I couldn't resist this little loco at the local flea market.
I know it doesn't follow any real prototype but what the heck. Can anyone shed some light as to how old this model is? It has a pancake motor that runs not too bad after a good cleaning and lube although it runs pretty quick and takes a high starting voltage to get moving. Has anyone had any luck repowering these? I'd like to have it smooth enough to convert to DCC. It looks like there is enough room for a decoder and maybe even a speaker. I figure with some detailing, glazing for the windows, weathering and a flashing light on top it might be a neat little loco for the yard..
Todd
Todd I have one made by ahm in the very early years and had a very large open motor in it. I went to cv backshop on ebay and bought his heisler locomotive can motor. I added a few strips of styrene to the floor of the loco as it was recessed for the large motor. You man not have to do this on yours. His motor takes a very low starting voltage and creeps along real slow. I have added an n scale digitrax decoder in it as well. There is room in the cab for a speaker but I did not want to look at it. There might be room for it in the hood of the unit. Not seeing how the insides are and how the whole thing is attached and all.
Here are some pics of what I did. I will also try to find a link to the motor as well for you. http://cgi.ebay.com/CAN-MOTOR-UPGRADE-KIT-FOR-MANTUA-2-6-6-2-2-6-6-2T-LOCOS_W0QQitemZ360144824837QQihZ023QQcategoryZ19137QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem This is not the motor but keep an eye out for the seller as he usually lists the heisler pankake motor one a week or so.
Let me know if there is anything else you need help with.
Mike
alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)
On a side note. Be very careful with the light inside. Mine was not affixed to anything in particular and got too close to the radiator grill and melted it. I had to then cut it out and build one out of brass screen and .020 brass rod. Also the motor on ebay will have a 2mm shaft. I think I had some worm gears left over from another ahm engine that I made into a dummy. The large motor had something bigger than a 2mm shaft on it so the worm gear would not transfer over. I also removed all molded on ralings and bent the new ones out of the .020 brass rod. I have also since added some antennas and am waiting on a beacon light for the top.
mike
Also with added weight in the nose and in the frame it will pull 8-10 cars no problem on flat track. It may do more but I ran out of test track.
Mike, great job on the conversion. Here are some photos of the mechanism in mine. As you can see it's quite different:
The whole mechanism, wheels and all screws to the base of the loco:
I wonder if Northwest Short Line makes a motor for say a trolley that has the same wheelbase that would fit? I sent them an email.
hmm that is a bit different. You might be able to mount my motor on end like that one. Let me know i nswl has a motor.
Todd,
I'm sure that is the same motor the used in the Lima 0-4-0 switcher they made many years ago, I have one of the 0-4-0 and have had it apart a few time, it looks the same. As I remember right my switcher would go like 300 scale MPH. Does your switcher do that also?
Yes, this one really flies. It's also has a high starting voltage and once it gets going you have to reduce your throttle setting....
Mike;
Cool little engine!!! Sound would be great. The paper mill I used to switch in Wisconsin Rapids had a Plymouth just like yours but they had added a remote control to it. I've seen it in operation only once but it's a neat little critter!!!!
I've bought two GE 45 tonners from Bachman and they run very nice and slow. I'll use them in my private industrial area, a big grain elevator complex.
Nice work!!!
Bob
ModelTorque in Australia makes a simple repower kit for Lima diesels. http://www.modeltorque.com.au/Lima.htmIt looks like they use the same sort motor as the Heisler remotor kit from eBay, but it also includes the proper mounting hardware. I've heard they improve the operation of Lima drives quite a bit, even if their top speed is faster (of course, you don't have to run them at 12V).
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hawghead1 Mike; Cool little engine!!! Sound would be great. The paper mill I used to switch in Wisconsin Rapids had a Plymouth just like yours but they had added a remote control to it. I've seen it in operation only once but it's a neat little critter!!!! I've bought two GE 45 tonners from Bachman and they run very nice and slow. I'll use them in my private industrial area, a big grain elevator complex. Nice work!!! Bob
Yep, got one of those recently also. Side mounted drives can be a pain to repower, tried in a couple of old bachmann steamers as test beds, you have to be incredibly precise on the location due to the size of the gears. Haven't tried repowering mine yet because ithe body is going through On30 conversion surgery right now. I am replacing the stock headlamp with directional lighting and a working light mounted over the fuel tank behind the cab, also if the light mount shifts it will short to the motor pickup contacts on one side, which is another reason for changing it. Plenty of room for a decoder BUT not with the stock motor unless you want to squeeze in an O scale decoder.
"I know it doesn't follow any real prototype but what the heck"
Sure it does... It's a Plymouth MDT
Bhagavad "I know it doesn't follow any real prototype but what the heck" Sure it does... It's a Plymouth MDT
With the exception that, as far as I can tell, they are horribly oversized (and not just because it's HO scale). Every picture I've ever seen of any of them, even the heavier 40t and larger ones, they are not as tall as a freight car. The REALLY big ones (120-140t) seem to be all center cab types. The basic shape of those models matches, it just seems more O scale then HO.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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