Is it a gem or a pig in a polk?

[Tom Dempsey]

I purchased this on ebay. The "hobbyshop" stated that it was locked up (which it is) and they didn't want to bother with disassembly and lube, so it was for sell for $50.00 plus shipping. The shell has been off before, would have been nice if at least half the screws were reinstalled, or even there. Having never had a 3R Weaver apart, there's some extra bits in there to me. Does anyone know what, if anything, was chopped out. The two blue "ends?" were poorly wrapped in electrical tape. Thanks in advance for any help you folks can offer.

[rogruth]

I can not be of any help but what the heck is that?
Maybe more info is needed for any help.

[robert.]

Will it run when you hit the motor leads with power? If you turn the drive shaft by hand will it spin? Weaver diesels don't coast. When you push them nothing spins. Weavers have a habit of breaking body mounts. Most of the ones i have are broken. I just set the shell on and let gravity do the rest. I guess i could fix it with some pc7 but i probably won't. as for all the extra things i don't have that stuff in mine. What is it?

[Tom Dempsey]

This is the description. This is a better picture. I haven't applied power yet, but neither the circuit board nor whatever was originally attached to these wires would have been in a DC 2 rail locomotive. As this is my first time pulling the body off a 3 rail model, I figured I'd better try to determine if I'm working with a problem here before applying any power.

[chuck]

This looks like one of the early Weaver engines with a horizontal Pittman motor drive. Probably has a chain/tower on one of the trucks?

The board looks like it might be an early electronic reverse unit? The "missing" wires may have been used for lighting or to drive sound board?

It looks kind of like this?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/O-WEAVER-RS-3-D ... SwtfhYnJJb

[jlong]

I don't think anything was chopped out. Looks like a DIY crimp connection where he trimmed off excess strands after replacing the board. It wouldn't hurt to put a pair of DC leads directly to the motor to see if it turns. If the reverse board is fried, replace it with a Williams unit.

[Tom Dempsey]

Okay, thanks guys, it's going two rail anyway, I just was concerned that something important might have been removed. It does appear to be add on but I hadn't thought about a replacement board, that kind of makes sense. I'm just gonna tear it all the way down and fix stuff during the rebuild. I take it from the comment that early Weaver boards aren't held in high regard?

[Roy]

The box says it's hi-rail, which means it originally came with wheels with flanges too deep to run on two rail. Also, I don't know if Weaver insulated any of the wheels on their three rail engines.

Also, it's poke, not polk.

[chuck]

Weaver boards weren't any better or worse than anyone else's electronic reverse units. The chain drive was another story. It was meant for two rail and assumed wider curves, lower weight and less drag. When it worked it was very smooth and very quiet. It was just very easy to break.

It looks like someone did do some rewiring from the motor to the board. The wires look wrong, the solder joints look bad and I agree that those blue things are abused crimp connectors. Wire nuts would have been a better choice. I almost bought an early Weaver RS-3 because it looked great. Best shell and detailing I've ever seen on an RS-3.

P&D probably has any replacement parts you may need. Good luck!

[jlong]

I take it from the comment that early Weaver boards aren't held in high regard?

The ampacity was inadequate and they were notorious for frying under heavy loads. Voltage spikes off a ZW in a direct short situation resulting from a derailment was lethal as well.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

"ampacity". Another good one! I never heard that word before. Did you just coin that one here? Cool if you did.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Okay, thanks guys, it's going two rail anyway.......

Yup, just swap out the wheels and off you go - personally, I just trash the boards unless I can find someone to buy them, and then just run straight DC.

[Tom Dempsey]

That's the plan Martin et al, as usual, this is getting in the way of my longer term projects but it just sounded too interesting to pass up. I've already got the FineScale 360 upgrade kit for the chain drive and now just have to take it apart, see which gears have split and install a set of scale flanged wheel sets. I just was really interested in if something important had been cut but I figure if it was someone here would have instantly recognized it as missing. This locomotive arrived as described but I think it saw more road time than was implied. The shell is perfect, if however, incorrect. (UP had zero FA-2's on their roster). Again, thanks to all of you for your input, I'm going to put the mystery wiring down to a sound system, decoder, or just plain a substandard driveway repair.

[Roy]

I wonder if the extra wires were for switches to disable or bypass the electronic reverse, to allow multiple unit operation, or to park the engine on live trackage?

[jlong]

"ampacity". Another good one! I never heard that word before. Did you just coin that one here? Cool if you did.

I didn't coin it. It's a commonly used term and has to do with the amperage a device or conductor will handle without overheating or damage. I'm guessing someone did coin it at one time because it often comes up as a misspell when I type it. Including here. LOL.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampacity