# Aristo-Craft Consolidation Review



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I got mine today. Started taking it out and taking notes and pictures.

But before I start, I need to issue a warning.

There is a hypodermic syringe in the box. It has a needle, and it is NOT safe, it is a regular "sharp"... believe me I know... I was wondering how Aristo ground the end down to keep it safe. It is NOT SAFE.

I suggest you take yours to a grinding wheel immediately and grinding it blunt on the end.










Regards, Greg


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I'll be updating this page on my web site: *http://www.elmassian.com...trong>**

I opened the box and found couplers, and the syringe, and 3 detail parts, 2 cab window shades, and what looks like the steam dynamo:








*


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Good news on the "pulling power" front. 

If you have no issues with gage, i.e. both wheels contact the rail heads, then you can expect quite reasonable pulling power. 

R.J. just pulled 10 cars and a caboose around his layout, which has a max grade of about 1%. Stainless Aristo rail, 10' dia curves. 

He was able to get to 14 cars and caboose with wheel slip starting. 

So earlier reports may have been in error, or there were problems with the rolling stock, or the gage problem affected the traction. 

Regards, Greg


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I have looked at the wheel attachment system, I have not successfully pulled a wheel off yet, but there is indeed a bushing that is pressed into the wheel casting, and it is "serrated" such that there is no way there can be any slip between the wheel and bushing. 

I cannot determine the interface between the bushing and the axle itself. I'm going to have to resort to heat or something else to remove the axle screw. 

I'll try to post a picture of this bushing tonight. 

Regards, Greg


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg, 
When you do get a look at the bushing, see if you think it could be seated farther into the wheel. They do stick out some. That would bring the wheel spacing more towards the middle tolerance rather than at the far extreme.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I will Paul. 

On my Consolidation, all the bushings are sticking out from the wheels by the same amount. 

On RJ's though, there is a significant difference between the fireman's side and the engineer's side. I can't see how we can measure this in situ. 

I'm wondering if they are loosely assembled, and then pressed while in the motor block. Seems that's almost the only explanation of why one side would be consistently different. 

But, this is just speculation. 

I'll work on getting the wheels off. 

Greg


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

OK, dumb question, what is the hypodermic for? Is the loco diabetic? j/k. I assume it's for oiling? But I also would assume aristo could come up with a better solution than packageing a hypodermic needle w/ the loco. It is a sharp looking consoladation though. I have a lot of friends who are gonna want one. 

Terry


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

It's for the smoke fluid, the same thing comes with the new smoke units when you buy them separately.
I did call and let them know it had the pointed needle in the package back in march when I got my extra sd45 smoke units.
They come in all the engines now as well.

Ron


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

So from march to the end of july, they could not eliminate the danger? 

That really does not speak well... with as concerned as they are over litigation (the rules about mentioning LGB on their site, etc.) you think they would be paranoid that someone stuck themselves with a needle... in fact I did, since I could not believe they had not made it safe. 

It was not in a sterile bag either.. 

When you add fluid, remember that the actual capacity is 4 ml and it will really take 4.5 ml but any jostling will make it spill. They call for 3 ml to be safe, but you don't need to listen to that, since the danger comes from turning the loco upside down and spilling it everywhere... and then 3 or 4 ml makes no difference, you have spilled it. Using 3 ml will just give you shorter run times. 

We did a ton of testing on the units years ago, the old "gang of 4", and tested over 27 units and published the results, so I'm sure of this information. 

sigh, we did use to have fun there.... the story on that investigation is a good one in of itself... 

Greg


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Test run yesterday, and a lot of things learned. 

The first is the gage issue. 

Under the "pestering" of a friend, I ran it on the rails before taking the wheels off (I really want to see the new attachment system). 

Well, I can tell you it ran as expected, it's heavy enough to wedge itself in between the rails, but it's not a tight fit, it's a press fit! 

There was absolutely no free play of the drivers on the rails on my 10' Aristo SS curves. 

The wheels are contacting the rails (as expected) at the wheel fillet (that is the small curved area between the flange and the tread of the wheel. 

Now, my track, like a lot of Aristo track, has variations in the gage. It is within NMRA spec, but on the "tight side"... with the gage of the drivers exceeding 45 mm, it's simple physics that anything larger than 45 mm is going to have issues. 

That said, the locomotive ran very smoothly and quietly. If you did not look carefully, you would assume that everything is fine, but it's not, this is going to cause excessive wear and running problems. 

I also noticed something else unusual, but I need to do some detailed measurements before I post more, but suffice it to say the loco was running on ONLY the 1st and 4th drivers. 

I've updated my web site: *http://www.elmassian.com...trong>** 

Regards, Greg*


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I've updated the pictures and text on my site, showing the disassembly of the tender, and several warnings on delicate parts that can easily be broken. 

I have a new page just on disassembly of the loco and tender: *http://www.elmassian.com...trong>**


There's a couple places on the tender where you can easily break off some detail:

Two sets of hooks on the tender frame, looks like hangers for rerailers? Be careful of laying the tender on the engineer's side:













Also, when working on the tender, don't put it upside down on a hard surface, you could break the little "handles" that seem to control the "coal doors". In the picture below, the tender is resting on a spacer to keep it from resting on the "handles" you see at the bottom left. 















After looking at this loco carefully, I've decided to gut the tender to allow proper operation of lights, a larger speaker, and simplified wiring of a decoder.

Greg*


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## bob k (Jan 10, 2008)

Looking at the back page of the October Garden Railways. There isan ad for the new Aristo Consolidation...and if my eyes are looking carefully, it does look like they may have had a bit of a problem with the flanges of the center drivers....what do you think?....maybe...maybe not??


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yep, I ribbed Scott Polk about that. He said "we are a small company"... jeeze, funny that no one reviewed the picture, or the ad at either Aristo or Klambake.

Anyway, some progress. I did not like that the number boards were lit by the tender headlight. Very dumb. Since I rewired my Consolidation, now I have enough "wires" to separate them.

I added small LEDs facing the number boards inside, and a LED for the headlight.

See what you think:

























Now the number boards look like they are on, even in daylight!

Greg


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## Jim Agnew (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice touch Greg.


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