Oh, I got it working pretty well by just bending the copper bar under the silver plate that holds the shoe spring. The copper bar still forces the shoe to ride a little higher then it's normal low position, but at least it's drivable now.

I think a better permanent solution would be to remove the copper bar, and solder a stiff jumper wire wrapping around the side of the body instead.

I'm kind of surprised they went with a dim incandescent bulb rather then a brighter LED. Maybe to make them look more like older headlights?

Pictures
Normal configuration

Modified configuration

 

Dear Lord,

Some badorkmore who failed 5th grade science and knows less than nutten' about pancake shoe tuning dreamed up that cludged mess. All they left out is a chunk of 2x4, a drywall screw, and a clothesline rope for steering. Sadly they left the wires waaaaay short to return it to the original AFX configuration/design easily.

1. Best bet is to drill out and toss all their junk, then replace the grain of wheat bulb to get the longer leads required. Tin and flatten the new longer lead ends by bopping them, and sneak them under the hanger plate. The quikee.

2. You could also extend the existing leads, toss all their junk; and combooberate things the right way. Ya gotta be good, in order to keep it tidy. not my first choice, but I cite the option.

3. One might trim one end of the shunt to re-use it with new longer leads, then bend the remaining end over the corner of the chassis like an "AFX magna flamethrower hanger plate" and jiggle the shunt under the hanger plate.

You have options. Any combination of the above would serve, I reckon. You get to decide! The only really critical requirement is getting their junk out of the shoe's travel zone, and restoring the tension to normal.

Good Luck

Bill

 

Holy Over-engineering Batman! Yeah, whatever happened to just soldering the wires to the shoe hanger like the original cars from the 1970s?

 

What I did on mine was to simply remove the coil spring and use that copper leaf spring. It works good enough to be honest. I suspect the design idea was to not use the coil spring but it must have failed QA?

Anyhow, I heard a rumor that the newest AW flamethrowers don't have leaf springs.

 

The AW chassis design even has the nubs to hold the wire in the correct location.

 

Well CB, I'm older than dirt, but I can still remember the before times. Retaining the leaf spring/design, and tossing it cockeyed in the shoe travel, automatically makes the Xtraction a Lame-thrower. Similar to the shoe adjustability of the ancient by guess and by golly, like Tyco S or a Pennline.

It's wonderful to hear they are aware, and hopefully proactive. If you're gonna copy something, copy it right, rather than going alacarte' and halfassing the details.

The coil springs can be elusive/annoying lil buggers at times, but the all important spring rate is dialed in within reason; where as a sliver of scrap phosphor bronze would be more at home on a neolithic cart.

Tuning capability and reasonably consistent spring rates for lever style hard shoes was a big jump ... in the last millennium. Otto Whirled re-inventing the Ox drawn cart with a light bulb in this millennium, maybe not so much.

 

I find it wonderfully comical that AW imitated the A/FX chassis so closely as to include the nubs that secure the wires on their way back to the hanger plates, but then did such a hatchet job of riveting in those levers. Bill, your cart analogy is too kind.

 

Har!

Yes sir, "wunner wot dese nubs is fer?" There's a always been a fundamental disconnect at Otto Whirled. It's always sumting utterly basic that's amiss.

If you throw enough straight parts and time at them, there might be a slot car in there.

I see you found their secret plans for inculding the drogue sail/rear guide pin. See square rigger sailing techniques after 1492 or there abouts.

 

Well... I have noticed the quality of AW cars improving...