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Free At Last

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Posts posted by Free At Last

  1. 22 minutes ago, melmerby said:

    The TKcdu2 has 4x 35v 4700μF capacitors which I would've thought, should be enough to throw any solenoid.

    However 16vAC will give about 40% more DC volts at the caps.

     

    I use one, it works ok, it throws pairs of motors linked together, but is noticeably slow recharging compared to my Gaugemaster one which recharges quicker than I can operate the switch. Both supplied from the same transformer.

  2. Another loco I bought new in 1978 and had only been test run. Having a load of used decoders from my sound conversions I have been using them up on some split chassis Mainline locos and thought I would try a tender drive model.
    A simple conversion, as all it needs is the wires removed from the motor and connected to the decoder, and the decoder wires to the motor.
    This decoder is an old Bachmann one that only had short addressing.
    The tender gears were regreased and motor shaft bearing oiled.
    I was quite pleased with the result for a 45 year old loco costing £16.95.
    RoyalScotsFusilier1.jpg.d3b1ebbe02d9631b85cc37379c34fa47.jpg
    And here it is running... 

     

    • Like 1
  3. I have a few boxed Mainline Jubilee and Royal Scot locos bought new when first released. I had no proper layout at the time so they have only had occasional test runs and are suffering non of the known problems associated with split chassis locos (yet). 

    A while back I converted a Jubilee with Fowler tender for dcc by wiring a 4 pin jst lead into the tender which was successful.
    Having a load of spare decoders after fitting sound to a lot of my locos I thought I would convert some more Mainline locos and chose one with a Stanier tender.
    On removing the two fixing screws in the tender chassis I found I could not remove the body. It appeared to be glued in, so running a scalpel blade around it released it and I was surprised to find there had never been mounting points for the screws in the body, and a piece of polystyrene most probably used as a spacer until the glue dried. 
    I examined another Stanier tender and found that to be similar, although after breaking the glue bond the body will still not come off. It also felt heavier than the previous one. Looking through the fireman's tool tunnel I could see some hard resin like material which must be bonding it all together. 
    Were these tenders a botch up job?
    MainlineStanierTender.jpg.7af839e90cdddd78cbe0c0eb130d8b5a.jpg

  4. 3 hours ago, AyJay said:

    Don’t get me started about Facebook!

     

    Too late….

    I’d like to know what madness lies behind their ‘people you may know’ suggestions???

    A friend of a friend, someone who lives near me, worked at the same place as me, or some other point of connection, I get that.

    A neighbour recently opened a facebook account and sent me a friend request... why??? he only lives opposite me. 

    • Funny 2
  5. 13 minutes ago, nickwood said:

    Talking of loops, the couplings come with phosphor bronze wire and steel wire. The instructions say to form the loop out of the PB wire and solder a steel wire dropper to it. If you do this then the coffee stirrer/magnet method of uncoupling will not work. Not only that but it is very fiddly to solder up. I ditch the PB wire and make the whole loop and dropper out of one piece of wire to a method I found with a google search.

    I did the same with mine. I think the wire I use came from a picture frame hanging kit from a bargain shop.

  6. The DG couplings suit my method of working my passenger terminus without any loco shuffling or hand of god.

    I have fitted the couplings with the loop on each end of a rake of coaches and the latch on the locos. Two magnets are sited in each platform, the first one at the entrance and a second one just over a locos length back from the stops.
    A loco brings in a train and passes over the first and second magnets with nothing happening as the coupling is in tension. At the stops the loco sets back where the second magnet unlatches the coupling and then draws forward again, uncoupling. 
    A pilot loco attaches to the rear end and draws the ecs out passing over the first magnet where again nothing happens as the coupling is in tension. It then propels the ecs into the departure platform or carriage siding and as it passes over the first magnet the coupling unlatches leaving the pilot loco to uncouple from the stock wherever in the platform and retire back to it's siding. A new loco couples to the train to depart on its outward journey.
    It also works with a loco release, having the magnet just beyond the fouling point of the turnout/crossing.

  7. 2 hours ago, long island jack said:

    Sadly there are a lot of blinkered exhibition goers, myself being an American HO modeller, appreciate any type of modelling, scale, steam or diesel, good modelling is just good modelling what ever type.

    They are not blinkered, they will be looking for something more to their interest.
    Not everyone is the same as you.

  8. 14 minutes ago, Invicta said:

     It's completely uninformed speculation on my part, but we know Rails have taken on processing the orders for the second tranche of Hattons Genesis coaches when they arrive, but IIRC had stated they'd not bought the tooling. Might they now be looking to take on the project long-term and produce future batches as well, keeping the Hattons name?

    They will have to be careful about becoming a 'manufacturer' and putting Bachmann's and Hornby's nose out of joint.

    • Like 1
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