Superb new Gents 'Waiting Train' videos on YouTube:

General view. This C40A is probably from the 1940s. Showing  a mixture of later and earlier details. The cast, contact assembly steady bars and softly curved mainframe are early features. The taped drive electromagnets are later.  I haven't seen the outboard, lead-off rod support on any other WTs so far.



Waiting train action. The L-shaped lifting arm or masking pawl is set slightly too high here. The gathering pawl can be seen hopping up over the masking pawl front edge which will cause local wear. There is an eccentrically bored adjustment roller stop. (not seen in this view) This can be rotated to raise and lower the arm in its (normal) rest or lowered position. But this will not affect the height of the arm in the temporary (waiting) locked position. Only bending the vertical brass arm or filing away the small step at the very bottom of the brass limb will lower the masking pawl. Careful examination of the general view (above) shows the brass locking arm is quite hooked at the tip. Straightening the tip (very carefully) may lower the masking pawl enough to provide a smooth ramp when in the locked position. The masking pawl is a later design with a deeper section and heavily curved on the underside where the D-shaped pin lifts it.



The Hipp toggle and drive electromagnets. An interesting mix of period details here:  A later, plated rocking armature and bandaged coils but many earlier, lacquered brass components throughout. The contact steady bars are earlier cast and lacquered brass. Later steady bars were pressed steel with soft curves instead of sharply angular steps.

No doubt Gents would use a mix of components as design improvements steadily evolved with experience in active use. I believe the matt silver finish on the gathering wheel and other parts is hard chrome plating. This is not only resistant to corrosion but wear resistant and attractive in the longer term. No doubt lacquered brass was seen as a rather dated feature to some eyes. Later WTs did away with the lacquered brass entirely and used only plated components. The later cast mainframe also took on a straight sloping section above the drive electromagnets. The paint colour looks darker than usual for an early mainframe. The earliest C40A frames were painted flat black.


 Posted by "The Clockworks" on YouTube. Full screen viewing is well worthwhile.

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