Barry
How is the new drive system for the Connie coming along? I have a customer who is coming up from Ecuador on July 14 to pick up his engine. he may elect to postpone the pickup for a few months if there is a chance that we can install the drive before Christmas. Let me know what your estimate is on getting some of these out of the door.
Best regards
Doug Hemmeter
D&M Railroad Backshop
Houston, Texas
Thinking this thread was dead ? Suprised others are still in need, because no one is saying. Where’s the gearbox promiced months ago.Barry ??
If you’d read this thread you’d see the trials Barry has been going thru health wise. Barry will get them done when he gets them done. Sounds like you are either young enough or fortunate enough to have never had serious health issues. Count your blessings. the rest of us just keep plodding along as best we can. If its not fast enough for you … you have other options.
When you have one foot in the grave, & another on banana peel. Get your ass in gear ! thats your only option I see.
John Glaze said:When the time comes and I'm in that situation, it will be time to party............and the hell with anybody who wants anything from me :lol: Ralph
When you have one foot in the grave, & another on banana peel. Get your ass in gear ! thats your only option I see.
Ralph, does the song slippin and a slidin come to mind here??? LOL The Regal
Let me try to bring everyone up to date.
Finished up with the “health problems” thursday with a good report…no problems.
Dave Goodson is writing the install instructions for the drive, primarily for the mods to the bottom of the boiler and the firebox. There is also a spacer which fits to the back of the gearbox, which may vary in it’s thickness dimension. Dave has the first production box and I have the second box. They are much better than the hand laid out boxes from a year ago. There is a couple of kluges which I am going to have to accommodate in this first run, just a matter of saving much of the run from some funny external dimensions. The internal dimensions, such as mesh are perfect.
The instructions will be both written and pictorial.
Please keep in mind, both Dave and I do have other things on our plates. I will keep you informed as events occur.
I finally received castings from KD Castings, including a new crosshead to match the crosshead guide and mainrods.
Any specific questions, let me know.
Barry - BBT
Started a short run, seven units, today. Have most of the drill jig steps done, but now it gets cute.
Some of the drill jigs get used twice, first to establish locations and incorporate two pieces which will be affected by
one drilling operation. The next step is to mill the lower end to accept the cap which holds the axle and bearings/gears. Then the box is opened the bearings and gears put in place, motor mounted and then test, test test.
I will advise each day.
Barry - BBT
Finished the seven gearboxes (with motors) and shipped three to a commercial account, have promised the remaining four to TOC. Have a list of interested parties to whom I will announce the next availability as well as here.
Have to get back to regular production stuff, it is stacking up. Have one order two months old and he’ll be returning shortly. Also four sound systems, 3- 2-8-0s, 4- 4-6-0s.
Will start another gearbox run in two weeks or less.
Barry - BBT
hay Barry. Good to see you back at it. I hope your feeling ok and all. Don’t forget you will have a 4-6-0 to do for me in Oct.
Take care.
Geoff
Oh goody, so I can get 2-8-0 gearboxes?
Now it’s time to see how much mine will haul before it shreds another gear, giving me an excuse to give Barry money…
Robbie,
The Gearboxes are coming. These went together without any serious glitches. At 20 to 24volts showing .2 to .4 amps draw. As soon as I can get rid of the conventional workload, I’ll start the next run. I have seven more gearbox main frames, which I will add as many as 18 more, to make up the run.
Geoff,
Health is fine, actually better than I expected, news from the lung doc, was excellent. I’ve been working seven and eight hours per day seven days a week. Haven’t done that in quite a while. 4-6-0, ready when you are.
Barry - BBT
Barry glad to here you’re health is on the rise!!!
I think you were smart in telling them that working on train related items was good therapy!
It seems to be working.
Keep plugging along!
Sean
Robbie,
Be nice to your loco, if it fails it fails and I’ll be here. Sounds similar to my admonitions of 16 years ago; i.e., “run the wheels off of it, then call me”.
Barry - BBT
Started a new run of gearboxes. Cut and milled the main blanks today. Got 31 out of a stick (10 ft. extrusion) and have eight from the earlier run. Tomorrow one more mill pass on the main body (actually two passes on the same cut (I don’t have an end mill that big).
What this means is that this run has started. I will also be preparing the order forms (very simple). And try to get the instruction set finished.
I will keep you posted.
Barry - BBT
Had contemplated starting a new heading, but we can stay here for awhile.
First a brief description of what is coming together, then a bit of “how I did it”.
There are five parts to the gearbox. 1) The Main Body, 2) The Side Cover, 3) The Lower Cover, 4) The Bottom Cover, and 5) the Top Cover. What are each of these functionally. The Main Body hold all of the components together, it also the motor mount.
The Side Cover carries some of the motor mounting and is the anchor for the counter shaft. The Counter shaft has the worm gear and the metal spur gear, this is assembled to act as a cluster. The worm gear engages the brass worm mounted on the motor shaft. The shaft is rotated and the metal spur gear engages another spur gear, beneath it. That spur gear engages the spur gear on the axle. The length of this cover also acts as a stop
for the Gear Box and axle assembly to keep everything in the chassis.
The Lower Cover is small but has a lot of responsibilities. I carries the second spur gear and the axle bearing and that spur gear. The Bottom Cover is a ‘Keeper’ for the axle and the bearings. It also keeps the gearbox engaged to the axle.
The Top Cover is just that, it covers the top of the gearbox.
There are two shafts, not counting the motor shaft. The gear box shafts are carried in ball bearings on each end. The first shaft is the longer of the two and has the worm gear and metal spur gear. The second shaft, is the short shaft and carries just a spur gear.
All of the set screws in all of the gears are fixed in place with Locktite (222) added. The flat head screws are also in place with locktite. All hardware is stainless steel, one exception for now, the motor mounting screws are black steel cap screws. All fasteners are 2-56, 4-40, or 6-32.
I will be providing 9 stainless steel metric phillips head M2 X 6mm, to replace the poor steel bolts in each counter weight. They are small so I send 9 in case some one loses one.
The instructions will be illustrated with photos and much printed instructions, please read the instructions. If something goes wrong and you haven’t read the instructions I am not responsible. Between Dave Goodson and I we have done this many times and have learned that there right and wrong ways of doing something.
First lesson we learned is you MUST put a flat on the third axle (where the gear box mounts). We had made this optional, but the first customer install revealed that with out the flat the gear might just spin around the axle.
On sunday, I milled the ends of the main body, 38 pieces. On Monday, I cut the blanks for the Side Cover, the lower cover and the top cover. 40 pieces each. I also milled the indent on the main body, which makes it ready for the drill jig. Today I milled theside cover both ends, the lower cover both ends and the top cover both ends and one side.
The mill is standard large mill, but everything is manual. It can become tiring. And I am tired.
Tomorrow, I will be filling out the supply of parts for a 40 piece run. Make the shafts (with flats), order the gears needed. I have most of the gears, but will need to order more to complete the run.
I guess that is it for now.
If anyone has any questions or observations, please let me know…actually just post here on the forum.
Barry - BBT
Do you BBT still have me on the list ? John Glaze 469 Geronimo Chaperral NM.88081, & how soon you need hard cash ? How much ?
John,
I couldn’t find an email from you. I know you should be there. Please send an email to me: [email protected] I’ll be sending out announcements and order forms soon.
John, how’s your phone working? still having problems?
Barry - BBT
Is it a big deal to replace the 3rd axle with a flat?
Do the screws hold the counterweights better? Are they longer?
Bruce, thanks for asking. The flat is created in the axle prep stage of the conversion. The axle has ridges on it all of the way around to hold the old plastic gear in place. I will direct you to file off each of those ridges until the ball bearing race can pass over the section. Then I will tell you to use your file to make a flat on one side of the axle, this will be where the set screw is tightened, and the flat will help stop the gear from just turning around the axle, but turning the axle. In short it is no big deal and we have pictures to help you see what you want.
The M2 X 6mm bolt is exactly the same, but is in stainless steel. The first bolt I removed from my first Connie stripped, the notches in the head of the bolt were almost totally removed. I started to sweat, but put a lot of pressure on the bolt head and slowly extracted the bolt. That black bolt is soft metal, what I am giving you is much stronger, and it won’t rust.
Barry - BBT