| One of the distinguishing problems with brass and | | | | process. It is easy to break the solder joint and now |
| electricity is brass is an electrical conductor with a | | | | you have a worse situation. Only a slight movement |
| tendency to short out a lot and can create a blue | | | | will fix the problem.The next item is the draw bar and |
| electrical show that is not wanted.This has been a | | | | the post on the tender. Many times the draw bar has |
| common problem with Brass Steam Locomotives. The | | | | not been fixed properly to the frame. There are |
| Asian manufactures have tried very hard to create a | | | | insulating washers that must be installed properly and |
| model that is as accurate as possible in 1/87 scale. In | | | | the solder joint must not come in contact with the |
| doing so many times the tolerances are so tight | | | | frame. The draw bar is intentionally isolated from the |
| between the pony trucks and the cylinders that you | | | | frame since it is bringing the power from the tender to |
| get continual shorts. This may also be true with the | | | | complete a circuit on the motor. Make sure that you |
| trailing trucks and the cab of the locomotive.This being | | | | have the + & - wires soldered properly or your engine |
| an intolerable situation for the hobbyist one wonders | | | | will go the wrong way.The last problem is the body of |
| what he or she is to do to take care of the problem. | | | | the locomotive. There are times when the |
| There are several methods to alleviate the nuisance. | | | | manufacturer does not align the body to the frame |
| The most common way is to paint woman's clear nail | | | | and the two parts may fit as far as mounting is |
| hardener on the wheels of the pony trucks or the | | | | concerned but the body is slightly tilted to the right or |
| trailing trucks. This is temporary since in time the nail | | | | left. This may allow the body to touch the drivers |
| hardener will ware off. However, by placing a thin coat | | | | which will cause a short. To remedy the problem |
| of clear epoxy on the cylinders or cab body will | | | | remove the body from the frame and examine the |
| generally eliminate the problem.The best method is to | | | | body and frame interface for areas that may cause |
| find the exact wheel set that goes on the locomotive | | | | Sparky to appear. You might have to gently pull the |
| for both the pony trucks and trailing trucks. The key is | | | | body inwards or add an insulation pad of fibrous |
| to find a set of wheels that are insulated in the middle | | | | material that will squeeze down on the frame yet |
| of the axle. This may be difficult for the type of | | | | keep the body from interfering with the drivers. At all |
| locomotive you have. | | | | times be careful not to distort the brass body.The best |
| Now that the standard among Railroaders is all freight | | | | way to locate sparky is to turn off the lights and run |
| cars and passenger cars must have metal wheels | | | | the engine in the dark and watch for blue sparks |
| that are insulated to stop Sparky and reduce dirty | | | | between the various parts that may come in contact |
| tracks. You may be able to find a set of wheels | | | | with each other.Joy Ball has been involved in the |
| among the different wheel sets for the fright cars that | | | | restoration and maintenance of a variety of Brass |
| match in size and characteristics which will satisfy your | | | | Model Locomotives. Through her years of expertise, |
| need.The other shorting problem is piping that hang | | | | Mrs. Ball has perfected the art of train restoration |
| down near any of the wheels. To solve this problem, | | | | often spending countless hours preserving vintage |
| carefully bend the overflow pipes and other items that | | | | Brass Locomotives to running condition of even the |
| may be coming in contact with any of the wheels | | | | newest Brass Model Replicas. |
| away from the wheels. Be very gentle with this | | | | |