# Delton C-16 gearbox photo?



## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Anybody have pictures of Delton's original and the later Caledonia gear-box or drive-train? I recieved an old Delton that' supposed to have a Caledonia assembly but I think it maybe soemthing other...

Thanks
Michael


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## David Fletcher (Jan 2, 2008)

No Photos, but I can tell you this. 

Original Delton has the motor mouned directly to the top of the plastic chassis frame in a vertical plane, right above the 3rd axle and a large brass worm attached to the motor shaft that engages directly to a white nylon gear on the 3rd axle. The first drives had a stainless steel ball on the bottom of the brass work which sat in a hollow in the bottom plate of the chassis. This was only used on the first 500 engines or so, then they deleted the ball, it was pointless for holding the worm vertical anyway. 

Caledonia gearboxes were mostly the same as above, but the worm was fatter, no ball on the bottom. There were a few engines with white nylon worms instead of brass which were ultra smooth and quiet models, but the worms could slip on the motor shaft. Some of the Caledonia models had a brass plate mounted flat on the top of the frame with the motor mounted on that, this to help secure the motor, which previously got warm and tended to warp the plastic frame it was mounted to, causing the worm to disengage the drive gear. 

Late in the Caledonia period, they decided to try and fix the drive problems outright and developed a machined stainless steel block. It was a self contained solid metal block, with motor mounted vertical to the top, 3rd and 4th axles were fully attached to this block. The 3rd axle was powered from the motor, the 4th axle was a floater in the block. Basically the metal block held the motor and drive axle together quite separately from the Delton plastic chassis. The 4th axle was included in the metal block because it kept the block oriented properly. The whole block was free and floating in the plastic chassis, and was not bolted in. All that held it in place was the 3rd and 4th axles going through the outer plastic chassis frames. These blocks were actually extemely good and when possible I like to get the engines with this block. To drop the motor, all you did was remove the plastic chassis bottom place and the whole 3rd and 4th driver set and motor all in the metal block would drop out the bottom. 
All of the 'Early American Trains' C-16s built after Caledonia went bust used this block too. Most of the Caledonias I have seen however did not have the metal block, I'd say only the last 3rd of production. Most had a rather noisy version of the original drive with motor mounted to the plastic frame. The Early American Trains versions (which have a plate on the smokebox saying 'early American Trains') where a nice set of models built from left over Caledonia parts as the bankruptcy consultants cleared stock for cash, they were nicely made and finished and all had the metal block. 

David.


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

David, 

Thanks for the info, I have a vertical Mabuchi can motor mounted to a brass plate with another brass plate sandwhiching the plastic chassis.... 

Michael


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## David Fletcher (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes I thinks thats an early Caledonia fix, to keep the motor from distorting the chassis when getting hot. 

David.


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