Fine Scale Brass O Gauge J50

[brossard]

I just ordered the subject RTR loco (yikes! My Christmas present to me) and I want to explore possibilities for sound.  I was over at Digitrains but there is a LOT of stuff.  I did find a reference for J50 sound but it was related to the Hornby model.

 

Can someone recommend a decoder/speaker and where I can get it?  Having read good things about Zimo, I'm inclined towards that.

 

John

Edited January 15, 2017 by brossard

[brossard]

Well, folk weren't exactly falling over themselves to respond - too obscure?

 

Any way, I contacted Digitrains and they can supply a Zimo decoder and speaker - I just have to give them some idea of space available for the speaker.

 

So, the loco arrived this morning:

 

 

 

This is as received and straight out of the box.

I'm right chuffed it looks gorgeous.  I gave it a run on DC and it goes very smoothly and quietly.  The cab is well detailed and I noted that there is actually working valve gear - never seen that before.   Front two axles are sprung.  There is real coal in the bunker.

 

John

[brossard]

I removed the loco body today to assess where a speaker might go:

 

 

 

There's not all that much room but it looks like a speaker might go between the rear of the boiler and the motor.

 

Anyone with experience of this?

 

John

[pauliebanger]

John,

 

ZIMO MX645 and one of the ZIMO 3D speakers (a range of 4 to choose from) inside the boiler will probably do the trick and keeps everthing neat, tidy and away from moving parts.

 

There's probably enough room for a decent stay alive capacitor in there too.

 

Either leave enough slack in the decoder to track and decoder to motor wires to allow easy dismantling and reassembly or use a suitable plug and socket to achieve the same end.

 

This is a metal built model, so remember to make sure all electrical parts are adequately insulated before adding power.

 

Use the green wire to the negative lead of the LED(s) for the firebox flicker; it is already set up that way in the sound project.

 

Kind regards,

 

Paul

[brossard]

Thanks for the response Paul.  I should have mentioned I've sent the pictures to Digitrains so I expect they'll confirm your recommendation.  In fact they already recommended "Zimo MX645 decoder with soundfile ZS011A".

 

I never thought about stay alive but perhaps, like chicken soup, it can't hurt.

 

Firebox glow did occur to me but the backhead is not really accessible and there is no hole for the firebox door.  Might be worth getting the diode in case I have a revelation.

 

John

[brossard]

I have started my sound installation.  

 

The model comes with a basic vacuum pipe but a really naff 3 link coupling.  I removed that, with difficulty because it was soldered  and fitted a Dapol screw link coupling.  This too was difficult because the buffer beam hole was HUGE and I had to solder brass strip behind the beam in order that the new coupling doesn't rotate.  Boy I hate futzing with a nicely finished model.

 

Unfortunately I went online to find pictures of this loco and found that there is detail missing on the model.  I want to fit out for passenger working, the first step being the screw link. 

 

Here's the question, in the photographs, there appear to be vacuum pipes running along the footplate.  68896 has a pipe on the RHS (as does 8905) while 68987 has it's pipe on the LHS.  Anyone know how the pipe layout should be?  Quite possibly it was an ad hoc installation.

 

I also note that 68987 has a brake cylinder at left rear under the bunker.  Does anyone have details of that arrangement?

 

Finally, I think I can see steam heat pipe on the rear of 68987. Were these fitted front and rear?  I should think so, this being a tank engine.

 

Thanks

 

John

Edited January 15, 2017 by brossard

[brossard]

I finally got around, over the last little while, to installing my Zimo sound decoder.  The model isn't DCC ready so I had to hard wire it.  The speaker required a slot to be cut in the bottom of the boiler.   

 

Happily, it all went well and my loco now toots and chuffs like a champ.  It also runs extremely smoothly and quietly with momentum set such that it continues rolling for quite some distance once power is set to 0.  The brake (2) is a necessity.

 

At the same time, I began the weathering process, airbrushing the inside of the body and the chassis before the wires made that too difficult.

 

Here's the result so far:

 

P1010001-003 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

P1010002-003 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

P1010003-001 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

All very subtle I think.  I scrubbed the rods clean after my last post and tried gun blue.  I got no reaction at all.  I also tried chemical black with the same non result.  I used a thin brown wash in the end.  I'm open to suggestions about improving the appearance of the rods.

For the rest, umber and black powders mostly rubbed off with my fingers.  Grey powder was lightly applied under and around the smokebox door to simulate ash residue.

Brakes got rust powder followed by black.

I used a brown wash on the top.

Finally I finished with matte varnish.  Note the windows are clean.  I used window cleaner to get rid of the acrylic overspray and made circular round plastic masks to prevent the matte varnish from getting on.

John

[charliepetty]

I finally got around, over the last little while, to installing my Zimo sound decoder.  The model isn't DCC ready so I had to hard wire it.  The speaker required a slot to be cut in the bottom of the boiler. 

 

Happily, it all went well and my loco now toots and chuffs like a champ.  It also runs extremely smoothly and quietly with momentum set such that it continues rolling for quite some distance once power is set to 0.  The brake (2) is a necessity.

 

At the same time, I began the weathering process, airbrushing the inside of the body and the chassis before the wires made that too difficult.

 

Here's the result so far:

 

P1010001-003 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

P1010002-003 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

P1010003-001 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

All very subtle I think.  I scrubbed the rods clean after my last post and tried gun blue.  I got no reaction at all.  I also tried chemical black with the same non result.  I used a thin brown wash in the end.  I'm open to suggestions about improving the appearance of the rods.

 

For the rest, umber and black powders mostly rubbed off with my fingers.  Grey powder was lightly applied under and around the smokebox door to simulate ash residue.

 

Brakes got rust powder followed by black.

 

I used a brown wash on the top.

 

Finally I finished with matte varnish.  Note the windows are clean.  I used window cleaner to get rid of the acrylic overspray and made circular round plastic masks to prevent the matte varnish from getting on.

 

John

 

Looks nice.   Charlie

[brossard]

Over the last few days I've been working on this.  I forward dated it to ~ 1961 with late crest and overhead warning flashes.  I also added the clack valve thingy on the smokebox.  Also some further weathering:

 

P1010001-004 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

P1010002-004 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

P1010003-002 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

P1010004 by John Kendall, on Flickr

 

You'll notice the crew is there now.  These are ModelU figures and look good I think despite my poor efforts.  I painted the rods with Humbrol Metalcote Gunmetal.  When dry this polishes up with Qtips to nice steel colour.

John

[Dava]

It will look great hauling a train of your wagons! Looks like it came off shed at Ardsley, 1961.

 

Dava

[brossard]

Ha ha Dava, it could have done.  These locos (J50/3) were only ever fitted with steam brake so I have been putting together an unfitted rake of mineral wagons.

 

John