North Raleigh Model Railroad Club

Articles from TRAKing Ahead

 
This page contains selected articles from TRAKing Ahead, the Club's Newsletter, that are oriented to model railroading. Check through the topics; you may find something of particular interest for you! The topics include helpful hints and 'how to' articles.

Most brass diesel locomotives tend to be noisy compared to good plastic diesels. This is the result of vibrations in the brass parts and resonance of the brass shell amplifying motor and gear noise. Plastic shells are naturally sound deadening.

For motor and gear noise, check all parts of the drive train, and oil every place two pieces of metal rub together. Add oil to the ends of the motor and all places on the trucks where the gears meet the side frames. Don't overload with oil - use one drop only at each place. Pack universal joints and gears with LaBelle grease, but again not so much that it spins out as the gears turn. Gear noises usually reduce as the unit is broken in, but not always.

To reduce amplification of noise by the shell try putting a thin strip of tape between the chassis and the shell. Experiment with the location. Also try a thin layer of modeling clay on the interior of the shell in areas that do not come in contact with moving parts.

A common problem everyone faces at some time is how to join flextrack together in a curve without it being slightly kinked, or in some way imperfect.

One way, which works for Atlas flextrack, is to stagger the joints several inches apart. Since one rail is generally looser than the other, slide this rail a few inches out of the ties. Do the same on the adjacent piece of rail, and slide the excess from one into the now vacant tie slots on the other. Kinks are much less likely to occur, since the solid rail by one joint offsets the kinking tendencies of that joint.

This does not work so well for flextrack which is very stiff on both sides, such as Micro Engineering, Peco and Shinohara. For these brands carefully pre-bend the rail itself to the shape of the curve, and anchor the rail right at the joint.

Gordon Odegard of MODEL RAILROADER used another method on the N scale Clinchfield Railroad built for MR. Leave the last few inches of a piece of flextrack straight as you work your way around a curve. Trim the rail ends square and solder a new length of flextrack to the first. Now continue bending the track around the curve and the joint will curve smoothly with it - it never kinks.

If you are "patching" a piece of flextrack into a curve already in place, use a small screwdriver or probe (dental pick, ice pick, etc.) to push the joint straight and hold it while the joint is soldered. Leave in place long enough for the solder to set, say, 20 seconds.

Drill and tap the proper sized hole in the center of the mold mark under the vestibule. Then screw on a top-lid MicroTrains 1015 or 1016 coupler. No shim is needed, you avoid the rough-track problems of a long shank MT coupler, and they just plain look better. Body-mount couplers are required if you add vestibule steps to the car, such as from the Gold Medal Models dress up kit.

Do you have more than one locomotive with the same number? Do you want to change to another number? If so, read on.

First, a little bit about how locomotives (and cars) are decorated. In most cases, the base color is spray-painted, while the letters/numbers/heralds are printed in ink.

Paint is either solvent-based or water-based. All inks are solvent-based. The paints and inks use different solvents depending on their chemical makeup, which, in general, are not interchangeable. Some are toxic - use with care.

Several methods can be used to remove the inked numbers on locomotives. Unfortunately, in most cases you must experiment to find the correct one.

One technique is a Q-Tip moistened with 99% solution isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. (Ask the druggist since most rubbing alcohol is 70%). The trick in removing the lettering/numbers is to do it as quickly as possible so that the alcohol doesn't attack the paint underneath the ink.

Apply the Q-Tip to the area you want to change and rub GENTLY. Wipe off and do it again. But don't go too far. For example, if you are removing the yellow cab numbers from a Santa Fe dark blue diesel, when the Q-Tip starts to turn blue, that means you are starting to dissolve the paint. Also, if you rub too hard, the matte surface of the paint job may start to turn shiny.

Another technique that seems to work well with Kato and ConCor locomotives is to use Walthers Solvaset (the Microscale decal solutions are too mild) with the Q-Tip technique.

You can use the Q-Tip technique with other commonly available paint removers, such as ScaleCoat, Floquil Easy Lift Off, etc. Also try Pine-Sol, which works with Kato locomotives. Just remember to tread lightly and don't go too far.

Use a standard decal set to add the new numbers.

From Don Brown

After a several year's experience with the Kato 2-8-2 Mikado steam locomotive, several modelers have encountered various types of problems. This article discusses these problems and recommends solutions.

First, a stock 2-8-2 should be able to pull 25 or so cars equipped with MicroTrains trucks and couplers on level track. If your does not, check the following; perhaps you have one of these problems:

• If your 2-8-2 does not seem to have all its drivers contacting the track, turn it over, remove the bottom plate, and make sure the brass contacts holding the axles are pushed all the way into the frame.

• If the locomotive runs roughly the drivers may be out of gauge. To re-gauge you should obtain a Northwest Shortline wheel "Puller," which is a safer approach to just prying the wheels (which can break the wheels). You will also need an NMRA gauge, and, probably, an Optivisor. Proceed as follows:

• Flip the locomotive upside down and place in a cradle. Place a piece of foam core between the locomotive and tender to protect the drawbar.

• Unscrew the two Phillips screws in the base plate, and remove.

• Before proceeding, look carefully at the position of the connecting rods and how they relate to the other wheels. Carefully pull out the last (rear) driver set. Swing it around to clear the connecting rods and put them in the Puller (still connected to the rest of the drivers). Place the Puller on the right side wheel (engineer's side). Set the point of the Puller on the axle and slowly tighten to take up the slack. Slowly turn the Puller in by hand until you hear a 'pop' sound. That's the wheel sliding on the axle. Check the gauge - the flanges of the drivers should sit at the bottom center of the gauge slots. Release the tension on the Puller and check again. Repeat until the driver wheels are in gauge without the Puller attached. Put the wheelset back in the frame, noting the position of the connecting rods. They should match the position of the other wheels.

• The second and third drivers are not connected to the connecting rods. Pull them out one at a time and repeat the gauging process. Replace them in the same position they came out from. This is so they will look right, even though they will not affect the quartering.

• The front drivers are more tricky, but can be gauged in the same way as the rear drivers. There are more valve gear parts to be careful of, but you can get the wheels out enough to gauge them. If you get tangled up, gently pry out the connecting pin for the side rods and valve gear assembly. When replacing them, check very carefully to make sure they line up with the others.

• Replace the bottom plate and screws.

• The pilot wheels pop out and the trailing truck wheels can be pried out by expanding the frame with a small screwdriver on one side. Regauge with the Puller or pull on the wheels while twisting them on the axle (preferred for pointed axles).

• The tender trucks have bronze frames for the wheels, but these can be pried out gently to release one end of the wheelset. Twist to proper gauge and pop back in.

• Intermittent shorts or arcing can be caused by the drawbar. If the drawbar wires are bent up or twisted they can pop out of the top of the drawbar and touch the underside of the cab, which can cause some arcing. If the wires are bent side-to-side a little they can touch each other and a short will occur which could cause heat damage to the drawbar). If your drawbar is bent or otherwise damaged, order another from Kato. The drawbar can be separated from the locomotive by pulling straight back, parallel with the bar.

• On the inside of the drivers there is a small brass strip that transmits power from the metal tire past the plastic wheel to the axle and frame. Sometimes this strip can pop out from under the tire rim. Pop it back in with a small screwdriver. Clean the end of the brass strip and the driver with Goo Gone (or equivalent); do not scrape with a knife or screwdriver blade.

• Ensure the motor is solidly mounted and cannot twist as it turns. If the motor shifts while running, it could cause intermittent binding of the gears.

• Ensure the weight in tender is mounted solidly, and does not rattle around.

One final note. When assembling the locomotive, don't glue in the handrails or you will never get access to the stuff under the boiler. They and the front support rods have to come off again to get in.

Some recent Walthers car kits, such as the well cars and the coil cars have been assembled with metal floors. Be very careful and gentle when trying to remove the truck bolster pin, as they fit tight and break easily. If this happens, drill out the remainder of the original bolster pin and use a MicroTrains pin.

An alternate is to use screws to attach the trucks. One modeler who did this used 2-56 flat head screws, 1/4" long. He drills the car floor and taps 2-56. If you follow this method, you should tighten one truck so it is on the rigid side, while the other is left looser. This makes a 3-point suspension and provides good recovery for uneven track.

For couplers, either body mount MT 1023/1025 couplers, replace the Rapido coupler with MT 1129 couplers (or Kato or Unimate), or replace the trucks with MT trucks with couplers.

There are two distinct advantages for MicroTrains 1008 low profile wheelsets on N scale layouts: appearance and operations:

• Cars are able to sit down on the trucks, lowering the center of gravity, and not requiring clearance washers to allow the flanges top clear the underside of the car.

• There is reduced rolling resistance. The large flange on normal wheelsets causes a huge load in corners, and can shorten trains by as much as 20%. In the unit train and intermodal world, this is a big problem.

Tracking of low profile wheels appears not to be a problem. Testing indicates any trackwork that is bad for low profile wheels is also a problem with regular wheels. Kinks at joiners appear to be the most serious problem affecting N scale wheels.

By the way, the new Atlas truck is almost a match for the MicroTrains truck in rolling quality - they roll to within 2" of the MT trucks in a 6' runout test. Remove the Rapido coupler from the Atlas truck and body mount MT couplers.

Now that new locomotives are being released with number board numbers installed, existing locomotives are starting to look bare. Here's how you can add numbers to the number boards on your 'naked' locomotives.

Microscale, ShellScale Decals, Scale Replicas and others have several sets of number board decals that can be used for this purpose. You will need a steady hand to do the work, and some fine tweezers to handle the decals. The procedure follows:

• Take locomotive shell off chassis

• Gently remove the number board/headlight plastic piece

• With a fine flat file or fine sandpaper, gently 'flatten' the number board surface (the molding puts a bit of rounded contour there).

• Apply the white or black (as desired) number board color decal stripe, using Microsol, Microset or Solvaset. Let sit overnight.

• Carefully cut out the numbers from the decal sheets, and apply with the fine tweezers, one number at a time, doing the middle digit of a 3-digit number or middle 2 digits of a 4 digit number first to assure centering. Apply Microsol, Microset or Solvaset to get the decal to conform to the surface.

• After the decals have set, coat with a light layer of hi-gloss or flat clear finish.

• When dry re-install the number boards in the locomotive, and the shell on the chassis. Stand back and admire.

This whole procedure is a pain, especially considering it is almost a 100% bet that the numbers you want are not in a sequence and you will have to place them one-by-one. But it is worth it. You may find it easier to save up the number boards, and do several in one sitting.

The light output from the LED headlights in Kato, Atlas and other locomotives is a yellow glow rather than pure headlight white. These LEDs can be easily replaced with 12 volt bulbs from Radio Shack (272-1092, 2-pack for $1.49). Simply replace the LED with the bulb. You must also remove the voltage-dropping resistor, connecting its end points with a piece of wire. The Radio Shack bulb has bare leads, so be sure to place some insulation over them to protect against shorts.

A common problem encountered by modelers who build their layout on a hollow door is how to wire the layout. The specific problem encountered is how to fish a wire through the hollow portion of the door. There are 3 ways:

• Use a wire sufficiently stiff that the hole through the second surface of the door can be located by poking the wire until found.

• Use a stiff wire with a "hairpin loop." Insert it through both surfaces of the door, attach the wire and pull through.

• Line the holes with a piece of tubing such as a plastic soda straw affixed with adhesive. Run the wire through the straw.

Another option, of course, is to leave the wires on top of the door, covering them with scenery. This, however, creates a problem with future troubleshooting and/or replacement of the wires, plus you must complete all the wiring before starting scenery.

You can obtain N scale kangaroos from Robert Carpenter in Australia (where else?) for A$10 plus postage and packing. You will get 6 Roos (3 gray, 3 red, 6 different poses), painted pewter. Visa and MC accepted. Contact Robert at:

Robert Carpenter
AUST-N-RAIL
PO Box 4983
Chisholm ACT 2905
Australia

Or on the WWW at: http://www.aust-n-rail.plann.com.au (secure server)
Email: jrcar@austarmetro.com.au

Seeing this ad triggered a thought: We have seen several modules featuring a circus or a fairground, but none with a zoo. These kangaroos, along with other animals from Preisser and others, could form the beginning of a zoo module. Anyone interested?

It is highly unlikely the color of ballast you use on your track will match the color of the cork roadbed. You can save on the quantity of ballast you will need by pre-painting your roadbed to match the ballast (you don't have to cover a darker color with a lighter color). This is particularly true if you roadbed is lighter in color than the cork. Pre-painting also gives the roadbed a more finished appearance until the time you can get around to laying ballast.

The suggested paint for ballast lighter than the cork is gray housepaint, which, of course, should be applied to the cork before you lay track. Housepaint is used because model paint is too expensive for large sections of roadbed, plus it is water-resistant, which helps prevent warping when you do lay the ballast.

Successful and smooth operation of MT 6-wheel passenger trucks requires close attention to the mounting pin/screw above them. If the pin/screw extends down too far from the car it will interfere with the center axle. The MT instruction sheet addresses this issue.

First, try running with just the outside 2 axles. This will show if there are any binding issues that may require the car to be shimmed up. If this works fine, check the clearance between the center axle and the mounting screw or pin; do this both visually and by running the car on track.

If necessary, grind down the mounting pin or screw until operation is smooth. In the case of Rivarossi/Atlas/ConCor heavyweight cars, be careful when grinding down the screw-head that you leave enough of the slot or enough metal to be able to remove the screw.

Gold Metal Models makes their No. 16044 Detail Set for Rivarossi heavyweight passenger cars. It includes vestibule steps, stirrups for diner and baggage doors, four different observation railings/gates and more. Follow the instructions in the kit.

Once you install the vestibule steps, you must body-mount the couplers, as the truck-mounted couplers do not have enough space to swing on curves. Use the MicroTrains 1015 couplers mounted top-lid to the floor. These attach directly with no shims needed. If you look under the car, you will see a circular mold mark at the end of the floor. Drill the usual hole in the center of this mark, and tap 00-90. You can move the hole toward the end of the car if you have tight curves, or use a MT 1016 top-lid coupler.

For a more prototypical appearance, consider using a MT Z-scale coupler (MT907) on the rear of the observation car. It will couple and uncouple just like the N couplers, and it's plenty strong enough.

The use of AML diaphragms between the cars also improves the looks. You may need to adjust the coupler spacing to accommodate the diaphragms.

The stock Rivarossi trucks and wheels are more than adequate, such that the additional expense of converting to MicroTrains trucks is not warranted, and are required if you are going to have lights in the cars. The Rivarossi trucks can handle Kato couplers and MT couplers (1128, 1129 or 1130 conversions).

Peco Fine Scale (Code 55) track should become the standard for NTRAK module use if for no other reason than its near-indestructibility. It will make a much stronger anchor point for the inter-module connecting tracks. The Standards Committee recommends Peco Fine Scale (Code 55) for Club use.

Peco Fine Scale flex track is also available with concrete ties, just what modern modelers need. Not so turnouts, but most turnouts in the world are still wood ties.

Some modelers have had problems with reliable coupling and operations when a MicroTrains coupler joins to a Unimate coupler. Consider the following:

• The correct mounting height of the MT coupler is vital. Get and use the MT coupler gauge. This will also help with MT-MT couplings and MT-Kato couplings.

• For the Unimate coupler, use a strong coupler spring. If the spring is weak, the Unimate coupler will droop head down. Make sure the spring is not too strong to prevent the coupler from moving side to side.

• If you are using the "older" version of the MT coupler without the concave shape, consider filing the molding line off the coupler so it looks like the new coupler (see the photos in N Scale and MR magazines).

• Although less important, consider conforming to the recommended NMRA weight standards for cars.

Maintain your couplers. Check them on a regular basis with the MT coupler gauge and trip pin height gauge.

If you don't want to use track nails to hold track temporarily in place while the glue is drying, consider using "map pins," available in any office supply store. The pinheads are a little narrower than the gauge of the track, and will fit between the rails nicely. The pin fits between the ties, can be placed a couple of inches apart, and is easily removed.

One advantage of plastic is that it can be molded in different colors hence the manufacturer can make the various parts of the kit in assorted colors. If you want your structure to look like the real thing, however, a good rule is "nothing in the box remains unpainted."

Examine the kit carefully and study how it goes together. Whenever possible, leave the parts attached to the molding sprue for painting. This allows easy handling and little touch up is needed when removed.

Decide what color you want for the brick. The molded color could be OK with a little weathering, but boxcar red, caboose red, tuscan red, sand and buff are good alternates. Paint all brick sections, including corners and edges of window and door cutouts.

Next, weathering and mortar. Use an acrylic paint such as Polly S "concrete." Apply a thin coat with a wide brush, then wipe it off while it's still wet. This will leave most of the paint in the mortar lines and a thin coating on the brick surface. Be sure to wipe vertically so any streaking will look authentic.

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The NRMRC is a Not-For-Profit Corporation incorporated in North Carolina.
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Last updated: Friday July 3, 2009

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