Ten Wheeler behavior questions

[MarkInLA]

I own an HO Ten Wheeler for about a year now...She seemed to run perfectly until recently..When in reverse it now does what I call 'rowing'; like the way a row boat speeds up with an oar stroke, then coasts slower when oars are out of water..It had a bent main rod which I was able to straighten by a strong push of the thumb inward..It still was not perfect though..Yesterday I noticed the eccentric crank on same side was not 90Deg. to the driver (not dead center above counter-balance). So I got bold and enscrewed it..First I got main rod straightened out better..But, when I tried to center the eccentic crank, the pin/shaft (tube) which accepts the crank , rods and screw refused to allow me to get crank 90 Deg. to the counter balance below it. It's as if there is a burr or something on the shaft  preventing the crank from being able to spin 380Deg. as seems to have been the case with engines decades ago where one had to hold crank just right whilst tightening center screw...Odder still is that the eccentric crank on OTHER SIDE of engine IS top dead center, 90 Deg. to counter balance !! So, why not on this side ? Does none of this pertain to loco's jerky movement in reverse anyway ? If so, and as I've lubed every moving part but the motor bearings, what is causing this ?   

[wjstix]

Well if you stopped the engine with the side rod (that connects the drivers to each other) all the way down on one side, the eccentric on that side should not be pointing straight up. It should be leaning a bit towards the front of the engine.

I'd put the rods back in as they were, and then check all of them carefully to see if any other rods are slightly bent in and brushing against another rod.

[MarkInLA]

Yes ! I just now learned in a Yahoo.com link concerning loco valve gear that the eccentric crank is to be forward of the counter balance if looking at say, right side of loco, rolling forward. So, perhaps I need to change the position of the other crank which is 90 Deg. to the counter balance..

[Tomie]

Mark,
I could not send a reply thanks to a very long address.  I have a 2-6-0 and 4-6-0 also.  The 2-8-0 ran high with my Prodigy Advance, like 25 to start moving and 45 for about a 40 mph pace.  Now it starts moving at 1 and 6 for 40 mph pace.  The headlight was about half the brightness of the 2-6-0.  Can't tell you about its pulling power as I only have 11 cars to pull.

Tom