In the previous issue, we mentioned the following four HO scale traction kits being developed by Volkmar Meier of Interurban Traction Models:
1. Cincinnati & Lake Erie 1929 "Hi-Speed" Interurbans, Series 110-129.
2. Washington D.C. 1935 Saint Louis Car Company Pre-PCC car, Series 1051-1060.
3. Cincinnati Car Company Curve Side Car.
4. Brookville Three-Unit Low Floor Light Rail Transit Car. |
We had finished the first two and had finished them with Bowser power units and Custom Traxx decals. We could not make up our minds on the Curve Side car finishing so we went directly to the Brookville Liberty. We had two previous models to work with. We completed and finished them and had operated them for over a year with positive results.
We began testing the drive on a layout in the home of one of thew Southern California Traction Club (SCTC)
members. It is there because due to the current COVID situation there are no public model trains shows in which to operate. there have been no such shows since March 2020.
We concluded the testing in early October with minor issues that were corrected and began to install our decoder. The decoder of choice is the Train Control Systems (TCS)
KAT24. "Keep Alives" are the preferred choice of the SCTC which operates on overhead wire power. Such a decoder will be installed in the roof of the B unit. Low floor cars have more room in the roof above the low windows to hide the decoder and the wiring.
We have cut 24 small 5mm sections of black shrink tubing and affixed them to various points of the shells to guide and hide the wires that must go from the B unit through the C unit to the A unit. 14 of them are visible in the next photo. Notice that the C unit shell roof has been designed to allow space for the wires between the chassis and the roof. The Volkmar Dipswitch has already been installed but not wired in the next photo.
We added several more of these 5mm sections but we had to remove the four shown in the shells in the above photos as they interfered with the assembly of the shell to the chassis. The chassis is shown next ready for testing. The KAT24 decoder is shown at right in the B unit.
Testing actually began on September 30 on one of John McWhirter's two test tracks. Once we discovered that we had failed to secure the ends of Bowser parts 1417 and 1418 to the brass rod with the appropriate cement (ACC), the test became successful. The drive was operated for a half hour in each direction. We used the closest thing we could get to 2mm rod. We had some K&S #8169 brass rod which had the diameter of 1.83mm. Discussion with Lee English at Bowser Manufacturing confirmed that we should be using 2mm low-carbon steel rod and he suggested McMaster-Carr so we "googled" the company and ordered about 10 feet of it.
The only issue was a derailment of the power truck (A unit) on the test track while running power truck forward. We had added 0.5 ounce of weight on the A unit over the first axle after the above photo was taken but we will be checking to see if more should be added and where.
McMaster-Carr delivered the brass rod in 48 hours and we cut a 32mm section and placed the Bowser parts 1417 and 1418 on each end and, as Lee stated, both parts fit so snug that no cement seemed to be needed. The next photo shows the new steel rod drive shaft. For some reason, the unit seemed to run a little smoother and quieter although I can not feel the new drive shaft had anything to do with it although it was 1mm longer than the old brass one.
Note: Modelers are cautioned that the length of the drive shaft may vary slightly depending on the placement of the flywheel on the motor shaft and the placement of the coupling on the power truck shaft.
Testing resumed and after one hour of continuous operation, the mechanism was deemed acceptable after a other .1 ounce of weight was added on the front platform under the cab wall under the previous .5 ounce weight in the A unit. It may become part of the operators seat.
Our car will be modeled after Dallas 302, the first car delivered to Dallas. 301 came later.
Our car was almost completely masked for the application of white paint when the next photo was taken:
