On SRman's Workbench

Discussion in 'Workshop Benches' started by SRman, Feb 27, 2016.

  1. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    Toto wrote:
    Careful now Toto, or the 'Southern' could be winning another convert!!!:avatar::avatar::avatar:

    Keith.
     
  2. Retired operator

    Retired operator Full Member

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    Hi All. Personally , I was never a Southern convert? Because to me it is the only Railway to model, if only more Modellers would realise that? Then us Southerners would have a better selection without the need for refining non Southern products.
    All the best. Kevin
     
  3. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    :avatar:

    I can't afford another conversion exercise. :avatar: nice to look at all the same. :thumbs:
     
  4. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    I never needed 'converting' to the Southern, seeing as that's where I grew up, for the most part. :)

    There is another new arrival at Newton Broadway, bought at a price I couldn't resist. Up until recently, I had no possible excuse for buying the Heljan class 05 diesel shunter. With my recent interest in industrial locomotives, plus the attractive pricing, I purchased Heljan's Cider Queen version of the Hunslet 05. The Bulmers livery sits very nicely, although perhaps not quite in line with my 'generic' industrial user ideas.

    The Hunslet was fitted with Bachmann's latest 6-pin decoder, 36-568, which is really a re-badged Zimo decoder, and I am very impressed with it too. It was a tight fit in the space, and I even shortened the pins slightly to make it fit more snugly.

    I wasn't going to fit the nameplates, but decided that Heljan have also done a nice job with those, so they are now on the model.

    In the meantime, I have also tweaked my fictional livery on the Hornby Sentinel diesel, with a few touch-ups of the blue, plus painting the steps and their recesses black, and adding a light grey cab roof. I still intend to add LNER style white/black/white lining along the cab sides and side panels.

    Anyway, here are a few photos to illustrate the new addition and the various features I have mentioned.

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    The class 73 visible in the earlier photos is a Dapol model, which I have never been entirely satisfied with. Chief dissatisfactions were the colour (which I can't do much about without a complete repaint) and the cab lights being permanently on; Dapol's "solution" for the cab lights was to stick a bit of tape over the terminals, leaving them permanently off. They seem to think that was a perfectly reasonable "fix" for their shoddy design.

    Anyway, I followed a conversion done by someone on RMweb (for which many thanks are owed), which involved cutting the tracks on the PCB to R1 and between R1 and R2 (clearly marked on the board). Then, two wires had to be soldered between the correct pins and the two resistors, R1 and R2, allowing the cab lights to be controlled individually from the Aux 1 and Aux 2 functions.

    To test my wiring, I removed the expensive sound decoder (ESU) and put a TCS decoder on - if I blew that up TCS would replace it under their goof-proof warranty conditions! Well. it all worked perfectly, with cab light at the #1 end turning on on F1, and #2 end on F2.

    Plugging the LokSound decoder (with Legomanbiffo sound) back in, the cab lights worked on F19 and F20.

    While I had the soldering iron out, I also replaced the temporary speaker setup (the standard 23mm round one) with a bass enhanced rectangular speaker wired in parallel with a sugar cube speaker (both being of 8 ohm impedance). The sound is somewhat better than it was.

    I put it all back together, then realised I had left the grey plastic 'shield' that stops one seeing the pcb under the central electrical compartment grilles, so off came the body again (four screws)!

    Feeling pleased with my efforts and thumbing nose at Dapol for their poor customer relations and total lack of effort.
     
  5. Ron

    Ron Full Member

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    Both looking good now!:thumbs:
    :tophat::tophat:
     
  6. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    A small improvement to the Hornby Sentinel: I have added some lining to relieve the plain blue panels a bit.

    I actually tried some fine red lines along the edge of the footplate but that didn't work at all for me, so it was back to the white and black lining.

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    ​Next jobs: a coat of varnish and the addition of some etched plates, when they arrive, then a little weathering.
     
  7. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    An unplanned purchase has added one more steam locomotive to the industrials: someone had a Hornby J94 in a lined maroon livery for $AUS50 at a recent BRMA meeting (approximately £20 - 22). While my preference would be for the newer DJM model, I was vacillating about whether to buy this or not. My wife offered to pay half to persuade me to buy it, so Harry now graces the line-up of colourful industrial locomotives. It caused me to renumber a couple of existing locomotives to keep the industrial numbering in an approximate date order of hen they might have been purchased by my mythical private owner. The Harry name will eventually be replaced with something different - I'll reveal a little more of my naming theme when the Narrow Planet nameplates arrive for some of the earlier locomotives.

    Initially I tried a DCC Concepts small decoder (S4SAX) but that was still too large and would have required quite a chunk of the cast weight to be removed. Instead, I did a decoder swap with Hornby Arthur 30777, Sir Lamiel, putting a DCC Concepts Zen Nano direct plug-in decoder, and recovering the TCS M1P decoder, which, with its 8-pin plug cut off, was hard-wired to the J94, with only a very small hollow milled out of the weight to allow the wires to pass under it. I had some difficulty getting the cab and rear bunker to sit properly, with a resultant gap along the rear part of the saddle tank too, but eventually I got it all to sit properly, after consulting a much earlier topic on RMweb detailing the same problem and its solution. The photos show the locomotive before I had fixed the problem properly.

    Harry
    now bears the number 10 on its bunker, following on from the pannier tank (given the number 9). The ex-class 05 (numbered 2 out of the box) will eventually bear the number 11 and possibly be renamed from Cider Queen, while the Hornby Sentinel now bears the number 12 (it was number 10 before but didn't display that number anywhere). The necessary adjustments were made to each locomotive's decoder. The numbers used are actually Bulleid's SR yellow 'sunshine' numbers with black shading. This style seems to suit the locomotives well.

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    Today, there was a nice surprise in the mail too: the first of my two DJM class 71s arrived. E5003 in the later green with small yellow panels was duly run on the rollers on DC for a while. All was well, so the next phase was to pull the top off (which was very nearly disastrous for the delicate pantograph when my grip slipped and I grabbed the falling loco right across the panto well!) and fit the ESU LokSound decoder that has been sitting in a box for some time awaiting the arrival of this model. I had already purchased the sounds from legomanbiffo and blown them onto the decoder.

    I used the same speaker setup as I used on the Dapol class 73 a few days ago; that is, a bass enhanced speaker and a sugar cube speaker, both of 8 ohm impedance, were soldered in parallel to the solder pads on the PCB. The sound is good, without any tweaking done, although I may still experiment further.

    As others have pointed out in the relevant class 71 topic on RMweb, the DJM model really needs a decoder with five functions, whereas the LokSound only has four, although there are ways of getting the logical function outputs to do the job, with a little soldering of components. I don't intend to do this at this stage. I can't help thinking that because the marker lights were rarely used, I would prefer to use the aux outputs for the markers to operate the headcodes instead. I will work on this idea.

    The third rail shoes were fitted with a glue somewhat less irreversible than cyanoacrylates, just in case I had to move them up for clearances. As it is, they worked fine where they are, so no adjustments are required. I have not, as yet, tried adding the lifting lugs.

    E5003 is seen here on a short engineers train of Dogfish, Sealions and a Shark.

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  8. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    Lucky man, Jeff, I still haven't received either of my Class 71's yet, still awaiting the 'it's on it's way' email from Kernow!
    Keith.
     
  9. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    Correction! Just had the email from Kernow, E5004 is on it's way! Since my order for E5003 was only placed last June after viewing the first finished samples at the Great Central Model Event and speaking to Dave Jones, I was then sufficiently impressed as to order the second one, but I don't anticipate delivery of that one until probably next week. Are you planning to do a review in the appropriate forum section, Jeff?
    Keith.
     
  10. Retired operator

    Retired operator Full Member

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    Keith M. I received my class 71 on Friday, but when I tried to ask about a Decoder and Speaker I got left high and dry.
    Next step, I phoned Dave Jones and now i am on my way to
    getting the loco running. All the best. Kevin[align=left][/align]
     
  11. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    Keith M wrote:
    Like you, Keith, I ordered mine some time apart. As Kernow are sending them out in date order, my E5004 should be a few weeks away yet.

    E5004 will only get a non-sound decoder.

    I hadn't planned on a review but could put something together later in the week.
     
  12. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    If anyone is interested, this is the speaker installation I did with E5003. There is a small sugar cube speaker and a larger bass enhanced speaker, both of 8 ohm impedance, wired in parallel.

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    I'll try to get a recording of it this weekend if possible - that usually requires some 'quiet time' when SWMBO goes out for a while!
     
  13. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    Some further work has been done on locomotives for Newton Broadway.

    First of all, here are a couple more photos of #10, Harry, with the body now seated properly!

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    Next, a Bulleid light pacific that was professionally weathered and renamed/renumbered: I bought this one off a friend, but soon realised that the name and number selected, 34033 Chard, didn't match the wide cab body style. I eventually ordered some nameplates from ModelMaster for 34072, 257 Squadron, including the cabside numbering. I cleaned off the cabside weathering and removed the old numbers, then added the new waterslide numbers. The etched components, including the front smokebox number plate, were glued on, and the side oval plates had the waterslide crests added.

    I will have to patch up the paintwork around the new nameplates and crests, but overall it has come out alright. Sorry the photos are not very good. I'll get better ones in daylight soon.

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    The third project was a 'banger blue' class 09. A long time ago, I bought the Hornby model of 09 012, Dick Hardy, in grey livery, with a view to repainting it. However, I liked it too much as it stood, so looked for a second Hornby model with the high level pipes. As far as I know, Hornby have only produced two such models; Dick Hardy, and an 08 in Cotswold Rail livery. Anyway, I managed to locate another Dick Hardy at a good price, so this is the one that has had a quick repaint into BR blue, leaving the wasp ends untouched.

    What I wanted was a pre-TOPS numbered 09 with high level pipes, but, for some reason, photos of such a beast seem to be very rare. I have the Modern Locomotives Illustrated magazine on the 08, 09, 10, 11, 12 and 13 classes, but even that has an absolute dearth of photos of BR blue locomotives of any of the classes with pre-TOPS numbering. I have located one photo online, of 4107, with BR arrows on the cabsides and the numbers below the arrows. So, at the moment it looks like this model is going to become 4107 (no 'D' prefix).

    These two photos show the 'before and after' effect, of 09 012 and the future 4107 in part-competed condition. The cab handrails have to be repainted white again, and the electrification flashes on the ends will have the earlier style added over the existing printed ones.

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  14. Retired operator

    Retired operator Full Member

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    Hi Jeff. Re my new class 71, and the subject of cordless motors.
    I have read of someone using an "older type of controller".
    And he had operating difficulties with the coreless motor, and
    "slow running was Ratchety?" My controller is the NCE Powercab , which I'm hoping won't have that problem. Kevin
     
  15. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    Once again, Kevin, don't panic!
    :avatar:

    The "older type controllers" referred to were DC (analogue) ones. The NCE, and almost any other DCC system will have no problems because the installed decoder itself handles the power to the motor, not the DCC system.

    Each decoder in each locomotive or unit is taking the DCC power and signals in from the track, and converting it to a relatively pure DC output to the motor, through the orange and grey wires to the brushes. While some decoders may need adjustment of the way they handle the Back EMF to suit coreless motors to get the best out of the motor, none should damage the motor in any way.

    The track on DCC has a constant voltage. The DCC system controller (e.g. your Power Cab) sends a signal to the decoder to tell it how much power to rectify and send through to the motor.
     
  16. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    Some slightly better photos of 34072, 257 Squadron, also with 34083, 605 Squadron. As can be seen, 257 Squadron still has a couple of patches around the nameplates and shields to be blended back into the overall weathered finish.

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  17. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    They look good Jeff. I like them in your chosen colour. Look like they mean business.
    Well done
    Toto
     
  18. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    Have you attempted to remove the cab units to fit crew in your Class 71, Jeff? Reason I ask is that on both of mine, either one or both screws are impossible to remove as the knurled brass bush that the screw goes into, just revolves in the body with the screw so you can't get it out, and that's both cabs on both loco's! Obviously, during assembly, someone has been overenthusiastic with the power screwdriver, or the torque setting was too high. I know it ain't the 'End of the World', but annoying nonetheless, and I've emailed Dave Jones to see what he says about it. I've tried attempting to hold the bush from turning while I try unscrewing the screw, to no avail, and I'm reluctant to try anything more forceful as I don't want to damage the body. I won't be returning the loco's, as in every other respect, they are faultless, but I really would prefer to be able to fit crew figures if at all possible.
    Keith.
     
  19. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    Hi Keith. Sorry, but I have not, as yet, attempted to remove the cab interiors. I do have plans to fit a driver eventually.

    I tried out the bogie lifting lugs a short time ago. They didn't seem to fit all that well, but even sticking out quite a bit they still cleared my platforms ... just! I might try trimming them a little to sit them in a bit more, as there is plenty of plastic to seat them properly.
     
  20. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    The now BR blue Hornby class 09 has been numbered 4107. The early style of having the BR arrows on the cabside with the numbers below has been used, as per the photo of the real thing.

    Overall it is looking the part already, but needs some weathering, plus some sort of replacement for the missing marker lights to complete it. The Southern Region 08s and 09s had two extra marker lights compared to other regions, with the norm being four and the SR norm being six. However, in later life, as per the Hornby model of 09 012, all but two marker lights were removed, leaving only the ones above the buffers at each end. In backdating my model, I need to put the missing four back again. Does anyone know of some suitable castings or mouldings, please?

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