Well I got my son’s 4-6-0 MDC kit painted in Hogwarts colors and I was just starting to put the chasis to gether . The very first step was putting the gear through the motor mount. I stuck a drill throught the hole to clean out any debri that might be in there and as gently and firmly as I could started tapping the retaining pin into place. I am used to working on guns were such parts fit.
Anyway I tapped it down until the pin was just protruding from one side. I picked up the gear to slide it into place and I noticed that the other side of the motor bracket had bent in while I was pounding the pin in from the other side. Well I grabbed a pair of needle nose and gently bent it back. It went, but trouble is I felt like it was incredibly weak. Then I slid the gear in and started tapping. It takes a lot of force to get that pin to slide. The pin went in 1/16 and the gear split. Not down the middle, but with the force required to get the pin in, it moved just a little and 4 teeth are sheared off.
What do I do now? I work on it for 5 minutes and I’ve broken the motor mount and the gear.
What did I do wrong? Do I have to use a micrometer and re-machine every part in the kit? Is this kit now junk because MDC doesn’t exist right now?
MDC does still exist – they are now part of Athearn. Try sending an e-mail to Athearn and see if they can’t help you. I don’t know their e-mail address, but you should be able to find it by going to their Web site at http://www.athearn.com
Good luck. The last MDC kit I ever assembled was way back in the mid-1960’s, and I’m sure things have changed since then.
One word of caution, though – never purchase an MDC Shay locomotive kit, because they require double the kit cost in regearing components from other manufacturers in order to get one to run. The pre-assembled MDC Shay is made in China, and runs very well except for a high-pitched whine, if you’re ever in the market for a Shay.
My father-in-law keeps teling me he never liked MDC kits. I dunno, I put together one of the Boxcab Diesels, other than the loud drive train it’s not so bad. One of these days I might actual detail it to look more like the ones the Reading had, since the MDC kit is really only correct for the first one.
But then, I have an unbuilt MDC Northeastern caboose, and it might STAY unbuilt. Looks like a mess of flash. Plus naturally is is not really correct for the Reading, mainly in having the wrong steps, even if they did correctly paint the roof brown. Oh well.
Okay, I stole the gear out of my 0-6-0 kit so I am moving forward, and putting off solving the problem until later. The motor mount did snap off like I figured, but the pin is so tight it is being held into place. once the mount is attatched to the chasis, I’ll see about fashioning a mini-bracket and soldering it on. What a hassle.
Chip
Before you shoot the 4-6-0 or yourself, check out the Northwest Short Line web site. Go to page 8 and a pdf file will open. They have re-gear kits for MDC Roundhouse locos other than the Shays. They list sets for 1.5 mm, 2mm, 3/32" shafts If you can’t figure out which one is for your 0-6-0, e-mail them and ask. I was able to buy a new gear box from them for an old Athearn steam loco.
Good luck!
Chip–DEFINITELY check out Northwest Short Line. They’ve saved my rear several times when I’ve had to replace open-frame motor/gear kits with cans. They carry just about everything you need for re-fitting almost every steam loco ever manufactured. The 4-6-0 re-fit will be a slam-dunk if you go with them. And it’ll run nice and quiet and smooth. That company is a lifesaver!
Tom[^]
SpaceMouse I’ve been in a bind before because of needing a gear. Sometimes I was able to find an appropriate substitute at a shop that caters to R/C cars…they usually have quite a selection if their customers are scratchbuilders or modifiers.
SpaceMouse, I gotta envy you the time you’ve got to spend on this hobby, and the progress you’ve made. I don’t feel ready to try the Roundhouse steam kits I’ve got quite yet.
I’ll definitely be taking your experience, as well as the suggestion that NWSL has specific re-gear kits, to heart.
Don’t let my bad expereince with the shaft stop you. For the most part, everything went together well. It was not particularly difficult except handling a few things smaller thatn an ant’s fingenails. The hardest part of this project, really was figuring out the airbru***o paint the body. Other than that, it ook about 12 hours and a lot of that was waiting for paint to dry on pieces I didn’t figure I need to paint (or knew where they went to know what color). I figure the expereince was great and the next ones should be a lot easier.
Well, if the C30-7 I’m working on adding sound to is any indication, that means I wouldn’t finish even one of the Roundhouse steamers I’ve got before mid-summer. [:(] I’ve been working on it since late January, and might have 10-12 hours in, and I’m probably only 2/3 done. Oh well, what should I expect- this is both my first foray into major DCC/sound install, AND first foray into anything resembling superdetailing. Been a fun ride, though.
While hunting up parts, it wouldn’t hurt to drop a line to the previous owner of MDC.
I wouldn’t automatically assume Horizon bought all his part’s. His address was somewhere in Nevada.
As they say in New York (WILL IT HELP?) (A.) " It wouldn’t hoight":
Actually all the N and HO stuff went on pallets to California. It is going to take the guys there a long time to sort it all. I moved MDC to Nevada from CA and we never did get everything sorted out, especially loco kits cause there are so darn many parts of all different types - stampings, diecast, plastic, cast gears, machined shafts, hardware etc. I would be surprised if they don’t just start from scratch on a particular loco and make all new parts instead of trying to id the old stuff.
