12-10-2010, 10:36 PM
OK...After getting the rivets, I finished off the left valve gear and installed it. Now I'm all set to test it, and it runs like AN OLD Model-T....Terrible would have been a compliment. Kind of expected it. So I sit down and check it piece by piece, on both sides. I tweak it here, adjust a bit there, run it some more, keep on tweaking, until finally tonight, it runs ALMOST as good as my brass engine. I brought it (the brass) out of mothballs just to see what a metal loco was supposed to run like (open frame motor and all...) and it runs just beautifully. So that was the standard to meet. I kept at it until I got it as good as I could..! 
I cobbled together the tender chassis to connect it to the loco and set it on the track to get a "feel" for the loco.
![[Image: DSCF2750.jpg]](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a200/titocast/MIKE%20BUILD/DSCF2750.jpg)
![[Image: DSCF2751.jpg]](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a200/titocast/MIKE%20BUILD/DSCF2751.jpg)
It runs great, BUT....It's such a heavy loco that on the ballasted stretches of track, you can hear it from a mile away at "cruising" speed. At lower speeds it's less noticeable, but still noisier than the rest of my locos. Oh well...That's what I get for messing with 50's technology....Does anybody out there have any ideas on how to minimize this "road noise"..??
In any event, it's good enough to justify the extra work (and expense) of detailing it like I want. So, it's onward to the details....
Will update as work progresses...
I cobbled together the tender chassis to connect it to the loco and set it on the track to get a "feel" for the loco.
It runs great, BUT....It's such a heavy loco that on the ballasted stretches of track, you can hear it from a mile away at "cruising" speed. At lower speeds it's less noticeable, but still noisier than the rest of my locos. Oh well...That's what I get for messing with 50's technology....Does anybody out there have any ideas on how to minimize this "road noise"..??
In any event, it's good enough to justify the extra work (and expense) of detailing it like I want. So, it's onward to the details....
Will update as work progresses...
Gus (LC&P).