0-6-0 to 2-6-2 conversion

[Puddintan3]

Before we start, I have already read how the pilot and trailing trucks seem to cause problems. Nevertheless, I don't want to pull my Durango & Silverton with an 0-6-0.

I ordered the pilot and trailing truck, but that's all I got. The pilot truck goes right on with the existing screw.

I can't see clearly on the parts diagram, but it appears I need some more parts in order to mount the trailing truck. Can anyone tell me which parts I need? Will I need to tap for a new screw? What size?

Thanks!

[brokemoto]

I am not sure which version of this that B-mann puts into that train set, but whatever it is, I do have the part that you want.  If you will send me a PM with your name and address, I will send both parts to you.  I do not run these as 2-6-2s, for reasons that I will delineate subsequently.

If it is the last version with the old motor that stuck out of the back of the cab, the part that you need uses no screw.  There is a hook that protrudes from a flat piece that has a lip on it.  If you will unscrew the aftmost screw that holds on the retainer plate, you can slide the lip under the end of the retainer plate then re-tighten the screw and the hook will stay in place.

If Bachpersonn puts an older version of this, you will need to undo the screw that holds the motor in place.  Put the hook over the screw hole, with the rounded edge's facing aft and the hook lip's facing forward.  Put the screw back into place.

If the aftmost screw that holds on the retainer plate is close to the driver set, you have the former.  If the aftmost screw that holds on the retainer plate is also the screw that holds the  motor in place, you have the latter.

One thing that I do not have is the spring that slides onto the perpendicular (to the locomotive) shaft of the hook.   I suppose that you might substitute an old coupler spring, but I am not sure if it will work.

Some things about this locomotive.  Bachmann does sell it as the USRA 0-6-0 that it is.  The "prairie" that B-mann sells is really the USRA 0-6-0 with idler trucks.   The design of the one live truck on the tender creates a tremendous amount of drag on the locomotive, which compromises its pulling power.   In addition, the idler trucks compromise its pulling power.  I suspect that they diminish the factor-of-adhesion.   The result could be that the thing may not pull even the three cars that come in the set.

As you indicated a willingness to tap a screw hole, I am assuming that you can do a bit of tinkering with this thing.   As you have stated that you want to run this as anything but an 0-6-0. leaving off the idler trucks is out of the question.  One thing that will help both the electrical contact and the pulling power is to swap out the stock tender for a SPECTRUM tender.   This has all wheels live and needlepoint axles on the trucks.  You can purchase either the slopeback or the USRA short tender.  I find that the USRA short tracks better, but I would suspect that filling the slopeback with lead or tungsten putty would improve both the tracking and contact.  I have yet to try that, though.

You must make some alterations to the USRA short tender to do the swap-out.  It involves flipping over the drawbar and doing some surgery to the tender chassis to accommodate the flipped-over drawbar.   Do be sure that the bottom of the tender chassis is painted over properly, less the stiff wires in the drawbar short on it.  If you will go to Spookshow's website, he does have a tutorial on the work necessary.  While Spookshow does state that no alterations are necessary to the slopeback tender, I respectfully disagree with him.   I have had better results from making similar alterations to the chassis on the slopeback.

If you can not find a SPECTRUM tender in D&RGW or Durango and Silverton, you can buy any tender, strip, re-paint and decal.  Microscale does sell various D&RGW decal sets.  I am not sure if anyone sells Durango and Silverton sets.  Someone might in HO and if there is one small enough on the sheet, you might be able to use it.

The other possibility, if you do the tender swap-out, might be to put the Durango and Silverton tender shell onto a SPECTRUM tender chassis.  I would expect that it would fit, with a bit of work.  I have never tried a test-fit, even, but it does look like it might go with a little work.

[Puddintan3]

PM is on the way. Thanks!