Wagonmaster

Hi, is the Tenshodo powerful enough for the 2 car Class 197? Did you use just one or one in each car. Does it run okay? Also, what diameter wheels did you use please. Steve

Whilst on the subject of bogies. I have a few dmu projects that are going to need inside frame bogies, such as the recent CAF dmu's like the Class 197 for instance. I have had a look around, but haven't seen anything or missed them. Anyone any ideas if anyone makes them? Steve

Thanks Rex, I have used the MJT bogies quite a few times. I was basically looking for an SMP lookalike, but it seems there may not be one. So it looks like I may have go back to MJT anyway. Thanks for everyones input.

Thanks for your replies Mike and The Johnster. I think maybe I didn't quite explain what I was looking for very clearly. The SPM bogies are basic rigid plastic mouldings with a standard 8'6" wheelbase. There are no moulded details and you attach the sideframes of your choice to them. I have used them in a variety of projects and have attached sideframes such as the BX1 as used on Class 313's and 507's etc. I was looking for a replacement for the SPM bogie as I have a number of MU projects that use the more modern type sideframes. Certainly Replica Railways are very good and they sit under variety of my stock using B1, B4, B5 etc. I'm not aware of the other manufacturer, but will check them out as it sounds useful. So, any ideas on an SPM replacement? Steve

I wonder if anyone can help regarding availability of different coach bogies? I have been using the Southern Pride Models nylon coach bogies for years with good success. They are free running and easily allow a variety of sideframes to be used. However, I think Mr. SPM is running down his business and these bogies haven’t been available for some time. So, the question is, does anyone know of a similar type of coach bogies that I could use instead? I could use MJT, but quite like the rigid SPM type. Thanks in advance.

I too would like some of this stock. Sadly I was unable to get a TSO, so some some of each, or just something to make up a short train would be great!

Thanks for that. Yes, I realise the bus green is Lincoln Green, but I still feel LT's Sentinels were a different shade. I still tend to go with the theory that they were the colour Thomas Hill painted them. Unless someone can come up with definitive proof of course! However, I have one now, rather than repainting one and it does look nice, especially with its match truck DT81.

Well that's a good selection to be getting on with! Is that a Class 505 emu I spotted? They just made it to Corporate Blue livery. Bottom photo looks like C69 or C77 stock? Good luck with those.

Yes, they did. Quite solid chunks of white metal very reminiscent of MTK. Here is a cab grafted onto a Lima HST power car.

Sorry John! 😀

Here is one I prepared earlier!

I have a 3D printed Simplex but haven't got very far with it, too many other projects! However, I thought of borrowing an idea from our OO9 friends. This is to use a Tramfabriek motor with a pulley to drive a layshaft with worm gears (Tenshodo brass ones) to each axle. This would give 4 wheel drive with the mechanism all but invisible under the body. Extra weight would definitely be needed. I've got the bits to do it, just need to crack on with it! The prototypes only pulled a couple or three wagons, so I'm hoping the drive train could cope with that.

Well they have turned out very well! Bravo! I didn't know MTK did a 306, but should have guessed Colin would have had a go.

I'd certainly go for the EE demonstrators D0226 and/or D0227. I'd also like to see the other LMS shunters, such as 7052 and 7053. Armstrong Whitworth 7058 would be good as would the Vulcan Frichs loco. The GWR Simplex loco's would also make unusual models. I missed out on the Impetus kits that were produced years ago. Still plenty of prototypes available!

I am interested in the NE Region departmental No.84. However, I notice in my books a reference to another 88DS. This one being No.52 and was at Hull for a while. Does anyone know anymore details of this Ruston? I've not yet come across a photograph of it. Was it similar to Nos.84 etc?

Thanks for that, appreciated. I was hoping to build mine to 3ft gauge like my other BnM stock. Probably means building a custom chassis, which I'm not very good at. Pity the system is being run down, I found it fascinating and the staff were always very helpful and friendly. Years ago I produced a stock book and video for Midland Publishing. Maybe I ought to edit together some of the unused footage for another video as it is all historical now.

What did you do about the chassis for the NP Wagonmaster kit? I was hoping to try and fit a slighty more accurate 3ft gauge chassis. Be very interested to see how you have tackled it.

A pity Mike, I would have had one in a shot, even now! However, I completely understand your point. Just to show what I mean, here is my version of PWM650 built from Mike's excellent kit.

I ordered PWM651 from Kernow. It arrived well packaged and first impressions out of the box were good. It does look the part. However, closer inspection started showing problems. I have the 'gap' between the bonnet and running plate. I'll follow advice on here and trim back the lip on the running plate. All of the rest of the body and details were in tact. So now to a test run on dc, as it's a dcc ready model. It started to move hesitantly for a couple of feet and stopped. I tried it in reverse and after a bit of encouragement, it ran backwards hesitantly. It also had the 'waddle'. I was disappointed with the hesitant start stop running, my old Trix version runs better! Closer inspection revealed that only four of the pick up contacts were actually touching the wheel rims! I rectified this by removing the keeper plate and gently adjusting the wipers. Upon reassembly, it ran much better now it was picking up off all six wheels, but still waddling. I will have a closer look to see if it is excess sideplay or eccentric wheels. It has now been fitted with a dcc decoder. So, all in all a bit disappointing I felt. I shouldn't have to 'fix' a brand new £170 locomotive (which I felt was overpriced for a small shunter) before I can use it! In retrospect, the body issues were there on the EP's and pre-production models and should never have got as far as a production version! The derail beams, as noted, are the wrong way round and for the money, I would have expected working marker lights at least, if not working headlights as well. Rigid buffers are a backward step and surely the coupling blanking plates could have been factory painted? I have a Judith Edge Kits PWM650 that I built which is streets ahead of this offering. It doesn't waddle, the bonnet fits, has sprung buffers, cab light etc. I was rather hoping Mike was going to produce the PWM651-4 version as well, but as he hasn't yet, I bought this. Hopefully he will in the future? Disappointing model.

I think 'Tommy' also had a different arrangement of roof vents. A look at the drawings should show this. The bogies were modified to give a better ride early in it's life. The large leaf spring was repositioned 'upside down' and I think the sandboxes were altered. All depends on exactly what time period you want your model to represent. As always, consult dated photographs. Good luck!

Looking really good, well done. One question if I may. How are you arranging the catenary over the baseboard joins? This is a problem I'm going to have when I install the 1500V wires, so looking for any ideas.

Oddly enough, I am a member of the French Railways Society! I think the Great Western Railway was particularly obsessed with signalling with virtually a signal for every move. Did many other companies have Backing Up, or Shunt Ahead signals? Other companies seemed to be a bit more restained. The Heritage Railway case is slightly different I feel as it gives signalling enthusiasts an opportunity to install and operate a wide variety of signals that may not have been originally installed. I think this is where my uncertainty with French signalling comes from as my other layout is a fully signalled ex-GWR layout!

Thanks for that David, interesting thread and good to see how the French model their railways. I find it ironic that even the French struggle with their signalling! I have set up a test rig to see if I can control and display the aspects correctly. None of the options in JMRI seemed to work correctly with my equipment (turnout controlled etc.). So I came up with another way that seems to work. I have populated a bit of stripboard with LED's representing a 4 aspect sugnal. Yhis is connected to a MERG Steady State Accessory dcc decoder (acc5). I've configured it to dual address mode so I have eight switchable outputs. The signals on the panel are virtual signals and a short bit of LogixNG looks at the virtual signal aspect and switches the decoder outputs accordingly. There are probably other ways of doing it, but I had the decoders left over from a previous project and it seemed sense to use them.

Thanks for that David, interesting thread and good to see how the French model their railways. I find it ironic that even the French struggle with their signalling! I have set up a test rig to see if I can control and display the aspects correctly. None of the options in JMRI seemed to work correctly with my equipment (turnout controlled etc.). So I came up with another way that seems to work. I have populated a bit of stripboard with LED's representing a 4 aspect sugnal. This is connected to a MERG Steady State Accessory dcc decoder (acc5). I've configured it to dual address mode so I have eight switchable outputs. The signals on the panel are virtual signals and a short bit of LogixNG looks at the virtual signal aspect and switches the decoder outputs accordingly. There are probably other ways of doing it, but I had the decoders left over from a previous project and it seemed sense to use them.

Thanks for your reply Nigel. That sounds a very complicated, but impressive system! Thanks for explaining for me, it is an area I haven’t looked at. However, it sounds a bit overly complicated for what I want to do. I just have one reader on the exit of the fiddle yard and would like to read the tag of any loco, railcar etc. that goes onto the 'mainline'. JMRI's block tracking would then pick that up and display it on the panel. I just need to get the Arduino's output into JMRI!