That’s funny Steve, I was told the same thing about my Consolidation. Even after it was “repaired”, it still doesn’t work. But she sure is pretty.
Worked with Navin ever since I found Aristo stuff. There’s very few things we do not agree on. The setup in Steve’s loco is what makes the most sense.
Sorry about your consolidation David, although based on Navin’s track record, somewhat of a cheap shot.
Greg
David, did you send your Connie back to Navin? I’ve found him to be most accommodating.
I sent it back to Aristo the week after I bought it. They returned it to me 2 weeks later saying they didn’t find anything wrong with it. Then I took it to the next ECLSTS, and had Navin look it it there. He told me to wait till late summer to send it back for repairs, since that’s when the new drives would be in. Instead, Aristo announced that they were going bankrupt. I emailed Navin and he confirmed that the new drives would not be in, since Aristo was closing down. So she is a shelf queen.
Yes, I can probably fix her, but with all of the other projects I am into, I just haven’t been able to try and fix her.
Navin now works with REVO II, but also takes on Aristo side jobs. He just got my 3 axle motor blocks rehabed for a very reasonable price. Give him a call. 201 656 6069.
Ted Doskaris said:
All axles are free (none fixed) to vertically rock somewhat in my Aristo-Craft first generation SD45s. You can push at the top of the loco so it lists to one side, and then run the loco down the track, and it uprights itself.
-Ted
As usual I find this statement not tota;;y true as I have one of the first SD45s that came out. The difference is that the front wheel set closest to the nose is the ridged wheel set and the ones from center to fuel tank are the free to pivot side to side. Later versions I have have the ridgidf wheel set nest to fuel tank.
As for TJ issue I think also with his temp swings and track on concrete then he is having frost heave issues alone with settlement when weather warms up. Also sharp rise and drop from grade change is also the factor known as vertical curve. Yes looking at correcting track can be long and tedious but the best solution is fix the track. Every one always wants to modify the equipment which is not the total answer. Later RJD
No, its not usually the answer. Because modifying the equipment treats the symptom, or masks the symptom, but doesn’t address the root problem.
David Maynard said:
No, its not usually the answer. Because modifying the equipment treats the symptom, or masks the symptom, but doesn’t address the root problem.
The root of the problem is what ?
Hell I thought it was track work as that is what the experts all stated it was? Thank the Lord for the “Edit” button
So David, how is Aristo going bankrupt Navin’s fault? Besides ALL the rod locos based on the prime mover have the slipping wheel problem and others, and well documented over the years and quite some time before the consolidation arrived, using the Mikado motor block.
Not fair at all to Navin. You should be po’d at Lewis, who refused to admit the problem and find a solution for years.
Greg
David Maynard said:
I sent it back to Aristo the week after I bought it. They returned it to me 2 weeks later saying they didn’t find anything wrong with it. Then I took it to the next ECLSTS, and had Navin look it it there. He told me to wait till late summer to send it back for repairs, since that’s when the new drives would be in. Instead, Aristo announced that they were going bankrupt. I emailed Navin and he confirmed that the new drives would not be in, since Aristo was closing down. So she is a shelf queen.
Yes, I can probably fix her, but with all of the other projects I am into, I just haven’t been able to try and fix her.
I told the story as it happened. I am not blaming Navin for the poor QC, and questionable design. But I question, if the locomotive was obviously defective when run at the ECLSTS, way was it not so when I sent it back for warranty repair? Since the issues were well known, why wasn’t my Consolidation fixed? At the time I purchased the thing, it cost me a week’s net pay, plus postage to send it back to Aristo, only to have a pretty shelf queen.
That’s not what you said, you said you sent it in and Navin told you to wait for the new motor blocks, which never appeared due to the bankruptcy.
Navin had nothing to repair your loco because of lack of parts from what I can tell. If you had the slipping driver problem (pray tell what WAS wrong?) then the upcoming “D cut” wheel/axle design was to fix this. Otherwise there was nothing to repair your loco, because the slipping drivers are an INHERENT DESIGN FLAW on these locos.
By the way, the last run of Aristo diesels did indeed have the new wheel/axle configuration.
We can actually get to the bottom of this if you will give some more information. In the dying days of Aristo, there were no new parts coming, and it was in the plan to fix the slipping wheel/axle problem.
So, what was wrong with your loco? If you could describe the symptoms, I can with reasonable certaintly tell you what was wrong and what it would take to fix it.
Greg
Greg, Navin did tell me to hold off sending it back in, for a second time, until the late summer, when the new drives would be coming in. Instead Aristo went bankrupt. I never said that the bankruptcy was Navin’s fault.
Driver 3 out of square. You can watch the one wheel wobble when running it upside down in a cradle.
Driver 4 way over-gauge, it a press fit between the rails.
And drivers 1 and 2, if I remember correctly, sit on the fillets instead of the treads. But its been a while since I looked, so I can’t swear to that one.
But the question, unanswered and that probably has no answer, is; why, if Navin could see it was defective at the ECLSTS, with it only running on the demo track for maybe 2 or 3 feet, was it not repaired when I sent it back under warranty? I know, the person who could probably answer that has long since moved on to other things.
David Maynard said:
But the question, unanswered and that probably has no answer, is; why, if Navin could see it was defective at the ECLSTS, with it only running on the demo track for maybe 2 or 3 feet, was it not repaired when I sent it back under warranty? I know, the person who could probably answer that has long since moved on to other things.
Is it possible to contact the mystery person which has moved on that could probably answer the question so Greg can sleep at night ?
I sleep just fine roos… (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)
David, the over gauge is pretty easy to fix, but you do have to disassemble the rod gear.
The wobbling one could be a bent axle, or just a poorly drilled hole.
But these are universal problems with ALL Aristo steamers that use the prime mover gearbox, in fact all locos that use that gearbox.
Lucky for you yours are overgauge, when the vast minority is undergauge.
You just need to counterbore the wheels (with the taper) to allow the wheels to sit down on the axles more.
For fine adjustments, use coarse valve grinding paste. This has the added benefit of also reducing or eliminating the wheel slippage issue.
There’s really no other way unless you want to remove the axles and machine the end thinner, and that can cause other issues.
There’s no way Aristo would “repair” this, but replace it… Navin had no machine shop, and it’s a lot of work.
Greg