ARM NSWGR C38 class making a model out of it

Discussion in 'Workshop Benches' started by SMR CHRIS, Dec 6, 2020.

  1. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    A shiny new model arrived and I tested turned out I got a Dud but that was solved with a replacement and what a great starting point this model is for the Railways Modellers who like NSWGR steam (Australian)

    T
    ony did a nice review so I don’t need to review the initial model but I’ll show what I’ve been doing to get the ARM 38 from the Budget base train to a model locomotive
    Tony’s Review
    https://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/inde...way-models-nswgr-c38-class-pacific-loco.5228/


    so I got my replacement ARM 38 then pulled it apart to see what was inside this wasn’t going to be a shelf queen for long it going to be a work horse on the club layout so I wanted it to work well and look like a 38 and it has to fit in with the brass examples we run., that will require some extra detail to replace the moulded on details you get with an economy model.

    The sum of the parts, I think I may have voided the warranty.
    30271BCF-C1EC-44AE-9772-72938D0D4AB1.jpeg

    The Chassis
    That capacitor needs to go if your going DCC
    128216EF-B96E-412C-850B-54A74E8FFEB1.jpeg

    the expansion link is a stand out as being very wrong hangs way too low
    EBF7A6DE-E175-4B98-92BA-0A8AD40D7D1A.jpeg


    Pin that locates the expansion link was removed and a new hole made lower the old hole opened out and the the link now looks better
    Although the valve gear isn’t scale it’s definitely looks robust and should be good for many year of running.
    5605D5E4-F1B3-49CA-93B8-339FA5FE61CC.jpeg


    the basic cab details when you have the tender close coupled you can’t see them so not much need to do much with them other than some dry brushing to highlight the pimple work etc 92C1B3E2-CB2B-42EE-A5DD-6BDB4BF13E44.jpeg


    inside the body a big steal weight up front
    EA7DAD55-2BD1-42AF-9A3C-BB81F17ABBE2.jpeg


    Motor with Cap for interference suppression
    Remove this if fitting DCC
    40D410F3-398F-4E85-9FD1-86D3201329B4.jpeg


    The 8 pin DCC adapter plug
    25917011-0D2C-4863-9A60-64FA7931E166.jpeg


    Front bogie wheels were under gauge as were the trailing bogie and tender wheels driving wheels were spot on those
    gauging the wheel sets
    BB3630A1-60F4-424C-8219-2AEF5A9D001A.jpeg


    The model is a great base for extra detail like this throttle regulator bell crank was one of the first items added. From the Ozzy Details range available from Casula hobbies on line
    Detail parts to add what the manufacturer didn’t fit.
    B72480A1-8E72-4A41-A2AD-65C274B4E7B4.jpeg
     
  2. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    More details
    Dynamo, throttle bell crank, throttle valve actuator, plus a temporary paint of the hand rails as way too shiny.
    787AEBFB-D759-4800-B5CB-5EBD576E326B.jpeg


    Smoke box front gets brass castings, marker lights, main head light, and the dart/ smoke box wheel.
    E93F450F-ED15-429F-B4BA-218FD23319D8.jpeg

    throttle valve
    90B4262F-DBDB-416F-8424-915D1BD5CB3C.jpeg



    Front bogie modification to give side control
    I also put spacers on the end of each axle to remove the side to side slop
    092F26E0-62BD-48CD-953A-9B6319A32DD3.jpeg

    the space inside the boiler with the weight removed. One speaker is mounted under the chimney this requires a small amount of the weight milling off.
    0489795E-263B-4A65-8686-EE413C027ED1.jpeg
     
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  3. ianvolvo46

    ianvolvo46 Staff Member Moderator

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    Thats very impressive modelling :tophat::tophat::tophat:#

    Ian vt
     
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  4. Wolseley

    Wolseley Full Member

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    I find myself looking at this and wondering how easy it would be to convert one to three rail. I should stop thinking about it. I don't need another project......
     
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  5. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    I would think it’s very easy, mount a skate under the base plate or may be on the tender and join the two pickup wires from the drivers to get pickup from both rails.
     
  6. Mark4mm

    Mark4mm Guest

    Nice modelling SMR Chris, I like the fact you are adding extra bits of detail which adds to the loco.:thumbs:
     
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  7. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    Video of the model on first layout test.

     
  8. Wolseley

    Wolseley Full Member

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    It's mainly a question of how much room there is. It looks like there's enough. A Marklin skate should work nicely. I can't remember the model number, but there is one that's the same length as a Dublo pick-up. I've used it on a Tr-ang B12 chassis and on a Caley Single, a late model Trix Flying Scotsman and a (present day company) Hornby 700 class "Black Motor" 0-6-0.
     
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  9. Echidna

    Echidna Full Member

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    Hello All,

    the black liveried Lima C38 was introduced in 1977, and utilized the SNCF 141R tender.

    There is a German based "Lima Collectors" ( Lima Classic ) website compiled by Martin Kohler-Iwashima

    ( http://mmiwakoh.de/Eigene Webs/lima-modellbahn/Seite2 en.htm ) ,


    this link is the English language pages.

    This comprehensive site lists and photographs most of the various Lima production, and, even more importantly, has a copy of the Lima Spare Parts sheets which shows an exploded photo diagram of each locomotive, and the spare parts description and numbers in English.

    The site is still a work in progress, but quite interesting none the less.

    For those of you who have Australian Lima Models, if you offered him a photo/s ( click on "Announcement" for details ) I am sure he would be quite appreciative.

    Regards, Echidna.
     
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  10. Echidna

    Echidna Full Member

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    Dear SMR Chris,

    I like your front bogie modification to give side control, it is a superior design to that which I have used on both an old Rovex Tri-Ang B12, and a Wrenn / HD Castle.

    Can you please give some background to how you came to your design, and how does it improve the performance of your locomotives ?

    Also, was not the backhead ( of the boiler ) in the cab black, and not green, as currently depicted ?

    Your upgrade, using the Casula Hobbies detail bits, has also certainly improved the model, nicely done.

    Regards, Echidna
     
    Last edited: Dec 7, 2020
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  11. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    That link will be good for the people with Lima models and I’m sure be interesting ive got a few old Lima versions Detailed and raw that I could dig out and photograph for him.

    However it’s will be no use to people who have purchased this all “New” ARM 38 class
    There has been a lot of miss information put out buy people who may have a vested interest in another 38 class model, that this ARM model was just a reproduction of the old Lima model, I can say having pulled it completely apart, there are no parts in common at all, ie it’s a all New model.
     
  12. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    The Front Bogie.
    The idea is to provide some side control of the front of the locomotive in effect steer the locos driving wheels so they track nicely instead of trying to clime out of the track alignment on curves at points etc.
    As the model comes the front bogie just flops around doing nothing, the result lots of front overhang on turns and the driving wheels trying to climb the rails on turns as there is nothing to guide them.

    The idea I had was to use the basic mount that came with the model but actually make it work rather than just hold the bogie to the model.
    I started by opening up the original mounting slot that only allows side movement, so the bogie could move in an arc from a new pivot point at the very rear of the bogie the pin in the photo goes from the loco chassis through the factory mount and then into the bogie and allows it to move on the pin slightly but still take the radial drive force into the chassis from the spring wire that is attached to the mount and runs forward to the very front of the bogie.

    so as the model moves into a turn the front bogie starts to turn the model into the curve in doing so has eliminated about 85% of the excessive front overhang and through points etc the drivers don’t clunk across the frog as they have been pree steered into the curve.

    I may consider a short coil spring as well with a longer screw through the centre mount to add a little downward pressure evenly

    It’s all really still an experiment as this is the first time I’ve tried this arrangement of side control, all my O scale locos have some sort of working side control.

    In doing some sort of side control we replicate how the real loco works on track and it will hopefully run more efficiently etc

    9A7D1FE3-8448-411F-BDED-8B28722F9BDC.jpeg


    The back Head

    on the 38’s it was often the colour of the loco’s boiler, when in the works Gray as they entered service photos show that the back heads were gray, in most cases before going to the paint shop at carriage works

    If the loco was black, its a good chance it would be all black as per 3820’s preserved as last run
    Both 3801 and 3830 have green back heads that are about the same colour as the locos boiler the NSWGR often painted the locos cabs a light green colour internally and most black locos had black back heads.

    86F8D44A-B28A-493D-B893-F64C0FB5BDE0.jpeg

     
    Last edited: Dec 8, 2020
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  13. Echidna

    Echidna Full Member

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    Dear SMR Chris,

    thank you for that, most informative,

    Regards, Echidna
     
  14. Echidna

    Echidna Full Member

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    Dear SMR Chris,

    how have you found the fixed wheelbase tender arrangement ? Whilst I am aware that this has been criticised, I think it is actually good idea, and probably not evident when watching the tender run past,

    Regards, Echidna
     
  15. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    I found the tender tracked ok on the layout, I had reqauged the wheel sets in the tender as they were all well under gauge originally
    I’m Going to replace the tender Chassis with a 3D printed one from Ctrl P models the Chassis kit come with wheels & bogies, coupler, 2 sets of buffers, bottle and parallel types, so you can model either as a Hook coupling with Bottle buffers or Knuckle and Parallel
    Link to Ctrl https://www.ctrlpmodels.com.au/
     
  16. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    The tender chassis is started
    I think it only needs 1 of the 2 pieces of weight from the factory tender base,
    I’m adding pickups to the all the wheels as acn be seen in these progress photos
    D95A8E22-538C-4677-AB1D-BD8F43773B19.jpeg D9C2575B-9482-44AE-8F58-EBA923084619.jpeg
    PYes
    E04055D2-CDEB-476B-B81D-86E7F420A9F7.jpeg B7D85B66-6F50-4FEA-B76E-80F888E074CC.jpeg 4B041FDE-E8F5-4258-AE22-D920A35EA271.jpeg
     
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  17. Echidna

    Echidna Full Member

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    Dear SMR Chris,

    thanks for that, like the way you have arranged the current collectors to pick up of the rear of the disc tender wheels, very neat.

    The replacement tender under frame and bogies are coming along well, and your photos display your work quite well,

    Regards, Echidna
     
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  18. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    The second track test of the ARM C38 now with the Ctrl P tender Chassis was very successful with pickups on all the tender wheels and a temporary sprung close couple draw bar arrangement. Yet to make a buffing arrangement between the loco and tender for smooth operation however as the test running was successful that will be next on the list of additions.
    Now of note the rear of the loco body may sit about a Mil or so low so the fall plate sits up on the tender some fettling required a side look at the loco it appears to down ward fall from front to rear.

    another modification was to give some downward movement of the driving Axles this has resulted in the centre driver being able to touch the track, Due to solid nature of the chassis little or no movement in the driving axles, this also resulted in often only 2 of the 6 touching the rail head if any irregularities in the track.
    To do this I removed the base plate and using a 1/2 round file, with a few light passes at the contact point for the axle bearings, gave 0.4 mm clearance enough to allow the extra movement needed

    youtube video of the 2nd test running. Linked

     
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  19. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    A few more additions to the sound file for the C38 class and it’s sounding quite wood now.
    The model is performing extremely well I haven’t added the large weight that i comes with back yet or any other weight as the wheels ware in it’s pulling power is getting better and better.

     
  20. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    For those who were waiting for the streamlined C38 a flyer has been posted of the Next model in the ARM range
    3803 being the choice of the manufacturer. For release later in 2021
    7EBAE7EE-8804-4EEE-A9C7-C81BBA09DCC2.jpeg
     

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