There’s a long thread about people who fiddle with their own engines and such.
How may of you have sent a bag of parts to the LHS or manufacturer and said, “Just fix this SOB!”
And how many of you have a box of parts you were too embarrassed to take in?
I have a 4-6-0 kit I build that still has trouble with it’s front truck. I’ll get a round tuit.
Well, usually I try to fix it first but that dosen’t work out 99% of the time, so I usually end up sending it back to the shop it came from and either having it repaired or get an exchange.
Well, I for one have never taken a box of parts to the LHS and said, “Fix it”. They know less about steam than I do… I do have a couple of boxes of locos in pieces that I took apart and never got around to fix and put back together (mostly because I can’t figure out how to). I also have the many boxes of, "one of these days I really have to get around to fixing the ???. I wonder what the H*!! was wrong with it? Early “What’s his Name’s” disease?
So far ( counting years ago when I was involved) it ain’t happened yet. It’s probably coming, though.
It’s pretty much the same game for me. And like “Train 284” said, most of the time you can’t repair or fix it on your own.
Richard
Chip,I have never sent in a bag of parts…You see I learn at the age of 10 how to built a steam locomotive kit into a smooth running engine…At the ripe old age of 11 I built my first Hobbytown of Boston RS3.My Dad would look over my shoulder and check on my progress.A smile meant I was doing good a shake of the head meant I was doing something wrong…I have always thank my Dad for teaching me how to build a locomotive…You see if you understand how a locomotive is built you can fix 'em…To bad younger modelers doesn’t gasp that simple fact…Instead modelers of all ages would rather lam blast a manufacturer when they should be able to fix that problem…And while I have my soap box out many modelers of all ages should learn basic skills needed to maintain their locomotives or add missing detail parts…I don’t buy the lame excuse I don’t have the time…Ask yourself this.Would you rather watch hours of stupid TV or enjoy the hobby by learning new and exciting things?
TV? I watched Monk last week. I got a bunch of Hobby-do’s on hold while I’m working on my basement layout. Never figured it would take this much time. I’ve got weeks into it and still haven’t moved up to the second level–got to say though a lot of that time was learning the program.
Next project on the shelf is a pair of 0-6-0 tanker kits I’m going to turn into 2-6-2 tankers-if I can get around to finding the parts. Everything takes time [sigh!].
I have two locos with one piece missing, one for about 10 years, one for 15. Been trying to find replacement pieces. Mftrs don’t list them. Maybe someday find a cheap junker.
Alright, I guess I have not been giving either of these much priority. Just on my want list.
Never for repair or assembly. Just two Bachman On30 2-6-0s to widen the guage, I felt a pro should tackle this job, the rest I can do.
Dave
Chip,
I have never taken someone a bag of parts, but I have taken a few true “basket cases” and rebuilt them into reliably running engines. I’m the one they bring the sack of parts to. It may take a while, especially with no diagrams or instructions, but I usually can figure it out.
Mark C.
First thing I did 42 years ago when I got a Rivarossi 2-8-8-2 was take it all apart. It took me four days to get all the parts back together and it never did run super after that. 15 years ago I decided to do it again and discovered that two axles in each drive train have a shoulder that is closer to the centerline of the axle and it dawned on me. They go in the outside two slots of the frame to allow more play on tight curves and now it runs pretty good considering its age. Take something back? What do you think?
Never have taken parts back. In fact, like Mark, I’ve been the guy everyone brings their stuff to. In past 6 months I’ve rebuilt three tenshodo 0-8-0’s, new gears and motors, an Akane H-8, took a nose dive off a layout onto concrete, five P2K diesels, cracked gears, remotored a spectrum J, original motor gave up the ghost, and built an old Joe Works brass 2-6-2 HOn2 1/2 kit. That was a challenge as the Engli***ranslation supplied with the original Japanese instructions states, and I quote, “First you attach some parts, then you attach more parts…”
The only one I’ve taken back was an Athearn Genesis Mikado (the gear broke) while it was under warranty, otherwise I would be too embarrased for anyone else to see my “technical proficiency”. (LOUD LAUGHTER at this point).
I’ve been doing my own lube jobs and decoder installs (motor control and sound), plus other stuff like installing couplers, grab irons, details, etc.
I’ve sent back three locos that arrived at various levels of D.O.A. (two were completely dead, the other went about 2" then stopped. The latter actually had to go back TWICE…)
If it’s within warranty, I’ll let them have-at; if not, it’s letting manufacturers potentially get away with selling a defective product (one of those was a newly-released Veranda Turbine last Dec.) Otherwise, it may take a LOT of those Round Tuits (hey, Chip, have you found any websites that sell them?!). When it comes to mechanical and electric/electronic things, I’ll try anything once that isn’t actively painful! [:)]
Brian Pickering
Well, I don’t have any parts bag to lug around, but I do have a question for cjcrescent or mcouvillion…
Would it at all be possible for SOMEONE to put together a descriptive topic ( with some pics) of how to lubricate a new steam locomotive? I recently purchased a 4-6-4 Hudson from IHC and the parts diagram has a small, teeny, tiny blurb on ". . . Make certain you lubricate the engine . . . " but does not give any indications of where/how/with what to do this lubricating with.
I just spent $100 plus dollars on this DC loco and I don’t want to trash it with a ham fisted attempt to lubricate it. I would like to put a decoder in it, but again, I don’t want to screw it up. Right now the engine runs just fine, but I’d like to know how to take care of it.
My attitude is, if I cant fix it, its parts!
JohnT,
I’ve posted numerous times on how to lubricate engines. I don’t have the capability at present to post pictures. Try looking through the archives of my posts; there should be a couple that are fairly recent. If you are not satisfied, e-mail me and I will put together a detailed summary. (I may already have one, or most of one, but I would have to look for it and don’t want to chase that rabbit right now!) I would be happy to send you what I have.
Mark C.
I never take things in for repair.I take great pride in being able to fix almost anything.I’m the guy in the family everyone brings their broken stuff to for repair.My outlook is if you have to buy the parts AND tools to do the repair for the same cost as paying someone else to do it. You buy the tools and parts.This way you add more tools to your collection instead of giving your money to someone else.
I’ve been repairing and modifying all my engines since I got back into the hobby, 4 years ago. I’ve messed up a couple, but mainly have had good luck. Repaired poor electrical pickup, installed hardwired decoders, added lights of all types and LEDs. My latest project was repairing my Rivarossi Challenger using parts from another.
Now my 3985 looks like it just came out of the shop and runs fantastic! The other is now a non-working scenery item on my layout. I enjoy working on my locos and when I get to something that frustrates me, I set it aside and work on something else for awhile. That way, when I get back to it I have a clear head and maybe thought of a new way to facilitate the repairs.
In the process, I’ved added lighting to all my cabeese and almost all my passenger cars. I’ve even added lighted “drumheads” and rear markers on my observation cars using LEDs, fiber optics and home made pickups.
Maintenance and repairs are as enjoyable to me as all the other aspects of model railroading.