# Accuraft West Side Heisler FINALLY



## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

With years holding our breath we finally have a live steam Heisler based on the #3 electric version that Charles build before he passed.

Some nice features await:

Slide Valve cylinders with drain cocks and full Stephenson valve gear
Wagontop boiler for extended run times with a hand pump for filing under steam
Boiler includes a sightglass.


More information as its released. No price is yet set but expect a little higher than the new 3cyl shay. Available to preorder


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Any idea yet on delivery date?


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Dwight Ennis on 23 Jan 2014 02:27 PM 
Any idea yet on delivery date? 

Got your rubberband ready? Id say 2015. Have a few months on the corrections to the running gear then its at least 6 months for production.


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## Joe Johnson (Jan 2, 2008)

Hope you are right about 2015. After putting down a down payment on a climax for this year, I'd hate to have to explain one more engine for at least a year.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Quite a few pre orders taken at DH. Ran pretty good. Still some tweaking to be done. Later RJD


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## livesteam53 (Jan 4, 2008)

Here is a couple more pictures.

















Click here to see this one in action.


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Now, here is a question for all you Heisler aficionados! 
When new, and delivered to the logging railroads, were the connecting rods on the trucks set up to be identical? 
The old photos that I have seem to show this. 
I can see that if during maintenance there was the need to disconnect the drive shafts and move trucks around that this might change, but if never disconnected, then this would never change. 
One of those many questions that I have wondered about over the years, and seeing the above photos, prompted me to ask. 
All the best, 
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

I would suspect that, over time, synchronization of the trucks would change. No hard data - just a suspicion.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

then this would never change 
Any time there was slipping, or if one set of wheels wore to a different diameter (even a few thou) they would get out of sync.


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Posted By Pete Thornton on 24 Jan 2014 08:34 AM 
then this would never change 
Any time there was slipping, or if one set of wheels wore to a different diameter (even a few thou) they would get out of sync. 
Am I missing something here?
There is a fixed drive shaft connecting the trucks, with one assumes identical bevel gears, although I guess they could wear at different rates!
But how could there be slipping?
It's like the centre driver of a six coupled loco going at a different speed to the other drivers!
Pete, please explain how this can happen.
Many thanks,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Posted By Dwight Ennis on 23 Jan 2014 11:11 PM 
I would suspect that, over time, synchronization of the trucks would change. No hard data - just a suspicion. 
Again, with the fixed drive shaft, I can't understand HOW it could change!
Cheers,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## Dan Rowe (Mar 8, 2009)

David, 
I just checked the 1908 Heisler Repair Catalog and a bunch of builders photos and the rods are in sync in every case. The builders photos show all rods down which is standard. There is no way that the rods will get out of sync unless one of the gears is shifted from the original factory setting. 

Dan


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't think synchronization is a big concern. The only thing that would cause trucks to be out of sync would be loose backlash in the gearing. The engineer opens the throttle and for a brief instant the line shaft would turn freely until the backlash on one truck is taken up. The engine would move forward just a tiny bit and backlash taken up on the second truck. Full and equal power to both trucks almost instantly. The engineer might hear a "clunk" when the gears lash up, but that's about it. The Heislers are no different then a 0-4-0 siderod engine, there are just two (or three) of them on the same frame. Any wear and tear on siderods and wheels would essentially be the same.

As for gears, Climax engines have offset bevel gears with very complex geometry. The old timers made wood patterns of the gears, fitted them as best the could and cast them. The gears went on cast as is and allowed to wear in on there own. They wear to the correct geometry on their own. Heisler and Shay gears might have been done that way too.


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## Dan Rowe (Mar 8, 2009)

Posted By David Leech on 23 Jan 2014 08:33 PM 
Now, here is a question for all you Heisler aficionados! 
When new, and delivered to the logging railroads, were the connecting rods on the trucks set up to be identical? 


Bob, The question was how did the loco come from the factory which is why I checked the builders
photos and the repair parts book.

The locos were shipped with the rods in sync. What happened after that depended on the road mechanics.

Dan


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Thank you gentlemen for your assistance in answering the question that has kept me awake for many a year!!! 
All the best, 
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

I have a Heisler book with photos of 50 or 60 engines new and in use and every one has the side bars in sync but I don't see where it would make any difference in the running. 
With that said, I feel it is important to match the prototype in this respect. 
What is more important than this, is to properly time the drive-shafts so that the yokes at each end are on the same plane and with a splined yoke, the setup in the photo would have been out of time.


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Bill, The universals used are just attached by a M3 setscrew so one can easily take and match the rods together and also make sure that all the yokes are level so when it is on a curve there is no binding.


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

I just got back from a steamup and Cliff had the little beauty there. 
We turned it over and see that the u joints are attached with set screws and flats on the shafts (same as mine). It looks like maybe they weren't aware of the need to sync the wheels when they ground the flats. 
But that's why they do pilots. I'm sure they will get it right in the production run. 
I couldn't run my HEISLER as there was a clearance issue on the track so I ran it when I got home. The three trucks sure look good with all of the side bars in sync


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Dan Rowe on 24 Jan 2014 11:34 AM 
David, 
I just checked the 1908 Heisler Repair Catalog and a bunch of builders photos and the rods are in sync in every case. The builders photos show all rods down which is standard. There is no way that the rods will get out of sync unless one of the gears is shifted from the original factory setting. 

Dan 
OK, I get the question. The gears would be keyed, they won't slip. So the only way the rods get out of sync is somebody in the field drops a truck off the frame and puts it back on wrong.


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

Actually just dropping the driveshaft was probably more of the cause 
In my early life as a truck mechanic we would get one with a vibration after a clutch job and find the driveshaft to be out of time, 
I think the early Heislers had bushing U joints vs needle bearings so they probably needed to be replaced regularly and that un-glorious job probably went to the oiler


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## Lorna (Jun 10, 2008)

Looking through the book "The Heisler locomotive", it shows some with rods out of sync. The usual source for this as near as I can find out is when maintenance or a derailment, was done and the shafts to the trucks disconnected. The shop crew did not always get the trucks all lined up again.


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## Eric M. (Jan 3, 2008)

Well, its offiicial! We have final pricing and an actual sku number from Accucraft. It looks like this Heisler may actually happen. This is fantastic news and, if I may say so, one of the last great legacies that Charlie Chen left behind. I personally, have been waiting for this for more than a decade. I have mine on order. The WSL Co #3 Heisler is a narrow gauge icon and fortunately still steams today. Click below for the official announcement posted on the Accucraft website as of today.


  click here


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes expected arrival is late 2014 with price of 3150.00 its been a long time coming but it is worth the wait.


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## Accucraft UK (Sep 16, 2013)

The specs on the website: 

http://www.accucraft.com/PR/AT%2020p3%20WSL%203%20LS%20(PR)%202014-02-05.pdf 

Rods all look aligned to me!  

Graham.


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