Older Bachmann 2-8-2 to a can motor

[rockymidlandrr]

Work can give you a lot of time to think, and today's thought was "I wonder how hard it will be to convert a older Bachmann 2-8-2 (actually a Reading 2-8-0 with a trailing truck added) that has a pancake motor to one that has a can motor".  Im just trying to figure it out, just for curiosities sake.  Thanks for the help and advice.  I'm also assuming that none of these were ever made with a can motor and all of them were pancaked.

[Doneldon]

rocky-

Not a particularly difficult job. You can get motors and parts from NWSL or perhaps ebay. I suggest that you make sure that the model's detail and condition warrant the time and expense. Good luck!
                                                                                                                 -- D

[Jim Banner]

The hard way: buy a can motor and gear box, then have a machine shop mill out the frame to make room for them.  Finally fiddle it all together and try to make it run.  Possible but expensive.

The easy way:  buy a used Bachmann Plus 2-8-0 and put the plus mechanism into your existing shell.  Very slight modification to the body is all that is required.

I assume you wish to keep the original shell for some reason.  Otherwise I would have suggested parking the sidewinder on a RIP track and buying a Bachmann Standard (formerly Spectrum) 2-8-0.  Better mechanism than the Plus, much better than the sidewinder, but will not fit your old sidewinder body.

Jim

[rockymidlandrr]

Right, all very good thoughts.  Like I said, I was just wondering about the possibility of it while I had time at work to think.  O how I have heard that the Bachmann Standard line (former Spectrum) 2-8-0 and how great it is and would like to acquire one some day.  I was just wanting to entertain my mind with it though. 

[richg]

If really bored, go to the NWSL site and look at all the info on motors, gears and gearboxes.
When NWSL was in Seattle a number of years ago, they sold a gear and motor planning kit that I purchased which gave me a very good idea of motor/gear/gearbox sizes.
Some years ago I put a Sagami can motor, flywheel and MDC replacement gears into a HO Tyco 4-6-0 and 0-4-0. The shafts were the same diameter. I actually made the compound gear drive frame that the MDC/Roundhouse steamers have today and used the MDC gears that NWSL sells. Ratio, 45 to 1 for the 4-6-0 and 72 to 1 for the 0-4-0.
I needed to use the Puller and Quarterer. No way was it cost efficient but was an experiment. I was using DC with pulse power power pack I made and could fine tune the pulses. Those locos would crawl ever so slow and were quiet. I mounted the motors using bath caulk to reduce any possibility of vibration. I adjusted gear lash before the caulk set up and left them alone for a couple days.

Rich