# Accucraft C-19 Battery Conversion



## rhyman (Apr 19, 2009)

I fell in love with a “new-in-the box” Accucraft C-19 model of RGS #41 on display in the RGSRR Hobbies booth at the NGRC back in June. I really tried to resist but the model kept saying “take me, take me” every time I walked by the booth. Greg didn’t help either, always managing to show me the finer points of the model and reminding me how scarce they are in the RGS #41 paint scheme. I finally gave up and bought the model.









Straight from the factory, the model represents #41 pretty much as she looks today, at Knott’s Berry Farm. All clean and shiny, with that atrocious backup light that the real #41 never had. I know some folks shudder at the thought of so much as putting a fingerprint on a finely crafted expensive brass model. If you are one of those folks, well, better stop reading here. When I get through with this machine, she will look every bit the part of a hard working, infrequently maintained RGS loco from the late ‘40s – early ‘50s era.

In addition to a few cosmetic changes, I will be disassembling both the tender and the engine, removing the factory wiring, and installing an onboard Li-ion battery, QSI sound/power controller, G-wire radio receiver, and home-made auxiliary lighting circuit for cab lighting, classification lamps, and firebox flicker. I need to have this baby ready to take to Marty’s annual battery powered steam-up next month. 

I have just posted Part 1 of the conversion project on my web site. Here is the link: Link to Part 1

Part 1 covers the conversion of the tender. There are a lot of photos, a wiring diagram and a parts list. I am now working on the engine and will post an update soon . Part 2 will cover the conversion process for the engine, and Part 3 will deal with detailing and weathering.


----------



## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

I hope this one has an improved drive train. I have had mine apart at least six times to fix loose set screws and motors. I sent it back to Accucraft the first two times then I gave up and fixed it myself. I hope this last time was the fix. I actually took the motor and vertical shaft over to a friends house and had him drill holes for the set screws and substituted longer set screws. I then locktited everything I could find in place including taking apart the gear head motor. So far it has worked. Since you are taking the engine completely apart I recommend that you re-locktite everything about the motor and drive train before you re-assemble the engine. I also fixed the motor in place using silicon glue as opposed to the way it came from the factory. It is running great now and is very smooth and quiet......but it was a lot of work.


----------



## RGSNH (Jan 13, 2008)

Bob, 

i also have a first run and also had many problems. is the photo you model or a stock photo? the reason i as is the cab has smooth sides where as mine had a resessed panel that i recently filled in. i have also changed out the motor/gearhead to a 65.5:1 gear ratio as the secondary gearbox has a 1.91:1 reduction which gives it a final reduction of 34:1 final drive. this greatly eliminated the locos desire to run away down grade, the stock drive was a combined 20:1 reduction in mine. i do not know if they changed it over the production life cycle. i also redecaled to the sunrise hearl scheme. 

Al P.


----------



## RGSNH (Jan 13, 2008)

Bob, 

forgot to add that disassembly of the locomotive is a real PIA. 

Al P.


----------



## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob. 
Nicely done. 

One word of caution. 

The frame of the charge jack is connected to the battery negative (-). Mounting it directly to the body of the tender shell means you have given the tender shell a (-) ground potential. 
To avoid any possible shorts it would be a good idea to mount the jack on some insulated material.


----------



## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By RGSNH on 08 Aug 2011 03:49 PM 
Bob, 

forgot to add that disassembly of the locomotive is a real PIA. 

Al P. 
It definitely is, but after several tries I pretty much have it down. However, I still think I am missing some parts from the second return to Accucraft. They had this old man that worked these for them. My first engine ate it's gears up due to them coming loose, but instead of fixing my engine the second time he sent me his parts engine as a replacement and he had not fixed the drive train problem on that one either so I ended up with the same situation. That is when I decided I had had enough and just decided to dive into it myself. After all, what did I have to loose. It's been a hard long road with many disapointments, but I think it is finally fixed now. I like the engine and it runs well. They had a good idea with the vertical drive train, but the execution of it was flawed. They just did not do enough testing before releasing it to the public. I run mostly live steam, but when it is blazing hot as it is now, it's just easier to run an electric. I use the engine on my work train when I have track work or brush clearing to do. It works well in that function.


----------



## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

Interesting, this is now 4 years later. I have run the engine all this time without any problems until a couple of weeks ago. The gears and motor are just completely worn out. I sent it back to Cliff and he said they would work on it, but don't look for it any time soon. They apparently have no parts to fix it and he is looking in his reject bin. I have never seen anyone selling a replacement drive for this engine.


----------



## RGSNH (Jan 13, 2008)

John,

Sorry to here your drive train has worn out, I suspect this is in part due to the reversed gear ratio I mentioned earlier, causing excessive wear. Mine continues to run fine, but as it is one of several locos in my stable is not run all the time. with the Pittman motor I replaced with the larger reduction it runs well with the Bachman version of the C-19 double heading. one option might be to purchase the Bachman running gear section and retrofit you locomotive. unfortunately Bachman sells the motor gearbox, but not the corresponding axel with gear attached as separate items.

Al P.


----------



## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks, if Cliff can't fix it I will look into that.


----------



## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

Well the bad news is that Accucraft has no parts and can't fix my C19, so the are just going to mail it back to me. Has anyone had any experience fixing this engine?


----------



## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

*Repaired C19*

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jfrank65/23445895013/in/photolist-BHQkKc

Well there is good news and bad news. The good news is I got it back together and it works. I just used the old parts and tightened and locktited them back together. The bad news is I paid $77 to ship this thing back to Accucraft because they said they could fix it. Cliff said he would give it to his 'machinist' to fix. They did nothing and shipped it back to me with a broken front coupler. Cliff did throw in a new motor which I am sure is worth a lot to someone. But it did not have the three holes drilled and tapped to take the gear housing which you can see in the video attached to the old motor. I don't know how long this will last as I have had this engine apart at least six times. It just eventually all comes loose no matter how much locktite you use. This time I am not replacing all that decorative piping as it just makes it too hard to disassemble. I only use the engine for my work train as I am really running live steam most of the time. Any way, I have a new Pittman gear head motor I can use someday if nothing else fails. I have no way to replace the gears if they wear out. Really this engine needs to be converted to their 'other' system for electric engines.


----------

