# Update on the 302AC



## Stillakid

Well, Thomas Barker was absolutely correct!
I used the wiring diagram that he sent and the 302AC/Tender are alive and "Choo-Chooing" with smoke to boot

Thanks to all that have helped me get past this major PITA!!!!!:laugh:

Ya'll Are The Best! 
Or, as they say here in the South, "Ya'll Are, Salt of The Earth"


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## tjcruiser

Jim,

Congratulations! That's great news!

Skip the "salt" kudos ... send some honey-dipped sausage biscuits up our way, and we'll call the whole advice-thing "even"!

Big atta' boys to Tom Barker, too, huh?

TJ


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## Stillakid

Yeah, I need to send him a note

By the way, here abouts, the biscuits are made with salt cure ham. I can't stand them!!!! But we always serve honey with biscuits. No butter, jams or jellies on them in our house


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## Reckers

Salt cure ham? Around here, we call that country ham---delicious if done right! Rubbed with salt and then hung in a smokehouse for 2-3 years....food to die for! Glad to hear your engine is working, now!


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## Stillakid

Thanks reckers

I couldn't have done it, much less tried, without the support and encouragement of some great people I've met here!

Jim


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## tjcruiser

Hey Jim,

Post a pic or two of the 302 when you have some time.

TJ


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## Stillakid

TJ, I'll do that!

And since I was in need of parts, I went ahead and bid/won another . And wouldn't ya know, the boiler is sound, but pretty scarred/chipped up. Guess I'll just have to do another, "Boiler In The Bag, Bath" and see what kind of Paint will look good on her. I wouldn't want your stock in Rust-Oleum to lose any of it's value!

Reckers, have you painted any of yours?


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## Stillakid

*Trucks?*

Reckers, I know your time here is limited, and that at best, you may see this sometime this week.

I'm having some issues with the tender on the 302AC. The trucks appear to be a bit un-even. Every time I try to adjust them, either the wheels get to tight to the truck frame, or they get out of plumb. I really don't like the tin trucks, but at the same time, the heavier trucks with the wheel holder that's pressed in, don't take kindly to adjustments, either!hwell:

Is ther a better after market truck made for "S" rolling stock?

Answer when you have time. There's no rush, I have 3 other projects going on right now:laugh:

Jim


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## T-Man

I have noticed that you have a high standard when you collect. 
Don't you think you may be overdoing it with trucks? All they do is roll along with minimal adjustment. The only bad thind, is a bent axle. I understand you want to improve it, but is is acually not working right? You have peaked my curiousity now.


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## Boston&Maine

T-Man said:


> I have noticed that you have a high standard when you collect.
> Don't you think you may be overdoing it with trucks? All they do is roll along with minimal adjustment. The only bad thind, is a bent axle. I understand you want to improve it, but is is acually not working right? You have peaked my curiousity now.


It sounds like Stillakid and me have a lot in common T-Man, LOL... That reefer car I bought? I do not want it because it always leans to one side hwell: :laugh:

I can spend quite some time also trying to get old trucks straight... It is not always easy!


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## tjcruiser

Stillakid said:


> And since I was in need of parts, I went ahead and bid/won another...


Dohh!

Then that one will need some parts. So you'll bid on another ... which will need its own parts ... so bid on yet another ...

open up / need parts / bid / buy / disect / rebuild / need parts / bid / buy / disect / rebuild / need parts / bid / buy / disect / rebuild / ...

Will any of us ever reach the point where we buy the all-hallowed "last one" and end the madness? Ohh ... we can dream, my friends ... we can dream!

TJ


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## Stillakid

T-Man, the tender trucks are critical to how "S" trains run. Being as all of mine have the e-unit in the tender, if they are slightly out of plumb, the circuit is broken and the e-unit goes to neutral. And if that's not a pain, there's also the track that may have a slight twist that throws it off. 

The only solution I've come up with is to add weight to the tender. I'm not talking about a little bit of weight either:laugh: I finally got to where it would make more than one circuit by adding a "Full Roll of Duct Tape" for ballast on the tender:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

Do you have those type of trucks? How do you get them/keep them, plumb?


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## Stillakid

And I'm not, "picky"

But my wife says I'm anal-retentive


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## Reckers

To the best of my knowledge, all tenders have weights in them, and the weights are substantial. Normally, it's a three-sided "U" shape composed of molded-plastic with hunks of metal embedded in it, about 1.5" tall. Weight is definitely critical!


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## Stillakid

Have the weight in there, but it's not enough

I guess a brick or some field stones maybe..........:laugh:


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## tjcruiser

Options, in order of increasing mass density ...

1. Lead

2. Tungsten

3. Gold

There ya' go, Jim ... pack her with GOLD !!!

TJ


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## Stillakid

Have the weight in there, but it's not enough

I guess a brick or some field stones maybe..........:laugh:


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## Stillakid

Morning!

I found a few of the problems with the tender.
a) the 4 strand wire between the tender and boiler was rigid. Took it off and worked it a bit.
b) made some adjustments to the drawbar(evidently level doesn't cut it!)
c) re-worked the trucks after doing a & b. 

Still a bit off, but I'm thinking once I let it run(with a small weight), it will improve from just being used, plus the small weight may help level out the trucks some.

Thanks for all your help


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## tjcruiser

Maybe check weight fore/aft distribution, too. I.e., perhaps the balance point of the tender should be midway between front and rear trucks?


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## Reckers

Midway is best, going by how AF placed them. Is yours fastened into place with a small screw? It should be. Also, draw bar should not be rigid. The standard screw has a smooth area, just above the head, to allow free pivoting and up/down motion. If you have a regular screw in there, it's not likely to work well. Same issue with the rigid wiring---too rigid will keep the tender from riding freely.


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## Reckers

T-Man said:


> I have noticed that you have a high standard when you collect.
> Don't you think you may be overdoing it with trucks? All they do is roll along with minimal adjustment. The only bad thind, is a bent axle. I understand you want to improve it, but is is acually not working right? You have peaked my curiousity now.


Of course he has a high standard----it's S scale!


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## Reckers

Stillakid said:


> Reckers, I know your time here is limited, and that at best, you may see this sometime this week.
> 
> I'm having some issues with the tender on the 302AC. The trucks appear to be a bit un-even. Every time I try to adjust them, either the wheels get to tight to the truck frame, or they get out of plumb. I really don't like the tin trucks, but at the same time, the heavier trucks with the wheel holder that's pressed in, don't take kindly to adjustments, either!hwell:
> 
> Is ther a better after market truck made for "S" rolling stock?
> 
> Answer when you have time. There's no rush, I have 3 other projects going on right now:laugh:
> 
> Jim


Jim,

There should be a lot of play in the tender's trucks, both for pivoting and for up/down motion. Things I'd suggest looking for are an earlier repair where the truck was attached too tightly to the frame. Original equip was probably riveted, so a screw/nut connection is a giveaway. Even a rivet can be too tight, though. Second, look at the internal wiring in the tender---too short or too stiff will interfere with the motion of the trucks. They need a lot of free play. You shouldn't need much extra weight, if any. My guess is you either lack freeplay in the trucks, or you have too stiff a connection between engine and tender due to wiring or drawbar. Finally, check the spacing of your tender's wheels. If they are mounted too close together (left to right, the wheels on the same axle), they won't be able to reach the rails firmly enough to make good contact. The train will roll freely, but get no juice. Good luck on it!


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## Stillakid

Morning

Reckers, took off the wheels, wiring and disconnected the tender at the mid point rivit(have an extra one to replace it)

When setting the truck on a level surface, there is rocking. I know that the rocking was one cause of the break in electrical contact. So the first issue was making adjustments to the 2 trucks, without ruining them. Thankfully, they are the old style tin trucks and not those sintered nightmares:laugh:

After I "leveled" the truck flush, using a piece of track as a guide, I set the wheels. Found that one of the plastic wheels was loose(traveled down the axle), so I replaced ALL the plastic wheels. One of the brass wheels was also to close to the truck, so I tapped it in about a 1/16". The tender is now level and rides even and flush.

You were right about the drawbar & wiring too. Not enough lead on the wire, so no flexibility. Re-wired, changing the gauge(and went from solid to stranded) and adding 1" of length to the 2 truck leads and the overall length of the harness. Next time, I'll spring for the AF wrapped harness:laugh:

The drawbar was also in need of a new rivit and bushing, and I replaced the the screw at the boiler. I think it was to short.

The tender now rides and performs as it should

That was a lesson in how delicate and sensitive having a remote e-unit is. So much of the boiler area is taken up with the Choo-Choo/Smoke unit, it makes for interesting problems


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## Reckers

Nice job, Jim! It would appear I'd left all these S scale wannabes in the hands of an expert!


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## tjcruiser

Doctor Jim completes another complicated life-saving surgical proceedure successfully, again (as assisted so keenly by Doctor Reckers).


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## Stillakid

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

Dr. Reckers........somehow that just sounds scary


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## tjcruiser

My guess is he's a Proctologist.


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## T-Man

Reckers said:


> Of course he has a high standard----it's S scale!


What I meant is that just about everyone else collects better quality stuff than i get.


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## Stillakid

T-Man, considering the prices I've been seeing, I'm more inclined to go for what I can afford/re-do at this point

The wife says my hobby is to expensive(like haircuts, pedicures, manicures & seasonal outfit updates aren't!)

(but I'm to chicken to say that to her!!!!)

:laugh::laugh::laugh:


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## Reckers

tjcruiser said:


> My guess is he's a Proctologist.


Which is why I spend so much time dealing with you guys?


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## tjcruiser

Reckers,

Touché (again)! The band's giving you a little badda-bing drum roll on that one!
TJ


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## Reckers

*takes a modest bow*....a man does what he can, TJ. Hand me an easy straight line like that one, and the only challenge is to keep it clean enough!


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