John,
We used the NWSL regearing kit. I believe they have a regear kit for the 3-truck now.
Sue
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
jeffers_mzThe mechanism has a "gear loop" in it.Gears inside the loco turn the wheels, which turn the exterior gears which run the valve gear.
The mechanism has a "gear loop" in it.
Gears inside the loco turn the wheels, which turn the exterior gears which run the valve gear.
But isn't this the case in the Atlas N scale Shay as well? That mechanism runs perfectly. Is there any explanation as to why, out of two mechanisms with a gearing loop in them, one runs perfectly and one does not?
The Location: Forests of the Pacific Northwest, OregonThe Year: 1948The Scale: On30The Blog: http://bvlcorr.tumblr.com
I have both HO and HOn3 MDCs that need regearing. Which regear kit did you use?
Thanks,
JOhn K
cacole wrote:An entire book was written on how to get one of these Shay kits to run properly by using parts from North West Short Line and other manufacturers. When I calculated the cost of the parts, they were going to be more than the original kit.Then MDC came out with the RTR version, so I bought it. I still have an unassembled kit that I will probably never attempt to use.Even so, the Bachmann Spectrum 3-truck Shay is a much better engine.
An entire book was written on how to get one of these Shay kits to run properly by using parts from North West Short Line and other manufacturers. When I calculated the cost of the parts, they were going to be more than the original kit.
Then MDC came out with the RTR version, so I bought it. I still have an unassembled kit that I will probably never attempt to use.
Even so, the Bachmann Spectrum 3-truck Shay is a much better engine.
philo426 wrote:Okay!Glad it helped!I'll send out the instructions next week.(Doesn't hurt to be prepared just in case)!
Thanks Philo, just got em. It is nice to have the step by step. Hope I never have to use 'em!
Bill
You will find all you need here
http://www.hoseeker.net/mdcmiscellaneous.html
Philo,
After a bit of putzing, and a little cursing, the little folks at the high logging camp once again have their narrow gauge loco to get those fallen trees down to town.
The biggest shortcoming in getting the RTR loco (at least in my case) is there are no instructions, documentations, nothin. Thats also why there was a little cursing. But it wasn't too difficult (or I wouldn't have been able to do it). I think you're using the term "universal drive" where I was using "fitting thing". Your terminology is probably more accurate then mine. I doubt I would find "fitting thing" in the NWSL catalog.
Both me an the little folks thank you again!
dinwitty wrote: twomule wrote:Ours has a surging type of lurching on the down hill as slow speeds.But so did the prototype Roofles!!! The mechanics are different on the model vs proto. MDC is geared straight to the trucks and the side linkages go for the ride and don't carry the power. I have no clue if the Bachmann uses the linkages to transfer the power, but on the downhill the train will cause the powering to loosen up and speed up till it hits the gearing in reverse and kick the motor faster.Then it speeds up again till it hits the other direction of the gears and slows down.Depending if the throttle was up on the prototype and brakes not set, it would hitch too.
twomule wrote:Ours has a surging type of lurching on the down hill as slow speeds.But so did the prototype
Ours has a surging type of lurching on the down hill as slow speeds.
But so did the prototype
Roofles!!!
The mechanics are different on the model vs proto. MDC is geared straight to the trucks and the side linkages go for the ride and don't carry the power. I have no clue if the Bachmann uses the linkages to transfer the power, but on the downhill the train will cause the powering to loosen up and speed up till it hits the gearing in reverse and kick the motor faster.
Then it speeds up again till it hits the other direction of the gears and slows down.
Depending if the throttle was up on the prototype and brakes not set, it would hitch too.
Go back and re-read the posts from the beginning. The person was referring to their Bachmann lurching, not an MDC, and yes the Bachmann is powered through the drivelines, like the prototype. I have have both am I am quit aware of the mechanics of the MDC and the Bachmann thank you Mr Roofles.
philo426 wrote: Yeah it's cool like I said before I do have 2 of them so if I send you one I still have a spare so I'm good!It shows no signs of stripping it's gears so I'll keep my fingers crossed!
Yeah it's cool like I said before I do have 2 of them so if I send you one I still have a spare so I'm good!It shows no signs of stripping it's gears so I'll keep my fingers crossed!
philo426 wrote: Hi Philo, IF you would like it,let me know I have 2 extra ones.When I ordered spare parts in the '80s they sent you the whole sprue that the requested part was molded on!Good deal and nice to have extra incase something goes wrong!
Hi Philo,
IF you would like it,let me know I have 2 extra ones.When I ordered spare parts in the '80s they sent you the whole sprue that the requested part was molded on!Good deal and nice to have extra incase something goes wrong!
Thank you! Got the gear today, and I really appreciate the favor.
Is the shaft that the gear is mount on just a holder that I should be able to remove, or is the gear mounted permanently on the shaft? The gear that I had was just the gear with the center hole. I ask because even when looking at it with my magnifyer (my eyes aren't what they used to be), I can't tell if it's one piece or not. And I don't want to start hammering away if I'm not supposed to.
Yes, sorry. I sent through an email, but appears not to have worked. So, let me do a pm.
I'd agree that the NWSL site is confusing, but don't let that put you off. The stuff they offer is first rate, accurately made and it fits. You'll also find that they are quite helpful. I've done several remotoring, regearing projects with their stuff, and it greatly improves performance. I found the $ spent for their printed catalog was well worth it because at least for me it was easier to understand than the website.
The issue with the factory MDC gearing is that it is cast and not machined. That means that due to tolerences, die wear, etc., sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. There also is the problem that some of the gears won't hold up under use. The NWSL stuff is accurately machined, meaning that it is held to tight tolerences and is concentric. If you're happy with the factory gearing, that's great! (I've had prettty good luck with my MDC rod engines), but if it breaks, is noisy, etc., the NWSL stuff will offer much improved performance.
In short, you'll like NWSL if you try them. It's good stuff & good folks.
JBB
Hi, Sorry to sort of barge in here, but my MDC rtr HOn3 loco just wnet bad a few days ago. I've been searching for solutions, and found myself here. The little 12 tooth pastic gear at the top of the tall vertical gear box in the center of the engine cracked. I tried glueing it, but that doesn't seem to work. I saw some replacement items at NWSL web site, but I'm not sure what to get.
They had a 1094-6, 0.3 x 12t spurgear in an old writeup, also some gearing packages:
189-6, 190-6, or 188-6.
Does anyone have any experience with this?
Thanks in advance,
The nice thing about the partial regear kit is that you get new driveline and u-joints, along with axle gears. Larry didn't replace the axle gears because they were in good shape.
Hint: Bourbon makes small parts smaller.
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
The worm gears, mounted not quite center of each axle, 3 out of 4 of them were split when I got it, NIB, RTR.
I packed it up, sent it back, and they sent me a different one, same problem.
At the time I had a thread going here, and was told it's a common occurrance, and I wanted the locomotive, so I decided to quit hassleing with the dealer and just get NWSL gears to replace the split ones.
When I went to call NWSL though, they had closed for their Christmas/New Year's break so i put the project on hold, and I never got back around to getting it fixed.
I will, winter is coming up, and a lot more of that kind of work gets done. In the summer, I spend a lot of time cutting grass, raising and canning tomatoes, and shooting competitively, so what little layout time is left usually goes to larger projects that go easier outdoors, like benchwork and carving foam. Then in winter, the detail work and individual locomotive or rolling stock or building work gets done.