Large Scale Central

Connie replacement drive

Modeling Rolling stock
#1

So, who out there has replaced the stock drive in the Connie with a replacement? How was it to do? Easy? Hard? Anything?

#2

I’ve replaced just the gear, and replaced the entire gearbox. Both are very simple to do. The most tedious part is getting the brake rigging off the bottom of the loco so you can drop the axle to fit the new gear. I’ve got photos in a GR Basics column from a year or so back, and I think Vic Smith put up a web page showing how he did it.

Later,

K

#3

Like Kevin, I’ve done both. The problem I had was that the plastic strips on the bottom was brittle and broke into pieces. It’s only the piece that holds the wheels and springs in place. :wink: I replaced it with a brass strip.

#4

Does the BBT drive have better slow-speed response? It seems that mine starts up at a very quick pace.

#5

I replaced mine with a complete BBT drive.
Do you mean a quick pace start with the BBT or factory?

I’ve got many hours on it.

#6

Factory. I have almost no slow-speed response at all. Its “LETS GO!” right out of the gate, it seems.

#7
Kevin Strong said:
I've replaced just the gear, and replaced the entire gearbox. Both are very simple to do. The most tedious part is getting the brake rigging off the bottom of the loco so you can drop the axle to fit the new gear. I've got photos in a GR Basics column from a year or so back, and I think Vic Smith put up a web page showing how he did it.

Later,

K


K it wasn’t me. I dont even have a layout big enough to run a Connie.

#8

You mean you can’t run the Connie on the Pizza Layout? :wink:

#9
Bruce Chandler said:
You mean you can't run the Connie on the Pizza Layout? ;)
You kidding me? Its bigger than the whole layout. :O.
#10
Bob McCown said:
Factory. I have almost no slow-speed response at all. Its "LETS GO!" right out of the gate, it seems.
Good slow speed acceleration and a nice slow, powerful loco with the BBT. I can pull 24 (more if I had some) LGB ore cars and another "dummy" 2-8-0 (a pusher) on the rear all over the layout with a 14.4 Nimh.
#11

I bpught a complete BBT drive for my Connie, a few months ago from Barry. I haven’t installed it as yet. I believe Rick Marty got one also. He said he was going to let me be the “experimenter” and then he could try it. Seriously, I don’t think it will be a big deal to install. Barry said he would provide all the help I would need.

I have been told that this is a very smooth drive and a great puller!

#12

Thanks for all the input, gang. Looks like I know what my next purchase is gonna be.

#13

Strange about your slow speed issue. Mine is all stock and it runs from a crawl to a nice speed on track power with PWC. Did you yank that PCB off the motor? It was goofy. I can’t remember what the issue was but removing it and tightening the motor mount screws was one of TOC’s get it ready to run procedures way back when.

#14

Bob,

Have a BBt drive in my connie. it was a painless install. now i just need to finish the rest of the detail changes i have planed.

#15

My stock 2-8-0 was very smooth to start, but the BBT gearbox and motor gives the loco a bit more low-end torque so it doesn’t bog down quite so much and can maintain slower crawls.

Vic, thanks for clarifying. Now all I have to do is remember who did it…

Later,

K

#16

I just got through replacing the gear on mine. The part number and VERY good instructions come compliments of MIK. The web site is www.the-ashpit.com

Might have to do a little searching, but its in there.

Allen B.

#17

Allen (Mik) also has one on his Allegheny Valley website.

#18

Here’s the article they were referencing on how I did it. Someone on another board suggested adding a small plastic washer on either side of the NWSL gear to prevent the axle from wandering side to side in the box (or more precisely the box from wandering on the axle) - so far mine doesn’t seem to have much, if any, of that problem.
http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/gear.html

Just make sure you check all the gearbox and motor screws.

One of the “undocumented features” of mine was the brake rigging rubbing on the flanges and causing an intermittent dead short… I finally got mad and it all fell off, no more problem…
However, your “all or nothing” sounds more like perhaps something is slightly binding somewhere. From experience, Botchmann’s assembly folks seem to like to put the grease anywhere but on the gears sometimes. All it might need is to be taken apart, cleaned and re-lubed. - another possible is a bad connection or pinched wire that requires a certain voltage to ‘jump the gap’

My suggestion: Take the gearbox out, open it up, inspect the gears, tighten the motor screws, remove the noise supressor and test the motor/box with no load before you decide to just chuck it…

#19

Jon, Kevin, et.al.

Yea, the slow speed on this has always been ‘missing’, right when I first got it. I even shelved it for a few years, and only took it out again last year to add a Revo to it (had another system in it). Still the same. I should disassemble and re-grease a’la Mik’s suggestion, and see if that helps.

Thanks all!

#20

Bob, it’s one of the easier LS engines to work on. just don’t lose the pickup plunger/springs on the axles. Last I heard they were made from unobtanium.