After being stored for 25 years I just unboxed an old 2-6-0 Prairie (with the Vanderbilt tender) that I built from a Roundhouse kit. It is still as quaint as it was then, just not as serviceable. Particularly, I would like to upgrade the drivers from the original brass as I don’t look forward to cleaning them frequently. The drivers look like they’re 84 inchers but, as the engine has been lettered for an imaginary late-40s Southern Oregon short line, it hopefully won’t look out of place pulling short consists of freight cars or MOW equipment. Is there a source for non-brass drivers or perhaps an outfit that could “retread” them in nickle-silver? Also, this little cutie has its orginal motor which, owing to the rather open design of the frame, generates all sorts of noise. Any suggestions from you cyber-pikers on where to go and how much I’d be looking at cost-wise?
Of course I could model a city park and consign this engine to display or just relocate it to a local hobby shop’s resale shelves. But I’m not ready to dump her so unceremoniously. The upgrade I have in mind doesn’t have to be elaborate (sound, DCC and all that stuff) as I’m just getting re-started in the hobby for the benfit of my grandson (I will provide other lies later).
Roundhouse is now owned by Athearn. I would contact their parts dept. and see if they have any of the new drivers, which are nickle silver plated, available.
IIRC Greenway products also sells many different sized drivers. They may have what you are looking for.
Failing both of those the only other solution is to locate a junker one at a train show or on E-bay.
Your 2-6-0 is actually a Mogul, not a Prairie and the Vandy tender makes it pretty certain that it’s a Southern Pacific inspired prototype so it’s a very good candidate for remotoring and even superdetailing. I wouldn’t worry about the brass drivers. An occaisional wheel cleaning is much easier than trying to find replacements and getting them quartered, installed and connected up. a medium sized can motor should fit in the space occupied by the old open frame mill.
I have several old Roundhouse locos with the brass drivers, and I’ve installed Tomar track shoes on both the locomotive and tender, which improves the pickup about 80%. They’re not THAT visible between the drivers or under the tender trucks, and they’re also self-cleaning as they slide along the rails. It’s cut down having to clean the brass drivers to almost nil.
I’ve installed them on most all of my older metal and brass steamers, whether brass or nickle-silver drivers, and the results are pretty darned amazing.
Give them a try. They’re easy to install and very inexpensive.
You have been given several sources for driver replacements. There are also some guys that will nickel plate brass drivers (I don’t recall names off hand). Either path will mean taking the drive train apart, and likely requartering of the drivers when reinstalling. With replacement drivers, matching the crankpin offset and thread (affects throw and fit of main rod), and the axle diameter is more important than matching the driver diameter. All doable work that requires more planning than it does craftsmanship. Neither replacement drivers or nickel plating the originals is going to cost less than $30, and may be considerably more.
Are you sure the motor is the problem, and not something else in the drive train? Are the motor bearings just dry from not seeing a drop of oil in years? Can the motor be good with a clean and lube, and possibly replacement of the magnet with a rare earth magnet stack?
As some other threads on this forum have addressed, remotoring is not a trivial project. It takes planning and research (the NWSL site is a good place to start). Shaft diameters will likely not be the same. Is the current gearbox worth re-using, or are you going to replace that, too? I would question the value of remotoring but retaining a Roundhouse gearbox and gears - but your model could be an exception. Are you going to add a flywheel?
For a full blown remotor, regear, and driver plating or replacement, the cost is likely to be more than you paid for the original kit. For some of
I have the older and new MDC/Roundhouse 2-6-0 locos. The driver axles are different diameter. The new Roundhouse are made in China versus the old ones that were made in the USA. The new ones I think are 3mm diameter and the older ones I think are 3.15mm, USA 1/8 inch diameter.
Below is a fellow who plated the brass drivers on my older Roundhouse 2-8-0.
Below is a link to the diagrams. I think the new motor would fit the old locos. You can get the motor and plastic motor holder from Athearn. Move the motor worm to the new one and add a flywheel. One or two holes drilled and tapped in the frame to mount the plastic motor holder.
River City Railroad sells the same motor as they have some of the old MDC/Roundhouse stock and sell the same motor that I have for about $10.00 for two. Notice the older and newer 2-6-0’s have the same motor.
