Doorstop four axle Diesels

[bob turner]

Here is my only Shark:

[R.K. Maroon]

I think it is Lou

You are of course correct -- I clearly merged Jack Collier with Lou Houlemarde and got Jack Houlemarde. I have edited the post to fix this error.

Nice early FT models - why not guess at early Exacta? Seems to me they incrementally improved the FT models, although I have seen some truly awful examples that maybe preceded these

Anything is possible, as the documentation on many of these models is thin. Having said that, Exacta ran almost 30 advertisements in Model Railroading and issued a catalog as well. There is ample documentation of the Exacta cast E7 AB set but no mention of a freight diesel. Also, I might be more inclined if the Exacta E7 and this FT set were more similar in construction. As it is, the E7 is all cast while the FTs have sheet brass sides. The E7s have rivets, the FTs do not. The chassis and drives are not at all similar either. The E7 drive closely resembles the CLW drive in their cast PA, and similarly does not have a separate chassis. The FTs have machined chassis and drive that are very different:


https://www.dropbox.com/s/kilvpl03w3769b8/Jack%20Collier%20EMD%20FT%20Chassis%2001.JPG
It doesn't prove anything, but I wouldn't bet on Exacta.

Here is my only Shark

I too have lone PRR RF-16A Shark. It arrived long before the ABA set showed up:


https://www.dropbox.com/s/68nlan2hchl8rhj/Penn-Erie%20Shark%20PRR%202004_02.JPG

It needs a little touch-up, but it has CLW sprung trucks and a CLW drive. I haven't tried to run it with ABA set, and wouldn't have any idea if an ABAA lash-up would be realistic or not.

Jim

[steamaheadstephen59]

I have two RF-16 sharks or shells, how did you join the to halves. I was thinking of soldering them together using that aluminium solder you find advertised on some web sites. The stuff actually works, but needs a lot of heat and doesn't flow or run into a joint, its more like brazing, but how did you do it?

[R.K. Maroon]

I have more Penn-Erie models than I am willing to admit too. I did not assemble any of them. I am going from memory, but I recall that one or two of them were actually TIG-welded together. Not many modelers have the setup or skill for that. The vast majority of the models were epoxied together. I will double check this on the four factory models I have and report back. I am leery of epoxy, but if these factory models are holding together with no obvious degradation after fifty-plus years, then I would find it harder to argue that epoxy is not a viable option. Others may have different opinions. I have tried the aluminum brazing rod (but not on cast aluminum). I found it very hard to get a decent bead.

If I were to ever build up a casting set, I would fabricated backing splints across the joints. One at the nose, one or two in the roof, and one in the rear bulkhead. The factory Penn-Erie U5Bs, which were sold assembled at one point by Penn-Erie, are notable for the presence of a long screw through nose, used to hold the shells together. There may be a screw at the rear of the shell as well. I have not seen any other units with this screw, including the U33C and U50 factory models.

Jim

[steamaheadstephen59]

Thanks Jim, you're right the aluminium solder is not easy to use, but seams strong enough when you get it to work.

[R.K. Maroon]

Here are a few photos as a follow-up on assembling the Penn-Erie shells. First, a U25B, which arrived painted and decaled for NYC but without a chassis:


https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/oktrby7kpz3kvy3qw56d0/Penn-Erie-GE-U25B-NYC-2500.jpg?rlkey=c4v28v3p7vxepjxbxav6ei0f1

The shell is bonded together, almost certainly with epoxy. As mentioned before, it is known that Penn-Erie sold the U25B shells already assembled with screws at each end to hold the shell together. The screws are a little hard to see in the photo here, but can been seen more clearly by clicking the link under the photo (which takes you to a larger image.

Here is another U25B, known to be a factory-built display model. It is also bonded together and has the reinforcing screws at each end:


https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3nq4ylkz9qkm1qz2rc3fz/Penn-Erie-GE-U25B-NH-2503.jpg?rlkey=g34me5ctj79b51be48xtogdq7

Finally, here is a later model, a U33B:


https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0nqfcm9dvy7lwi3anaxuf/Penn-Erie-GE-U33B.jpg?rlkey=g15tckmx5ukk147718n8ge76f

The shell is bonded together but there are no screws. It seems pretty clear that bonding the shells together is perfectly viable. Screws don't seem to be needed either, as most of my Penn-Erie models do not have them. But it can't hurt either.

One last thing: I mentioned that I would use backup pieces across the joint. Bob T. reports that a patch of epoxy-infused fiberglas cloth across the joint is quick and easy. While you don't get the mechanical strength that a metal plate gives you, Bob's patch seems like a good compromise -- stronger than just a seam bond but much easier to install.

Jim

[steamaheadstephen59]

Thanks for the pictures and information, the fiberglass matting sounds like a good idea.

[bob turner]

These models do not see severe service.

I broke a toilet tank three decades ago - JB Weld and Fiberglas cloth, and it lasted a quarter century - it did not fail; the Greek just wanted one of those new toilets that only flush successfully when they feel like it.

I did a Hudson tender in 1966 by using two of those shorter Lionel die cast tenders carefully spliced together. I used epoxy, but was unaware of JB Weld. This stuff was dime store epoxy. Glass cloth is the same. Still together behind my 2-railed 763.

Do not hesitate to use epoxy on aluminum or die cast. No need to weld or solder.

[ScaleCraft]

And now JB Quick sets faster.
Had an emissions device let go on our Explorer on vacation, torched a slot in the side of the plastic intake plenum.
Stopped at NAPA, bought some JB Quick and black tape, fixed it, and it's been almost 20 year now.

Years ago, a friend ran an automotive machine shop.
An old farmer brought in a flathead six Dodge, with a wrist pin that came adrift in the piston, and made one helluva groove in the cylinder wall.
He did not have the money for sleeving the cylinder, new pistons or rings.
My buddy stripped it, hot tanked it, JB Weld the groove, next day power honed that cylinder, re-assembled with new gaskets, and last I heard, it was still running.

[steamaheadstephen59]

I checked out a few videos on You Tub, JB weld certainly has a reputation as an epoxy glue. In Australia I found a couple of suppliers, I will be getting some!!

[R.K. Maroon]

Here is another set of doorstop four-axle diesels -- an ABA set of FTs -- purchased on eBay in October 2011:


https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wwqzb0agpn3v0jrgnbbew/WCCo-Adams_GN_FT_01.JPG?rlkey=s74tvk1zajkc2dzggc5ganzro


https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2yylx899olkts10r7retv/WCCo-Adams_GN_FT_03.JPG?rlkey=ir8s1q1yfcoe3y1g2peslchkp


https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1x0iznbldmlctrsg8a1wj/WCCo-Adams_GN_FT_02.JPG?rlkey=our83l3u4pnpbsrjum6okvrjq

Hmm...I am getting the "broken link" icon for the images, but when I click on the "backup" link, the image appears. I will be interested to know if anybody out there is seeing the images just fine or if everybody is getting the same broken link icon.

UPDATE: Discovered a fix (or more accurately, a hack) to work around the issue. Images should show now for most people. The secondary link under the image should still work too

It's always something, and if it's not something, it's something else

[sleepmac]

The photos don't show up on MTJ, but they show up when I select the links. Thanks for posting the photos.

Dan Weinhold

[R.K. Maroon]

I found a work-around for the problem I was having with images not being displayed. It's not a great solution, however, as I would have to go back and edit every old post that has a broken link and manually edit the text of the link.

Are we having fun yet?
Jim