Lionel conversions

[MacG]

... Those blisters on the sides, with grilles on them are part of the dynamic braking system. ... I suspect Lionel just made the non-dynamic brake version shell, and then painted them with the full range of schemes.

Yes, you're right about that. It is the Dynamic Brake. The front of the cab was also white back then, as you can see on the photos from 1967. The same probably applies to the side with the long hood. It gets a little bit less clear with the winterization hatch. It's hard to tell if there was one in 1967. Her sister 1721 definitely had it.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=4806668

I have a B&M 1723 here too. Let me see if I'm willing to add these details. That is a pre-production model with a matt lacquered cab.

[RodTT]

Another detail - in the photos from the 1970s and early 1980s, the step sides were painted orange.

[MacG]

But the steps in orange are usually found only at the newer paint scheme. For example, I found B&M 1746, which got the orange in 1978 in the old paint scheme. But at the beginning of the 80s, she got no orange with the new paint.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1164897
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2932237

[RodTT]

I mentioned in a previous post that I only belatedly discovered the GP9 fuel tank prises off. It's a great place to add extra weight:

I did this to hopefully improve the running of the first one I converted (Chessie), which is sometimes a bit jerky, though it hasn't really had any effect. When one of the others went like this it turned out to be a faulty decoder but surely not another? Maybe it's the cheap Chinese motor or something to do with the Sebnitz parts, or one of those affecting the decoder's operation. I really don't want to dismantle it so I think I'll just live with it unless it gets worse, and consider it a standby loco.
But has anyone else had problems with jerkiness on their conversions?

[ConducTTor]

is sometimes a bit jerky, though it hasn't really had any effect.

Is it possible this is a problem with the electrical pickups on the wheels? Perhaps they're dirty? Or maybe bend them slightly so they make better contact against the wheels?

[RodTT]

Coule easily be something as simple as like that, or maybe dirty track. I suppose I'll have to investigate. Yawn.

[MacG]

Sometimes there is also a burr from injection molding on the gears. Some gear grease should also be used. But sparingly.

[RodTT]

Thanks. I did lightly lubricate the gears after assembly. As it seemed ok at first, I suspect as Alex said that it's probably dirty wheels/track/pickups.