Double heading postwar Lionel

[pjdog350]

I upgraded the smoke unit on the second 675. Really smokes great. I want the second 675 and the first 675 to look the same. I took the casting off the second 675 and sand blasted it so I can paint it to match the first one. I did come up a little short of blasting material. SO I did some wire wheel work. Not going to work. I got more sand today. I'll finish in the morning.

 

[starfire700]

Did you rebuild a vintage smoke unit or replace it with something modern? I would like to get more smoke output, but do not want to change from SP pellets to liquid. I have always liked the smell of the SP smoke, and if cleaned and "tuned-up" a coil unit ( or early bulb-unit) will make nice smoke rings. I have not experimented with more or less resistance wire in the coil unit. Less wire would make it hotter, but would that make more or less smoke?

[pjdog350]

More heat would be more smoke. However more smoke for a shorter time.

I did install a liquid unit. Smoke like a WWII destroyer. I do have several new smoke units that are repo’s like the originals. Also several originals. I use proto smoke that has the Christmas tree sent? I like it. The. SP pills are hard to find and over priced.
 
Ordered a new boiler front. Got more sand to finish the stripping. I hope to primer the new 675 tomorrow. I’ve painted the 259E tender 4 times and it’s still messed up. I’ll give it another go tomorrow also.

[starfire700]

My first smoker was a 1946 671 turbine that my Dad got used. I inhaled a lot of the SP smoke as I ran it a lot. I just got used to that smell.
For several York train shows, at the hotel pre-meet, we were set-up in the hallway, where the MTH display was. Constant inhaling of the liquid smoke, turned me off to that smell, even the scented ones.
The coil type diecast and metal units can be rebuilt. I think all the liquid ones are plastic, not sure if they can be repaired.

[pjdog350]

The liquid smoke units today use the old Lionel metal bowl and metal bracket. They replace the coil around the ceramic thingy with a resistor. Cover the resistor with some kind of cloth that holds the liquid. Plus you replace the padding under the old coil with new material again that holds the fluid. It can be repaired. I do understand the difference in Smell. I’ve been using baby fluid sense the 1980’s with my MTH. That has a specific smell. Can’t say I enjoy that but boy does it smoke. I’ve even used baby oil on old Lionel smoke units. Works for a while. Not long but again really smokes.

The only thing plastic with the new liquid unit is the very top on the smoke unit.

[starfire700]

Did not know about the new units. I was just familiar with the red plastic units in a 746 or in Scout size locos. As long as I can get good smoke rings with the SP type units, I am happy. I have some good smoke rings coming from the 675 on the upper level in my "Dogtown" video. I was quite pleased with that effect.
Last night I published a new video, part 2 of Lionel and Marx Unit Trains and Double headers on the LSRR. No smoke in this one, just some long prewar freights and some Marx.
Link to the new video.

[pjdog350]

Your 225E are really sweet. I love that locomotive. Look great double headed.

[pjdog350]

I bought a another steam chest for the 675 in order to make a front coupler like Jim was doing. I like his approach allot. I found one that came with the front trucks at a very good price. As I looked at it to decide how I start drilling the holes I noticed it's different than the steam chest that's currently on the 675? I was going to grind off the stuff that's going to be in the way of my project. But the other steam chest does not have that in the casting? I guess Lionel made some changes as they where producing this engine.

[starfire700]

I guess that I forgot to mention that I was working on an early variation 675 pilot. At some point in production Lionel revised the pilot to include the simulated lift-pin detail on the top. You got the later model. It should still work, if you remove the added detail, but watch the thickness of the pilot deck as you grind, so it does not get too thin and cause a crack.

[pjdog350]

Thanks for that information Jim. I guessed as much but didn’t know.

I’m going to used the pilot on the left in the above picture. I have the new 675 painted. It came out very well. I’m real happy with it. However my transfer numbers didn’t work. This has happed before to me. I think the transfers if not kept sealed will age and fail. I’ll order more today.

Also the original 675 I was going to mate to the new one had a smoke unit failure. It’s one of the new liquid smoke units. It gave a very thin line of smoke but that’s not what the new units are about. They should be real thick. I found after removing the unit that the resistor was covered with thick burnt stuff. I cleaned the resistor covering and flipped the pad over to put the burnt part on the bottom. Checked everything else and all looked good. Put it back together and still not much smoke? I had another parts kit so I just replaced it? Smokes great now

Ran the new 675 with 22 two bay postwar hoppers (6456 I think). It did manage to put them but my curves are 031. On start up I almost always get a car to derail. SO even if I manage to get a double header I think my little layout is going to be trouble. I need more room and 042 to 054 curves. That means a new layout. I don’t have trouble when running a modern Hudson or Mikado as they start up very slow. They are really sweet locomotives and are easy on the pocketbook.

I ask Miss Sharon if I can move the dining room furniture out in the garage and build a new layout in the dining room.  I have 042 & 054 MTH realtrax.

[pjdog350]

Finally got to work on the 675 double heading project. I like what Jim is doing with his double heading so I'm going to take the same approach. I drilled three 5/64 holes in the pilot right above where the teeth start. I was surprised at how easy it was to drill the holes.

There where two little elevations coming out of the top of the pilot that I remover with a Dremel sanding disk. I needed to remove these as they will cause problems with the coupler assembly moving back and forth as the couplers are making turns. Used the Dremel sanding disks (Two doubled up) and came from behind and made a slot where the holes where. That removed almost all the material between the three holes. Then using a very small file I leveled every thing out. I happy with what I have. However I did break my little file. Need a new one!

I cut a piece of copper to use as a place to attach to the pilot and a place to attach the coupler. I will now drill and tap a hole behind the teeth of the pilot for a 6/32 bolt. From here on it's going to be trial and error to get the coupler level with the tenders coupler that will be the lead engines tender.

[starfire700]

It looks to me like your coupler slot is not wide enough to allow swing on curves. Unless you are attaching the coupler at the very front of the pilot. I drilled 2 additional holes outboard from the 2 small braces that had to be filed off and will mount my pivot screw about 1/2 inch behind the front of the pilot beam.
A layout with wider radius curves is always desirable, but (just a wild guess) Valentines Day would not be a good day to ask about building a layout in the dining room. Let me know how those negotiations go!
We have been dealing with weather and other issues. I have to get back to my 675 pilot-coupler project.

[pjdog350]

I worked the dinning room layout yesterday.

I never heard such language come out of a women before!

I thought I would make the bracket smaller at the place where it will be attached to the pilot. I was going to use a 2/56 bolt to attach it. I thought I would make the place where it attach’s to the coupler as wide as the coupler. Maybe solder some wire along the sides to make it strong enough?

I was going to attach the coupler to the tender and push it through the 031 curves. Then make adjustment as required. I’ve found a attachment to the Dremel that is perfect for making the slot wider. It seems to be going well.

I didn’t get a chance to work on it this morning. Miss Sharon had a bad night. She has lung issues and this time of year with all the pollen in the air is hard for her.

Looking forward to your efforts with pictures or a video.

[starfire700]

Snowy cold day here in the south, so I spent some time on the 675 pilot coupler. This time I worked on the right one, an early 675 pilot that will take a smoke unit.
I first filed the small support struts from just above the pilot teeth.
Then drilled 5 holes with a 7/64 bit (+/- a size would have been OK). Holes drilled as close as possible in straight line up as high as possible, below pilot beam.
I connect the holes by holding the pilot and twisting back and forth "gently" along the horizontal line of the holes. The casting is soft and allows this, but still have to be careful not to jam or break the bit.
I finish up by gentle filing with a small file. This time I was more careful and did not crack the pilot beam, like I did with the 226E pilot.
I had to do some creative bending of the shank on the Irvington coupler to raise it about 1/4" to mate with the tender coupler. I may re-do this step at a different location. I bent at the existing bend up against the coupler head, the plunger fell out and the coupler no longer stays closed. I could make a new back-stop and solder-attach it, or bend farther back so the back-stop is not compromised. I may be able to make this a working coupler, but would need to install a centering spring........maybe getting too complicated. Anyway, the pictures show my progress and all should be sound information up to the point of bending the coupler shank.

[pjdog350]

Nice work Jim. Your ahead of me. I’ll try to catch up this evening.

One thing I’m doing while making the bracket attachment is to slid the pilot truck back and forth. It occurred to me that the spring loaded front truck may hit the coupler bracket? The pilot extra casting I got on EBay came with a pilot truck!

I must  add that you do very nice work!