The Whiskey River Railway

[gbwdude]

tyler I have used the original shaft from old locomotive motors , I use JB quick to strengthen the joint between the front plate and the bottom plate, then remove the top plate , and the back plate. I usually retain the back plate, re shape it and add it to the front plate for more bearing surface (not needed in this example). then I can cut and pry the armature pieces and commutator off the shaft. trim the shaft and install a smaller, more efficient can motor, using the remainder of the original motor as a base; and using a shaft connector, retaining the business end of the original shaft, and the original worm.



View attachment 146770

Maybe I should have come here first before getting my hands dirty, but I did free the worm from the output shaft of the motor. It took about 10 minutes of continuous heat to the motor and some additional flux and solder (what I'd assume to get the other solder to flow) and a quick blow from a pliers straddling the shaft popped it right off.
Since I had the iron hot I soldered up my connector that I bought and received last night. Looks like I need to sharpen up my small soldering skills a bit, but all connections are separate with no solder bridges. I'm excited to get this installed into #44's tender as its been forever since I've last installed a sound decoder, let alone a steamer. Eventually the wires will be painted to camouflage them.

 

[zathros]

If you have one of those thick soldering irons, the ones used by plumbers, you could have heated up the worm gear without heating up the shaft much. The shaft was expanding with the worm gear, and since it is an interference fit, you want to try and hear just the worm gear, and not the shaft, it will get how, but not as how as the worm gear, then it should pop off. I have a milling machine and had a hardened pin, slightly smaller than the shaft, and in heating it in that fashion, the pin in the quill of the machine and centered of the gear which was being held in a vise, I gently slide the gear right off.the gear slid right off. You don't need a milling machining, a socket that will allow the worn gear to fit in snugly would allow you to go through the square end. Usually quarter inch drive sockets are shallow enough to not hit the more. Just another method among many. As long as you don bugger the gear, that's all that matters.

 

[gbwdude]

I didn't have a high power one, just a Radio Shack dual wattage 20W/40W hobby iron. My original iron went AWOL so after moving to Tennessee I needed a new one, RS just happened to have this one on sale.

No recent news from the W.R.Ry. shops, I've been working on a stupid r/c helicopter I bought because I thought it'd be fun but after its first flight I crashed it and now it doesn't work right. As of now I'm wanting it gone, so I'll get it in working order and then make it become RR funds.

 

[zathros]

I've purchased and set up quite a few R/C copters in the last 4 years. I have become quite good at fixing them. Let me know the model number and what's it's doing, and I can probably help you fix it. Send me a P.M. with the info. I have a Propel Speed Star, single main rotor, looks and flies like a regular helicopter. the throttle controls lift though, no separate collective. I got it for $39 dollars at a closing Radio Shack!! This thing really flies, and it has an outside setting, and it goes like the wind out doors. Has to be a pretty still day though. I also posted a picture of a highly modified coaxial helicopter that flies beautifully also. I put an aluminum swash plate Blue piece), and that convinced me that these things are worth updating. Looks crude, but I am going to improve the 5 minute cockpit, which a little Lego dude fits in perfectly.

Propel Speed Star



Modified coaxial

 

[gbwdude]

Lately I've been working on WRRy C8, the caboose that was permanently coupled to Dr. Tom's old Heisler that he graciously donated to me. Since then I've disconnected them, taken it apart, stripped the paint, repainted and decaled the tiny crummy. Yesterday and today I've been reinstalling the details for final assembly and a trial run. I'll also add handbrake detail to this since it originally didn't have any.
Once C8 is complete, progress will commence on 107 (was 109 until I discovered that I used that original flatcar for my daughter's train set so it got bumped up in the numbering sequence) as it just needs final modifications for coupler height and weight and then paint and lettering. Currently that's all I have scheduled for work on the WRRy for 2015 as far as rolling stock goes.

Now something that I've been wanting to do for a while is working on the layout for my mythical land. I've had one module made since 2010 but have altered what I want in a layout so many times that plans have been just that. However I made (this past Friday) another module for the pre-made to be part of Merrick yard. I don't plan on building the whole railroad right now as I don't have the space for it. Right now Merrick yard consists of two modules, one 18"x 50" and one 3' x 4'. The corner closest to the long module will be cut on an angle to give reaching space in the yard and/or station tracks. As of now I don't have a track plan specifically for the two modules but will see how close my plans I have will fit the allotted space.

 

[Doctor G]

Lately I've been working on WRRy C8, the caboose that was permanently coupled to Dr. Tom's old Heisler that he graciously donated to me. Since then I've disconnected them, taken it apart, stripped the paint, repainted and decaled the tiny crummy. Yesterday and today I've been reinstalling the details for final assembly and a trial run. I'll also add handbrake detail to this since it originally didn't have any.View attachment 147456
Once C8 is complete, progress will commence on 107 (was 109 until I discovered that I used that original flatcar for my daughter's train set so it got bumped up in the numbering sequence) as it just needs final modifications for coupler height and weight and then paint and lettering. Currently that's all I have scheduled for work on the WRRy for 2015 as far as rolling stock goes.

Now something that I've been wanting to do for a while is working on the layout for my mythical land. I've had one module made since 2010 but have altered what I want in a layout so many times that plans have been just that. However I made (this past Friday) another module for the pre-made to be part of Merrick yard. I don't plan on building the whole railroad right now as I don't have the space for it. Right now Merrick yard consists of two modules, one 18"x 50" and one 3' x 4'. The corner closest to the long module will be cut on an angle to give reaching space in the yard and/or station tracks. As of now I don't have a track plan specifically for the two modules but will see how close my plans I have will fit the allotted space.View attachment 147457

The caboose turned out real nice. I like the color and the decals are perfect.

Also the modules look good. That is real sensible way to get a layout started. I am about finished with the Haitian Sugar Hauler and will begin next on a module of a 1910 backwoods logger with wood fired shay and climax and link and pin couplers. This will again be in On30 like the sugar train.

With front end loader and a large dumpster the Garden RR is no more. Your very nice box car ( used as a battery car)went to a gentleman in Hawaii who liked the Porter locomotive it was attached to. He may be making a plantation layout outdoors.

Looking forward to more posts.

Doc Tom

 

[gbwdude]

Your very nice box car ( used as a battery car)went to a gentleman in Hawaii who liked the Porter locomotive it was attached to. He may be making a plantation layout outdoors.

By chance is the individual somebody you know? If so it'd be neat to pass on the story of the Whiskey River Railway to him and to have a piece of Wisconsin "history" on a little dirt mound somewhere in the Pacific Rim.

 

[Doctor G]

By chance is the individual somebody you know? If so it'd be neat to pass on the story of the Whiskey River Railway to him and to have a piece of Wisconsin "history" on a little dirt mound somewhere in the Pacific Rim.

Hi Tyler,
No he was an eBay buyer who did report he wanted his son to enjoy the fun of model railroading. This was his "first" train. I have not heard back in f/u since I sent the box car across the big ocean about three weeks ago. I always worry about shipping electronics and hope the lokie ran well for them.

Tom

 

[gbwdude]

I got a little more done on C8 today, I tossed some #158's on both ends of the car and added some weight.Like some other model railroaders I use self-adhesive auto tire weights. These are the 1/2 oz ones that I acquired while in the army and work well for my application. Normally these wouldn't fit in the car body as they are so I took my bench vise and squished them into the size I needed. I used the same technique for adding weight to my flatcars. The caboose rolls a little better now with more weight in it and the contacts taken out but it still needs something done to roll better. I'll have to investigate further.

 

[gbwdude]

Caboose C8 is complete! I threw the grab irons on and threw another wash of grimy black on the body to show many years of work going down to the quarry. I also noticed that the ex-Shay truck the car sits on isn't square, so when I tightened the truck sideframes together the wheels wouldn't spin freely. So I have the screw kinda loose so the wheels spin with a little graphite in the bushing for lube.

 

[Doctor G]

That came out beautiful Tyler. A "screw loose" is a good way to run a model rail road. Have fun. Doc Tom

 

[gbwdude]

That came out beautiful Tyler. A "screw loose" is a good way to run a model rail road. Have fun. Doc Tom

I've been there for a while now... haha.

Wasting no time I hopped on throwing the first coat of black paint on heavy duty flatcar #107, and while that dries I started into C3. Caboose C3 is an old Red Ball kit that somebody modernized the cupola by removing the fancy circular window that sat center of the cupola lengthwise. It still retains its three side windows on the cupola.

The biggest issue I previously had was tearing the sucker apart. Whoever built it made it with some kind of rubbery yet extremely tacky glue that held up well over time. A warm screwdriver tip helped loosen the glue enough for me to pry my way into the car, finally breaking it down into it base components.
This car will be pretty basic, no special additions to it and a pretty straight forward restoration to operation.

 

[zathros]

Wow, that is beautiful!! I would love to see the layout moving. I use motorcycle weights, they are a bit smaller and easier to trim, and are self adhesive. I am an old fart who still changes his own motorcycle wheels and spin balances the. I get no vibration, even as 120 mph.

Not my bike, but an exact duplicate, and I mean "exact". 1983 GS750ES. The fairing lowers were sold for one year, and only 50 or so were made. She'll due an easy 135 mph. First bike with a 16 inch front wheel, rear mono shock, and Suzuki's full floating mono-shock rear suspension which has to be felt to believe, the bike was also the first to feature anti-dive brakes. It also was the narrowest 750 made at the time. I purchased it new in 1983.You can see where wheel balancing is essential. It is like steering a surgeon's scalpel down the road, you have to hold on tight, but not too tight, the bike is always right where you are and it almost seems to anticipate your moves.

 

[gbwdude]

Nice bike Zathros! The only vehicle I've bought new is our 2012 Camry right after I came back from Afghanistan in October 2011. We had a 2009 Malibu prior to it and while it was a nice car we kept having a random misfire. When we bought it we were told it didn't have the extended warranty, however when we traded it in the salesman verified that it did and that would've saved us from buying the car (maybe) and taken care of the maintenance that it needed.

 

[gbwdude]

Caboose C3 and HD flatcar #107 got a lot of work done today. I'm not sure what kind of paint Bachmann used back in the day but it took three coats of black to cover up the red. Last night prior to the paint job today I found a flaw before pre-paint assembly, the center axle on the three axle truck rubbed badly on the bolster. Nothing that a half hour of filing couldn't handle. Alas, all bugs are worked out with it and just needs decals and weathering to be complete.
While I disassembled C3 to strip paint I noticed that I have one issue on my one end casting. There is a small hole in it thanks to zamac poisoning. Oh the joys of collecting older pot metal cast models. It does look better in primer for now compared to the paint brushed 1950-1960's paint job.

 

[zathros]

You might want to research some of the new primers that really cover up the prior coats. I had a bottle of some stuff, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. All I remember is that once applied, the underlying color was gone. It came in white and a grey shade.

That is beautiful workmanship.

 

[gbwdude]

It's always better to take it to the base material than to cover it up, especially in this case. The caboose had a crappy brushed on paint job that begged to be redone. I feel that I have pretty high standards for appearance, but I do like having operable equipment over pretty stuff that doesn't work. That's why none of my cabooses have interiors and some of my passenger cars have them because I'd rather stuff weights in there for flawless operation.

 

[gbwdude]

Heavy duty flatcar #107 is complete now! I'm thankful I've had time to finish these last few projects to make room for the last few projects of the year which will be to button up Mogul #44, finish C3 and continue benchwork on the layout.

Which brings me to a dilemma on the layout. I wanted to get the main yard and town built so I can start some operations but with my current set up in my basement the yard I'd like will not fit. That leads me to two options: redesign the yard for the space or build this yard as my northern point yard (my rr runs south to north) which will have a small yard.

Thoughts and opinions would be appreciated.

 

[Doctor G]

Glad to see you are working on your layout. Your old Clarksville Model Rail Road club is moving along in new digs. I was there Saturday and pretty impressive all the track work down and a neat new helix installed. If you are interested I could take a few cell phone pics and post here as a new thread???
Doc Tom

 

[gbwdude]

Glad to see you are working on your layout. Your old Clarksville Model Rail Road club is moving along in new digs. I was there Saturday and pretty impressive all the track work down and a neat new helix installed. If you are interested I could take a few cell phone pics and post here as a new thread???
Doc Tom

Sure Doc, I'd like to see how progress is coming along. A new thread would be best, that way yourself and Bill can post updates there.

Not very much has been happening on this end, other than writing a 2016 organization letter to myself and going through all of the WRRy rolling stock for a full inventory. With the railroad cutting even deeper than before it looks like it'll be a while before I'm back on the rails. For now I've found myself a job at the post office as a custodian, being prior military helped win that job. It's a very low stress job, nothing is very difficult or technical and most of my coworkers are veterans as well (mostly Air Force, which we give each other grief about one another's branch). I don't mind it, it's way more relaxed than any place else I've worked.