Does anyone know who would make a Firecracker Antenna to fit this model? I am sure one could be made to fit very easy. Does anyone make a brass one?
HERE IS THE HOLE FOR IT
HERE IS ONE WITH THE ANTENNA INSTALLED
Thanks
Mike
Well, I, for one, will be following this thread closely. [%-)] My Lionel has no such device, not even the hole. We are talking about the hole in the cab roof, right?
-Crandell
Yes, it’s the small hole in the top middle of the cab. You can see it in the pictures. I am not sure though but I think they only put those Firecracker Antennas in the Steam engines of TODAY that were pulling excursion trains.
Either way, Mike, it’s good for me to know, and I am happy to continue to follow your thread. Which Challenger is this…which company made it? Looks nice.
-Crandell
Crandell,
No that’s fine. I am also curious to know if the Challengers in the 50’s had them. I just bought it. it’s an Overland with the two auxilary “turbine” water tenders. Here is a pic below of it.
Mike
Mike, have you solved it’s running issues yet? I’m sure when you do it’ll be a beauty.
Mark
Yes I did, read below.
No, Mike - the “firecracker” antenna is a recent technology, probably put on 3985 by the UP for compatibility with their radio systems - it would not have been present (or even available) in the 50s.
Cal Scale, (Bowser) had them at one time and may still be available. Details West’s, used to be brass, just don’t know if they still are.
If neither of these are available, make your own by placing an appropriate sized piece of K&S round brass into a drill, and use a couple of files to turn your own. Very simple and quick turning project.
Take a 1/4 in long piece of #22 telephone wire. 1/8 in cut the insulation and remove the insulation from one end You now have a firecracker antenna.
Dave H.
Overland Models also makes a firecracker antenna in their parts line.
Rick
You bring up the point here which I would raise; modeling 3985 circa 2007 is one thing - modeling 3985 circa sixty years ago is something else.
All a Firecracker antenna is is a whip rhombic with a loading coil inside. I didn’t have a lot of experience with these things - the only place I ever saw them was mounted on the roof of Air Force issue pickem-up trucks - but I seem to recall them being about 4 to 4.5 inches in diameter; I will assume that the reason you raise this point is that you do not want to purchase one of the ready-made “Firecrackers” from Details West in which case I would start with a scale 18 inch length of .05 inch stainless tubing from Ngineering; I would solder a length of .042 stainless tubing into that leaving a tail of approximately 3 inches scale and into that I would solder a length of .032 inch tubing leaving a tail protruding long enough to glue into the hole in the roof of the Athearn Challenger. Technically these things are mounted on a shallow stand which you may or may not wish to fabricate; whatever this is going to be nothing better than a close-but-no-cigar rendition of the real McCoy which will probably pass without under-the-microscope scrutiny.
None of the in service Challengers in the steam era had the antenna on them. Only the Fan trip version would use that type of Antenna.
Cheers