Brass steam gearbox replacement.

[clash]

I have a few HO brass steamers I've been thinking about upgrading with NWSL gearboxes. Question is do I invest in the tooling required to do it like a quarterer,press and pullers or do I just send it in to a professional. I'd like to hear from a few of you who have done it and get your opinion.

[doctorwayne]

I agree with David, and would add that if you do decide to attempt this work, also order the NWSL catalogue when you're ordering the tools and parts - there are lots of good tips and info in there that can help with your loco upgrade projects.

Wayne 

[MRRSparky]

I am in the process of upgrading a Mantua 0-6-0 with a NWSL gear box.  The work is no different than what is required to upgrade your brass loco.  The NWSL instructions are very clear and reasonably easy to follow.  The issues for me are:

1.  Successfully removing and replacing the axle gear

2.  Carving out enought frame material to allow installing the NWSL plastic gearbox

3.  Keeping the one driver wheel I have to remove in quarter

What I have found so far is that a Dremel tool with a metal reaming bit will do the job on the frame IF you don't force the tool and IF you let the reamer cool off frequently.  If you don't, melted metal will contaminate the bit's teeth.

To retain the existing quartering, use a single edge razor blade to mark the position of the axle end to the wheel.  To do this, etch a line across the wheel and the axle end somewhat off center.  When you reassemble the wheel after having put the new axle gear on, just align the marks.  If your axle end is not serrated, you should be able to twist the wheel back into quarter by hand if you are slightly off.

The only tool I have used or felt I needed was the NWSL Puller.  I recently had the joy of removing all the drivers from a Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 because the wheels were too tight in gauge.  I messed up one driver and found that I could twist it back into quarter by hand and visually.  I did not use a Quarterer.  I simply made the errant wheel set look exactly like the other three sets. 

Quartering only means that one side of the wheel set leads the other by 90 degrees.  From the amount of "slop" I saw in the well-respected Spectrum drive train, model railroad steam engine quartering is not a precise science.

[M&PWJOHN]

If you decide to do it yourself, you will also need a set of NWSL Gear Alignment tools. They are very useful in getting the gear on the axle exactly at 90* to the axle.

[clash]

Thanks for your help.

[richg1998]

Thanks for your help.

 

In case you have not been there, here is a link to the NWLS site with loads of info.

http://www.nwsl.com/

While not quite as good as a paper catalog, you still get a lot of info. 

Rich

[steve58]

Here's another site you may find useful. He shows many examples of rebuilding.

http://markschutzer.com/

There was also an article in the last couple months in MR showing how to do it.

I just got done putting in a NWSL box in an old Overland 4-8-2. Like Scott, the only tool I used was the NWSL puller. If you are careful (and the quartering is close to start with), scribing lines on the wheel and axle will allow you to re-assemble without a quarterer. As far as the other tools, I have no doubt that every one makes the job easier, but it can be done just taking much care.

Loco runs great with the new box, well worth the effort.

FWIW, if you haven't taken these locos apart much, be extremely careful with the TINY screws and springs as you take it apart. I worked mostly with the loco contained within a fairly large box, so if I did drop something, at least I'd be able to find it again.