BearMan’s post about his Model Power Alco RS-2 reminded me of something I’ve been meaning to ask. I have two Model Power loco’s, an C-430 and an RS-2. I’ve seen ads for flywheels you can buy to put on loco’s that don’t have them. Is there a chance I could find and install flywheels on my Model Power locomotives? My Athearn 40-2 has them and it runs sooooo much smoother, besides, those Model Power models could use a bit more weight that the flywheels would help with.
I’m going on a short vacation starting this afternoon so thanks in advance for any information.
I’m sure you could fit some flywheels in pretty easily. It would add some weight to it, but the motors used in the RS-2 and C-430 have such extreme cogging that I don’t think it would improve their running too much. I also have an RS-2, and it’s a near Kato smooth runner, but if you want anything like good low speed control, you’ll need a new motor.
Were I in you situation, I’d re-power/re-motor the MP units. It would be more expensive, but if you like the shells, that’s how to get smooth-running locos.
Is a motor and flywheel set a motor and flywheel set or do I need to find something that’s exact? I checked MP’s site and they don’t have any upgrades or stuff like that. I am concerned about the weight so I think I’d like to get both the motor and fly wheels for them. Can anyone provide links to something liek this??
Yes you can dd flywheels to any engine provided there is a place to add them. This can take the form of a new can motor with a shaft out either end so one shaft can run the gear train and one attached to a flywheel. Another option is if there is a long shaft of some type in the drive train where one would fit. I would think that a small piece of brass rod would be cheaper that buying a flywheel and could be made into several. Drilling and tapping a center hole in the end would allow for trueing up the rod in a hand drill or drill press if a lathe was unavailable. It shouldn;t need much however.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, because I usually hate it when people throw in the towel and tell someone to buy a new one, but…
…for the price of an A-line motor with flywheels, you could get the Proto 1K RS-2, which is far superior. I’ve seen them for $50, so that would be the better option if you intend to invest that much.
