i am bulding @ time present a USRA light mountain by bowser but i can’t get the valve gear on correctly any ideas?
Just as an assist on getting to the nub of the matter, and not because I have a whit of experience doing this, what is the problem? Where are you to in the construction, and what has stumped you?
Have you tried to contact Bowser? Seems to be that would be the logical idea.
Bob Boudreau
well i got the valve gear fixed guess it was a little thing of frustration but now with the DC 71 revised motor i’m having problems in th booklet they mention to attach the right wire to any part of the locomotive under any screw. the left goer to the tender but doeen’t mention if where or how or if the insulated wheels are the key.
You’ll have to phone Bowser, as Bob says. Get one of their techs on the phone and he should be able to talk you throught the process.
What the instructions are giving you is traditional DC wiring for a steam locomotive. The engine picks up power from one rail and the tender from the other. The engine and tender are insulated from each other. All the insulated wheels on the engine must be on one side, and all the insulated wheels on the tender must be on the other.
The motor wire going to the tender can be attached anywhere since the entire tender frame and chassis is hot (same with engine, just the other polarity). However, if you just attach to the nearest point of the tender frame - quite commonly where the insulated drawbar mounts - there are a lot of moving surfaces that must make good electrical contact for the loco to run well. My recommendation is to add wires from where ever you terminate the wire coming from the engine to at least where the tender trucks mount to the tender frame. Even better would be some flex wire to the tender truck bolsters. This will give you a solid path once the power reaches the truck frame. Then the only possible problem areas remaining are the wheel-to-track and the wheel axle-to-truck frame.
I’m glad you were able to resolve the valve gear problem. Congratulations on taking on a Bowser steam kit - it’s something to be proud of.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
dr.bones, I sent you an e-mail about the insulated wheels and wiring that should help you out.[:D]