Found one of these yesterday at my LHS, missing the end hand rails. How does that happen.
Boxed but no paperwork.
I really can’t explain why I like these FM locomotives so much but they really look good to me. Such a huge diesel for its era. Really commanding presence on the layout.
The decoder is supposed to be a Loksound and it does sound very different from my otherwise mostly EMD fleet so I’m hoping it’s a “real” FM engine sound.
Does anybody know if Loksound captured actual FM 24 66 engine sound set?
Rapido says they intend to build 16 44 and since Rapido fits Loksound I’m hopeful somebody somewhere has the sounds for that smaller FM engine. I’ve “pre-ordered” two but with Rapido (and others for that matter) one never knows if they’ll see enough demand to proceed.
After looking off and on all year I found two Trainmasters in a space of just two weeks. An old Atlas redecorated as CPR 8904 by a previous owner but has the handrails. This newly acquired Trainmaster is factory painted to CPR 8901 and my first idea was to transfer the handrails. The earlier model has less detail for the hand rails but otherwise looks a straight swap.
Brass wire is my other alternative. I’m not sure I have those skills.
Glad you found your TMs. It’s one of my favorite diesels too. They are indeed imposing looking with the tall hoods and high running boards. As a kid I witnessed them on the Virginian and was enthralled by their power, size, sound and neat paint jobs. I have 2 without sound and mine are missing end handrails too. No luck with Atlas getting them. I’ll install either Soundtraxx or TCS sound decoders as time and money permit. The engines I’ve heard with Loksound don’t impress me.
The end handrails on those locomotives are pretty basic - straight stanchions and straight handrails, too. Use the end handrails from your most recent Trainmaster as patterns to bend new ones, using Tichy .020" or .025" phosphor-bronze wire, as it’s stiffer than brass (.020" or .025" piano wire would be even stiffer for the handrail, but would likely require ca for the joints, rather than soldering).
You could use the same wire for the stanchions: place a length of the wire on a hard surface, then position a piece of flat metal over the end of the wire. Give it a not-too-hard whack with a hammer, to flatten the end, then use a torch or even a lighter to make the flattened portion less brittle.
Next, use appropriate pliers to bend the flattened portion, wrapping it around the already-formed railing - trim as necessary.
I’ve found that a sheet of 1/4" balsa is very useful for postioning the assembled parts properly when it’s time to solder the handrail and stanchions together: use dressmakers pins to hold the railing in place, then align the stanchions (use a suitable square to keep them at the proper spacing and at a true 90º to the handrail) again using pins to keep them in place.
Apply a little flux to the stanchion/handrail interface, then touch the soldering iron to each joint, in-turn (it’s a good idea to place a small wad of wet tissue over each joint as it’s made - this will prevent excess heat from the soldering of the next stanchion from undoing the previous one.
I re-did the all-plastic handrails on this Atlas RS-1…
Thanks v much for all that detail. I will give it a go. I am quite handy so who knows what the result may be.
I have rigged a few full rigged ships with thread and various bits. A few in quite small scale (obviously!). Fiddly bits don’t faze me.
The repair of my Shay seems to be going well and I’m rather pleased with my skills there. I wasn’t sure if I could drill and tap a tiny piece of plastic with a .090 tap and drill but I could it turns out.
I am sure I am better at the mechanical stuff than I am the painting.
I love mine. Got it when the CDN $ was well above the US $ 14 years ago or so, and the price was already reduced. I honestly didn’t know anything about it, but once I had it in hand and ran it, I was very impressed. It’s a smooth, reliable diesel, and the QSI decoder still works like a Swiss…uhh…decoder?
I would think that Atlas must have one or two on hand…handrails I mean. But, if you can craft one out of brass wire, you will have my admiration. [8D]
Not sure where I got the Loksound idea. I was programming a few locomotives last night and maybe lost track of what was in which brand.
The earlier of my Trainmaster acquisitions appears to be an old Athearn! Judging from the coupler box covers.
It’s noticably larger than the Atlas (edit, that’s an illusion). The wheelbase is quite a bit longer and the whole locomotive model is slightly bigger all around. Edit, curious I measured the difference. The rear truck is 1/8" further back and the body of the Athearn model is 1/8" longer then the Atlas version, otherwise they are the same size. The Athearn just looks larger, it isn’t really that different.
I haven’t looked but I’m expecting the basic BB chassis with twin flywheels. The trucks are the later design adopted by seemingly everybody. The axles and gear trains retained by plastic clips. The Atlas clips are identical to the Athearn clips, except they are embossed with “Atlas”. Lifelike used the same design.
The Atlas model is significantly heavier. In fact, the Atlas model is very heavy.
If you are going to make your own handrails I strongly recommend using phosphor bronze wire as opposed to brass. The phosphor bronze wire is extremely resilient and it will withstand handling without getting bent out of shape. It solders just as well as brass, and it will allow the shape to be adjusted a couple of times before it becomes brittle. It is available from Tichy Trains:
Mike, I find this site to be very useful for discovering when a particular Atlas loco was built. Keep in mind the description is for the current run only. Atlas began using Loksound about 2012, and it looks like only the most recent run of the FM TM would be ESU (and not in CP paint).
And if your loco came in a styrofoam cradle, turnover the cradle to find the endrails in a separate sealed bag taped to the bottom. This is common. Atlas never installed them as to prevent them from being damaged during shipping.
If it is truly a Loksound edition loco, the packaging should be different and the endrails installed, or missing in your case.
Most people believe that the QSI sound files did not represent the real loco prime mover as well as Tsunami or Lok, but they are otherwise very nice, IMO. If I was modeling that era, I would have one because I think they are great locos, and the sound, if not as authentic as others, is pretty cool regardless.
The Atlas Gold series Trainmaster came in a black box with foam inserts like Spectrum diesels. No luck with the secreted package of parts.
Phosphor bronze wire and hours of work, here we come. Just because Atlas won’t stock replacement parts, the bandits!
I have since learned that my el cheapo Trainmaster is a fairly old Athearn model. The flywheels are clearly grey and not brass. The truck frames are sturdy and quite nicely detailed metal. The rails are very rigid and clearly not plastic unless the previous owner used very sturdy paint. No CPR version of this model was ever made. A previous owner did a very creditable job of paint and decalling. Not perfect and not factory level but easily comparable to anything I could do.
So, although I got this for CAD$40.00 I am really reluctant to steal the railings off this model. When someone takes the time and care to paint and decal a model I’m really reluctant to mess around with it. Put another way, if the paint and decalling were that inferior I probably would have passed on this acquisition. If the paint or decalling is bad enough to warrant redoing then I really have to want the model.
I’m repairing a Spectrum Shay partly because I want one but also because the original model was Weyerhauser and a previous owner removed or effectively covered original paint and decals and did a really first rate repaint and decals to match an actual Shay of this specification that ran on part of the Kettle Valley line im supposedly modelling. I’ve done this twice now and it’s neither easy nor particularly fun. I’d pay extra for an undecorated model rather than tackle a repaint job.
Some hobbyist modified stuff is basically so well done you feel obliged not to change it. There’s no way I paid full value for what went into this Shay so far. And when I’m done fixing the gears and the electrical faults (if I can even find the faults to repair) there’s no way to get my money out let alone my time.
Ok, that’s a QSI TM. Atlas would typically put the endrails in a bag and slide them in that little slit designed to hold such things. The previous owner probably pulled tham out and lost them.
Atlas still has replacement parts, not many, so check their website to see for sure.
And you’re in luck, you could just go with an entire brand new decorated TM body for $35 plus shipping, which should include the endrails (might want to call to make sure, they may even still have the endrails by themselves since they have bodies). Several different roadnames, like CN too, if you’re interested. Pay 45 or fiddle with brass. I know which would yield a better result if I was doing it.
I placed the order and we’ll see what arrives and whenl
Even with the additional shipping charges (around 50% of the bill for the part actually but I believe this has to do with shipping to Canada specifically. US post would be way cheaper.
Another reason I shop through my LHS, they aggregate shipping charges which costs each customer a lot less.
Atlas does list quite a few spare parts but alas no handrail sets.
Genius suggestion. New shell arrived today…sidecrails already installed but no end handrails on the model. Oh no, and even hunted through the popcorn and no joy.
BUT, inside the shell in its own little plastic bag is a set of the necessary end handrails.
Easily the fastest and simplest solution.
Not 100% serendipity though, the new shell is the same road number (out of four possibilities).
Still, changing a road number is no big deal.
Now I can look for another Trainmaster from any road name and steal the end rails and drive for my second CPR shell. They had 8 Trainmasters I believe.
Or, you could call Atlas and have them exchange the shell for a different roadnumber. You pay both shipping costs however.
The numberboard light bezels are pretty easy to swap out on Atlas locos. Generally press fit but could be stuck if the paint had not yet cured.
If you found a TM with an acceptable roadnumber, you could swap out the numberboards.
You want to alter the numberboards as little as possible, because they are designed for the light to show though. Changing a 3 to an 8 or a 2 to a 7 can usually be done with a little black or white paint that won’t impact the lighting very noticeably.
There are probably other ways to do it. Redecaling the entire numberboard is one way. Losing the lighted function isn’t that big of a deal.
Installed the new shell today. In addition to the missing end rails and front and rear folding steps, the used model was also missing the full width grab rail just above the cut bar. That grab rail does not come in the little plastic accessory package (detail package?) but is pre- installed at the factory as for the side rails.
So, I fit the new parts to the new shell and swapped the shells.
For this Atlas model you first remove the couplers (you are going to get rid of those silly Accumate two piece couplers and put in Kadee #148 anyway, right?) then pull off the plastic fuel tank (well, more like gently pry it off working carefully bit by bit around the four corners) and then cradling the drive in your non dominant hand gently shake the drive out of the shell with your dominant hand by lifting the shell up as the drive falls out into your hand. Starting with the long hood end and as the drive drops out into your hand you wriggle and shake the front hood off at the same time. Similar to Genesis but not quite the same as there are a couple of nubs that slip out of notches in the drive and snap back in noticably when re-assembling.
Bought another BB Trainmaster today, undecorated. It’ll become yet another 8900 which was the last Trainmaster running for CPR, in my town, my local yard. The most recent pictures show it in sorry shape, rusty as all get out. Mine will remain brand new, ish, since the original 8900 had rather different side walkways and was originally built for long hood forward operation.
