# Broken Ears



## Sagas (Dec 13, 2013)

A few weeks ago at a local train show I purchased two Atlantics (300AC - 1949 + 300 - 1951) in what was rough condition . I knew the 300AC might be a problem since the motor was loose and the shell was full of cobwebs. After disassembly the major problem became crystal clear (as seen below) apart form the normal ones (broken wires, bad springs, etc.).

Motor mount ears are repairable (generally the weakest part of the chassis) and I have done some in the past but the breaks were not clean (bits missing). So what to do? The 300 to the rescue!

I had the good sense, dumb luck really, of getting it as well and its chassis was the one I needed since the AC headlight requires the mounting buttons on it. On the 300 the headlight mounts to the plastic shell for that version and the wiring is slightly different. The motor was the early Pulmor and would work but I used the earlier AC because when overhauled properly it is just as fast and transferring the complete wiring harness was easiest.

Now it runs like a scared rabbet and can join its bigger brothers however there is still some cosmetic touchup to be done.

The next time I go to a show I'll make sure I take a pencil sized flashlight with me to really see what gremlins are lurking under the shells.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Glad you got the 300AC running good. Did they both have the reverse unit in the boiler?


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## cramden (Oct 13, 2015)

Nice job getting one running. You could try repairing the ears, JB Weld usually will fill in any gaps. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. At the worst you still have other parts from the chassis. Nice pair of uncommon engines in the back round. Both are desirable and not easy to obtain.


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## Sagas (Dec 13, 2013)

For mopac:

Both had the reverse unit in the boiler so having the same chassis made it easier with the exception of removing the headlight mount from the old one to mount on the turnover buttons of the donor. The front of the boiler was slightly out of round and the cover wouldn't fit. I used a pair of reversible snap ring plyers to apply gentle pressure (a little at a time) to bring it back to shape and all drive rods were bent and had to be trued. 

I'm a sucker for the cast Atlantics, now having two of the 4 piece shells and one 1 piece with the extended tender.

For cramden:

I did repair ears some time ago by mounting the broken pieces on the motor and making a cradle to support it and chassis for correct alignment. Applied pressure with strong elastic bands to set them. At that time I believe I used plumbers epoxy since it would bond to anything and not be affected by cold or heat (JB Weld did not exist).

The 21139 is part of my "Pathfinder" set (20545). It was the last Northern to have the whistle in the tender as you probably know. The 21140 had no whistle and plastic drive wheels.

The 21099 was a garage sale find years ago ($25 CDN) with only the tender plug broken off and no scars or scrapes. Replaced the plug and no other issues.

Regards, B.B.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'm a big JB-Weld fan, I reach for that almost every day for some project.


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