# AML K4



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Can anyone tell me what is meant when they say this loco will be RC ready. What would all be needed to do the conversion? I would like o purchase this loco if the mods are not to complicated. Later RJD


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I assume it's basically the same body molds as the electric K4--If there's room in the cab, it will be fairly easy


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## K27_463 (Jan 2, 2008)

There are no body molds. This is a brass loco. R/C ready for live steam means room in the cab for servos, and a lever arm or other means to attach to the throttle and J bar as desired. 
Jonathan


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I know it's brass--I mean the tooling used to produce it--I assume it's the same as the tooling used to make the body work for the Electric K4. 

AML makes an 0-4- switcher whihc is very hard to RC--there's an article on it in Steam in the Garden. RJ was wondering if AML had done anything differently to make RC easier with this loco.


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## Nick Jr (Jan 2, 2008)

RJ, your experience with sparkies, R/C in a live steamer will be a snap. Nick Jr


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Nick. I'm just trying to get a feel of what sort of project I will be getting into and to gather the necessary parts If I decide to tackle. Any and all info is appreciated as to where one may go to find the parts. Later RJD


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

RJ,

For what it is worth, my Roundhouse steamer came with RC installed. The servos are airplane servos same with the Radio. One thing I would do differently is to have the control on radio hold position. Currently, the throttle will hold its position, but the johnson bar control is spring centered, so when running, one has to hold that control over to the one side. Not a big deal for a 20 minute run, but if I was steaming for hours and hours, it might get old. 

Mark


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

but the johnson bar control is spring centered, so when running, one has to hold that control over to the one side. 
Pull the back off the transmitter and remove the spring from the gimbal. If it's too floppy after that, look at the throttle side and you'll see some sort of wiper on that gimbal's fore/aft motion. Make something similar from sheet brass to tighten up the other gimbal (the one you just pulled the spring off of).


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Why not remove the spring from the Johnson bar to eliminate the problem. Later RJD


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## JEFF RUNGE (Jan 2, 2008)

If I could access my first class site I would re-post the photos I have of the inside of my radio where I made modifications like Dwight mentioned. But I can not gain access.... guess they only waned my money..hehe


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks guys, I guess I'll have to wait till this thing hits the market to make a decision. Later RJD


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## chooch (Jan 2, 2008)

I think this is the photo Jeff is referencing.


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## JEFF RUNGE (Jan 2, 2008)

Thats the one, thanks Fred


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

So, if I understand correctly, one problem is a joystick that returns to center by itself. 

But can a return to center spring on the johnson bar also overpower the servo? Maybe this is true also. 

Anyway, Jonathan says get the Spektrum DX system, and be sure to get servos with metal gears and metal bushings due to heat. 

No K4 at the BTS, but cab size same as my sparkie, just less space inside. 

Regards, Greg


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Greg for checking this out for me at the show. I'll start gathering the parts soon. Later RJD


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Just placed my pre order. Then the fun begins. Got a place 30 mins from here that can do the R/C conversion.







Later RJD


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## Westcott (Feb 17, 2009)

Hi,

How does this pre-ordering thing go?
Do you have to pay the pre-order price up-front, or in stages, or what?

Who did you order from?
I've found this loco on the "California & Oregon Coast Railway" site -
http://www.cocry.com/Merchant2/merc...=AML-K4-LS

Hamish.


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## Britstrains (Feb 24, 2008)

Westcott,
I preordered mine from the sunset valley railroad. The way that he works it is that you dont pay up front because the shipping price is not known yet. So that means that when the locomotive comes out you pay for it then and pay for the shipping then too. However, I have never ordered from the california and oregon coast railway and so I am unsure how they handle payment.

Brittany


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## Larry Green (Jan 2, 2008)

Wescott, Stretch at C&OCRY will be glad to answer any questions you have about ordering . My favorite vendor who gets most of my business, even thou we are on opposite sides of the country. 

Larry


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 07 Jun 2009 07:24 PM 
So, if I understand correctly, one problem is a joystick that returns to center by itself. 

But can a return to center spring on the johnson bar also overpower the servo? Maybe this is true also. 

Anyway, Jonathan says get the Spektrum DX system, and be sure to get servos with metal gears and metal bushings due to heat. 

No K4 at the BTS, but cab size same as my sparkie, just less space inside. 

Regards, Greg 

Greg - The Johnson Bar does not have a spring to center it. The radios have the springs to center the stick. We modify the transmitters to hold the position of the stick being we use ot for throttle and direction control. 

I found the metal geared servos dont seem to matter. The metal gear on the servo it just the main gear off the motor. The rest of the gears in the servo are plastic. The one that normally strips out is not a metal gear anyway. I keep gear kits on hand incase anythign happens. They are about 7.00 or so from Servo City.

Jay


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

The place I ordered mine from required a 10% deposit. So check around. Later RJD


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## iceclimber (Aug 8, 2010)

I am told that the shipping date will be spring of 2011. Has anyone else heard something like this? I am new to the hobby of live steam and am thinking of pre-ordering this one. I love the K4s. Grew up in Western Pa, not an hour away from Horseshoe Curve. I have an 0 gauge Kline K4 and HO Bachman k4. I really would like to get involved with a live steam club. Can anyone give me some details on the live steam K4? Has AML ever had one in the past? I know that Aster had the butane and coal firing K4s. Were they any better then the AML. I have read briefly about the old boilers of the K4s and some of the tricky lighting the butane fired ones had. Any good books you would suggest on me reading while I await the AML K4? Thanks.


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By iceclimber on 08 Aug 2010 04:13 PM 
I am told that the shipping date will be spring of 2011. Has anyone else heard something like this? I am new to the hobby of live steam and am thinking of pre-ordering this one. I love the K4s. Grew up in Western Pa, not an hour away from Horseshoe Curve. I have an 0 gauge Kline K4 and HO Bachman k4. I really would like to get involved with a live steam club. Can anyone give me some details on the live steam K4? Has AML ever had one in the past? I know that Aster had the butane and coal firing K4s. Were they any better then the AML. I have read briefly about the old boilers of the K4s and some of the tricky lighting the butane fired ones had. Any good books you would suggest on me reading while I await the AML K4? Thanks. 

Evenin', Mr climber - Right now, as you may have noted, there are absolutely NO AML K4s anywhere on earth except, maybe, in the minds of their creators somewhere in China, so you'll have to forgive us old-timers if we seem a little short on information about it... Well, perhaps I'm wrong - maybe Cliff has seen one. Cliff, BTW, is Mr AccuCraft in the USA. As I understand it, and I'll be corrected if I'm wrong, the AML version will be in 1/29th scale, while the Aster version is in 1/32nd, or true Gauge 1 scale. This might just make a difference to you - who knows. Whichever one you chose to go with, you are going to need some seriously large curves on your layout - the Aster K4 likes 10 foot radius curves, I seem to recall.....a reminder, if such is necessary, that that is a twenty-foot diameter circle.

The Aster K4 is a very old lady by now, but those who have them swear by them, indeed, there are quite a few around, as with most Aster locos, and some have been converted to coal-firing, like Charles and Ryan Bednarik's has. It is a very emotive thing, in some minds at least, to compare Aster models with anybody else's. The Aster K4 is not only an old locomotive model, it is a *classic* old locomotive model, and commands very respectable prices even now - probably a good deal higher than the new offering from AML even for a 25-year old loco. That fact alone should tell you what you are looking at for comparative purposes. However, asking whether an established and much-revered model is better than a model that nobody has yet seen is a bit odd, to my mind at least. 

As for books on live-steamers, well, there is no one book that immediately springs to mind - but Marc Horowitz published a general kind of steam in the garden type book a couple of years back - pretty good too [he signed mine, thanks Marc]. It's called 'A passion for steam' and it's around $50 or so. Over here in UK Tag Gorton, editor of the British magazine 'Garden Rail' has also gone into print at least twice on the subject, although he tends to major on British 16mm scene rather than Gauge 1 or thereabouts. I'm sure there are others. Joining 'Steam in the Garden' seems like a good idea, too, - see the website of the same name.

tac
www.ovgrs.org
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Cliff is in the repair department. Fred Devine is the man for Accucraft and AML. Yes it is 1:29. 

I have the sparky version. 

Greg


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 08 Aug 2010 04:54 PM 
Cliff is in the repair department. Fred Devine is the man for Accucraft and AML. Yes it is 1:29. 

I have the sparky version. 

Greg Dear Mr Elmassian - thanks for the correction. 34topshed was running his beautiful sparkie K4/K-4 on my little track as a camaera-train hauler earlier this year, and a most fine and spiffy model it is to be sure. 

tac
www.ovgrs.org
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

The post was to be informative, Cliff has always been most helpful, he's a big part of the reason I buy their products. 

Fred is in charge of AML and now apparently AMS and Accucraft sales and also very importantly, the driving force on what new products they will build. 

He's very open to input and suggestions. 

Regards, Greg


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

I wait as I have one pre ordered. No hurry as I can save up the bucks to pay for it and not charge







Later RJD


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## iceclimber (Aug 8, 2010)

You are right about that. I am pre-ordering as well and by the time this comes, I will have it paid off.


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