i have a new loco

[NorthwestGarrattGuy]

look at my new (old) aristocraft loco

 

[TTaannggss]

Nice. I see smoke...is it live steam? Or is it electric with a smoker?

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Does not look like any Aristocraft loco I am familiar with.

 

[NorthwestGarrattGuy]

Does not look like any Aristocraft loco I am familiar with.

It's actually an REA the predicessor of aristocraft

 

[Greg Elmassian]

What is the wheel arrangement? Is it a 2-4-2?

 

[NorthwestGarrattGuy]

What is the wheel arrangement? Is it a 2-4-2?

yeah

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Ahh, the early Rogers, yes, and Aristo made them indeed. Was thrown off by the markers.

I think that one has the clamshell (vertically split) motor block.

I forgot to add it to my site, I have the manual also if you need it.

Greg

 

[NorthwestGarrattGuy]

Ahh, the early Rogers, yes, and Aristo made them indeed. Was thrown off by the markers.

I think that one has the clamshell (vertically split) motor block.

I forgot to add it to my site, I have the manual also if you need it.

Greg

i hope that clamshell motorblock doesn't turn out to be an issue i haven't been able to test the loco since we don't have a space to put any track right now

 

[AJtheTeacher]

Hello NorthwestGarrattGuy,

I own a couple of those. They pull really well and I have seen new ones that are well broke in pull more than 10 passenger cars! I was really amazed out how strong the motors are. I recently custom painted the same engine for the man that I am trying to help with the install of his first G layout.

He owns the Teaberry Farm wedding venue. He asked me to paint a tender to match the locomotive. (The locomotive previously looked like your locomotive.) The tender was originally from an Aristo-Craft RC Cola set. AJ the Teacher

 

[NorthwestGarrattGuy]

Hello NorthwestGarrattGuy,

I own a couple of those. They pull really well and I have seen new ones that are well broke in pull more than 10 passenger cars! I was really amazed out how strong the motors are. I recently custom painted the same engine for the man that I am trying to help with the install of his first G layout.View attachment 299825

He owns the Teaberry Farm wedding venue. He asked me to paint a tender to match the locomotive. (The locomotive previously looked like your locomotive.) The tender was originally from an Aristo-Craft RC Cola set. AJ the Teacher

hmmm i only have one passenger car right now but its very close in scale to it (all my other stuff is 1:29 scale) but maybe ill have 3 next year

 

[dunnyrail]

i hope that clamshell motorblock doesn't turn out to be an issue i haven't been able to test the loco since we don't have a space to put any track right now

You should just about get the wheels to turn with a 9v battery so long as it is not DCC fitted.

 

[Rhinochugger]

I have mine running on 14.4v NMh - runs a treat, pulls fairly well with a bit of added weight.

It's meant to be 1:29 but, as George Schreyer pointed out, it seems large for that scale and sits quite comfortably alongside my 1:20.3 stock

 

[NorthwestGarrattGuy]

I have mine running on 14.4v NMh - runs a treat, pulls fairly well with a bit of added weight.

It's meant to be 1:29 but, as George Schreyer pointed out, it seems large for that scale and sits quite comfortably alongside my 1:20.3 stock

How did you fit the batteries in was it just in the tender also I have 1:20.3 newqida cars that would nice behind it any all my other stuff is either 1:24 or 1:29

 

[Rhinochugger]

How did you fit the batteries in was it just in the tender also I have 1:20.3 newqida cars that would nice behind it any all my other stuff is either 1:24 or 1:29

Yes, I installed the batteries in the tender - there's not a lot of spare room in the loco - but I put the ESC/receiver in the cab so that I only had to arrange for one pair of wires between tender and loco.

The downside of this arrangement is that the lamp on the tender is permanently on (or off) but I went for simplicity in only having to have a connector for two wires

 

[NorthwestGarrattGuy]

well i finally got a chance to test run and she is so quiet but not super smooth and not great at slow speeds but at higher speeds she runs wonderfly

 

[Rhinochugger]

well i finally got a chance to test run and she is so quiet but not super smooth and not great at slow speeds but at higher speeds she runs wonderfly

Clean the wheels - don't forget the front and rear pony trucks are the main current collectors so also, clean the back faces of the pony truck wheels where the contacts rub. A minuscule drop of some (incorrrectly labelled) conductive oil on the pick-up plungers may help

 

[Greg Elmassian]

well, the power pickup is from carbon brushes on the BACK of each driving wheel. Test each wheel individually for power pickup. Most likely only a few work well.

Yes the driver material is poor and gets dirty easily, that can be verified by visual inspection.

Greg

 

[NorthwestGarrattGuy]

Clean the wheels - don't forget the front and rear pony trucks are the main current collectors so also, clean the back faces of the pony truck wheels where the contacts rub. A minuscule drop of some (incorrrectly labelled) conductive oil on the pick-up plungers may help

ah that might be ok good thing but i won't need to clean once i convert to battery power

 

[Paul M]

ah that might be ok good thing but i won't need to clean once i convert to battery power

Not quite true. Your wheels will still pick up crud, so the loco might not run as smoothly as it should

 

[Greg Elmassian]

With track power, you remove oxidation (tarnish) from the rails to improve conductivity.

All the stuff you have described, dog, dirt, water, etc. will impact running no matter what you use. Battery operated trains will still move but dirt, twigs, leaves will derail ANY loco.

I clean my track with a swiffer, and a car with a rotating brush.

Greg