thermodynamics

Hello Jazz Excellent work with all the loco builds you have done. Your posts have have assisted me in my first build of a Fairburn tank where I got bogged down and I have been a follower ever since. Re your problem with your soldering iron. I've got an Antex 660TC soldering station which just started acting up a wee while ago. It was struggling to maintain temperature & really intermittent in operation. One minute you could be soldering away no problem & next it would go cold. It never overheated. Anyway I thought I was going to have to replace it but decided to have a look at the workings of it. On opening up the DIN plug of the iron cable, the two soldered connections of the temperature sensor wires to the plug pins were very poor (just a blob of solder sitting on top really). These were both resoldered (I have separate 25w antex just for electrical work). On checking the same wires inside the iron handle where they connect to the heating element, it looked like they also hadn't been soldered properly. So these were also remade. This was just done tonight & I tested it on some scrap etch and it worked like new. Result maybe - time will tell. I'd rather the modelling budget went into my next project (black 5 maybe) than on a new iron considering current prices! Look forward to your further build posts. All the best Gordon

Hello Andy Have been following your trials & tribulations in the potting shed shed since it was built. Have learnt a lot & enjoyed the banter. Maybe I can help you a little regarding the above post #507. The 8F sound thread (and I believe a video) can be found here; http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/104602-locoman-superior-steam-sounds/ The tweeks to the CV values for the black 5 can be found here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/6238-Hornby-sound-black-5-optimising-performance/ (although I also recall the same article as you in MR but cannot remember what issue (there is an index in ukmodelshops.co.uk which may help). I thought my own factory fitted black 5 was good until I got my A4 & K1 fitted with Zimo decoders & then realised how poor it actually was compared to them. I have not adjusted the black 5 yet but is on my ever increasing worklist to do. Looking forward to your progress with the project(s). Hope the Railway Santa was kind to you & all the best for the New Year. Best regards Gordon.

The real thing at Fort William last summer.