USA trains & Aristocraft motor blocks, details?

[PaulRhB]

I currently have one of many schemes on the planning bench and I need a power unit for it as I want to build two. I was considering the USA trains & Aristocraft motor blocks to be chopped up into two modules as the model has a longer wheelbase than either. I have an Aristo loco to look at but not a USA trains one.

Does anyone have a USA trains SD40 where they know what's inside the motor block? I know one end was pivoted but does it contain a second motor driving that floating axle? Ideally I'd like to take out the middle wheelset and split off the pivoted part to provide the two powered axle I need but is that possible?

 

[MR SPOCK]

Sounds like it is the same drive as is in the PA unit, this has a pivoting third axle which is in fact driven by the one motor via a universal joint, like car cv, the bumff from USAT sort of leads you to believe that there is two motors per truck, but there isnt,​

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the Aristo can be extended by using a drive like aeromodellers use,on end is already rigid the other floating, also if you look at the drive shafts it has a flat already on it so a extended drive could be fitted,

I currently have one of many schemes on the planning bench and I need a power unit for it as I want to build two. I was considering the USA trains & Aristocraft motor blocks to be chopped up into two modules as the model has a longer wheelbase than either. I have an Aristo loco to look at but not a USA trains one.

Does anyone have a USA trains SD40 where they know what's inside the motor block? I know one end was pivoted but does it contain a second motor driving that floating axle? Ideally I'd like to take out the middle wheelset and split off the pivoted part to provide the two powered axle I need but is that possible?

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[PaulRhB]

Thanks Pete, If the USA has a universal then I can probably extend that drive then. One motor would certanly be sufficient for the loco I'm building, based on haulage capacity of USAt locos I used to have, and the motor blocks are much cheaper than the Aristo ones. Now to have a look at the Aristo and decide how easy it would be in comparison to modify.