[Eric Cooper]

I had to reprise this thread from the day after Christmas to report---------SUCCESS!    I forget who told me to take off the driving rods and see if it would run after locking up, but he was right.  Took them off, put them back of and it runs like a champ..  It seems to me the screws that hold the rods on the driving wheels should be LocTited.  Any thoughts on this?

 

[Torby]

I usually put a tiny dab of blue loctite. Once, while I was fiddeling with mine, one of those hex head screws took off to never-never land, so one of my drivers has a phillips head screw and washer holding the rod on.

While you have it apart, pull the plastic inserts off the front and rear drivers, take out the little phillips screw holding the driver to the axel and put a #4 flat washer under it. You'll see it fit inside a recess on the insulated washer that's already there. Again, put a tiny dot of loctite on the screw. Leave the front drivers loose enough to work back and forth just a little on the axel.

 

[stumpycc]

I think I added this to the original thread but, I'll post it again. I checked the nuts on one of my Christmas Annie's the other day and found out that the the nuts are "finger tight". I have never messed with them so it is supriseing to find this. I have run this loco at full speed with track power and never had a problem with it. I think now I will follow Torby's idea and use some loctite on all of tehm. I have 4 of them.

Cliff

 

[blackburn49]

Posted By Torby on 01/03/2008 7:29 AM
I usually put a tiny dab of blue loctite. Once, while I was fiddeling with mine, one of those hex head screws took off to never-never land, so one of my drivers has a phillips head screw and washer holding the rod on.

While you have it apart, pull the plastic inserts off the front and rear drivers, take out the little phillips screw holding the driver to the axel and put a #4 flat washer under it. You'll see it fit inside a recess on the insulated washer that's already there. Again, put a tiny dot of loctite on the screw. Leave the front drivers loose enough to work back and forth just a little on the axel.

Thanks for the tip. I have one of these units that will be going into service in my Phase III project. I'll certainly be checking all the screw heads now.

--Ron in (where the h*** is) Copper Center. 

 

[jwvine29]

Not just the Annies my Connie did the same at the counter weights and stripped the gears.

 

[Eric Cooper]

Update: I got some blue Loctite at Kragen Auto Parts yesterday, put it on the screws and torqued 'em down. Tonight I set up an oval in the sitting room (the outdoor layout is still under a foot of snow) and fired up the new Annie. Wow! Runs like a champ. Life is good.

 

[stumpycc]

Glad to hear that Eric. I think you will enjoy your Annie alot.

Cliff