AIRFIX 2-6-2 RUNNING ISSUE

[MANTY1]

Hi

After watching an excellent little video on You Tube by Peter George  - Platform 1 MRC I decided to have a go at DCC'ing one I had in a box.

On DC she ran well for an old model so went for it.

Fitted a Gaugemaster Omni decoder and surprise surprise it worked (not bad for me)

Only issue I have is that when running on my short test bed she stops for 1-2 secs then starts up again.

Sometimes doesn't do it at all. Appears to be better in reverse.

Have given her a good clean and their doesn't appear to be any binding of the rods etc.

The track is also clean.

I did take a video on my phone but am having trouble saving it too my PC, but I think you get what I'm trying to say about the loco running.

Cure this and it will be a lovely little model.

Hope you can help.

 

[MANTY1]

Hi

After watching an excellent little video on You Tube by Peter George  - Platform 1 MRC I decided to have a go at DCC'ing one I had in a box.

On DC she ran well for an old model so went for it.

Fitted a Gaugemaster Omni decoder and surprise surprise it worked (not bad for me)

Only issue I have is that when running on my short test bed she stops for 1-2 secs then starts up again.

Sometimes doesn't do it at all. Appears to be better in reverse.

Have given her a good clean and their doesn't appear to be any binding of the rods etc.

The track is also clean.

I did take a video on my phone but am having trouble saving it too my PC, but I think you get what I'm trying to say about the loco running.

Cure this and it will be a lovely little model.

Hope you can help.

This is a still of the loco

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...On DC she ran well for an old model so went for it.

...

Only issue I have is that when running on my short test bed she stops for 1-2 secs then starts up again.

Sometimes doesn't do it at all. Appears to be better in reverse...

 Always a good start that the model ran well on DC.

 

Having fitted a decoder, this tendency to cut out and sometimes failure to move at all, often with directional variability is usually track power failing to reach the decoder. (There are other possibiities, but let's go for the most likely first.)

 

DC is tolerant of power loss, the motor coasts, current supply resumes, the operator probably doesn't notice. The difference with DCC is that the decoder cuts out the moment track power is lost. Usually this  power loss is because the pick up wipers are not bearing on the wheelbacks at all times. A little patient adjustment, and then testing that pick up is maintained by use of flying leads, testing all combinations such that any one wheel one side, with any one wheel the other side, and the motor always runs, and the problem should be solved.

 

If not, come back for more.

[bike2steam]

If it's one of the early Airfix large prairies, the chassis were poor performers, I'd be tempted to replace with a Comet/Wizard version. 

[MANTY1]

 Always a good start that the model ran well on DC.

 

Having fitted a decoder, this tendency to cut out and sometimes failure to move at all, often with directional variability is usually track power failing to reach the decoder. (There are other possibiities, but let's go for the most likely first.)

 

DC is tolerant of power loss, the motor coasts, current supply resumes, the operator probably doesn't notice. The difference with DCC is that the decoder cuts out the moment track power is lost. Usually this  power loss is because the pick up wipers are not bearing on the wheelbacks at all times. A little patient adjustment, and then testing that pick up is maintained by use of flying leads, testing all combinations such that any one wheel one side, with any one wheel the other side, and the motor always runs, and the problem should be solved.

 

If not, come back for more.

Will have a double check on the pickups - Thanks

[MANTY1]

If it's one of the early Airfix large prairies, the chassis were poor performers, I'd be tempted to replace with a Comet/Wizard version. 

Nice idea but not sure I want to go down that road at present

Thanks for the idea anyway.

 

The silly thing is it's intermittent. Sometimes it runs absolutely fine in both directions, next time just stops and restarts.

Agree its probably poor connection somewhere.

[MANTY1]

Well thats was a good plan, but another issue has arisen !!!!

Just tried her on my windowsill diorama and she wont run through the Code 75 points, so looks like its no go unless I change the chassis and wheels.

Not sure I'm up to achieving that

 

Will have to think about it.

 

Shame, but all its cost me is a decoder and I can use that elsewhere.

[DCB]

Hi

After watching an excellent little video on You Tube by Peter George  - Platform 1 MRC I decided to have a go at DCC'ing one I had in a box.

On DC she ran well for an old model so went for it.

Fitted a Gaugemaster Omni decoder and surprise surprise it worked (not bad for me)

Only issue I have is that when running on my short test bed she stops for 1-2 secs then starts up again.

Sometimes doesn't do it at all. Appears to be better in reverse.

Have given her a good clean and their doesn't appear to be any binding of the rods etc.

The track is also clean.

I did take a video on my phone but am having trouble saving it too my PC, but I think you get what I'm trying to say about the loco running.

Cure this and it will be a lovely little model.

Hope you can help.

 

The Airfix 2-6-2 T is a poor chassis, lovely motor, rubbish square axle hole chassis. The Hornby version has a marginally better chassis block and a rubbish motor, so if you want to experiment with DCC I would suggest you find something an bit better engineered.   My Airfix and Hornby 61XX are in my scrap drawer and a Farish 81XX and a Wills 61XX both on Triang chassis with Romford wheels which were originally superceded are back in service.

For a really good big Prairie I would use a Hornbty 61XX body on a  Bachmann 43XX chassis, and fabricate a trailing truck mounting.  Plenty of room for a decoder in the bunker and lead in the tanks.  

[royaloak]

Well thats was a good plan, but another issue has arisen !!!!

Just tried her on my windowsill diorama and she wont run through the Code 75 points, so looks like its no go unless I change the chassis and wheels.

Not sure I'm up to achieving that

 

Will have to think about it.

 

Shame, but all its cost me is a decoder and I can use that elsewhere.

Have you checked the back to back of all the wheels?

It should be able to negotiate code 75 points.

[DCB]

They have awful traction tyred wheels, most people fit a spare pair of non traction tyre wheels and add weight to get the traction back.   The axles are parallel so you can adjust the back to back no problem but getting them to run true is  bigger problem, the flanges should be OK ish for code 75 so give re set the Back to back and give it another try.

[Butler Henderson]

As the tooling passed to Hornby in the mid 90s the set of driving wheels / axles are Hornby spare part X8888 

http://www.modeltrains4u.co.uk/Spares-by-Loco/Class-61XX-Prairie/X8888-Loco-Wheel---Axle-Set.htm

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

They have awful traction tyred wheels...

 Traction tyres as well? Diabolical on DCC especially if on the centre wheelset, which usually means the two end wheelsets repeatedy losing rail contact, and thus interuption to power collection.

 

Manty, a simple experiment. Just remove the traction tyres (snip snip) and see how it runs then. The pick up wipers may be OK, just prevented from doing their work by the traction tyre effect.

[RAF96]

What we need is conductive traction tyres...

...any ideas from the floor.

What about the material zebra connectors (as used for LCD screens data) are made from.

Rob

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

That's an expensive solution to a problem that needn't exist in my opinion. Even with the conductivity, you still have the problems of wear dumping polymer dirt, and the deformation due its softness, with eventual failure due to the flexing to contend with. Weight (and a large prairie tank has the interior volume for plenty of that) and clean running, non-eccentric, good for a lifetime all metal tyres is both superior and cheaper. Traction tyres should be reserved for absolutely desperate cases, where nothing simpler can be made to work.

[Hroth]

Both my my Airfix Large Prairies have always run well on DC and code 100 track. I've never tried to run them on code 75, or tried (yet) to DCC them, my only gripe is that they sound like coffee grinders when in motion!