Some RTR rolling stock for All Saints East

[Izzy]

Heljan Class 15

 

New fuel Tank and buffers

 

One of the first locos I acquired for All Saints East was a class 15 from Heljan. Apart from machining the wheels for P4, and adding the provided headcode discs and pipes and hoses for the bufferbeams, I thought that was it, the loco being to a decent standard as regards detail and finish. I did also re-number it to one that I knew had run on the Walton-on-Naze branch, D8224, and fitted a crew into the cab.

 

However, as I used it I kept getting the feeling when looking at it from different viewpoints that something wasn't quite right. Partly this was because I had in recent times scratch built a 2mm version - a bit of a size difference - but it still took me a while to figure out what it was.

 

 

 

Another little issue that arose was with the sprung buffers fitted. Not only were the heads plastic mouldings but the springs were very soft meaning that most rolling stock 'bounced' back and forth when being pushed and it all looked horrible and wrong. So I turned up some replacement heads in steel and found some stronger springs to fit on them with brass tube rings as retainers soldered on the ends after fitting into the buffers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Much better all round. Here is a shot from this thread which has a few more of the original version of All Saints East in it, some significant alterations having now taken place.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/116233-theatre-indicator-on-platform-starter/

 

Anyway, the penny eventually dropped, the fuel tank was too small, leaving a largish gap between it and the inner ends of the bogies. Quite why this is so I have no real idea but I also discovered that the outer sandboxes were wrongly sized. So I made replacements from mainly black plasticard.

 

 

 

The tank pipes and fillers were added in various sizes of brass wire and tube soldered together. As the original tank plugs/clips onto the underside of the chassis to allow access to the body retaining screws I filled it with some lead sheet and then used D/S tape to keep it in place but allows quick and easy removal.

 

 

 

 

The whole lot is fairly crude and simple as with most of the modelling I do but seems to have worked out okay and does look better being the right size. Here it is with one of the new Parkside Toad E's, which needs finishing with some transfers and weathering, which I need to do to most of the stock.

 

 

Izzy

 

Edited August 15, 2022 by Izzy
restore images

[Izzy]

Fitting Sound to the Hornby J15

 

 

Sound fitted locos are another of those modelling aspects that you either like or you don't. Until quite recently I was of the latter persuasion. This mostly arose as a result of visiting exhibitions where the volume of sound from layouts was far above what I found was tolerable. Quite excessive and very off-putting. Then a couple of layouts I was keen to see were booked for a particular show and while many of the layouts exhibited had some sound locos the levels were much better/lower. I was able to hear the newish Sutton class 24 on a couple, and some steam on another and came away with a different impression of sound fitted locos, but the high cost remained a major stumbling block and something I just could not justify to myself however nice it seemed.

 

Fast forward a while to the more recent introduction of the Hornby Class 31 TTS model and I got one simply to try and see what having sound on a small home layout situation would be like at a more reasonable cost. Being able to reduce the sound levels to one I found acceptable I found myself hooked. It felt more like driving the loco rather than just making it move if that makes sense. This loco is of course featured in some earlier posts on this thread.

 

So I then took the plunge and acquired a few more of these cheaper TTS chips ( roughly a 1/3rd of the cost of others) to try and judge if having all the locos for ASE sound fitted was a route I would go down over the longer term, (with the 'proper/expensive' sound decoders as I could afford them and where it proved necessary as the only option). These were all diesels and it soon became clear the answer was yes because even with the wrong sound in them they seemed better than those without.

 

Funnily enough this seemed particularly so with the only steam loco I have, the Hornby J15 featured at the start of this thread. When I ran it I expected to hear the hissing/chuffing etc,  didn't, and it seemed so wrong. However, it soon became obvious that fitting a cheaper TTS decoder wasn't a viable option, there not being a suitable one available,  that the steam versions don't/can't sync with the wheel revolution, and that issues with the TTS decoders were emerging that made further purchase seem  a bit risky. Another equally important factor was that under testing the TTS decoders tried couldn't produce the kind of motor control that the non-sound Zimo MX600 fitted in the J15 did, and which I felt it deserved. So the J15 has become the first ASE loco to be fitted with a proper/expensive 'full fat' sound decoder install.

 

 

There is quite a choice when it comes to fitting sound into a J15 in terms of decoder, speaker, and sound file. Hornby designed the tender so a circular 28mm speaker could be fitted facing downwards under the cast weight fitted and a smaller sized decoder such as a Zimo MX648R can sit sideways at the rear. There is just enough room with the 8-pin decoder socket.

 

 

 

This would have been a quick and easy combination to use. However, I spent some time searching out and listening to all the videos on YouTube I could find to try and discover if this really was the best option, wanting to get the best combination I could in the limited space available within the confines of the small tender, and aware that the sound output from some speakers can be a bit tinny and /or muffled. If I was going to spend a fair bit of money then I wanted the best outcome possible in terms of both sound and motor control, and especially as it became clear the cost of the various options was very similar.

 

I then sought the advice of a friend well versed in these matters, and following his advice settled on the YouChoos J15 immersive drive file loaded onto a Zimo MX645R and played through a Zimo 26x20x8mm 3D speaker, once I had satisfied myself that it would be possible to squeeze it all into the tender. The advantage of the larger MX645 over other smaller Zimo sound decoders being that the amplification is better/more capable and it has stay-alive circuitry built-in so it's easy to add a capacitor if desired. Having fitted a Zimo 26x20x8mm 3D speaker into a Bachmann 08 I knew the advantage it produce in terms of quality of sound range and output so combining the two seemed a good idea.

 

Here it is as received along with several sheets of information, only some of which are shown. The service from YouChoos was first rate, as was the information supplied, indeed their website is full of good information, clear, concise, and to the point. Well worth a visit. (no connection except as a first time customer).

 

 

 

Fitting this combination did required some alterations, but these were not carried out until the decoder and speaker combo had first been tested using the 8-pin socket with the tender body off to ensure it all worked okay. Then the cast chassis weight was discarded along with the 8-pin socket, the speaker being located at the rear where the socket had been with the MX645 running up the middle in front of it where the weight had been. The decoder was hardwired with all surplus wires, those for lighting etc, being cut off as they were not needed. This meant joining the track feeds from the tender pcb to that of the front connection plug/socket and adding the motor output feeds direct to this as well.

 

 

 

 

Sheet lead , two layers thick, to replace the cast weight was added in the channel in the chassis towards the rear under both the speaker and decoder.

 

 

 

 

 Although no issues have arisen with current collection, this being through all the loco and tender wheels, YouChoos supplied a small electrolytic 470uf capacitor already connected to the internal stay-alive circuitry provided in the MX645R. As it seemed silly not to use it a small area of the tender coal space was cut out to provide room for this, which is covered by the removable coal load,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The result has I feel been worth the cost and effort involved. The sound file from YouChoo's is first rate, and aided by the output from the Zimo 3D speaker is nice and clear tonally - and loud....!  As such, although the default setting is 64 on a scale of 0-100 I have reduced this to just 15, which I found is plenty loud enough for me. After making a few CV adjustments to suit my personal preferences I now almost feel as if I have a real steam loco when running it.  Wonderful.

 

All I have to do now is try and find something that looks more like real coal for the tender. I used some from Woodland Scenics but it's far too uniform. The days when I could pop out to the coal bunker for some are long gone........yet nothing quite looks the same as real coal........as real coal.

 

Izzy

Edited November 7, 2017 by Izzy

[Stephen M]

Hi Izzy, 

 

I've just spent some time reading through this thread and found it very interesting, especially the section on the P4 conversion of the Hornby J15 - so thanks!

 

I have done and am in the process of doing some similar conversions - a Bachmann K3 being the current effort.  It was completed but has been dismantled as the wheel quartering was a bit sketchy.  In any case, it's certainly not as neat as the work that you are doing.

 

One question though - have you ever though about adding overlays to the frames in order to fill the gap between the back of the driving wheels and the existing frames?  And also moving the springs out by the same distance to closer behind the wheels?  

 

I've done this on the K3 and it makes quite a difference - I'd be interested in your thoughts.

 

Cheers,

 

Steve

[Izzy]

Hi Steve,

 

Thank you for your kind words. Pleased you found the J15 conversion interesting.

 

I am afraid I haven’t considered widening the frames behind the wheels because some decades making P4 locos for both myself and others has led me to believe that often, not enough clearance behind them and thus sufficient side play, leads to poor running and a tendency for locos to jump off anything but a very gentle smooth radius.

 

As a basic requirement I make is for any P4 loco - however big - to negotiate an A5 crossover to ensure no problems arise in use, (I have experienced those built by others that looked the bees knees but couldn’t cope with anything less than a B8), widening the frames may cause such issues (I’ve never stuck to a fixed frame width believing each needs designing/adjusting to suit each particular locos needs) and I don’t think looks wise it would be worth the extra hassle involved.

 

It’s each to his own of course with aspects like this and each model type will benefit differently, especially where RTR conversions are involved rather than kits or scratch builds.

 

Regards,

 

Izzy

[Stephen M]

 

 

It’s each to his own of course with aspects like this and each model type will benefit differently, especially where RTR conversions are involved rather than kits or scratch builds.

 

 

I think that point you made is very valid - some models clearly don't need it.  I felt the K3 did because of the wheelbase and relatively high running plate making it look a little funny.  To prevent any issues I tend to pack the frames out to about a mil narrower than the spaceing washers used to limit sideplay and have never had any issues.  Starting with thin black plasticard it is dead easy.  The springs can then be removed from the keeper plate and extended out in a similar way.  That said, for a streamline A4 I didn't bother as the skirts hide almost everything.  So yes, it very much depends on a variety of things.

 

Cheers, 

 

Steve

[gobbler]

Really impressed with the buffer beam on your 31, looks the part.

 

Continue your good work.

 

Scott

Edited February 3, 2018 by gobbler

[reded23]

Great article on the Class 31, I'm going to do some of these mods on my one. I thought I'd post some details on putting a stay alive and better speaker in it, as I couldn't find any other posts about this online.

 

The positive connection to the decoder is easy (Blue wire) but the negative is at the end of one of the small diodes and very hard to solder to without damaging the board. Luckily I traced it back to a better/larger point on the other side of the board. With this connected the loco runs over complicated point work without staling now.

 

 

 

I've been using this brand of speakers in my locos for a while. They are the same as used bluetooth speakers and very bassy. They don't work for all locos though for instance my HST didn't sound at all right but in my Class 31's they are great. You have to make sure all the wires are stuck down though as it can rattle its that good.

 

 

Speaker link: https://www.parts-express.com/tang-band-t0-2008s-speaker-module-2-5-32-x-1--264-943

 

 

Next I have to modify the wheels as with my code 83 Walthers track the flanges are too deep and its bouncing of the sleeps and frogs !  Might give these ago https://www.ultrascale.uk/eshop/products/view/CAT007/414

Edited February 19, 2018 by reded23

[Izzy]

Great article on the Class 31, I'm going to do some of these mods on my one. I thought I'd post some details on putting a stay alive and better speaker in it, as I couldn't find any other posts about this online.

 

Thank you for adding your posting on the stay-alive, it is most interesting, and will I am sure be of help to anyone wanting to add stay-alive to a railroad 31 especially considering the use of traction tyres. I haven't found the need so far, mainly because I removed the traction tyres, but also use live crossings in the P4 trackwork, but I do have a Bachmann 08 that putting a TTS sound chip in might be nice - if Hornby release one on it's own - and this might benefit from stay-alive.

 

Although the photos are very clear on where to solder the additional wires needed on the decoder, ( would this also apply to any other TTS decoder?), could I ask if it would be possible for you to confirm the actual parts you used, the capacitor size/diode/resistor? I presume the diode will be either a IN4001 or IN4007 and the resistor a 100ohm/1/2watt, but what is the capacitor size and rating, the uF @ 16v or 25v? I also understand there is a need to turn off DC running to prevent erratic behaviour?

 

With regard to the wheels, although the Ultrascale ones have 2.5mm axles I do not believe they would be suitable for the current Hornby 31's, either the RR or 'Full Fat' versions, since both now use proper sized wheels for both driven and carry axles, 14.5mm/12.5mm, whereas those shown are all 14mm.

 

regards

 

Izzy

[reded23]

Thank you for adding your posting on the stay-alive, it is most interesting, and will I am sure be of help to anyone wanting to add stay-alive to a railroad 31 especially considering the use of traction tyres. I haven't found the need so far, mainly because I removed the traction tyres, but also use live crossings in the P4 trackwork, but I do have a Bachmann 08 that putting a TTS sound chip in might be nice - if Hornby release one on it's own - and this might benefit from stay-alive.

 

Although the photos are very clear on where to solder the additional wires needed on the decoder, ( would this also apply to any other TTS decoder?), could I ask if it would be possible for you to confirm the actual parts you used, the capacitor size/diode/resistor? I presume the diode will be either a IN4001 or IN4007 and the resistor a 100ohm/1/2watt, but what is the capacitor size and rating, the uF @ 16v or 25v? I also understand there is a need to turn off DC running to prevent erratic behaviour?

 

With regard to the wheels, although the Ultrascale ones have 2.5mm axles I do not believe they would be suitable for the current Hornby 31's, either the RR or 'Full Fat' versions, since both now use proper sized wheels for both driven and carry axles, 14.5mm/12.5mm, whereas those shown are all 14mm.

 

regards

 

Izzy

Yes those components will work, for the capacitor you should go with a 25v as the 16v gets a little warm although still within spec (just) I have used anything from around 470uf up to 6000uf. The smaller gives barely any stay alive but does make a difference and worth it for small spaces. The larger ones can give a few seconds.My (home made) Class 13 only has 600uf and can now go over even the trickiest point work.

I spoke with the guy at Ultrascale and he's making a set of wheel for me that match the different sizes and that 2.5 axle....he said they may take 8 months to deliver though ;-/  I'll post back once its all done.

[sb67]

Just found this thread and got to say there's some fantastic modelling going on! One question, what is the nickel silver strip used for lamp irons? I like the way you've added some wire, I've had some fall of too!

Steve.

[Izzy]

Yes those components will work, for the capacitor you should go with a 25v as the 16v gets a little warm although still within spec (just) I have used anything from around 470uf up to 6000uf. The smaller gives barely any stay alive but does make a difference and worth it for small spaces. The larger ones can give a few seconds.My (home made) Class 13 only has 600uf and can now go over even the trickiest point work.

I spoke with the guy at Ultrascale and he's making a set of wheel for me that match the different sizes and that 2.5 axle....he said they may take 8 months to deliver though ;-/  I'll post back once its all done.

 

Yes, thanks. Following your post I have obtained some bits from Maplin before they close down, just over £3.00 for enough parts for 10 stay-alives, and have tried one using a 16v/2200uf cap (they didn't have any 25v) in a Bachmann 08. This is a test bed and uses a Mashima 1833 motor plus spare class 31 TTS chip - don't laugh, I'm hoping the Hornby 08 chip will arrive as a separate item at some stage and I can do a swop - along with Zimo 3D speaker. I had to fit the cap in the cab, but the loco will run nicely now. About 1/4 turn of the wheels without sound, less so with, when power is lost.

 

Pleased to learn you have solved the wheel issue.

 

Izzy

[Izzy]

Just found this thread and got to say there's some fantastic modelling going on! One question, what is the nickel silver strip used for lamp irons? I like the way you've added some wire, I've had some fall of too!

Steve.

 

Thank you for your kind words. If you are talking about the class 31, then it was probably spare etch from 2mm Scale Association kits. This is actually the main scale I model in these days, and most 2mm SA kits/parts are 10thou N/S etches. I always save useful sized scap etch bits, never know when they might 'come in handy' as my dear old Dad used to say.

 

Izzy

[sb67]

Ok thanks for that Izzy  

Steve.

[Izzy]

A strange locomotive was spotted at All Saints East over the weekend. Apparently it was on running trials.......

 

 

 

This loco is actually the reason I built ASE, or rather the start of things which led to it, the discovery while carrying out a (sometimes!) regular clear-up in the loft of not only a complete Mainline 43xx - in it's box - but some now very old etched loco/tender chassis to convert it to P4 with all/most of the other bits needed to complete it. Why I had them when I have never modelled or had interest in the GWR/BR Western region lies rooted in the distant past, in what is often referred to as 'another life'. Discoveries like this are often a slippery slope...in this case one I seem to have gone a fair way down now....

 

I suppose this RTR conversion could properly be described as 'extensive', using only the RTR loco & tender bodies, so I am not sure whether a description of the goings-on is proper to this forum section or thread. But the odd shot should be okay I think.

 

The chassis are Whitbourne model ones, revised after construction/testing to replace the central beam 3-point compensation on both with a simple/crude sprung alternatives as well as providing current collection, and uses a Mitsumi motor with Highlevel 60-1 gearbox driving the rear axle. Although I have tried to make a few basic improvements to the body I am sure there are probably more that could be undertaken. As it stands however, being neither a loco I need or will use much, I think it's not too bad. Some weathering will hopefully help to improve the look - I hope.

 

Izzy

 

Edited August 15, 2022 by Izzy
restore image

[Horsetan]

....The chassis are Whitbourne model ones,...

 

Another name long gone.

[Izzy]

 Yes, almost as long in the tooth as I am...... In truth they were really well designed and produced kits which if still around today may have been revised for hornblocks or CSB. I particularly like the pivoting brake gear rodding and other bits so the wheels/axles can be dropped out at any time. All well thought out.

Must admit to being impressed with the HL gearbox. Were I ever to build another 4mm loco from the chassis up it would be my first choice.

 

Izzy

[Horsetan]

 Yes, almost as long in the tooth as I am...... In truth they were really well designed and produced kits which if still around today may have been revised for hornblocks or CSB. I particularly like the pivoting brake gear rodding and other bits so the wheels/axles can be dropped out at any time. All well thought out....

 

I have managed to acquire the Whitbourne "Large Prairie" and "Manor" chassis kits, and the frames do look adaptable for CSB as they are. The instruction sheets allude to a "Castle" chassis also being available.

Edited August 29, 2018 by Horsetan

[Izzy]

 

I believe the large prairie is the tank version of the 43xx, is that correct? In the copious instructions for the loco chassis there are details on cutting off the bits needed for the 2-6-2t version, apparently at that time to suit the Airfix 61xx. I am not sure/can’t really remember if the Castle chassis was ever available. I just built several of the 43xx for people - mostly with RG4’s since they nearly all went overseas - but non of the others.

 

When I replaced the central beam compensation this time I tapped the front two loco horn guides 14ba for screws to set the ride height and then used top tread wipers to provide some springing, so several conversion possibilities seem to exist. Just don’t try using the Gibson pickups. The chassis is made to take them, but using them removes any vestige of sideplay in the wheel sets. (I have a long term policy that any loco must be able to run perfectly through a A5 crossover - up to flat out - or it fails. This is to try and ensure that they won’t fail in use due to tight/ less than perfect track work).

 

If there is any interest and it would help anyone I could do a few posts on its construction somewhere.

 

Izzy

[Horsetan]

I believe the large prairie is the tank version of the 43xx, is that correct?...

 

It is.

[Izzy]

 

Bachmann 03

 

Some posts back a question was raised about adding cosmetic frames to EM/P4 converted locos to improve the looks. This involved my Hornby J15 P4 conversion and I said I hadn't found it necessary with that particular loco. Recently another loco was added to the All Saints East roster, a Bachmann plain green BR class 03 diesel shunter, and here adding cosmetic frames has proved not only necessary but really pretty essential to maintain the overall look. I think it has worked okay. Needs a bit of gentle weathering - in addition to some paint touching up, and the wonky exhaust putting straight!

 

 

I had been considering adding a smaller shunter for some time, either an 03 or 04, but the variation in the Mainline/Bachmann RTR chassis designs over the years they have been made helped me to keep putting it off. The reasons being that I wanted to ensure that whatever I obtained would be convertible to P4 by the easiest possible means, basically just machining the wheels, and that it would also be possible to fit sound.

 

Although it wasn't originally planned all the locos on ASE are now sound fitted after the experience gained with the purchase of the Hornby Railroad version TTS class 31.  Well, all except the Mainline bodied GWR/BR 43xx P4 etched chassis conversion which will be sold off if I find somebody that wants it - not really fitting in all that well on an Eastern Region exGE branch  - and the Bachmann 08 which is awaiting the arrival of the Hornby 08 TTS chip, having confirmed that the TTS motor control is okay and acceptable driving the Mashima 1833 motor which sits in it, the original Bachmann one failing in short order for undiscovered reasons.

 

All the indications were that it was one of the latest produced Bachmann 03/04 chassis design types that I needed, indeed some have been produced factory sound fitted, but I was wary of such a purchase in case P4 conversion proved un-workable. Wrecking/wasting a plain version loco would be expensive enough should it not work out, but a sound fitted one would be just so much worse that I couldn't contemplate it. I know that etched chassis are available, but with ASE the whole basic concept was that it would be a simple layout using just RTR locos converted in the cheapest possible way (for me). It hasn't quite worked out that way of course re the sound aspect, but I have still tried to keep to the basic core principles I originally set.

 

Anyway, at a local exhibition last October on a small second-hand dealers stand I found a new version plain green 03 at what I thought a reasonable price, £50, and took the plunge. At first I thought I had made a big mistake. The loco looked brand new, as if it had never been out of the box, but under testing couldn't get along a length of plain track without stalling multiple times. Oh dear. My thoughts were tempered by the idea of a stay-alive alongside the sound decoder. But only if the basic loco could run okay in the first place.

 

Starting to strip the loco down to find out just how it was put together I was surprised to discover that it had indeed been out of the box, because a Lenz Silver mini 6-pin decoder had been fitted...   This did indicate to me that poor pick-up was probably the basic problem re the iffy running, and I then found the pick-ups were either not touching the wheel backs, or had fractured and fallen off.....Hmm... No wonder it looked as though it had not run much and had been for sale.

 

Dropping the wheels out I found that I was able to re-machine them in my little lathe in much the same way as I have done with others. Take enough off the backs to reduce the flange width to 0.4mm so they will pass through P4 flangeways, and enough off the front rims so they actually came down to the standard P4 width of 2mm. As luck would have it the front of the rims sat quite proud of the wheel faces so they could be taken back without problem. The flanges were quite deep, enough to possibly catch the inside chair jaws, so they were also reduced, down to 0.5mm, the standard depth I use. It all worked out quite nicely and the end result was a decent set of wheels.

 

They are mounted on splined axles via plastic bushes and I found that I could re-mount them at the correct b-t-b with enough axle in the wheel bores that they ran okay. Most modellers would probably have used new/replacement longer axles,( if they are available), but I thought I would see how well they ran and how long they lasted like this. All seems quite okay to date. But then just trundling up and down a short test track type layout pulling/pushing half a dozen wagons max isn't going to put a lot of strain on them.

 

Not wanting to replace the coupling rods or crank pins these were just thinned down as much as was possible, the bosses being particularly large and benefitting the most. I did my usual adaption of soldering up the pivoting rods so they were solid even though the drive is on the centre axle. This was to help ensure the fly-cranks rotated evenly and smoothly since they rely solely on the rods for movement and are not connected together either.

 

This all seems very lazy I know, but having first converted RTR to P4 in the late 1970's I know that once you start replacing bits it can have a domino effect where you end up feeling you might just as well have started from scratch, say a Dapol/Airfx 04 or Bachmann body on an etched chassis. I had looked at this, mainly as a benchmark, and found that the cost would/could be quite considerably higher, 2-3 times as much. Whether the end result would be that much better is moot, and of course it all depends on your viewpoint. I did consider having an 05 instead, the original versions used on the Eastern Region and made from a Judith Edge kit, the Heljan 05 being the later type and never stationed in the area. But wanting RTR the Bachmann won out at the price obtained.

 

Anyway, on to the cosmetic frames. The chassis is what could be described as a standard present day RTR mazak casting, with a plastic keeper plate to retain the wheels and to which the wiper pickups are fitted. The axles just run in the mazak casting, there are no separate brass bearings as with many newer locos. The depth of the chassis matches the real thing, with the keeper plate below this equalling the level of the brake rigging/pull rods. The PB pick-up strips are fitted inside the plate, held in place with rivets, and then bent upwards to bear on the wheel backs. This hides them pretty well but the short lengths mean they are quite stiff/strong, and this arrangement also makes it difficult to both adjust them for optimum pressure on the wheels and with fitting the keeper plate in place. I concluded these were the reasons they didn't work very well, and why a couple had broken off at the vertical bend.

 

I therefore decided to break them all off and make replacements from 0.35mm hard brass wire which I soldered to the rivets on the underside of the plate, so the PB contacts still connected with the little pcb in the chassis and transferred the track power to the motor. These are easy to adjust for pressure now, as is fitting the plate in place. They work well, so problem solved. Performance was then found okay.

 

Here are some shots of the keeper plate showing the inside with the PB strips. You can hopefully see the slots where the fingers poked out and up to press on the wheel backs. Then my adaption with the brass wire.

 

 

 

 

It was at this stage that I realised that cosmetic frames were badly needed for two reasons. One, to give something to hang the brake gear and sandboxes on, and second to restrict the amount of axle side-play. This soon showed as a problem with the level of waddle the loco produced given the width of the P4 b-t-b against the chassis width.

 

These frames are quite thick, made from 3 layers of 0.75mm/30thou black plasticard, and shaped to fit around the chassis cut-outs for the axles and support for the fly-cranks. There is no axle with the latter, they just revolve on stubs which are part of the chassis and retained by screws. It's simple and rather crude looking but works okay, and as they are hidden behind the etched mesh at the rear of the cab steps I left them alone, just adding spacers from some Plastruct tubing to move them outwards and stay in-line with the front face of the wheels.

 

A few shots which will hopefully make it all clear. My apologies that they were taken at different stages, so the frames don't always look the same. But they may help someone who fancies doing something similar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The latter ones show the sound install. This was a Zimo MX648 loaded with Paul Chetters active drive sounds with a Zimo sugar cube behind the radiator. Because the space underneath the cab is not enough for the size of the decoder I mounted it on the floor of the cab via d/s tape. You may note there is a homemade Tantalum stay-alive pack fitted. Even with the better pickups fitted this made a big difference to running performance. I ditched the loco cab lights bits - I wasn't bothered about this feature - along with the plastic moulding on which it's pcb and the decoder socket were mounted, the MX648 being hardwired and the stay-alive taking the vacant space released.

 

I have just noticed another job still to do besides those already mentioned, guard irons need making and fitting on the frames. This does show the benefit of taking shots these days of all you do as you proceed. It helps highlight bits that can get missed or are not as good as you think as you double check construction.

 

regards,

 

Izzy

Edited February 9, 2019 by Izzy

[sb67]

Some fine modelling there Izzy, the 03 looks and I bet sounds and runs great, well done.

Steve.

Edited February 9, 2019 by sb67
Edit to read 03

[Izzy]

On 04/02/2019 at 18:32, sb67 said:

Some fine modelling there Izzy, the 08 looks and I bet sounds and runs great, well done.

Steve.

 

Thanks. Yes it does. I have thought that I aught to sign up to YouTube and make a few videos of the locos to show how they run and sound in case it helped anyone. Just not sure I could produce anything worth watching. I’ll think on it some more.

 

Izzy

[sb67]

You're welcome Izzy, I've an old Bachmann 03 and I want to put extra pick ups on that, couldn't geta any solder to stick to the metal block though. I might have to ask the question and start a thread on here.

Steve.

[Izzy]

Do I take it that it is an early type with a different arrangement to the one above? I believe some were split-axle pickup, if I have it right, so not one of those. If the chassis block is cast mazak then I would suggest that while it is possible to solder to it using a very hot iron and lead solder - I still use 60/40 multicore - I find drilling and tapping a better, more reliable solution. However, an alternative is to cryno pcb pads/strips to it and then solder to these. But oil is good at breaking such glue bonds, so any oiling must be done sparingly. 

 

Izzy

[sb67]

It definitley is an older type, I never thought of driling and tapping and the pcb strips sound a good option. I'll have to have a closer look at how the original pick ups work.

steve.