Show finds from early December

[El_Fixes_Things]

Picked a bunch of stuff up at the Albany Great Train Extravaganza back in December. Main purchases were some very troubled MPC steam engines, a Williams Reproductions Trainmaster, and a set of 4 Postwar 2500 cars and a Williams baggage. Note the Williams stuff is pre-Bachmann.

Things are mostly salvagable, but unfortunately the one thing I didn’t account for were the armatures on the N&W J 8100 and the UP 8002. The worm wasn’t really protected from moisture and got chewed up by rust. And I can’t seem to find anybody who’s got a replacement 8002-125 armature. Yeah, I’ve tried all the usual suspects, believe me.

The most promising at the moment is looking like the Trainmaster, funny enough. It may just run again. I honestly thought it was the least likely to be fixable based on its condition.

I figured I’d show people a little of what I’m up to, just so folks know I’m still alive and playing with trains. But I have found another forum that I think I generally like better than this one, and I’m more active there. The ‘rewards program’ for posting here isn’t going to change that for me.

-El

[Flintlock76]

Ellie, if anyone can raise the dead it’s you! As far as those MPC motors and gears are concerned the only thing I’d advise is keep your eyes open at shows for what the parts dealers have and maybe what’s in the junk boxes.
But I’m sure you’ve guessed that already!

[El_Fixes_Things]

Thanks Wayne.

Rest assured, keeping my eyes out as ever. I’m currently looking into the possibility of taking up the Lathe, and figuring out how to machine a new armature shaft. The major issue I see at the moment is that I don’t know the tooth profile or thread pitch. I think it’s a triple-start worm, which is probably trickier to do, but I’m hopeful I can find information on how to achieve that.

If anyone just so happened to have a nice engineering drawing of one of these armatures, feel free to drop me a line!