The model is finished...welll...mostly, there's some wiring to clean up---it was set up for DCC and I'm an old school DC powered modeler---and the boiler sits slightly to the left coming out of a curve. That doesn't affect its operation but it is a minor cosmetic issue that I figure may be related to the fall it took. The frame isn't bent or anything like that, it swings to and fro just fine, it just likes to settle just to the left coming out of a curve. The forward engine is only held in place by a drawbar between it and the rear engine, and a flexible tube between the front and rear gear boxes. Therefore, the tube itself could be the culprit as it is not a flexible as it could be. I have a line into NorthWest Short Line for replacement universals that should straighten this out.
I successfully reseated the loose driver by cleaning the axle and hole with denatured alcohol, then scoring the surfaces with an Xacto knife to give it some tooth for the JB Weld to grab. If you do this, make sure you understand that the quartering of the driver is critical...a variation of more than a degree or two can hinder the operation of the valve gear and, once hardened, JB Weld is NOT forgiving---it will not come loose...
It runs flawlessly in both forward and reverse, clock-wise and counter clock-wise on my test bench...
All in all a deeply satisfying project that takes me further away from the RTR, plug and play drone I had become all those years ago. A picture of the finished locomotive is on the way...
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