Large Scale Central

Scientific Toys loco bash

Modeling Motive Power
#1

Yes, I know.

Why bother?

Getting started in this hobby is not cheap. And I am very curious about what makes the good stuff good. So I thought I would learn by doing.

When I first got into film projectors and film collecting I knew almost nothing but dove in anyway by finding cheap stuff and taking it apart.

This is similar except I intend to not only tear it apart but rebuild my cheap Christmas train into something resembling a Bachmann or LGB loco.

The first thing I did after painting over all the crazy red and green and gold, was get rid of the cheap plastic drive rods and make new ones out of brass. I’ll probably do them again but this was a step up.

Still some details to add and some of it looks wrong but again, first attempt.

#2

And Bachmann trucks on the repainted tender.

#3

Also thinking about wood accents on the cab along with detailing some controls and perhaps a flickering fire box.

#4

Nice work, the drive rods are quite impressive!

#5

I like where it is going and will love to see the results. I keep eyeing these on Ebay but everyone tells me to steer clear. Glad you took the plunge. I will be very curious about how this comes out. One suggestion is a Kevin Strong trick of taking aluminum tape “real duct tape” and applying it to the cab roof in a layered effect to make it look like tin and then a painting it black.

Since your going with a wood cab look this is appropriate. The side rods look great I wouldn’t change them. For some detailing ideas take a look at the plumbing that I did on my build

http://www.largescalecentral.com/albums/2-6-0-build/12198

all of it was made by hand with common bits of wire, metal rod, and styrene. I think it could really dress it up.

#6

Devon Sinsley said:

I like where it is going and will love to see the results. I keep eyeing these on Ebay but everyone tells me to steer clear. . . . .

Devon,

You did notice in the photos that the this beast has plastic wheels? Big plastic flanges?

#7

I went thru this phase, still have a couple. My biggest problem with this was the noise, these are extremely noisy beasts. I also didn’t like the lack of speed control. They are either on or off, no slow option, don’t even think of switching. But if your goal is simply to have something running around the yard then sure, go for it. I still have a lot of Scientific and New Blight freight cars for the harbor layout, I like their smaller size, works better on a really tight layout.

#8

Pete Thornton said:

Devon Sinsley said:

I like where it is going and will love to see the results. I keep eyeing these on Ebay but everyone tells me to steer clear. . . . .

Devon,

You did notice in the photos that the this beast has plastic wheels? Big plastic flanges?

Yes I did notice that and I do keep resisting the urge, they were always going to be for fun inexpensive bashes for indoors. Vic tuned me onto the Little Big Hauler and thanks to a trade with David M I now own one. I think I will be happy buying and bashing them for my little indoor.

#9

What I like best about the driving wheels, is they have treads!

I suppose you could steal the volume control from an old radio to control the speed…

John

#10

or you just change the connections in the battery box. put two, or two times two batteries in paralell, instead of in series, and you got more running time at slower speed.

#11

Korm Kormsen said:

or you just change the connections in the battery box. put two, or two times two batteries in paralell, instead of in series, and you got more running time at slower speed.

Which is exactly what I have done. I made two brass bars to bridge over the battery connections. This “beast”(now it has a name!) runs pretty quick on 6 C cells but at 4 is nice. As far as the flanges go, if they become troublesome I can always trim them down. Just like my old Atlas n scale pizza cutters! Again, this is all about acquiring knowledge. I have no delusions of this becoming some perfect, prototypical loco, but I’d rather chop up The Beast and figure out how things work, and how to get certain detailing, etc than let my propensity for taking things apart lead me to ruin a oerfectly good, possibly expensive loco. Don’t laugh but I think I’m going to install a Railboss 4 rc receiver.

#12

why laugh?

as long, as you don’t glue it in in a way, that it can’t be recovered later…

i even have bump n run toy locos as parts spender.

#13

No, nothing permanent. I’m sure eventually I would reuse it later.

#14

Patrick McGrath said:
No, nothing permanent. I’m sure eventually I would reuse it later.

Check this out;

http://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/24826/another-experiment-with-an-inexpensive-remote-control

Unless you’re adding sound and lights…

John

#15

Very interesting, John.
I will take a look at the article in depth tonight.
Right up my alley cost-wise.
Even though I am interested in the additional functions offered by the Railboss, this solution might do for now.

#16

This should be interesting.

I thought about using one of these locos as a scrap/abandoned loco for my Silverton Northern portion of the layout.

#17

I really like the new rods, but they appear to be upside down to me. The square part at the bearings faces up.

I have upgraded many models over the years, and I think its time well spent. I get to learn on an item that many consider a throw away item. So if I make a big mistake, I can just toss it and try again. But when I succeed, then people are astounded that a cheap whatever could be made into what I made it into.

So keep going Patrick.

#18

Yes, you are right about the drive rods being upside down. The other side is correct. I quickly fit everything together to do a test run and somehow turned them around!

So, thank you David. And I will keep going. Like you said, if I botch it, no real harm done.

#19

Well, if you botch it, it can end up sitting behind the engine house. A spare parts source, or a future rebuild project for the shop crews. But, I don’t think you are going to botch this.

#20

On the cheap LED light controller turned locomotive ESC I have secretly conversed with Dave on it and I believe I have expanded upon the idea so that it will have constant brightness forward and reverse lights to go along with it. I have not posted anything on it yet but once the parts arrive (half of what I need is on a slow boat from China) and I can test it I will post. I have the wiring diagram done and Dave seems to think it will work. It takes an additional relay but the while system will be a battery RC unit for 12v forward and reverse speed control and the forward and reverse constant brightness lamps all for under 25 bucks including all the lights and cheap battery.