He’s going to be excited, because I have pretty much the same Pacific, but in N scale. He’s wanted a steam engine for his train for a while now.
That’s a nice little loco. I have one as well. What road name did you purchase for your son?
Rich
Spectrum K4 probably a PRR? [swg]
Crandell
PRR #1361.
Does anyone know if this particular engine has a flywheel and tender pickups?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200791109675&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:US:3160
I don’t know about the other stuff, but that is a pretty loco.
Thanks. Got it on the cheap.
I want to ensure it give smy five year old son many years of trouble-free enjoyment, so that’s why I want to make sure it has tender pickups and a flywheel.
I plan on weathering it too, so that it looks pretty much like mine.
I’ve got the PRR #5448.
Dunno about a flywheel, but the tender wheels act as pickups for power. A very reliable steam loco.
Rich
K4 does have flywheel
K4 does have flywheel
I’m not sure about the flywheel either, but I suspect if it has one it’s fairly small. I bought one of the first run of these from c.1988. It runs pretty well, no trouble picking up power, but it is very light so is a bit limited in pulling power - particularly on grades.
This locomotive will only ever be pulling cars on a flat piece of foam core board, so we’re good there. I have plenty of weights to weigh down the tender.
Rich,
Just wanted to reply back to you. I received the Pacific, and only the engine has pickup ability. The drivers, trailing wheels, and front wheels (the ‘4’ in the 4-6-2 Pacific) all have pickup ability. The tender is connected by a plastic drawbar.
I want to add a tender with pickup ability. I’m thinking about purchasing this tender from MB Klein and soldering some wires to go to the tender.
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Bachmann-HO-89832-Spectrum-USRA-Long-Tender-C-O-p/bac-89832.htm
I suspect I have this Spectrum K4 Pacific (with no flywheel):
I am surprised at the differences on the same model loco. Mine has power pick ups on both tender trucks. There are copper strips that span the two axles on each tender truck.
My K4 does not have power pick ups on the pilot truck and trailing truck.
Rich
I will need to find a way to run the wires from the engine to the tender. Maybe I’ll splice into the wires going to the trailing truck and run the wires underneath the cab and back to a new Spectrum tender. I have not bought the new Spectrum tender yet, but when I do, I can easily hook it up to the new tender.
Question. There are two plugs on the newer K4 Pacifics: a two pin connector and a four pin connector. I assume the four pin connector has the red, black, orange, and grey wires, and the two pin connector has the headlight wires.
If I were to connect a newer Spectrum model tender, I would need to splice into the red and black wires to the four pin connector, right?
I suspect that that massive brass worm gear also acts as a flywheel.
Never assume with DCC and Bachmann DCC. Bachmann to date does not use NMRA color codes for the DCC wiring. I have some diesels and steamers.
The two pin connector is for rail pickup from the loco drivers. The four pin connector, two wires for the motor and two wires for the loco light.
To my knowledge, the Bachmann steamers with tender that are DCC ready and DCC onboard all have pickups on the tender. Some tender, the trucks can completely swivel and cause a short.
Switching tenders for the DCC versions can be a problem. Different wiring for some.
Link to the 4-6-2 diagram. Surprisingly, many never check the Bachmann site.
There is a flywheel on the front of the motor. The worm is on the rear of the motor and drives the worm gear which is on the rear driver axle.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/H844X-IS00.PDF
Rich
Looking a little closer at the diagram, I think the work drives a worm gear on an intermediate shaft. A spur gear on that shaft then drives another spur gear on the rear driver axle. Similar to the Athearn/ Roundhouse steamer gear setups.
Rich
You have the PRR #1361. I have the PRR#5448.
if yours is the older model like mine, they would have been produced at the same time.
Mine has power pickups on the loco driver wheels and power pickups on the tender trucks.
You say that there are no power pickups on the tender trucks, but there are power pickups on the loco pilot truck and trailing truck. Personally, I have never seen power pickups on the pilot truck or the trailing truck of an HO scale steam engine.
I wonder if someone modified the locomotive prior to your purchase. In that case, you might even be suspect of the wiring harness. Check it closely.
Rich
DING DING DING. The worm gear is huge, and made of brass, so yes, it acts as a flywheel of some sorts.