and engine and gearbox rebuilds are a necessity from new! So I wasnt at all put out to find Lionel can use some TLC too, besides it makes you love them even more.

[Anonymous]

Thor,
Is the engine you mention the scale Atlantic that Lionel has made for the past few years? I have one of the first ones from 1999 and it has that wobble you describe...in fact I've heard lots of people complain about the early ones wobbling or bobbing on the run. Aproximately how much running time did your engine have before it started giving you the binding problems? My engine probably only has about 30-40 hours running time on it. Mine exhibits the same lack of slow speed control and sort of leaps into action when I crank up the power. It's not noisy at all but I suspect something is out of align or there's too much play in the gears.

Bruce Webster

[dougdagrump]

Bruce, That photo really reminds me of the old F/X drag cars from the early/mid 60's, the birth of the Funny Cars. Boy, talk about making ya feel old. [sigh]

[Buckeye Riveter]

I'm back! [:D]

I'm in one piece from skiing. Absolutely loved it! Can't wait to go again. [8D]

Thanks for all the Birthday greetings! I'm looking forward to the delivery of my new Ranger Bass Boat that a certain big wheel at BPS, The Chief, is sending me. [}:)]

Had a great time visiting Tom and his wife in Bemus Point, NY this last weekend. Thank you for your gracious hospitality. [:)]

Tom, I was supposed to be in Cleveland this week, but they cancelled the meeting.[V]

[wrmcclellan]

All hail the return of Buckeye - [bow] gold medalist in downhill skiing (bunny slope [angel]).

Now you can join me and my son for Spring Break mid-March. Going to Copper Mountain, CO.

Thor - nice work! Those Lionel locos are built really loose, but it is amazing the punishment they can take. We have several used in holiday display layouts running for 12 hour days for a couple of months. Less failures of these guys than some higher end stuff.

Have a great evening all! Warmed up to about 45 today - HEAT WAVE!
Roy

[jonadel]

Roy--

Have you tried Steamboat? We are headed there soon and then down to Winter Park--our two most favorite places in CO. Copper is a nice family place, we were there two Christmases ago and had fun but vowed never to ski again at Christmas, way to cold. As of last week Steamboat had over 300" of champagne powder for the year!

Jon[8D]

[tschmidt]

Buckeye,

It was our pleasure to have you and your family join us. We look forward to your trips to Chautauqua Lake. One of these times we can take a trip to a train shop in Erie or Buffalo. Glad you got home safely.

TomS

[Anonymous]

Doug,
The stance of the car probably has a lot to do giving it that dragster look. Lionel clearly used an oversized set of wheels and tires on this slot car. Body wise it's pretty much a stock '63 Galaxie fastback. Because the car sits up at the front on it's guide pin with it's wheels off the ground it has that "just getting off the line" look.

Bruce Webster

[dwiemer]

Good morning to the coffee pot club. I am suprised that at 6am est., I am the only one on the forum including guests. I suppose everyone had a late night judging by the times of some of these posts. Anyway, I hope that y'all stay warm and dry.
Dennis

[mitchelr]

Good morning to all. [:D] Today is a Professional Development day, so no students[8D][8D][8D]. Currently 30 degrees with highs in the mid 40's. Not too bad for February.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Mitch

[Jumijo]

I had a nice 3-day weekend. Back to the old grindstone now though. I wonder if the Chief hooked up with Jim Duda.

I bought some nice stools to use around our train table at Michael's this weekend for $12.50 each. They are high enough so the kids can see the trains when sitting on them.

Saw Roger Bielen's "small" layout in an old issue of OGR. Very nice, Roger. How's the big layout progressing?

Lots to read and catch up on. And it promises to be a busy day here at work.

Jim

[laz 57]

Hi GIZ,
18 and not bad, to get to 43.
Survived the dreaded PT Conferences.
No parents again. Got a few things built that were long over due.

BRUCE love the history lesson this morning.
LOL frozen rocks BRRRRRRR!

Have a good one?
Going to call Sun Models today to see if any of the k4s are left?
laz57

[Jumijo]

Just saw some of Roger's new layout over in the photo fun thread. Wow! Nice station, Roger. Nice layout!

We had a lot of trees down in my area Friday and Saturday due to high winds. Several near by went through people's homes, including the oldest home in my town (300+ years old). I had a large cherry tree in my yard cut down a few years back. It was diseased, and I have no doubt it would have come down with bad results last weekend.

Wish I wasn't so busy today. Seems like a lot of great reading to catch up on here.

Jim

[thor]

QUOTE: Originally posted by brwebster

Thor,
Is the engine you mention the scale Atlantic that Lionel has made for the past few years? I have one of the first ones from 1999 and it has that wobble you describe...in fact I've heard lots of people complain about the early ones wobbling or bobbing on the run. Aproximately how much running time did your engine have before it started giving you the binding problems? My engine probably only has about 30-40 hours running time on it. Mine exhibits the same lack of slow speed control and sort of leaps into action when I crank up the power. It's not noisy at all but I suspect something is out of align or there's too much play in the gears.

Bruce Webster

Bruce the engine is brand new, has maybe four hours running time on it. I dont know what type of Atlantic it is, I'm hoping Roy will tell me!

I don't know where you're at but I'd be happy to take a look at another one for any of the guys though I doubt most need my help.

As I described, its the traction tyre that causes that wobble, its too thick. There's also a lot of play and its the play that causes the side rods to offset which effectively alters their length.

So even though the side rod quartering doesnt count for much since the wheels are meshed together by a gear, the side play on the rods is enough to make them go from straight to diagonal effectively altering their length.

Put your engine on its slowest speed and watch the crosshead. It'll probably lift up or cant sideways at the limit of its travel, if so, its the rods that are doing it.

As Roy quite rightly points out these things are tough and will probably run for a long time with all sorts of slop and rattle but it cant be doing them any good and a careful alignment is worth doing.

[cheapclassics]

Good morning all,

It is cool but sunny in SE Indiana with the temps rising to the low 40s today. I was busy doing regular "house" stuff last night and really did not get much done. I watched a little bit of the Olympics but that was the only thing out of the ordinary. Our son did get a job working parttime at the library, and he starts March 1. I hope it goes well for him. The wife is feeling some better, but still has no energy. Buckeye, glad to hear you survived and enjoyed the skiing. That is one sport I am sure I do not have the ankles for. I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

MIke C. from Indiana

[spankybird]

Good Morning All from NE Ohio

where the temp is 28 and going up to 40 with mostly overcast skies.

Tonight we will try to fini***he wiring on the museum tin plate layout. If we don’t finish it, we will put a big dent into it and can finish it on Thursday.

Buckeye – good to see you back. To bad about your trip to Cleveland being cancelled.

Laz 57 – good part is you did have any parents telling you how great there little boy is and why did you give him a low grade.

Pick of the Day


All be safe
tom

[Blueberryhill RR]

[code]Good Morning from Blueberryhill[/code]It's 26 and sunny, going to 41 and sunny. That's good.
Buckeye...is back. Good to hear from you.
I'm looking forward to the pictures and stories of wonderous things.
Well, today I have to run a few errands. Won't be too bad in this temperature.
Real cold, around 10 degrees, and my breathing hurts.
I need to run some trains. Haven't for a couple days.
Well, y'all have a great day and keep warm.
Chuck

[ChiefEagles]

Morning all. 47 and rising. Sunny and beautiful. Got to prune the vineyard this AM. Got County meeting this afternoon and Town Board tonight. Go to go to Mom's to get her taxes straight tomorrow. County meeting Thursday night. Pack sometime in there. Fly out Friday. Think the trip to work will be a rest. [;)] Hey, that soldering station from Radio Shack is the cat's meow. Got to run. God bless.

[Jumijo]

I raise a can of Narragansett Beer to Curt Gowdy, who died yesterday at age 86. Curt was a long time broadcaster for the Red sox before moving up to network TV. "Hi neighbor, have a 'gansett" was a famous advertising slogan he did for years. Still associated with the Red Sox to this day. some 40 years later.

I'll raise another 'gansett to my son John, who's been battling a high fever for the past 5 days. Never a compaint from him either. He's going back to the doc's this afternoon. A good little boy and a serious train man. Get better soon, John so we can run some trains!

Jim

[cnw1995]

May your son feel better soon, Jim. Greetings from a cold and sunny Chicago. I'm still fighting my cold. I'm tired because of the decongestants. Gotta have another cup of joe.

[laz 57]

JIM, hope your son is better.

I too will raise one or two for CURT GOWDY.
Was a great host of my favorite TV show in the late 60s early 70s, The American Sportsman. He loved the outdoors.
RIP, CURT hope your having a few right now?
laz57