I've been searching the web for a "How to guide" with pictures
for this project but so far no luck
I did find this link for Rivarossi drawings on the HO seekers site
http://www.hoseeker.org/ahminstructions.html
And a remotor how to on the NWSL site
http://www.nwsl.com/Catalog/pg047-cat4-19-v0605.pdf
Tonys trains has some links for how to sites
on page 7
But nothing for a Rivarossi Heavy Pacific
One of the sites has lots of locos
But again nothing for the Pacific
http://www.tcsdcc.com/HO_Search/search.html
So it looks like i'll be flying blind on this one
To see how i got the tender apart go here
http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/t/151015.aspx
TerryinTexas
See my Web Site Here
http://conewriversubdivision.yolasite.com/
Not much room in the Vandy tender for a speaker
Part of the conversion involves remotoring the loco as the newer motor draws far less current
The new motor fits right inside the old motor housing
The Motor is held together by 2 bent tabs on the side of the housing
After Prying them straight You remove the insides to make room for the new motor
You also remove the Magnet ring
and use a 3/16 bit to drill out the old bushing
Once you drilled out the old bushing you can use some silicone
glue to glue the new motor in side the old shell
Included in the kit is a new drive shaft
Using a dremel I cut it to length and the universal joints
just tap on with a hammer
You can get these kits on Ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/MOTOR-UPGRADE-KIT-FOR-AHM-RIVAROSSI-STEAM-or-DIESEL_W0QQitemZ360142263864QQcmdZViewItemQQptZModel_RR_Trains?hash=item360142263864&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
I got mine from
http://myworld.ebay.com/cv-backshop/
The instructions are good and easy to read
the work can be done in under 1 hour
Terry,Nice tutorial. Cv-backshop has some nice retrofit kits, and his instrutions look great. Being cheap, I would just use one of the own motors I've salvaged and drill holes in the plastic mount and screw the motor to it without cannibalizing the old one.I had problems with my Pacific soon after I bought it, because the motor melted the mount. Years ago I put this Sagami in it, but it was a high RPM motor, and was too noisy.A few months ago I actually opted for a much cheaper motor. This is the motor that is used in the IHC GG1, and it's actually smoother and quiter. It has a low top RPM, so that the speed range is realistic even with the original gearing. I had to lay in a cab floor, and hog a tremendous amount of plastic out of the boiler and firebox. There was barely enough clearance for the screws that hold the firebox together, as I had to grind a lot off the the screw bosses as well.
Nelson
Ex-Southern 385 Being Hoisted
SteamFreak Terry,SnipI had problems with my Pacific soon after I bought it, because the motor melted the mount Snip. A few months ago I actually opted for a much cheaper motor. This is the motor that is used in the IHC GG1, and it's actually smoother and quiter. It has a low top RPM, so that the speed range is realistic even with the original gearing. I had to lay in a cab floor, and hog a tremendous amount of plastic out of the boiler and firebox. There was barely enough clearance for the screws that hold the firebox together, as I had to grind a lot off the the screw bosses as well.
Terry,SnipI had problems with my Pacific soon after I bought it, because the motor melted the mount
Snip. A few months ago I actually opted for a much cheaper motor. This is the motor that is used in the IHC GG1, and it's actually smoother and quiter. It has a low top RPM, so that the speed range is realistic even with the original gearing. I had to lay in a cab floor, and hog a tremendous amount of plastic out of the boiler and firebox. There was barely enough clearance for the screws that hold the firebox together, as I had to grind a lot off the the screw bosses as well.
You've done alot of work there and it looks like you added some weight
Nice Job !
The motor mount on one side of mine was heated to the point of being brittle
I'll have to reinforce it some how
Also when i took the old motor apart one of the brushes was all but gone
I don't really know how it even ran
I am mainly after the less current draw
Hope this motor will be as advertised
Great job terry. I have used cvbackshop motors a couple times. The current draw is wicked low. I used the heisler motor for my riv heisler and put an n scale decoder in it. I also put a heisler motor in an ahm plymoth diesel switcher. With very little work this has also turned out to be a quiet and slow runner. I think you will be very pleased with your motor.
Mike
alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)
I plan on adding weight to improve electrical contact
I drilled and tapped the rivet that holds the electrical contact in place and inserted a 2/56 screw for the wire attachment
I made a Speaker face plate out of card board
That fits just under the coal load
I also made a Cardboard shelve for the decoder in the back of the tender above the weights
Nice job Terry. Thanks for the picture tutorial. I am saving this for my berk transition.
rs2mike Great job terry. I have used cvbackshop motors a couple times. The current draw is wicked low. I used the heisler motor for my riv heisler and put an n scale decoder in it. I also put a heisler motor in an ahm plymoth diesel switcher. With very little work this has also turned out to be a quiet and slow runner. I think you will be very pleased with your motor. Mike
The motor is very quiet but i'm having some gear problems
I may have to replace some as it wants to lock up when i change directions
That's odd, the gearing in these was quite well made, although a bit too fast. I would clean the gears thoroughly and regrease, but it sounds more like a running gear or quartering issue, which can be directional in nature.
Thats funny. How did it run before you put the motor in it? Maybe there is something binding in the shaft or something.
rs2mike Thats funny. How did it run before you put the motor in it? Maybe there is something binding in the shaft or something.
Ok I found the problem ME !
STUPID STUPID STUPID !
There was another loco on the layout bridging the isolation gap which by it's self
was causing a short but it was alowing the Pacific to run slowly for about a foot before
shutting it down with overload protection
once I moved the offending loco back accross the gap and removed the short the Pacific ran
like a dream in both directions
I found the problem by accident when i removed the pacific but the over load light stayed on !!
so i checked the whole layout and sure enough one DCC loco was about one inch too far forward
accross the gap
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Rather than use the oval speaker i'm going to try a Round High Bass Speaker
I cut a support to hold it steady in the tender
and i lucked out because it does just fit
It comes with it's own baffle
Kinda looks like a bottle cap
I'll use a 2 pin connector for the wires so i can easily swap speakers
I Soldered the speaker wires and used shrink wrap to insulate them
after testing i will seal the hole in the base where the wires come out
to make it an air tite baffle
Tested the head light and it was bad so i replaced the bulb with a 16 volt bulb
Not as bright but should last longer
Finished up the tender side of the wiring
The automatic wire strippers are really a big help
I used a 2 wire plug and a 4 wire plug between the engine and tender
the 2 wire is for the light and the 4 wire is for the track pick up and motor
The other 2 wire is for the speaker
Finished up the Loco side wiring and test fit Tender and Loco
I used the Drawing from Tony's Train Exchange to wire the loco
the only difference is my motors + and - polls were switched
The Step plate looking thing you see between the Loco and tender is actually the wire plugs
I Put the Loco on the Programming track Saturday morning and held my breath as i powered up the
system
Thankfully no smoke
The sound came on with a clank of the Johnson Bar then the pumps started running
I gave the whistle a try and was really impressed with the High Bass Speaker
GREAT SOUND
I use decoder pro to Change the address to the road number
and took it for a spin
Sounded great BUT need to work on the electrical pick up
So back to the work bench !
Nice job, Terry. One thing I wanted to mention is that I would drill out the stoker opening in the back of the loco, and run the wires through that under the footplate, instead of over. The connector looks like it might lift the front of the tender with the current configuration, which would only create pickup problems.
SteamFreak Nice job, Terry. One thing I wanted to mention is that I would drill out the stoker opening in the back of the loco, and run the wires through that under the footplate, instead of over. The connector looks like it might lift the front of the tender with the current configuration, which would only create pickup problems.
I hadn't thought of doing it that way
but i will look and see if there is room
This loco does have pickup problems
From what i can tell only the front 2 right side pilot wheels pick up. Not the drivers
and i don't understand that
I'm trying to figure a way to add weight to the pilot wheels for better rail contact
Used a dremel to cut a small weight to put on top of the pilot
truck to get a better contact with the rail
I used some double sided tape to attach it while I test it to see if it helps
I'll also put a piece of band aid over the top {out of Electrical tape} to avoid a short
There are sprung plungers that pick up current from the front and rear driver rims on the side opposite the traction tires. It's possible for the springs in them to become weakened or burned out completely if too much current has run through them (i.e. a short).
SteamFreak There are sprung plungers that pick up current from the front and rear driver rims on the side opposite the traction tires. It's possible for the springs in them to become weakened or burned out completely if too much current has run through them (i.e. a short).
That's good to know
when i tested the drivers with my meter on the OHMS setting i got nothing
so they must be burned
Got the Bugs worked out and shot some video
The sound is much better in person but it gives you an idea
http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q4/TerryinTexas/?action=view¤t=MVI_1766.flv
Sounds good. It looks like it takes off from the line pretty quick. Is that the video or does it really go that fast?
rs2mike Sounds good. It looks like it takes off from the line pretty quick. Is that the video or does it really go that fast? Mike
Sadly its geared way too high Mike
I can put alittle more momentum in the decoder and that will help
I have a request in at the JMRI website for programming help to slow it down