FT loco motor upgrade - anyone tried to?

[on30gn15]

Hey Y'all;
Forrest Scott Wood in Boonville, Missouri, here. A long ago interest in the Minneapolis & Saint Louis Ry has re-awaken.
What I had wanted to do way back in the 1980s was to make a model of M&StL loco number 545 as on page 91 of Model Railroader's Cyclopedia Volume 2, Diesel Locomotives. To that end a pair of second hand FT A-units have recently been acquired.

And Microscale has decals for the really pretty green and yellow livery.

One has a dead motor.
Which inspired this crazy scheme ...
... to re-motor them with can motors with flywheels.
Has anyone tried to?
Anyone have any ideas to toss in the hat?

While photo in book is of an A-B-A set drawbar-ed together, "selective compression" is going to be utilized to create a mere A-A set in order to look decent on a smaller layout.

[Len]

You should be able to find something here http://www.ppw-aline.com/re-power.htm that will work. Some minor frame modification may  be needed. Most are aimed at 'Blue Box' Athearn, but I've repowered several older Bachmann units with motors and flywheels from these folks.

Len

[on30gn15]

Ahh, thanks, Len. appreciate it.

[jward]

when you do this, please post a photo tutorial on how you did it.

[on30gn15]

Okay. But don't hold your breath in anticipation,   I'm slow and my budget is low, as in Social Security low. And I have projects going for my modules at our model railroad club here in town.

A couple other things in mind to do to them are add a bit of weight. Even though it would be a bit high for adding mass, there is just enough room to line the center of the roof with something.

And when I get around to financing decoders, since I'm going to drawbar them as were the M&StL set used as inspiration, I'm wondering if electrically connecting the two units to share pickup from all 16 wheels and then connecting the 2 motors could be done with a single decoder rated for sufficient current.
That is something to as of people with vastly more DCC experience than I have.
But wiring the pair to share pickup on good ol' DC is within my knowledge base.

Even though that is a later type of F, not an FT, it shows the livery, which to is is quite attractive, and is a book I wish to get,
http://www.amazon.com/The-Tootin-Louie-History-Minneapolis/dp/0816643660/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_y Yellowed hue of cover image is unappealing, though.

This is the same loco set, 545, which is pictured, in an angle from above, in the Model Railroader book http://www.railarchive.net/vintagediesel/mstl545_gt.htm

I think its B unit is the FTSB, "short booster" which was a few feet shorter than later B units.
Lack of steps at end corners of locos is sign they were drawbar connected instead of coupler connected.

[Len]

Unless you're going to be pulling very long trains, why not just remotor one unit and use the space in the other for a sound decoder and speaker? If they're permanently connected you could still wire them for all wheel pickup.

Len

[jbrock27]

A Line motors have a great rep but for 60+ bucks and given his tight financial situation as he himself (on30) described, I would likely pass and look instead for either a Bachmann replacement motor with flywheels here or on the Net or a similar MicroMark motor for much less the cost.

[on30gn15]

Both are good ideas. And I keep forgetting Micro-Mark has motors along with their tools, supplies, and kits.
Want both motored for a couple reasons; one, because I want to; second, the newer part of club layout has a rather steep grade which they built at 2 degrees, not 2 percent.  
I tried to tell them about stuff like this http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/slope-degrees-gradient-grade-d_1562.html but the response was pretty close to, cue the cricket sound effect.

[jward]

Ai like the idea of a drawbar connected locomotive picking up power off 16 wheels. but I would give each locomotive a separate decoder. there are two good reasons for this. first, the decoder you use may not be able to handle the stall current of two motors. second, there are differences in running characteristic between individual locomotives. most decoders will allow you to program the running characteristics of the locomotive, and you can speed match them so that they run the same. good decoders can be had for under $20 on ebay or mail order. if you go this route, make sure whatever decoder you choose supports cv5 and cv6

[on30gn15]

Ah, will make note of that. DCC is definitely one thing where lots of other people know way more than I do!
Had insomnia last night so went down to our model train club and worked on a couple Big Hauler 4-6-0 bought in 2009 with some settlement money, was one of those times I needed bigger parts than HO scale 

[Bucksco]

http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66_68_192&products_id=5919