I’ve acquired a box of model trains. Someone got in touch with the club with models they wished to dispose of from a dead relative. As they were TT items, the club isn’t going to risk funds - we aren’t likely to find many buyers at the exhibition second hand stall. As someone who works in the scale I offered to go and have a look.
In the box was a HO scale “Big Boy”. This is an amazing model of the largest steam locomotive ever built, a truly titanic machine.
Unfortunately the model hadn’t run for a long time. While I don’t have anywhere other than a test track, suitable to run such a monster, I did want to see all the waggly bits moving ‘cos I have a soft spot for articulated locos
The motor sounded like it was trying when power was applied but nothing moved. I put power directly on the terminals. Still nothing. Rats. I was going to have to take it to bits.
To cut a long, fiddly story short, there are three fixing screws. One just forward of the firebox underneath (slew the bogie over to get a screwdriver in). One under the dome which pulls off. Finally the bolt holding the bell support has to be removed. Then you can lift the top off.
Once inside I removed the motor. It ran under power but was oiled anyway. The problem was the rest of the drive. I could just turn the first black shaft with my fingers and one it had been rotated a few times it seemed to free up. The mechanism is superb with tiny gearboxes driving down vertically to each bogie.
Re-assembly was the reverse of dismantling. Most mechanisms like this are fine when they have turned over a few times. This one is no different freeing up completely once it had shuffled back and forth on the track.
The loco looks lovely. Luckily the previous owner didn’t have anywhere to run it either and built a little display case. Once I find somewhere to put it at least this will keep it dust free until I find someone with an American layout where it can run properly.
1 comment:
Hi there. Nice blog, it's nice to see what someone else is making. I've made a few bits and bobs myself, but not to anywhere near your level. I'd half thought about writing something on my blog about my latest project, but it's enough of a mishmash as it is. Having more than one blog would tidy things up a bit ...
Funnily enough, I saw one of these Big Boys in the local shop a week or two ago (was it the same one?) It was as you say an incredible sight - particularly bearing in mind that it was in HO and I'm used to OO, so really it was even bigger than it looked. I went back in 3 days later and it had gone. No doubt someone was very pleased with their purchase!
Tom
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