tacfoley
1st Class Member
Foreman
Posts:363
Send Message
 | | 03/27/2008 12:55 PM |
| Heeeeeeeey, Shaylover, ease up, mate! 
Put the long silences down to the fact that you are still one of the VERY few people who actually HAS one of these locos. If everybody had one, I'm sure your queries would have been answered in seconds....
Most of us, me included, are learning from YOUR queries.
Take it easy, eh?
tac
www.ovgrs.org | | | |
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Shay Gear Head
Easley, South Carolina
Brakeman
Posts:61
Send Message
| | 03/27/2008 1:56 PM |
| | You also need to remember that we are just coming out of winter inthe northern hemisphere - so not too many opportunities to run in these climes. We'll ask you the same question in 6 months or so. | |
Bruce Gathman, President
Eldorado Timber & Mining Company
Tall Trees - Deep Shafts
Recreating the past with live steam Shay locomotives and lots of log cars. | |
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Shaylover
Dapto , NSW Australia
Brakeman
Posts:38
Send Message
| | 03/27/2008 6:21 PM |
| Sometimes I wish I lived in the US, in the nice cold. Here in Australia our winters are mild but our summer's are so flaming hot you could cook an egg on a rock. I kid you not! So when you think it is too cold to go out, please send me some of that cold. 
You can probably judge by my comments that I like cold, I can't take to heat anymore, too old and too many medical problems.
I'm going to see if I can change out the couplers on the AC-12 and hook them up to the coupler bars after I finish filing up the Precision Scale castings. I can't upload pix so I'll send them to someone who can do so for me.
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Never fly faster than your Guardian Angel can fly.
John de VK2XGJ | |
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Alan in Adirondacks
1st Class Member
Glens Falls, NY
Brakeman
Posts:77
Send Message
| | 03/27/2008 7:01 PM |
| John,
I'm stuck with doing consulting work out of town (still flunking retirement) so unable to run mine until early June. Maybe Charles will post some pictures from ECLSTS so I can live vicariously!
Best regards, and keep steaming !
Alan | |
Alan Redeker
SA #17 | |
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Shaylover
Dapto , NSW Australia
Brakeman
Posts:38
Send Message
| | 04/15/2008 11:59 PM |
| I thought I saw a pix somewhere of a pair of Accucraft AC-12's double-heading, how were they coupled together as the front coupler is at least 15mm too low for the tender coupler.
I've managed to change the tender coupler for a Kadee #821 that I was using on my Bachmann battery Shay and now I want to change the coupler on the front of the AC-12. Both in height and useability. All that money and just a piece of plastic for couplers. Tsk, tsk, tsk. | |
Never fly faster than your Guardian Angel can fly.
John de VK2XGJ | |
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Alan in Adirondacks
1st Class Member
Glens Falls, NY
Brakeman
Posts:77
Send Message
| | 04/16/2008 4:30 AM |
| John,
Ryan and I were double heading at Cabin Fever just using the stock Accucraft dummy couplers. I really didn't pay any attention to coupler height, we just did it.... Also, Jim Stapleton was doing pusher duty on the end of a train with Pete Gregores. I don't know if Jim had done anything with his AC-11 couplers at that point, but he normally changes all his 1:32 cars to Kadees immediately.
Best regards,
Alan | |
Alan Redeker
SA #17 | |
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Charles
1st Class Member
Foreman
Posts:453
Send Message
| | 04/16/2008 4:48 AM |
| John
Alan is remarkable given his time away from the tracks relative to his recall of running a AC-11/12 (left to right- Jeff, Alan, Ryan and Pete):
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Happy Trails on the Rails
Charles
SA #614 | |
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Larry Green
1st Class Member
Vermont
Brakeman
Posts:74
Send Message
| | 04/16/2008 8:40 AM |
| Alan, are you still "stuck out of town"? The snow and ice are finally gone here in Vt, and Llyn and I will be steaming tomorrow afternoon, enjoying predicted 70's temps.
Be careful now--all work and no steaming might just make you a grumpy old (non) live steamer.
Larry | | | |
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cabforward
Roseville Calif
Brakeman
Posts:96
Send Message
| | 04/16/2008 9:54 AM |
| John
How were you able to get the coupler pin out of the tender?
The pin on my tender seems to be glued in or maybe I just dont want to force it out.
Did you modify the Kadee in any way?
If you could post or email me the pics of the coupler offline that would be helpful.
Thanks
Matt
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Shaylover
Dapto , NSW Australia
Brakeman
Posts:38
Send Message
| | 04/16/2008 5:14 PM |
| Matt, you'll find that the pin in the tender is just a force fit. I used a small jewlers screwdriver to lever it up bit by bit until I could get a good purchase on it. I used a Kadee #821 on the tender, the short version and at one time it lived on my battery Shay and is a perfect fit to the tender of the AC-12.
I'm changing all the couplers on the 1/32 rolling stock to Kadee #820's, they look good and work well.
I may have to change the front coupler to an upward joggled Kadee, I don't know what the number is until I check. Hope this helps Matt.
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Never fly faster than your Guardian Angel can fly.
John de VK2XGJ | |
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Dwight Ennis
Moderator
Milpitas, CA
Engineer
Posts:1240
Send Message
| | 07/30/2008 4:02 PM |
| I realize I'm awfully late on this, but while in Sacramento for the NSS, a few of us took a side trip to the Railway Museum. I remembered this thread and snapped couple of photos. Perhaps they'll be of use to someone.
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Dwight Ennis
Milpitas, CA
SA #21
http://www.SantaCruzLumberCo.com
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Charles
1st Class Member
Foreman
Posts:453
Send Message
| | 07/30/2008 4:27 PM |
| Dwight
Ryan also made the side trip and enjoyed a visit to the only existing Cab Forward is available to amaze all.
One thing we have not been able to obtain is the location of the bell....
Please post any other photos for us to enjoy
The beast: Massive and powerful allowing for many avenues of service in some very challenging landscapes
The beauty: no wonder trains attracted people, colorful along with an adventure for all
The legend: the Delta King (twin to the Delta Queen) a great spot for lunch and accommodations as it is now a hotel
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Happy Trails on the Rails
Charles
SA #614 | |
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Shaylover
Dapto , NSW Australia
Brakeman
Posts:38
Send Message
| | 07/30/2008 5:51 PM |
| Many thanks Dwight for the pix. And Charles too.
I've had a couple of jet problems with my AC-12. Should be fixed now I hope. She now has an Accucraft caboose to pull and I'm in the middle of rewiring to battery rather than rail power. The actual globes are 1.5V with a constant voltage device and switch before it. More later. | |
Never fly faster than your Guardian Angel can fly.
John de VK2XGJ | |
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Charles
1st Class Member
Foreman
Posts:453
Send Message
| | 07/30/2008 6:00 PM |
| John
We await the revised AC-11GW as it makes its return from the master hands of Gordon Watson. | |
Happy Trails on the Rails
Charles
SA #614 | |
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Dwight Ennis
Moderator
Milpitas, CA
Engineer
Posts:1240
Send Message
| | 07/30/2008 7:52 PM |
| | Nice photos Charles. The two I posted are the only ones I took of the cab forward 'cause all I remembered is the first post in this thread asking for such photos. The rest are detail shots of the Sonoma - mostly the lettering and the pilot (which is going to be a bear to make). I have an idea how to approach it though. | |
Dwight Ennis
Milpitas, CA
SA #21
http://www.SantaCruzLumberCo.com
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Chris Scott
1st Class Member
Sonoma, CA
Foreman
Posts:104
Send Message
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Charles
1st Class Member
Foreman
Posts:453
Send Message
| | 07/31/2008 7:33 AM |
| Chris
I was thinking the bell might have been under the cab or pilot area...
Yes, Alan is planning on a conversion to an earlier model. To what extent he will employ our service beyond the mechanical upgrades, we have yet to talk in depth about that.
Cab forward museum shots: thanks to Ryan! I wish I was there to see and record... | |
Happy Trails on the Rails
Charles
SA #614 | |
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Shaylover
Dapto , NSW Australia
Brakeman
Posts:38
Send Message
| | 07/31/2008 5:20 PM |
| Charles, I understand that the AC-11GW is almost ready for despatch.
I spoke with Gordon about two days ago and it looks like mine is "going under the knife" later this year or possibly next year. At the moment I'm still learning how to drive the beast and fix some of the little funnies like leaking gas fillers etc.
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Never fly faster than your Guardian Angel can fly.
John de VK2XGJ | |
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Charles
1st Class Member
Foreman
Posts:453
Send Message
| | 07/31/2008 5:30 PM |
| John
Given my communications with Gordon and the VERY,VERY extensive rehab on our engine, Gordon might need some time to forget the trials and tribulations of the ordeal necessary to set it right (kinda like being a parent for the second time, if years between you forget want it takes in time and money). We are extremely grateful to Gordon for taking on the project. We have learned enormous volumes about getting it right both for the long term and performance levels through Gordon's insight and all the initial work Ryan has done.
Hope your Cabforward, once done properly, will be impressive and enduring. | |
Happy Trails on the Rails
Charles
SA #614 | |
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Dwight Ennis
Moderator
Milpitas, CA
Engineer
Posts:1240
Send Message
| | 07/31/2008 7:44 PM |
| FYI, I have a friend who lives and breathes Southern Pacific steam. I asked him about the bell location (I figured if anyone would know - hehehe). Here's his reply...
Dwight, as I recall it was down near the ladder up into the cab, behind that after cooler radiator. The hot air came out of the pumps and was cooled before going into the air reservoirs. The earlier AC's had them up high in the center of the cab, AC4/5/6. The newer AC's had the air rung bell, just like the GS2/3/4/5/6's did. If ya need more info let me know I will do some serious research.
Is this good enough or should I ask him to dig? | |
Dwight Ennis
Milpitas, CA
SA #21
http://www.SantaCruzLumberCo.com
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