Pre-war Flyer 4695 stupidity
Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:20 pm
I seem to be the place to send these things recently. Okay, I can replace drivers and lead/trail wheels. Surface commutators, clean brushholders, clean reversers, find missing parts, all that.
But:
I have never seen anything designed like these.
Reminds me of the 25 blind men and an elephant.
So, to start, a visual US prototype 4-4-2......with main rod connected to lead driver crankpin.......and valve gear / eccentric on rear driver crankpin. Okay.
Then expansion link.....I know how they work.....yet this is hung and pivoted from the top, with eccentric rod at bottom....NOT pivoted in the middle to allow reversing of steam via valve body.
Visually causes my eyeballs to rack and lock.
Now, reversing. Okay, levers in cab. One goes fore and aft, reverses, I can understand that. The other lever goes up and down....drops the front of reversing rod (in void around commutator and brushes), when dropped, ring catches hammerheads on idler gear shaft, SEEMS to function as a auto reverse....in three inches of travel. With a slip clutch.
And nobody seems to know the purpose.
Then there is the circus involved with pulling the motor block out.
Remove everything (including firebox side sheets) then slide aft, lift front, slide forward, lift again, pull up at an angle....certainly NOT designed for ease of maintenance!
But:
I have never seen anything designed like these.
Reminds me of the 25 blind men and an elephant.
So, to start, a visual US prototype 4-4-2......with main rod connected to lead driver crankpin.......and valve gear / eccentric on rear driver crankpin. Okay.
Then expansion link.....I know how they work.....yet this is hung and pivoted from the top, with eccentric rod at bottom....NOT pivoted in the middle to allow reversing of steam via valve body.
Visually causes my eyeballs to rack and lock.
Now, reversing. Okay, levers in cab. One goes fore and aft, reverses, I can understand that. The other lever goes up and down....drops the front of reversing rod (in void around commutator and brushes), when dropped, ring catches hammerheads on idler gear shaft, SEEMS to function as a auto reverse....in three inches of travel. With a slip clutch.
And nobody seems to know the purpose.
Then there is the circus involved with pulling the motor block out.
Remove everything (including firebox side sheets) then slide aft, lift front, slide forward, lift again, pull up at an angle....certainly NOT designed for ease of maintenance!