C-19 Chuff sensor

[Daylight99]

Is the C-19 chuff sensor worth using? I want a clean 4 chuffs per rotation but one person said this doesn't work well at all. Sure would make live easier if I could use it when I start the sound install next month. Whats the opinions here?

Thank you
Bob Russell

[Kevin Strong]

Well, the optical sensors are in the cylinders, with adjustable "flags" in each cylinder so you can fine-tune the chuff. Mechanically, it's keyed off of the main rod, so you're going to get 4 chuffs per revolution. (2 per side.) As you adjust the flags, the chuffs will get more or less evenly spaced. ("Chuff-chuff-chuff-chuff" vs. "cha-chuff   cha-chuff") Prototypically, that's called being in or out of square.

I use the optical sensors on my Bachmann Climax, and they work great. I had planned on using them on my C-19, but I accidentally zapped them when I was doing the installation.

I'd use the optical chuffs and see how they work for you. If they don't work, you can always use magnets on the tender wheels. That's what I ended up doing on mine. Fortunately, the tender wheels are almost exactly 3/4 the diameter of the drivers, so putting 3 magnets on the tender wheels gives you a near-perfect 4 chuffs per revolution of the drivers.

Later,

K

[StanAmes]

The URL linked below is of a C-19 taken by an operator on our railway earlier this year with a Phoenix PB11 using the standard chuff sensor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjtY8zlqYT8

There are also several C-19s in the below linked video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqWX613zd0g

Stan

[Daylight99]

Thank you, seems like the stock sensor works just fine. Odd that my 346 doesn't have a tender backup light but other 346's do. Hmmmm

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Rear headlight depends on which tender you have. 

[StanAmes]

Thank you, seems like the stock sensor works just fine. Odd that my 346 doesn't have a tender backup light but other 346's do. Hmmmm

That's because I added one to ours.  The reason is that at the end of some of our runs there is no ability to turn a locomotive.  The rear headlight makes it legal to run in reverse. 


Our #345 is now #347 and  sports a road pilot.  We find it fun at times to customize our locomotives.


Stan