Large Scale Central

Class A Climax build

Modeling
#21

i got mine thru wholesaletrains.com, they had the best prices and stock.

#22
Tim Brien said:
ART 29356 Centre cab drive block

ART 29358 Railbus drive block, (similar to above but with passenger truck sideframes is a possible alternative).

If unable to source online, then Al Kramer has purchased a west coast distributors entire Aristo stock. Has them listed on eBay ‘ana.kramer’


Thanks Tim. I assume I need 2 correct?

#23
timmyd said:
Tim Brien said:
ART 29356 Centre cab drive block

ART 29358 Railbus drive block, (similar to above but with passenger truck sideframes is a possible alternative).

If unable to source online, then Al Kramer has purchased a west coast distributors entire Aristo stock. Has them listed on eBay ‘ana.kramer’


Thanks Tim. I assume I need 2 correct?

I’m not Tim but …
Yes, you will need two blocks.
John

#24

The number of drive blocks would be determined by the expected load and the weight over the drive block. The Aristo block itself, is quite heavy (die-cast metal casing and heavy wheelsets). Personally, if only hauling around six to eight cars, then one block is more than enough, with power pickups on the other truck. More cars than this and two blocks would be preferable. I use single blocks on my tram/trolleys and find more than enough traction with a single drive. The locomotive that the blocks come from, the Aristo centre cab, has two drives and is regarded as being a real champ as regards pulling power.

#25

i used the passenger car sideframe version on my vertical boilered Class A right out of the box, look fine.

Timmy when you get them, you’ll need to splice the wiring together, give me a holler via Email when you get your bricks and I’ll give you the skinny on how to wire them together.

#26
John Lilly said:
timmyd said:
Tim Brien said:
ART 29356 Centre cab drive block

ART 29358 Railbus drive block, (similar to above but with passenger truck sideframes is a possible alternative).

If unable to source online, then Al Kramer has purchased a west coast distributors entire Aristo stock. Has them listed on eBay ‘ana.kramer’


Thanks Tim. I assume I need 2 correct?

I’m not Tim but …
Yes, you will need two blocks.
John

Um… yup…you are not Tim

#27

Timmy,
I just purchased a drive block from Al Kramer as a Second Chance offer on eBay. I paid a little more than normally advertised at Wholesaletrains, but the item was definately available and Al is always more than reasonable with his shipping cost (around half what the online hobby discounters charge for international shipping). Effectively, I came out in front. He has both drive blocks available.

       This is a link to his website.  His eBay link is on the site -

http://www.san-val.com/

#28

Thanks Tim. I have 2 coming from Whole Sale Trains

#29

The two ART-29358 units I purchased from Whole Sale Trains arrived yesterday. Both don’t work!

#30

Sure you are wiring them correctly? I’m not familiar with those exact blocks, but most blocks I’ve seen have 4 wires, or connections. Two for motor and two for pick-up. To be run stand-alone you need to connect the pick-ups to the motor.

#31

There are no pickups. I figured these things just picked up the juice through the wheels.

#32

There are two set of wires coming out of the block. Its possible they got shoved inside the block.
One is the power leads from the track power and the other are the power leads to the motor. You will need to connect the two together, either directly by plugging them together or with two trucks its better to cross link them so you have double the power pick ups. You can cross link them by direct soldering or you can buy more JST connectors at all electronics -
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/CON-230P/2-CONDUCTOR-CONNECTOR-MALE/-/1.html
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/CON-230S/2-CONDUCTOR-CONNECTOR-FEMALE/-/1.html
Many hobby shops that carry RC car/airplane parts will have them too.

-Brian

#33

Timmy, this is a photo of the drive block you mentioned by part number. The power leads are evident on the top of the block. I believe the USA Trains blocks do not come with power leads. Are you sure that they sent you Aristo blocks? Photo with apologies to Al Kramer at San-Val. Note the power leads are isolated so that a decoder or on/off switch may be fitted inline. To make the block run, the appropriate track power pickup/motor leads must be shorted out.

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/tim_brien/_forumfiles/madlsc.jpg)

#34

Guys… let’s back up here for a minute.

Am I wrong… or should I be abe to place this motor block on the track as is… turn up the power and have the thing run?

My guess is yes! This should do just that as that is the reason I purchased it. However, according to the responses you are asking if it is hooked up to the pick ups correctly. I would not have purchased this if it was not a self contained unit!

#35

Timmy,
if drive block as pictured, then it will not run out of the box. You need to short out the appropriate wiring as shown on the photograph. If using two drive blocks then it is a good idea to connect the wiring so that the blocks pickup power simultaneously to prevent stalling over frogs, etc.

     As you look at the block,  there should be four wires exitting the casing.  Short out adjacent wires,  i.e., the two wires on the left side together and the two on the right side together.  This will connect the track pickup wire to the motor terminal input wire for each side.  If you wish to ensure better power pickup then join the same wires between each drive block,  ensuring the blocks are aligned correctly to ensure correct rotational direction.

   
     From memory the USA Trains blocks come with pins (no wiring).  In that case the appropriate pins need to be shorted.  Drive blocks these days are built to enable a circuit board between the track pickups and the motor terminals.  I know of no blocks that drive 'out of the box'.  Even old LGB drive blocks required pin shorting to enable them to run (early three pin and later four pin models).
#36

Tim -

It will not run ‘out-of-the-box’ but it is a self contained unit. The wheels are the pick-ups, They are not wired directly to the motor to allow you options.

I’m not certain, but looking at Tim’s borrowed picture of the block, you should be able to put those two plugs together and then the block will run down the track by itself.

Don’t send them back yet :smiley:

#37

Jon,
if the connectors cannot be easily connected, then it simply requires the connectors to be cutoff and then the wires on each side twisted and soldered together and then heat shrinked or insulation tape applied. Less than five minutes and you have a self contained drive block.

#38
Tim Brien said:
Jon, if the connectors cannot be easily connected, then it simply requires the connectors to be cutoff and then the wires on each side twisted and soldered together and then heat shrinked or insulation tape applied. Less than five minutes and you have a self contained drive block.
That is true of the larger Aristo two axle blocks but not the short center cab blocks like these. I have one in my parts bin, now, that I checked. You simply have to plug the two ends together on these and it runs fine.

-Brian

#39
Tim Brien said:
Jon, if the connectors cannot be easily connected, then it simply requires the connectors to be cutoff and then the wires on each side twisted and soldered together and then heat shrinked or insulation tape applied. Less than five minutes and you have a self contained drive block.
Thanks Tim - A little name confusion here. I was actually addressing Timmy - but hopefully he has it all straightened out now. Brian's confirmation is helpful too.
#40

Ok… got it now. Thanks guys! The thing that confused me is that one of the motor blocks ran kind of (very jerky and would stop constantly) without plugging the plugs together. The other one did nothing. They both now run with the plugs together on each. However, one runs a little better than the other. Both are VERY jerky and the one of them continually stops.