Large Scale Central

Late Christmas

General Discussion
#1

Picked up one of the “Keystone” (whoever that is) Holiday Express sets today. $36, down from $275 before Christmas. For $36, even if the loco is a piece of fundamental effluvium, I can live with it, and She Who wants a Christmas train.

#2

now that is called instant equity!

#3
Chris Vernell said:
Picked up one of the "Keystone" (whoever that is) Holiday Express sets today. $36, down from $275 before Christmas. For $36, even if the loco is a piece of fundamental effluvium, I can live with it, and She Who wants a Christmas train.
Chris, my boy. Now you know why you shouldn't complain about that extra snow: it's Christmas all over again! :D :/ :D
#4

Chris,
I have finally worked all the bugs out of my Heritage Express/Buddy L/Keystone series locomotives. The sound will eventually become intermittent and then clap out. If you intend to operate on other than circular track around the Christmas tree then you will need to gauge out the drive wheels and pilot/pony wheelsets and take the sideways slop out of the leading and trailing drive wheelsets, by inserting spacer washers between the drivewheels and the chassis. Once you have done that then the loco will become quite reliable through trackwork (until the inevitable screw failure on the upper cover of the chassis above the motor. This just happens to be the screws that provide downward force on the motor pinion keeping it in contact with the gears in the gearbox, causing the drive to slip/grind gear teeth. If and when this occurs do not continue operating. Takes five minutes to remove the drive, remove the top cover and drill a pilot hole down through the two aft top cover mount screw holes. Ensure that the drill is smaller than the hole to prevent drilling out the screw threads in the hole. Drill through until you reach the brass terminal strip in the bottom of the chassis. then obtain two longer screws and refit the top cover. the longer screws will hold the motor pinion in mesh.

     Then when you have done this you will observe plastic embrittlement, much as on the original Bachmann Shay trucks.  the plastic will simply start to deteriorate.  Once you have done all this you will find a relatively reliable drivetrain,  not up to Bachmann quality but still very rewarding.
#5

Chris where did u get it for that price?

#6
Mark Dash said:
Chris where did u get it for that price?
A Winners (Canadian branch of TJ Maxx) store in Ottawa. Last one they had, I think. Wife was clothes shopping and found it by chance.
#7
Tim Brien said:
Chris, If you intend to operate on other than circular track around the Christmas tree ...
Having read your list of fixes, I think I'll leave this one for the Xmas train ... Had I but world enough and time, I could do the work, but I don't, so ...
#8

Hey Chris,

You can let us know how it goes at Christmas and how many glasses of eggnog will fix the many problems. :lol:

#9
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
Hey Chris,

You can let us know how it goes at Christmas and how many glasses of eggnog will fix the many problems. :lol:


Oh, I’ll probably run it long before then :slight_smile: Gotta test it, nicht wahr?
Eggnog is verboten :frowning: