Large Scale Central

Aristocraft U25B Handrails Needed/Imagination Station KOT

Problem Solving
#1

Hello,

Our program, Imagination Station Kids On Track was donated a new Amtrak U25B. The only problem is that it lacks any handrails. The original owner couldn’t find them and the locomotive had only been out of the box once? We are searching for someone who might have a complete set of original handrails for sale. (any color)

If you have a set you can part with, (front, rear and both sides) or you know someone who does, please get in touch with us here on this site or contact me, Kenneth Mathews at; [email protected] .

We would really like to get this Amtrak locomotive up and running for kids to operate with our Amtrak train cars before Christmas, if possible.

Thanks! Ken

c/o Imagination Station Kids On Track Model Railroad And Train Safety Program

E. Helena, Montana

#2

Check with GLX Scale models. Gilbert may have the stanchions…if he doesn’t, he might be able to make them. The actual handrail can be formed from brass rod.

Fred Mills

#3

Thanks Fred. Do you have a phone number? Ken

#4

Yes

; the telephone number is (613) 294-2276 , or you can go to the web page at: www.glxscalemodels.com

Fred Mills

#5

Ken, I would strongly recommend you make a permanent bookmark in your browser, since you are in the business of fixing and refurbishing trains. GLX has a wealth of replacement/repair parts and is amenable to new items.

(I’m actually mildly surprised you don’t know of GLX already)

Greg

#6

Thank you Fred, I’ll contact them.

Greg, it’s permanently in there now. I am also amazed as I hadn’t heard of them. We sure will use them now. I do fix a lot of equipment for people. Thanks! Ken

#7

Gilbert made me new roller bearing end caps for an Artisto truck that had lost one. So he can help if he has an example to copy.

#8

It is surprising what can be found here on LSC…Gilbert (GLX) has been mentioned often here, and is known to let us know of products he has available. I have helped him get some representative parts, to help produce new ones.

Since I do not have that particular locomotive, I can’t provide the sample. It would be great if it was the same style of railing part as on the RS3…Gilbert already has them.

Fred Mills

#9

Ken Mathews/Imagination Station Kids On Track said:

Hello,

Our program, Imagination Station Kids On Track was donated a new Amtrak U25B. The only problem is that it lacks any handrails. The original owner couldn’t find them and the locomotive had only been out of the box once? We are searching for someone who might have a complete set of original handrails for sale. (any color)

Ken,

I would like to table this “SIMPLE OPTION” first if I may?

Do “you” have the box that the locomotive came out of only once or does the original owner have that ? IF SO … please flip the styrofoam inserts over from the box it came from only once as the railing is sometimes taped too backside of the inserts.

However you could go with Gilbert before looking

Rooster: is tabling possible options before jumping into ANSWERS

#10

David, Fred,

I left a message today, 9-5-19. I’m sure he will get back to me when he has time. It sounds like he’s very good at remaking parts in general. I’m just sorry I didn’t know about him before. As many years as I’ve been in this hobby, I can’t believe I didn’t come across his information before. I sure hope he can help me out with this problem. It’s pretty sad to have a brand new engine and no handrails.

Rooster,

The original owner said they didn’t have the styrofoam piece that would have been on top of the cradle. They also told me that they looked on the front sides, back and top and bottom of the styrofoam that the engine rests in and sadly had no luck finding the handrails. It belonged too the father of this young man and he doesn’t really know a lot about trains but he searched the whole house and garage and couldn’t find any other styrofoam pieces or train parts that wouldn’t have went along with it. I used to own one other u-25B many years ago and I remember what you’re talking about and where they used to put the handrails, however that piece on top is missing.

Thanks guys! I’ll keep trying to get in touch with Gilbert. Ken

#11

I contacted Gilbert this morning. He is sort of “Under the weather”, but should be OK in a day or three.

I also have found a U25 loco here in Ottawa, so Gilbert can take a look at the parts, and see if he can make replacements.

So there is some ongoing action on this project…

Fred Mills

#12

Great, stanchions are commonly damaged or lost, so this would be a good thing. Many are small diameter though, made from metal, so we will have to see what Gilbert can come up with.

Greg

#13

Unlike the Aristo RS3 that has plastic stanchions, the U25B has metal stanchions that support the metal railings.
See example below:

-Ted

#14

Ken,

Pretty sure the USA trains part # R22-121 metal railings might work while also involving the kids to make it a kitbash? Just straighten the stanchion pins down and bend the railing around the blower/battery box.

However I am far from an expert on this issue.

#15

The stanchions do look similar to the USA trains ones. These probably could be made with brass channels. The brass loops that hold the coupler bars can be bought in the ship building section of hobby stores. There is a small article on the OVGRS website that shows how these can be made and repaired.

I recently bought a USA Trains S-4 switcher. The stanchions on it are much sturdier and easy to install than on previous diesels.

#16

Ted,

Thanks for the nice photos! That is exactly what is needed.

Fred, Greg,

Fabulous news! I’ll anxiously await yours and Gilbert’s ideas.

We’ll sure take them up on whatever will work best. No worries there.

Rooster, our group is going to see what Gilbert comes up with and I have copied the part number, if we need it because that is a very good idea.

Paul, I checked the OVGRS website and it seems doable and this is also a great idea.

I’m sure we’ll find one of these ideas working out.

Thanks everyone! I left a message with Gilbert and I’m sure he’ll get back to me when he feels better.

Ken

#17

I’d buy some USAT stanchions and check them out, per Roosters excellent suggestion.

I doubt the plastic stanchions can be made as slender, or as prototypical, i.e. channel.

Greg

#18

Hi everyone. I am back but still in low gear where mobility is concerned. I appreciate the referrals and support. Ted Dokaris pictures help a lot.

I can’t 3D print the Aristocraft U-25B stanchions like I do with the other replacement parts. They are too small and especially too thin an object. They remind me of HO scale handrails. Railing and stanchions injection molded as one.

Even just printing the stanchions alone makes a very fragile object that would break as soon as you touch them for the first time. Assuming a hole at the top for the hand bent brass railing, the wall of the loop would be again too thin and susceptible to breakage the first time you touch it.

The best way is to duplicate these with brass channel or rectangular rod as recommended by Paul Norton. I however don’t have a stamping machine to quickly cut out and flatten the the top and bottom tabs. The top tab then gets rolled to shape the hole for the handrail.

It can be done by hand with small tools, files and a table anvil. This is a project for someone with talent, tools and lots of time on their hands.

Sorry not something GLX Scale Models would undertake. The set up and manufacturing costs would easily outweigh a reasonable price.

Gilbert

#19

A couple of railing substitutes for the U25B are illustrated below.

Note: USA Trains and Aristo-Craft metal railings are made of hardened metal. Rebending them is done at the risk of breakage. That said, usually a single bend will work if not done at a sharp right angle.

As far as fabricating railings from scratch, I had done this for a then new Aristo SD45 that had one of its short single stanchion railings at the front side of the loco missing.

I used a paper clip wire and brass sheet material. It was very tedious and time consuming to make, and I would not want to do a long railing.

See article, title: Aristo SD45 weights & railing installation Vignette
When there, scroll down to “Left Front Handrail Remedy”

-Ted

#20

Gilbert, I hope you get better soon and thanks for the info. No worries, we’ll find some way.

Greg, i think, if I’m understanding this right, Ted’s reply here is telling me that most likely, USA Trains handrails won’t work due to the stantion end needing to be bent. (as well as the handrails themselves) I guess, as mentioned, there is a high possibility of breakage if you bend them straight down at the bottom or the handrail top. Maybe the idea below would work? Of course, I’ve never done this.

Ted, is it possible to bend USA stantion bottom ends straight and add full length brass wire instead of using Aristocraft top rail pieces, if I said that right?