# Brownhoist 944 who knows?



## bobbill (Dec 31, 2015)

This AF car has a thingy beneath it, center. Slides in and out...I have asked around, no one seems to know its function...any ideas?


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

bobbill said:


> This AF car has a thingy beneath it, center. Slides in and out...I have asked around, no one seems to know its function...any ideas?


It's called a out-rigger. Much like on a back-hoe, the legs extend out to keep the crane car from toppling over.. I think at last count I have about 12 of them, with the matching work cabooses.:thumbsup:


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## bobbill (Dec 31, 2015)

flyernut said:


> It's called a out-rigger. Much like on a back-hoe, the legs extend out to keep the crane car from toppling over.. I think at last count I have about 12 of them, with the matching work cabooses.:thumbsup:


You own that market. 

Your explanation makes sense, but my version just pulls out. Nothing there that hints of going to the grade/ground to stabilize the hoist...much thanks...

There are a load of people who do not even know it is there, amazing as it might seem.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

bobbill said:


> You own that market.
> 
> Your explanation makes sense, but my version just pulls out. Nothing there that hints of going to the grade/ground to stabilize the hoist...much thanks...
> 
> There are a load of people who do not even know it is there, amazing as it might seem.


Gilbert did their best when they designed it.. The out-rigger will not go to the ground on the 944, but it does in real time/space..They are pretty heavy, and some of my locos have a rough time pulling one. The 5-digit cranes are plastic, they don't have the out-rigger, and they're plastic.. Much easier on the locos, but not as pretty... As a kid, one of the sets I ran had the 944 and 945 in the set.. The cars were pulled by a K335 Northern, and I have the set now, along with the green gondola and log car..


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

Flyernut, it sounds like you had (and still have) the K5210W set. It was made only one year. A nice set for sure.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

AmFlyer said:


> Flyernut, it sounds like you had (and still have) the K5210W set. It was made only one year. A nice set for sure.


That's the set.


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## bobbill (Dec 31, 2015)

Must be referring to "work train" set. I have all but the 080 but use diesel now...

Interesting, my crane car is heavy die cast, but the arm and housing are plastic or Bakelite...the little thingy under car is really crazy...even moves, but no purpose, save to look like orig perhaps. 

Never see the likes today. Spendy.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

bobbill said:


> Must be referring to "work train" set. I have all but the 080 but use diesel now...
> 
> Interesting, my crane car is heavy die cast, but the arm and housing are plastic or Bakelite...the little thingy under car is really crazy...even moves, but no purpose, save to look like orig perhaps.
> 
> Never see the likes to day. Spendy.


The 944 can have a dark gray base, a light gray base, a blue metallic base, the lettering on the base sometimes is in a different spot, and the 944 can be had with a link coupler, a very early version. Again, I have examples of each one...


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## bobbill (Dec 31, 2015)

My hoist has gray base...heavy too. Car is very clean and does not move much because it is heavy, especially with the work cars...of course, maybe the motor needs replacement...

Okay, another crazy question...what are the holex on each side of a 300 metal tender sides? Seems a good many of these sheet metal tenders behind these Atlantic engines have a hole just about the center, front to back, on low part of each side...?

By the bye. Much thanks. I am clueless re AF and most of the train stuff, even though I began messing with AF and HO in 50s.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

bobbill said:


> My hoist has gray base...heavy too. Car is very clean and does not move much because it is heavy, especially with the work cars...of course, maybe the motor needs replacement...
> 
> Okay, another crazy question...what are the holed on each side of a 300 metal tender sides? Seems a good many of these sheet metal tenders behind these Atlantic engines have a hole just about the center, front to back, on low part of each side...?
> 
> By the bye. Much thanks. I am clueless re AF and most of the train stuff, even though I began messing with AF and HO in 50s.


Don't know what that hole is for... Maybe the manufacturing process needed the hole during stamping,etc?? Concerning the heavy cars.. make sure there's nothing inside the trucks that could cause stickiness, such as dog hair, cat hair, etc. Add a drop of oil to the axles, but not too much. Too much oil will pick up dirt and spooge from the tracks, making the axles hard to turn. Gilbert made some beautiful all aluminum passenger cars, but found they were too heavy to pull.. They then went to a all-plastic chromed passenger car, and they pulled much better.My steamers don't like 4-5 aluminum cars, but they'll pull the plastic ones with little to no effort.


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## bobbill (Dec 31, 2015)

Yes, lube helps...I feel better knowing we experience same probs in different places together...

As an aside, I bought a 300 Atlantic for grandson (well me too) and this version has rear or firebox truck fastened to engine, not tender...but darn wheels never stay on rails, so bought the version from tender to engine and decided to add spring to front truck to keep to track etc. Make sense?

Funny but the 360/361 Alco and the 322 run just fine, but the wee 4-4-2 balks on occasion at turnouts...still life is good.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

bobbill said:


> Yes, lube helps...I feel better knowing we experience same probs in different places together...
> 
> As an aside, I bought a 300 Atlantic for grandson (well me too) and this version has rear or firebox truck fastened to engine, not tender...but darn wheels never stay on rails, so bought the version from tender to engine and decided to add spring to front truck to keep to track etc. Make sense?
> 
> Funny but the 360/361 Alco and the 322 run just fine, but the wee 4-4-2 balks...life is good.


How about a picture of the tender to engine??


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## bobbill (Dec 31, 2015)

flyernut said:


> How about a picture of the tender to engine??


I am still working on on how to post pics here...but will put up as soon as I do.


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