Mark's MT Railroads: In the Engine House

Over the past few weeks I've been repairing two units: the Lionel Postwar Southern F3 #2356 A, and the 3rd Rail Electroliner. I've also snapped a few photos of real trains.

I tested the 2356 after returning with it from Illinois. It successfully traversed the outer loop of the layout, but after a few minutes I noticed smoke coming out of the front of the engine. (Modern diesel models frequently have a smoking unit installed, but you won't find this feature in a circa-1955 locomotive!) I removed the shell and started troubleshooting. This engine has dual motors. The front motor showed signs of major stress - the carbon brushes had become slightly deformed, and there was a lot of carbon debris within the motor housing. I cleaned the interior of the motor and re-affixed everything. When testing, I found that the rear motor armature wasn't rotating. So, my theory is that the front motor had been working extra hard to make up for the frozen-up rear motor, which resulted in the brush damage. Now I'm working on restoring the rear motor. I can get the armature to spin erratically, so my first step will be to thoroughly clean the entire motor. I will use the steps provided by Just Trains at http://www.justtrains.com/Service/maint-3.asp.

Now over to the Electroliner. Since I bought it over a decade ago, operating this critter has always been problematic. It is among the best-looking models in my fleet, and is the only brass O-scale item I own. The internal systems, however, are marginal at best, and because of its construction, it is the most delicate set I have. It is terribly easy to unintentionally bump something and cause a slew of problems. So, regardless of past issues with the 'Liner, here is what I'm currently dealing with. I had the motors repaired by Roy at www.royztrains.com in Michigan. I restored TMCC (Train Master Command Control) functionality by re-soldering a wire in one of the compartments. And, I partially repaired a damaged truck. The remaining issues are that the motors do not always run in-sync (one is going backwards while the other is trying to go forwards), the powered wheels do not have enough traction to properly propel the train, the sound system sounds distorted, and all of the internal windows have detached. I've asked for Roy's advice on the motor issues.

On our return trip from Illinois, we stopped in Hayward, MN. While my bride was shopping at a quilt store, I hung around the tracks of this little town, hoping for a train to come through. No such luck, but I got some classic small-town railroad photos. In Wall, SD, I saw a Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern train come through to drop off some MOW cars. The RCPE is just over 1 year old and connects Rapid City with Tracy, MN. Their colors are orange, black, and yellow, and they run several former DM&E locos that have not yet been repainted.

My folks visited Billings in August, and they snapped a photo of me with NP switcher #1031 at the Yellowstone County Museum in front of the Billings airport.

Til next time, keep your rails shiny ~