EMD TR5A


Smudge617 said:
Looks good, nice work on the Loco's, I'll be interested in how you get on with your new airbrush too.
Click to expand...
The airbrush did pretty well. Even with the acrylic paint thinned down, the brush definitely preferred the 0.5 needle and nozzle to the 0.3 for spraying it.
It's a decent brush, not up to the level of a Badger or Iwata, but for the price I didn't expect it to be.
The trigger was a bit "sticky", it didn't always want to come back to its closed position all the way. I expected to find a bit of roughness in the interior finish, and I did. A few passes with a small, flat hobby file smoothed everything out. I also used some 1500 grit sandpaper and polished the trigger and spring mechanisms. Works like a dream now.
To be fair and honest, I also had to give my Badger Patriot 105 a bit of polishing when I first got it a few years ago, too. So I really don't hold that against Neoeco. I work in manufacturing, and I know that no matter how hard you try, things do slip past that shouldn't.
But all in all, it did OK.
 
flyboy2610 said:
The painting and weathering is finished. I was going for a look that said "used, but not abused". As I said, these would have been only 6 years old at the time my layout is set, and UP generally took pretty good care of its equipment, especially when "new". I wanted to achieve a dusty, dirty, but cared for look. I think I got it.
View attachment 169208

I didn't have any steel color paint, but I had some aluminum, so that's what I used on the stacks. If you don't tell, I won't tell. I gave the inside of the headlight housings a coat of metallic silver. That should help the headlight shine better.
The air tanks got a coat of grimy black acrylic. Then I assembled the trucks, except for the wheels, and installed everything on the frames. I gave all 4 sides of both units a pass of grimy black, did the underside of the trucks as well. Next I gave the lower edges of the trucks, shell and frame a bit of earth color.
I'm guessing the fuel tank filler is located behind the air tank towards the grille, because most of the pictures I have have an oily streak down the air tank right there. Some gloss black dry-brushed onto the tank did the trick. I have the bell for the cow, and I thought I had a horn but I can't find it now. I'll install those when the re-motor is complete.
I placed an order with Streamlined Backshop (http://www.sbs4dcc.com/home.html) for a speaker with cab roof enclosure and an electrical connector to run from the cow to the calf. The connector will be for the light. Checking my email, I see that SBS sent me a shipping notice and tracking number. Should have the parts by next weekend.
I guess re-motoring the cow is the next item on the list.
Click to expand...
What are you using for light's LED's or bulbs ?
 
flyboy2610 said:
The airbrush did pretty well. Even with the acrylic paint thinned down, the brush definitely preferred the 0.5 needle and nozzle to the 0.3 for spraying it.
It's a decent brush, not up to the level of a Badger or Iwata, but for the price I didn't expect it to be.
The trigger was a bit "sticky", it didn't always want to come back to its closed position all the way. I expected to find a bit of roughness in the interior finish, and I did. A few passes with a small, flat hobby file smoothed everything out. I also used some 1500 grit sandpaper and polished the trigger and spring mechanisms. Works like a dream now.
To be fair and honest, I also had to give my Badger Patriot 105 a bit of polishing when I first got it a few years ago, too. So I really don't hold that against Neoeco. I work in manufacturing, and I know that no matter how hard you try, things do slip past that shouldn't.
But all in all, it did OK.
Click to expand...
I have the same problem with the trigger on my Chinese cheapo, I just use a rubber band round the trigger to the cup. 🙂
 
Smudge617 said:
I have the same problem with the trigger on my Chinese cheapo, I just use a rubber band round the trigger to the cup. 🙂
Click to expand...
That's one way to do it! 👍
I could feel something 'catching' in there, so I figured it was probably a bit of rough finishing work. It was. I also found a few stray bits of extremely fine metal, rather like metal shavings. But it's all cleaned out now and working well.
 
I've been working on this, just haven't been very good about updating it. :oops:
For the headlight and back up lights I'm using 3mm warm white LED's. These are designed for 7-19 volts, and come pre-wired with a resistor and bridge rectifier. It doesn't matter which wire is positive and which is negative, the LED will still function.
100_0050.JPG


Larry, from the Solo Contracting YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@SoloContracting/featured) used a product called Bondic in one of his installs. I'd never heard of before. It's not a glue, it's actually a liquid plastic that cures with a UV light. The plastic dries clear, and makes really nice lenses for lighting installs.
notaglue.com

Bondic® - It's Not a Glue

Bondic® works where glue fails. Won't dry out, only hardens when you want it to. A 4-step process (clean, fill, cure and shape) to fix almost anything.
notaglue.com

I used it for all three lights on this project, and I must say I'm impressed! I also picked up a tube of Zap-It, a CA glue that also cures with a UV light (or 1-2 minutes on it's own).
100_0051.JPG


My order from Streamlined Backshop came in. The 2 pin connector will go to the calf unit for the light, and 1 of the speakers and enclosures will go in the roof of the cab on the cow.
100_0052.JPG


Here's all the goodies for the cab! I'm using the orange wire for the speaker. You can see the resistor/bridge rectifier on the wires for the LED.
100_0053.JPG
 
Continuing on....
I got the motor mounted in the frame, and connected to the worm gears with 1mm inside diameter silicone fuel tubing from Du-Bro. Their part no is 221. I cut the metal uprights down to make some more room under the shell, because room is one thing there's not a lot of under there!
100_0054.JPG


The backup light mounted in the cab, and the Bondic lens made. The silver paint in the housing really makes the light shine! I have it hooked up the 12V leads on my benchtop power supply.
100_0055.JPG


A couple of the original Athearn plastic windows got broken, so I used some clear .010 styrene from Evergreen Scale Models, part #9006, to make new windows. I glued them in with Testors Clear Parts Cement and Window Maker. I decided to tint the windows, so I used some Smoke acrylic from Tamiya, X-19. It may work well through an airbrush, but it sure doesn't brush on well! It's a solvent based acrylic, and I don't spray solvent based paints indoors. I have since discovered that it's also available in a spray can, so maybe next time I'll try that. Here the speaker and roof enclosure have been installed. The cab is ready to go back on the shell.
100_0056.JPG


I soldered both pickup wires directly to the trucks. This is the first time I've done the pickups this way for the negative lead. I always solder the positive side to the truck. The decoder has solder points on both ends for for the lights and track pickups. The reason I did it this way is something Larry talked about in one his YouTube installs on his Solo Contracting channel. He said he read an article in one of the model railroad magazines (I don't remember which one) where the author discussed why short circuits often blow out board style decoders. The reason is that a short circuit will follow the path of least resistance, like water does. If the track pickups are installed at both ends of the decoder, the short circuit has to pass through the decoder, which often results in the magic smoke being released. And when that happens, the decoders says "OK, I'm done!"
If the trucks are wired to each other, and the decoder is only wired to one truck, then the decoder is no longer in the path of least resistance, and the short circuit will leave it alone. I'm no electrical/electronics guru, but it makes sense to me!
100_0057.JPG


One thing I did wrong, that I didn't know until later, is that the negative lead should be soldered to the truck as far from the centerline of the truck as possible. As it is here, the wire will interfere with the driveline. Oh, well. Ya lives, ya learns!
 
Still going!
My trusty Weller WLC100 soldering station gave up the ghost! :(
Farewell, old friend! You were a brave soldier!
The temperature started varying all over everywhere! I'm not sure if it was the iron itself, or the control unit, but I've had it for many years, and it's been worked hard, so I decided to replace it. I'd been consider the Hakko (pronounced Hock-Oh, BTW. Not Hack-Oh or Hay-Koh.) FX888D, but no one in town had it, and I didn't feel like waiting 7-10 days to get one!
So I did some research and found the Duratrax TK-955. It's a digital station, and the local HobbyTown had one in stock. It got good reviews from numerous websites, so I drove down and bought it. It was a bit fiddly getting the temperature set where I wanted it, but that was probably my own fault. I used it to complete this project, and it worked very well!
100_0058.JPG


My original plan was to mount the decoder to a piece of styrene, which would be mounted to the motor with a piece of double sided foam tape. The decoder would be mounted to the styrene with another piece of foam tape. Here I've tinned all the solder pads I'm going to use, and it's ready to be mounted.
100_0059.JPG


The decoder mounted to the styrene, and the track pickups and motor wires installed.
100_0060.JPG


FINALLY, I can put this on the track and fire up the PowerCab! The blue light indicates that the decoder is getting power!
100_0061.JPG


It... is... aliiiive!
100_0062.JPG


Everything even works properly! It's got nice sound, and both lights function correctly. Even though the SW9 never had the 567 diesel with a turbo (just a Roots supercharger) I like the sound of the turbo, so that's what prime mover I gave it. My railroad, my rules.
I did have to remove the piece of styrene under the decoder, and mount the decoder directly on top of the motor with the double sided foam tape. There just wasn't quite enough clearance to go with the styrene.
And I managed to mess up the 2 wire connector that was going to go from the cow to calf to power the lights. It's not salvageable. But in a way, that was a blessing in disguise. I also found that there was not enough room under the shell to install the Current Keeper. So my plan is to install that in the calf, and use a 4 wire connector between the cow and calf.
I also still need to fabricate a drawbar from styrene to connect the two. The handrails need to be installed as well, but that will be done after everything else is complete. Need to do the bell and the horn, too. Just little stuff.
All in all, this has been a fun project, and I've learned a lot from doing it!
I've got an Athearn BB U25B that needs a decoder, an Athearn Alco PA1 that needs a decoder, an Athearn SW1500 that needs re-done (it was someone else's 'project' that I bought cheap on eBay), and a Walther's Trainline GP9M that needs decoderized. And I really should get busy on the layout itself.
So much to do, so little time.
 
flyboy2610 said:
Still going!
My trusty Weller WLC100 soldering station gave up the ghost! :(
Farewell, old friend! You were a brave soldier!
The temperature started varying all over everywhere! I'm not sure if it was the iron itself, or the control unit, but I've had it for many years, and it's been worked hard, so I decided to replace it. I'd been consider the Hakko (pronounced Hock-Oh, BTW. Not Hack-Oh or Hay-Koh.) FX888D, but no one in town had it, and I didn't feel like waiting 7-10 days to get one!
So I did some research and found the Duratrax TK-955. It's a digital station, and the local HobbyTown had one in stock. It got good reviews from numerous websites, so I drove down and bought it. It was a bit fiddly getting the temperature set where I wanted it, but that was probably my own fault. I used it to complete this project, and it worked very well!
View attachment 169802

My original plan was to mount the decoder to a piece of styrene, which would be mounted to the motor with a piece of double sided foam tape. The decoder would be mounted to the styrene with another piece of foam tape. Here I've tinned all the solder pads I'm going to use, and it's ready to be mounted.
View attachment 169803

The decoder mounted to the styrene, and the track pickups and motor wires installed.
View attachment 169804

FINALLY, I can put this on the track and fire up the PowerCab! The blue light indicates that the decoder is getting power!
View attachment 169805

It... is... aliiiive!
View attachment 169806

Everything even works properly! It's got nice sound, and both lights function correctly. Even though the SW9 never had the 567 diesel with a turbo (just a Roots supercharger) I like the sound of the turbo, so that's what prime mover I gave it. My railroad, my rules.
I did have to remove the piece of styrene under the decoder, and mount the decoder directly on top of the motor with the double sided foam tape. There just wasn't quite enough clearance to go with the styrene.
And I managed to mess up the 2 wire connector that was going to go from the cow to calf to power the lights. It's not salvageable. But in a way, that was a blessing in disguise. I also found that there was not enough room under the shell to install the Current Keeper. So my plan is to install that in the calf, and use a 4 wire connector between the cow and calf.
I also still need to fabricate a drawbar from styrene to connect the two. The handrails need to be installed as well, but that will be done after everything else is complete. Need to do the bell and the horn, too. Just little stuff.
All in all, this has been a fun project, and I've learned a lot from doing it!
I've got an Athearn BB U25B that needs a decoder, an Athearn Alco PA1 that needs a decoder, an Athearn SW1500 that needs re-done (it was someone else's 'project' that I bought cheap on eBay), and a Walther's Trainline GP9M that needs decoderized. And I really should get busy on the layout itself.
So much to do, so little time.
Click to expand...
What decoder are you using in the switcher ?, I've fitted a decoder to mine, but I can't close it up properly as the decoder is pressing onto the motor
 
Smudge617 said:
What decoder are you using in the switcher ?, I've fitted a decoder to mine, but I can't close it up properly as the decoder is pressing onto the motor
Click to expand...
Not a lot of room under there, is there?
The decoder I'm using is a Soundtraxx PNP8. They have several versions, depending on builder of the switcher.
soundtraxx.com

TSU-PNP8

SoundTraxx brings new dimensions in digital sound technology to your model railroad. Regardless of your scale or prototype, we have a sound system for you! We manufacture all of our Digital Sound Decoders in the USA, right here in Durango, Colorado.
soundtraxx.com soundtraxx.com

I have the EMD version.
 
flyboy2610 said:
Not a lot of room under there, is there?
The decoder I'm using is a Soundtraxx PNP8. They have several versions, depending on builder of the switcher.
soundtraxx.com

TSU-PNP8

SoundTraxx brings new dimensions in digital sound technology to your model railroad. Regardless of your scale or prototype, we have a sound system for you! We manufacture all of our Digital Sound Decoders in the USA, right here in Durango, Colorado.
soundtraxx.com soundtraxx.com

I have the EMD version.
Click to expand...
This is where I always get confused with US loco's, I've a Athearn SW7/9 is that a EMD?
 
flyboy2610 said:
Yes. That's the same one I have. You would want the EMD decoder, not the EMD2. 885813 is the number.
Click to expand...
Great, thanks, I'll look for one here

Ah! I can find the 2's the 1's are a little harder, mmm it's a sound decoder, where the 'eck do you fit the speaker, in the cab ?
 
I put the speaker in the roof of the cab. The last picture in post #46 shows the speaker, and to the left of it is the enclosure. It's curved on top to conform the roof of the cab. A standard square enclosure would work, but it would be a bit more visible.
You could use the EMD2 decoder, but it wouldn't have the correct engine.
 
flyboy2610 said:
Yes. That's the same one I have. You would want the EMD decoder, not the EMD2. 885813 is the number.
Click to expand...
Why do you say use the EMD version of the decoder and not the EMD2 version? I bought the EMD2 for my Lifelike SW9/1200. I used the EMD 12 cylinder 567 no transition and it sounds exactly like the SW9s and SW1200s that I ran on the railroad. It's also the one that George Bogatiuk told me to use.
I tried listening to the sound files for the EMD decoder and none of them sounded like a 12 cylinder EMD 567 engine, they all sound like 16 cylinder engines.

Richard Webster
 
The 4 pin connector arrived. I installed it so that the white wire and the black one next to it go to the Current Keeper, and the other two black wires go to the LED. The male end is on the calf, the female end is on the cow. (That doesn't sound right, somehow? 🤔) I also made a draw-bar from .040 styrene.
100_0063.JPG


When in reverse, both the cow and calf LED's come on. Probably not prototypical, but there are a number of things about this project that aren't, so I guess that's just one more! That's how it's done on my railroad, though.
100_0065.JPG


Connected, with the horn and bell installed. One of the handrails for the side of the engine broke, so I got some .020 K&S music wire from Ace hardware and had a go at making a replacement. Couldn't seem to get the bend in exactly the right spot, so the story is the rail got bent and management just hasn't gotten around to replacing it.
100_0064.JPG


I have pictures with a single horn mounted on a bracket under the cab roof overhang, with a single horn mounted on the roof, with a single horn on both ends of the cab, with a multiple horn unit on the roof, etc. So there didn't seem to be any one way that the horn was installed, so my way is as good as any! The handrails on the cow are from the original shell, those on the calf came with the undecorated unit I got on eBay. I painted them with white acrylic primer, trying intentionally to make the paint job less than perfect to represent worn paint.
The prototype photos I have show another handrail at the back of the cab, and there is a hole in the sill for it, but there's no hole in the cab at the top of the steps. Someday maybe I'll fabricate a handrail for that spot, but for now I think I'm done with this project.
Time to go put it on the layout! Thanks for following along!
 
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