As reported the new B’mann Indy is rather light. It could stand a little more weight in hopes of increasing its pulling power.
To disassemble/remove the boiler and cab is simple. First, remove the four very small screws that attach the 2, smoke box to front pilot deck, braces. Don’t try to “pop” the brace ends from the smoke box. This will result in pulling the screws from the pilot deck ends. Next, turn the engine upside down. Remove the pony truck. Under the pony truck there is a screw that attaches the chassis to the smoke box at the smoke box pedestal. Remove this screw. At the rear of the chassis there are two screws that attach the chassis to the cab. Remove these screws. The chassis may now be lifted from the cab/boiler. The cab/boiler comes off as one piece. Once removed there is a plastic piece held in place with four screws that finishes off the bottom of the boiler. Remove this boiler bottom piece. There is room to add weight to the inside of this boiler bottom piece.
There is little room inside the boiler for adding weight. As delivered from Bmann the Indy has no cast weight in either the boiler or chassis. Inside the boiler is the smoke unit, a PCB, and a space for the top portion of the motor. The sand and steam domes may be filled with shot for added weight. There is a little space to the rear of the area were the motor goes that can have weight added. There is a small space in front of the lead driver and sound drum were weight may be added. That’s about it for adding weight to the boiler. There is space inside the smoke box pedestal to add weigth. The cab/boiler is placed back on the chassis in the reverse order described above.
Weight may be added to the top of the motor block in the area behind the drivers. Weight added here will “hide” behind the drivers and not be noticed when painted black. There is a flat vertical surface just to the rear of the cylinder saddle that will take a small weight.
I used lead shoot for the domes, held in place with hot glue. The rest of the weight added was made up of mag wheel weights that are available at auto parts stores. These weights have double sided tape and are easily cut to size to fit available space inside the engine. These were also used on top of the motor block case. In all the most weight I could get into and on the engine amounted to 12 oz. Not much weight, but then every little bit helps.
Jon - The Eastern One