Many years ago I purchased the MDC box cab for a specific purpose (long gone now). After being stored for fifteen plus years it has developed a problem. Before running it again I took it apart for a good cleaning and lubrication I found the universal joint on the drive shaft is slipping so its only driving one truck. Now this is not a real valuable engine but I did spend many hours on it detailing it and painting so I really would like to get it up and running again then install a DCC decoder in it.
If memory serves the universal joints were just “friction” fit to the driveshaft So any suggestions to put them on so that it will once again perform well would b appreciated. I had thought of CAA but I do not think thats a very permanent cure. (I tried and in a matter of ten minutes at slow speed it failed. Funny one seems to hold the other does not. I detect no binding in the truck and have rotated the trucks and the good joint runs either truck. I might just end up with running on one powered truck.
If you can get the motor out of the carbody, remove the u-joint from the motor shaft, then place the offending shaft on a hard surface, like at the edge of your workbench. (The shaft itself has to rest on the hard surface.) Place the face of the end of a mill file atop the shaft, and with some downward pressure, push the file along the edge of the bench, which will rotate the driveshaft and move the motor along the edge of the bench. This will perform an action called “upsetting”, which will score the driveshaft slightly, with the majority of the displaced material remaining attached to the shaft but slightly increasing its diameter. One pass should suffice. The u-joint should once again be a press-fit on the shaft. Before performing this action, it might be a good idea to protect the motor with tape or cloth so that no errant filings get into it.
I will give your suggestion a try. I have nothing to loose and everything to gain. As I said the loco might not have alot of value save for the energy and labor invested in painting and detailing. Your input is greatly appreciated.
I have reciently heard that the Bachmann GE-44 ton loco frame will fit under the MDC Climax. The Climax has the same frame as the Box Cab. Replacing the whole powered chassis would be the way to go. It is also much quieter. I think there was a thread on the Forums here about it, so you may want to try a search.
With some modifications to the 44 ton shell, yes this is true, the MDC Boxcab and Climax will fit over the shell. The Spectrum can be purchased for 20.00-40.00 on EBay, runs very smooth and is DCC ready. Here is a link to some pictures, there isn’t much in the way of step by step instructions but its pretty simple and self explainatory. Feel free to PM me if you wish.
You guys have hit the nail on the head regarding the noise. I have both the climax and the box cab and yes the is an issue with noise from them. As far as the climax I could dismiss it as almost “prototypical” but the box cab is another issue. I have a 44 ton spectra that I purchased very recently since I am just not comfortable with my grandchildren want to run a train and in their eyes the question is just how fast will they go. Sure seems to save on the brass. I might just look into a couple more and try that conversion as well. The previous poster had a suggestion that did work but I will question that its might just be a matter of time before the problem reoccurs.
I had an acquaintance who had one of these and it ran real good - noisy to be sure - but, nevertheless, I usually observed it switching eight to ten cars around his industrial district. One day it showed up on his workbench with the body shell off of the mechanism and he was trying to figure out why something was slipping with only one truck pulling. I don’t know whether he ever did figure out what the malfunction was but I never did see it running again.
I have a fairly quiet MDC Climax but it has been extensively rebuilt. Even the two trucks were completely disassembled and cleaned up. It has been fitted with DCC & sound.
He use to sell his conversion book directly and now only on ebay. I bought my book some months ago for 12.95 plus shipping. It is now 16.00, plus shipping on ebay.
I’ve done two box cabs to the 44 tonner chassis after seening geared steam’s posting. Here’s a couple of pictures of them. The paint’s still wet and will get some toning down later. When you cut down the 44 tonner all I used was the frame and left the front and rear grills (cut down) in place and the box cab just slides over them. This leaves about a 1/4 inch in the front and rear that needs to be filled in. On the center door I used the original coupler and bracket on the second I filled it in with putty. Right now still working on the paint getting it to look right.
This shows the top of both. The one on the right I bought off Ron the other day on the bay site.
Side view of box cab/caboose.
This is the first one I did a couple of weeks ago. It has the center door and I used the original front end and couple from the kit.
About 20 years ago I decided to put a can motor in one of my brass articulateds using Universals to connect the motor to the rear set of drivers. Friction fit. Ran fine for about two months, then the universal connector to the shaft started spinning. I was one UNHAPPY camper.
Solution? Not gap-filling CA, but good old 2-part Epoxy. Slathered some on the shaft, took a toothpick and filled the hole in the Universal, pressed it on, let it dry for about a day and a half, connected everything else up and it’s still running without a hitch. CAA is great and I use it a lot, but it doesn’t have that great a ‘shear’ power when it comes to moving parts. Epoxy just sets and DARES you to loosen it. You might try it on that slipping Universal you have. I’d suggest the regular, not the 5-minute (though I’ve heard good things about that, too). Just set it and walk away for about a day and a half. BTW, if it happens to get on something you don’t want it to, the stuff cleans up very nicely with nail-polish remover.
Yup, I did one awhile ago too. This was a badly damaged MDC shell, hence the patchwork on the front. Fits nicely over the Spectrum frame and for $40 it already has a decoder installed. This is actually over the 70 tonner frame.
