Bob,
A rough idea, yes. But I have to wait until the testing is started and we’ve got a feel for how well it performs.
This one has an interesting mix of components for the conversion. It has the motor, but to install takes some special work. Which I am working on right now.
I will advise.
Barry - BBT
Probably safe to say More than $100 but less than $1000 
I’d love to buy some of your drives for my Annie’s and Connie, but have no budget 
Jon: Yea, no budget is a problem. I ran the K around the layout with 7 AMS cars and a caboose behind it, and got bucking and stalling. I was not impressed.
Drink 1 less beer a day and in a few months you’ll have saved enough for a drive My Connie runs OK, but I don’t run it much.
Jon Radder said:Are you outta' your mind!
Drink 1 less beer a day
Jon Radder said:I don't drink any beer and I still don't have enough saved for a BBT drive :O But if I quit smoking..........I'd have enough money very quickly ;) Ralph
Drink 1 less beer a day and in a few months you'll have saved enough for a drive :D
I quit smoking 30 years ago. Damn!
The K-27 drive and chassis has been returned to Dave Goodson for running, testing and showing at the Tacoma Convention show.
So far very encouraging, but Dave will tell.
Barry - BBT
Barry.
My customer for whom I did the 2-8-0 conversion a couple of months ago is well pleased with the outcome.
Tony,
Good to know, thank you. It also means you did a good job.
I had hoped I would hear more from the customers, and also interested in the kinds of performance they may have achieved. For example, in the test trials Dave reported he was pulling 14 cars around and proceeded up his 80ft long 4% grade and was able to accelerate up the grade. He said no other engine had been able to do that.
Barry - BBT
Barry,
I have one of your drives in an engine I purchased on the second hand market. It is in a ten wheeler. I just finished recharging the battery this morning for a train show this coming weekend. It is one of my best runners.
I’ve been in your part of the world with your 110 degrees (but its a dry heat) and can only place it in relation to what I think the surface of the sun feels like. Stay inside, stay cool, keep turning out the good stuff and enjoy life as we keep singing your praises through out this land.
Barry,
Being as Dave has not posted here in quit a while, I hope he will post his findings for all. I have a K27 and may well be interested in one of your drives if the reports a good.
Thanks,
Bob C.
Bob Cope said:
Barry,Being as Dave has not posted here in quit a while, I hope he will post his findings for all. I have a K27 and may well be interested in one of your drives if the reports a good.
Thanks,
Bob C.
I actually posted in General Forum:
"I am now testing, and should be available for viewing at the Convention Tour of the CCRy Thursday 05AUG10, the Prototype gearbox for the K.
You-know-who is building it, but don’t flood him with calls, as we are just in the “Prototype Testing” phase now.
The Design Consideration-27 gearbox is undergoing evaluation and ratio certification, but hauls 12 cars right up the 4% curving, smooth start (unlike last time we ran it where you feed throttle, feed throttle, feed throttle and as it takes of, remove throttle, remove throttle…).
I stayed on top of this (in the background as far as public), as this is the last bit on this engine.
I may have to remove it from permanent basement floor storage."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
12 cars (all that were on track 3) up the 13’ diameter 4%, no issue.
About 30MPH top speed.
Or, as calculated, about half what it was.
Since some MORON declared the 14.5:1 was a “Design Consideration”, we have named the gearbox in his honor.
I wanted to see this to closure…the cab doors, Ames Super Socket, yellow class lights, 11/16" of side play at front beam, current limiting transistors preventing use of incandescent bulbs, internal fan mounted to disable smoke from emanating from the stack, 13 wires in two HUGE plugs into tender, counterweights loose, 14.5:1 gear ratio, inverted optical chuff…you add it up.
I shall report progress, but so far, I like it.
TOC
About ten years ago, Dave was already testing for me (and not a lot of fun), there were problems and I doubted a bit; “couldn’t be that bad”. After a visit, It was. I returned home to find the solution.
I have trusted Dave ever since, and it continues today.
We are in the beginning phases of the new gear box for the K-27. Sometimes painful, often drastic, but applied problem solving produces a better product. And I have a record to prove it: no gear failures in more that ten years. That is an accomplishment! TOC is a strong contributor to this success.
Barry - BBT
Barry,
The only problem I had with the installation was the grub screw coming loose.
That was probably down to me anyway not dimpling the axle correctly. To fix it permanently Gordon Watson kindly drilled and pinned the axle for. Flawless performance since.
Dave,
Top speed of 30 mph at what voltage to the motor? I don’t want to have to pack 24 volts of batteries in the tender (even though there’s room) just to get the thing to move above a crawl. That was my biggest gripe with the Accucraft West Side Shay. Beautiful model, but full speed at 14 volts was a break-neck 8 mph. Prototypical for a Shay pulling a heavy load, perhaps, but doesn’t translate well into the garden setting where it looks like it’s sitting still. My resident garden slug scoffed and said “see you at the station, slowpoke.”
Later,
K
All testing has been done with no change to the basic parameters in the tender.
RCS, and 14.4V of battery.
I
will
not
do 24V.
I will change the motors before I put 24V into an engine.
You saw the guy on the other forum who ran his K light and timed it over a measured distance at something over 60smph?
Running a K-27 over scale 60 mph sounds like someone who will be replacing a motor real soon!
The motor would be up to it. Presuming Barry is following Dave’s recommendation about gear ratios, then the gearing on the BBT drive is twice that of the stock gearbox (29:1 vs 14.5:1). The motor’s turning just as fast to hit 30 scale mph with the BBT drive as it would be to hit 60 with the stock drive.
Later,
K