# Question for Nuttin But Flyer;334DC



## llskis (Apr 11, 2013)

N/B/F: Just picked up a nice 334DC.:thumbsup: Did you ever get that horn to work on your 334DC?
Larry


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## Nuttin But Flyer (Dec 19, 2011)

Nope, everything just sitting apart in the box waiting for when I have the time. I'm not even sure if the controller works to try it. The only thing I learned before parking it in the box, was to attach the leads of a 1-1/2V battery to either side of the speaker leads...if a "click" is heard through the speaker, then it's a functional speaker. Got that tip from Tom Barker. If we have a winter like the last one, I'll be spending more time doing repairs and servicing...after blowing the snow first.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Farmers' Almanac Predicts Another Nasty Winter
The folks at the Farmers' Almanac can be forgiven for feeling smug: The 198-year-old publication correctly predicted the past nasty winter while federal forecasters blew it. Memories of the polar vortex and relentless snowstorms won't soon be forgotten. And the editors of the publication are predicting more of the same for the coming season.

"Shivery and shovelry are back. We're calling for some frigid conditions, bitter conditions," said managing editor Sandi Duncan.

The latest edition, which officially goes on sale this week, forecasts colder-than-normal and wetter-than-usual weather for three-quarters of the country east of the Rocky Mountains. Drought-stricken California, along with the Pacific Northwest, will see normal precipitation and cool temperatures this winter, the almanac said.

The publication, not to be confused with the New Hampshire-based Old Farmer's Almanac, uses a secret formula based on sunspots, planetary positions and lunar cycles for its long-range weather forecasts. Modern science doesn't put much stock in the formula.

"Good for them if they got it right last year, and I'll leave it at that," said Mike Halpert, the national Climate Prediction Center's acting director.


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## llskis (Apr 11, 2013)

Nuttin But Flyer said:


> Nope, everything just sitting apart in the box waiting for when I have the time. I'm not even sure if the controller works to try it. The only thing I learned before parking it in the box, was to attach the leads of a 1-1/2V battery to either side of the speaker leads...if a "click" is heard through the speaker, then it's a functional speaker. Got that tip from Tom Barker. If we have a winter like the last one, I'll be spending more time doing repairs and servicing...after blowing the snow first.


N/B/F: Thanks for the response. Yes we are in the same boat as the "Summer Hobbies" take over the A/F trains. Will soon change though as you indicated. Will compare "notes" in the future on the 334DC. It is a very odd/rare/ and hard to find piece. They had many problems with them (Tender frames where very weak) and they only lasted one year. It is a nice conceipt though with a engine that runs on DC and a whistle that works. Very hard to do this as indicated from my Lionel friends. Ok; will talk more as the projects develops. Larry


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## Nuttin But Flyer (Dec 19, 2011)

Learned about the tender frame the hard way....when rescued from my Mother's attic, it had already become brittle and fractured. Luckily, I found a repair shop nearby where they found another frame and transferred the entire tender and guts to it. Now I treat it, and all my Flyers, with plenty of TLC to avoid anything like that occurring again.


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## llskis (Apr 11, 2013)

Nuttin But Flyer said:


> Learned about the tender frame the hard way....when rescued from my Mother's attic, it had already become brittle and fractured. Luckily, I found a repair shop nearby where they found another frame and transferred the entire tender and guts to it. Now I treat it, and all my Flyers, with plenty of TLC to avoid anything like that occurring again.


N/B/F: Do you remember if the original frame that became brittle and fractured came with
the "rear steps"?? My 334DC has a tender frame also; w/o rear steps. Odd.
If you look at Greensburgs Flyer Book Vol.1 on page 59 it also shows a 334DC w/o steps.
comments?? Larry:dunno:


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## PhoebeSnow (Mar 1, 2014)

I also had to replace the tender frame on my 334 DC too. The original had the tender steps on it. I bought the replacement from Port Lines. The replacement was machined from either a piece of steel or aluminum and had to be primed and painted. I'm also trying to get the whistle to work without much success. I have two electronic whistle controllers but so far no luck. I'm also trying to get the whistle to work on my 325 AC. It just buzzes like door alarm. i replaced the whistle cartridge with a working one from Port Lines but it still just buzzes.


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## llskis (Apr 11, 2013)

PhoebeSnow said:


> I also had to replace the tender frame on my 334 DC too. The original had the tender steps on it. I bought the replacement from Port Lines. The replacement was machined from either a piece of steel or aluminum and had to be primed and painted. I'm also trying to get the whistle to work without much success. I have two electronic whistle controllers but so far no luck. I'm also trying to get the whistle to work on my 325 AC. It just buzzes like door alarm. i replaced the whistle cartridge with a working one from Port Lines but it still just buzzes.


PhoebeSnow: Yes working with the 334DC is very challenging. You have to hook-up the system for the whistle using "house current" as shown with all the AC Gilbert instruction sheets which I'm sure you know. Question: The tender frame replacement from Port Lines:
Does the steps come with it or do you have to glue them on yourself? Thanks-Larry
P.S. I talked to John Heck on this and he told me one of the frames from a 332 will work
with a 334 tender body.


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## Nuttin But Flyer (Dec 19, 2011)

Phoebe - I believe all they ever did was buzz, like an old door buzzer. I don't believe they ever sounded like a steam whistle, more like a sick diesel. Yours is probably working correctly. The whistle we were discussing here uses a different type of control, one that looks almost like a transformer and plugs into 120V AC. I has a spring-loaded rotating switch to activate the whistle. There is no production number from Gilbert on this control. Only certain early engines used this control -- the 361 from the 360/61 SF Alco and some Northerns, our 334DC. Probably a few other early units but not sure.


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## PhoebeSnow (Mar 1, 2014)

llskis said:


> PhoebeSnow: Yes working with the 334DC is very challenging. You have to hook-up the system for the whistle using "house current" as shown with all the AC Gilbert instruction sheets which I'm sure you know. Question: The tender frame replacement from Port Lines:
> Does the steps come with it or do you have to glue them on yourself? Thanks-Larry
> P.S. I talked to John Heck on this and he told me one of the frames from a 332 will work
> with a 334 tender body.


The steps on the tender floor from Port Lines are machined from the same block of metal that the tender floor is made from. There's nothing to glue or attach also the floor comes predrilled. In fact it looks identical to the original except for the fact it's unpainted.


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