HO Model Trains

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One of the great fascinations in the world of trains are steam engines. The best in my opinion are the articulated steam locomotives. Fortunately we have at least one running in the United States. There were two but the Norfolk & Southern shut it down and scent it back to the museum. The other is the Union Pacific Challenger 4-6-6-4 #3985. There are several single frame steam locomotives in operation today. Most are on private trackage however, there are several significant 4-8-4 Northerns still in operation that are run on the main lines of several railroads.

With this in mind we shall look at the HO Model Trains versions of some of these fine crafted brass and plastic articulated steam engines. This will include the different problems you might face in operating these locomotives.

In my collection I high have several HO articulated locomotives from four lines plus some from other lines that were sold to the Union Pacific railroad. Included in may collection of articulated locomotives is the famous Big Boy of the Union Pacific which is considered the grandaddy of them all. We shall show you the different types of articulated locomotives and their attributes and problem areas from my collection.

The following pictures gives you an idea of the various articulated locomotives available in HO. We will be looking at both brass and plastic articulated steam locomotives. Some of these pictures are not brass steam locomotives but are plastic steam engines made in China. The new Chinese plastic steam engines are remarkably accurate and run like a top. This not to say that the brass steam engines are inferior to the plastic engines. They are not. A well cared for brass engine is a form of art and when properly tuned runs as good as any plastic engine. Detail wise I am more impressed with the brass than plastic. Paint schemes are superior in color and contrast than most plastic engines.

The manufacturers of these brass engines are all located in Asia. We will be looking at Ajin of Korea, Samhongsa of Korea, Gom of Japan, Tenshodo of Japan articulated locomotives and their specific characteristics. All of these locomotives were contracted by different importers located in the United States. Many importers are no longer in business as well as some of the manufacturers in Asia. The quality of the production of these locomotives is the key to this discussion. Many engines built post World War II to present are finely crafted pieces of art. The problem is that they won't run for many reasons.

Just because the the older brass locomotive doesn't run does not mean they can't. Broken parts can be restored to new condition. With modern techniques the brass engine can be made better from a running point of view than when they were made. There are several new mechanical-electrical items that will change the brass locomotive into a finer running machine than was originally intended. This includes better lighting by the use of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) which is a superior way of providing engine lighting. Better gearboxes, can motors and U-Joints/Couplings to make the locomotive run better and quieter.

The open frame motors originally used for brass engines is a big headache. They are very difficult to keep running and if they sit for any length of time they rarely will operate. Since all of the electrical parts of the motor are exposed to the atmosphere causes electrical problems. Dust particles are charged and attach themselves to the brushes and armature. This causes heavy ware on both the brushes and armature. It also causes a large resistance which disables the open frame motor from operating. This increases the power need to turn the motor. There are oil pads at either end of the motor that are used to oil the motor bearings on the drive shaft. Over time these pads harden and with draw from the bearing area thus the bearings are not lubricated and the bearings can seize. If this happens the motor is useless.

On the other hand the can motor has eliminated all these problems. It runs smoother, takes less current to operate, is smaller making it easier to install into a locomotive, comes with varying torques values and RPM ratings which allows you to choose what can motor is best for your engine and is best suited for the new DCC operation.

There are better techniques to provide solid electrical interfacing between the locomotive and the tender. This has been a major problem with brass steam engines. The tender drawbar to the engine pin has been a constant hassle as far as passing electricity. The circuit is constantly being broken do to this poor method. Today we solve the problem with new pin to receptacle wire cables that are installed in the tender and locomotive respectively. The drawbar to pin remains but the current passes through the wire harness.

For HO Model Trains these new hardware and electrical upgrades has changed the hobby dramatically. You now can truly tune up your brass steam engine and expect it to work almost flawlessly. This is also true of the older plastic diesel engines.

There are methods to eliminate shorts. Sparky is always a problem when there is conductive materials in close proximity. Wheels touching the body of the engine, flow pipes and other lost wax castings hanging down from the body and touching the drive wheels or other part of the frame that produces sparky. Poor solder joints within the engine that allow the bear wires to come in contact with the frame or body. Wires that come loose from their intended solder points. Lack of insulating washers or insulating materials that causes a dead short. These all can be eliminated with patients and observation of where sparky presents himself. Turn off the lights and run the engine back and forth on the track and look for sparky. Check all of your electrical connections found in the engine and tender. Are the wheels on the tender all facing in the right direction? Are the pony and rear truck wheels facing in the right direction? Do either of these trucks come in contact with the cylinders or cab respectively?

The best method to resolve the pony and trailing trucks shorting problems is to replace the axles with carbon or composite axles. This eliminates cross feed shorts. If the axles are not available paint the cab and cylinders with a hard clear epoxy where the possibility of a short might occur. With the hanging down items from the body carefully bend the parts away from the frame and wheels. If the engine is painted and you break off any soldered part you are in a hurt. The re-soldering of these parts is going to be difficult with out damaging the paint. You now have to find an expert painter to touch up the solder point so it matches the original paint scheme.

There are special lubricants and greases that improve the running ability of the engine along with increasing the life of the locomotive. You must beware of the types of lubricants on the market. Always use the recommended kinds of lubricants suggested by the Nation Model Railroad Association or your local hobby shop and friends. There are some oils and lubricants that can damage your locomotive. Corrosive agents can attack the locomotive and its wiring plus attack plastics. So beware of what your are purchasing.

The brass engine is made to last for years but it must be taken care of. HO Model Trains as a whole must be taken care of and protected from damage. There are many delicate parts on these trains especially in the brass world. Always keep your brass locomotives in their original boxes. This is also true with the new plastic steam engines from China. All brass engines, freight and passenger cars should always be kept in their original boxes. For the plastic engines, freight and passenger cars you may store them in special boxes produce by Proto Power West A-Line. These boxes are exceptional for this purpose and saves a great deal of space.

In the brass engine boxes place bags of desiccant to cut down any moisture. In fact any of your engines whether brass or plastic should have desiccant bags in their respective boxes. Take care where you store your engines so the temperature remains ambient to a normal room in a home. Major temperature changes can cause problems with brass locomotives. In many cases a brass locomotive is like a good watch you don't miss handle it or expose it to severe conditions.

Make sure your run you engine periodically. This keeps the engine in good running order. Long periods of time in storage can cause problems particularly when it comes to the lubricants. Lubricants may be the best but nature still plays her hand and the lubricants can become sluggish and the oils may drain away from their intended area of need. Always check your engine before running it that there are lubricants in the needed places.

Joy Ball has been involved in the restoration and maintenance of a variety of Brass Model Locomotives. Through her years of expertise, Mrs. Ball has perfected the art of train restoration often spending countless hours preserving vintage Brass Locomotive to the running condition of even the newest Brass Model Replicas. It should be noted that the above blog was written by Joy’s husband Michael Ball. Receive her free newsletter at http://www.brasslocomotiveworks.com/