# Tyco Chatanooga 0-8-0, anyone have information on this?



## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

I just won this engine on EBay. Does anyone know much about it? Does it have smoke? How hard is it to convert to KDee couplers? Will it turn without derailing on a 15 degree radius piece of track? (My Bachmann 2-6-2 and 4-4-0 make it no issue. Tight corner to climb one hill.) Also how old is it?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=280343014819


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Tyco Steamer*

Tyco Steamer Link

Dates to the 80's, the older ones look better, mine is newer. Engine is in the tender. The coupler shouldn't be a problem. Any more questions? My photobucket has more pictures. No smoke on mine just a headlight. The earlier ones had more detail. They were made in the late 70's.

After reading the thread everyone has one. So what is yours? Early or late?Post a picture. I wonder if BC got his running?

I do not know about the 15' radius. Just be glad it runs.


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## B.C.RAIL (Sep 1, 2008)

No, mine is still dead as a door nail.. 

I've tried to rewire it and nothing. It just might need cleaning.
I haven't tended to it in weeks.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Give a yip if you need a better picture. Try to run it directly from a transformer to the brushes. If it works then check the wheels, the pickup on the tender trucks should be the opposite from the the engine pickup which is the trailing truck.


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## B.C.RAIL (Sep 1, 2008)

The brushes..as in the metal contacts to the wheels?


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

The two copper paddles hold the commutator brushes for the armature. A power to one and ground the other ,runs the motor.








The contacts for the wheels or axles are called wipers.


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## B.C.RAIL (Sep 1, 2008)

I've tried that before.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

OOPs there is no trailing truck. The red and black go forward. Red to the contact post and then meets the black at the light.















The shiny wheels on the right front and aft on the tender are one set of pickups for the black wire.
The red goes to the frame and must pick up on the left drive wheels.
OK, if you open it you will find springs against the copper pieces with the brushes.








The face is oily on mine and after cleaning it was a silver color. The springs stayed with the cover. Hope this helps.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*assembly*

Ok to assemble I remove the paddles from the clips carefully so as not to break the plastic. I spread a clip with a finger and pulled up on the piece. Next I installed the cap with the screw next to the red paddle. I installed the brush, spring and snapped the red paddle into place.
The installed the brush, spring and snapped the black wire paddle into place I got the black washer with connectors and screwed that into place. Done.










So in the picture I worked left to right with the motor upside down.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Mine woiks like a champ...with a little help from a trick Ray M. taught me. Replace those traction tired wheels with nickle silver ones stripped from a scrapped power drive. Increases the power pick-up and helps it run better.

I prefer the older ones over the newer ones, they look much better and have a pilot truck. This one was a..._sniff_...Royal Blue..._sniff, sniff_...hwell: that the previous owner painted over...










This one is a later one from the 80s that has never been run...


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

I just receive mine in the mail. It was in the original box and Styrofoam. A couple of surprises that I have run into. It came with a tube of smoke oil and a funnel to fill it with. I thought this engine did not have a smoker. Also the engine has a cog on the third axial that hits anther piece to make a click clack sound as the engine goes down the track. The bad part is that the rubber traction wheels were cracked and came off after about three feet. Now it goes no wear. I saw the post about replacing the wheels with metal ones, where do I get those? Or where can I get replacement traction wheels? I also have a Bachmann F3 that needs the traction wheels. How do I know what size to get? A final question is where can I get a front truck to make it a 2-8-0? The mounting screw is there just not the wheels. It looks just like the one in the pic from the eighties, no date on the box.

Here is a link to the auction:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=280343014819


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Oh Yeah I like the older one.
This is about the Royal Blue
This is about the http://ho-scaletrains.net/tycotrains/id88.html
By GOlly I think Mine may have smoke!!! It doesn't say on the box but I got a clear lever operating from underneath and cross wires in the stack.
So tkruger YES they did come with smoke.!!


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Finish*

Two bottom screws remove the wheels. Two clips remove the the lower cover showing this. I had enough and put it back together.
MOre picyures in the photobucket can be seen under "tyco 638."









The front truck is off a Royal Blue or buy one with the engine off ebay I see two (after viewing your auction). I am flat about getting tires. Probably Walthers.

Mine was sold separately. I misplaced the funnel and smoke. I have the directions.


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## B.C.RAIL (Sep 1, 2008)

Well, mine is from the 70's so would mine have smoke, and mine does have a ding noise from below the boiler.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

The click-clack mechanism is the puffer device for the smoke unit, you fill it by pulling out the bell. Hang on to those funnels, they're the first thing to disappear and the last thing you'll ever find at a swap meet.


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## B.C.RAIL (Sep 1, 2008)

Mine didn't come with funnels...


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

The engine with the headlight on the boiler came out in 1975 with smoke. Mine dates to 1978 without the headlight. The funnel? Well maybe you could use an eye dropper. A chemistry trick was to place a thin wire in the hole and place a drop on the wire and let it flow into the hole. The oil should have enough adhesion for this to work. The hole is small. The cover to the front of the boiler will pop off revealing the white smoke unit and light bulb. ALso a cross hair can be seen down the stack. Or take it apart like I did.


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## B.C.RAIL (Sep 1, 2008)

Ok, I took off the front lid and here is what it looks like under the bonet of a late 70's version of the tyco 2-8-0. Not much to see, just a metal tube or plate at the front and wires for the front lamp.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

You have a nice version, metal smoke unit and wire handrails. I couldn't find my funnel either. I did find a 1978 Tyco catalog. I think it came with a Silver Streak set I bought cheep with heat damage way back when.
I am thinking about making a small funnel. Using the packing foam as a mold ,use two part epoxy to cast and drill out the top and shaft. Have no idea it will work. I will use petroleum jelly on the foam first.

The outside diameter is 3/32" a 1/8 would be too large. Perfume funnels are available but no dimensions are given on some. You could adapt a wd 40 red extension tube( it does fit) to it with glue. Or just don't loose the original.hwell:


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## B.C.RAIL (Sep 1, 2008)

Where does the oil go?


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## B.C.RAIL (Sep 1, 2008)

Was looking at the loco this morning and noticed a hole in the cabin, so I took off the cab and looked inside to find nothing of any interest. What is this hole for? I just see a metal thing that goes back and forth for the smoke puffer.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

The smoke oil goes in where the bell is. Just pull it out like a cork.


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## B.C.RAIL (Sep 1, 2008)

I got a WD-40 straw but it doesnt fit..I even tried to file the end a bit.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

The straw is from an old can when it was placed inside the spray nozzle to work. It is 3/32. The newer versions may be 1/8th. 
My opinion is that it is not worth it.
You can't take it apart for cleaning or by a replacement. The question is how long will it last?
Mine has very little track time. I have little operational experience with it. My tires are there but they need replaciing too.
I suggest you go to Big Lots and get a plastic caliper. It is a great measuring tool.
If you are really into this engine buy more for parts. One will have a funnel and you will get extra smoke units.
My desire is the old cast Mantuas. You can still buy parts for them too!
That is one area HO can be lacking,Parts. With Lionel the market is there, but HO has such a broad base of different companies. Being inexpensive you just buy new. Remember the engine is thirty years old.
It would be nice to find tires and a funnel. I am finding in getting HO parts you just have to search.
Have a good weekend.


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