# aristo k4



## m ledley (Jan 18, 2009)

recently pick up an old aristo k4.[15 yrs. old ].is there an on/off switch for the motor & smoke unit ?? is it worth the trouble/expence to up grade to their new motor block ??


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## Ltotis (Jan 3, 2008)

m ledley, 
A K4 it is not. It is a generic Pacific. I would say that if you got the engine in the $100 range then definitely upgrade it. It would be worth the money. 
LAO


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

If the engine runs fine, I wouldn’t mess with it, perhaps cleaning and oiling will be sufficient, removing the motor block for inspection is pretty straight forward. A common area that causes problems is the driver axles as the brass supports wanna be bearings cut into the axles supporting the engines weight and there is the universal too.

Swapping the motor block requires some extra effort relieving the area under the cab floor which surrounds the original motor. It’s all plastic so it’s not too difficult.

Pacific instruction manual; click on the link below.

http://aristocraft.com/techinfo/manuals%20pdf/21400_old_pacific.pdf

Michael


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## m ledley (Jan 18, 2009)

if it sez K4 in the catalog IT must be a K4. to me & aristo..WHY do people here have to be so technical..more than once here i've simple questions twisted around here...i come here to have FUN not be unnecessarily critized


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## m ledley (Jan 18, 2009)

if you haven't seen the loco in question ..how would some THINK they know !!!!!!!


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Because Larry does have a K4... and there are K4 electrics and K4 steam locos out recently. I have a K4 also. 

Interesting, did one old Aristo catalog advertise it as a K4? It's not in any current catalog as a K4 as I remember. 

Anyway, the "Pacificado" as it is affectionately known was a pretty neat loco in the original incarnation, the drivetrain was not as good as the current product, but the puffing smoke was pretty cool when it worked. Have you run it yet? 

Regards, Greg


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

M, 

I've yet to see or hear of an Aristo K4 very interesting, does your model have the Belpaire firebox typical of K4's? 

Michael


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

From Aristo: 
Railroads from East to West operated the Pacific. All of the three major locomotive builders, Alco, Baldwin and Lima built Pacifics for their client railroads. The prototypes for our Pacifics are products of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, in 1927. They were erected for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad as their “President” class of heavy passenger locomotives. 

Each railroad had their own lettering system for locos, based on the order they bought them and for a diverse variety of needs 

Be Blessed by the God of your choice and Happy Holidays. 

John


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## m ledley (Jan 18, 2009)

how could something so simple be so complex..is there an on/off switch for the motor block ???


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

There is an on-off switch for the motor--it's in the cab, on the floor of the cab. There are two slider switches. one of them controls the motor block, I can't remember which one.

People bring up the K4 issue because the Pennsylvania RR K4s were very famous. They were very successful designs, but also they had a *very* distinctive look. They used a Belpaire firebox which was really the Pennsy's trademark. Only one other US RR, the Great Northern, used the belpaire firebox. Aristo's Pacific, as mentioned, is based on the B&O President class.

There are some G scale models of the PRR K4 available. Here's one, made by AML











The Belpaire firebox is the blocky rectangular shape just ahead of the cab.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

It's a Pacific. Maybe an old one before the new drive block. Some of these ran like sewing machines and some didn't. If yours is running fine, I wouldn't worry about it. 

The new motor block isn't a drop-in replacement, but it's not hard with a little glue, some plastic card and little screws. 

Here's the manual for the really old one, before 2003: http://www.aristocraft.com/techinfo/manuals pdf/21400_old_pacific.pdf


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Posted By m ledley on 24 Dec 2011 06:52 AM 
how could something so simple be so complex.. ???

Simple; I'll do it my way times infinity....

This is a good place to learn, the open forum may require a thicker skin and slower trigger finger. Those that correct are more concerned with true facts than putting someone down. I'll bet your subject tile brought in more ready to correct it, but saw it was already done. I learned in my HO days when I thought every 4-8-4 was an S class because my Tenshodo GN S2 was... the good old boys at my operating club sure had fun with me over that!

Welcome aboard

John


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Well, Tom provided the answers for the switch locations with his scanned manual. 

On the motor block: if it runs well, and pulls enough cars for you, leave it, my opinion. 

Regards, Greg


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.


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