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Oxford Diecast/Golden Valley - YE Janus 0-6-0DE

Hippo

By Hippo,
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corneliuslundie

corneliuslundie

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“I'd rather pay a few quid more for a better product.”

So would I, but many claims are made that current models are too expensive.

I have therefore just looked at inflation since 1960 when I first received  a “proper” model loco (rather than Trix Twin). That model was a Graham Farish 94xx, diecast body, good running . I think it cost 45s (£2.25) – I really wanted the Prairie but it was deemed to be too expensive for a Christmas present.

According to a price index website I have just consulted that would now cost 21.4 x 2.25, or £48.15. That perhaps puts such claims about price in context, though it does not allow for the much smaller runs of models and the vastly superior quality – and of course the reduced costs of manufacture in China rather than the UK.

Of course this is only one index. Look at house prices. My parents bought a house in the late 1950 for £2000. That house would now be worth at least 100 times as much. Apply that to the Farish model and the cost would now be £225 or thereabouts, making the Golden Valley loco seem pretty cheap.

Jonathan

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Porcy Mane

Porcy Mane

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Wheels were pulled out on the axles.

 

Did you have to move out the brake block mouldings out any or relieve the inside face of the air reservoirs?

 

For P4 I've mentioned the possible introduction of a fold up chassis to the gearbox/chassis man but would there be any demand, taking into account that now common problem of sourcing suitable P4, 3' 8"dia, 12 spoke PB,  wheels?

 

This is what the underside looks like. It's quite a simple arrangement with the entire chassis, motor & gearbox casting lifting away from the running plate/drawbeam after removing four screws. 

 

post-508-0-68648600-1511548134_thumb.jpg

 

P

 

Edit: Forgot to mention; if your'e not happy with the etched tin coupling rods and you hanker after 3 layer articulated rods the Dave Franks 8F coupling rods look like they were made for the job after removal of one rod.

Edited by Porcy Mane
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Swindon 123

Swindon 123

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Did you have to move out the brake block mouldings out any or relieve the inside face of the air reservoirs?

 

For P4 I've mentioned the possible introduction of a fold up chassis to the gearbox/chassis man but would there be any demand, taking into account that now common problem of sourcing suitable P4, 3' 8"dia, 12 spoke PB,  wheels?

 

This is what the underside looks like. It's quite a simple arrangement with the entire chassis, motor & gearbox casting lifting away from the running plate/drawbeam after removing four screws. 

 

attachicon.gifOx-Rail-Janus-078-editSm.jpg

 

P

 

Edit: Forgot to mention; if your'e not happy with the etched tin coupling rods and you hanker after 3 layer articulated rods the Dave Franks 8F coupling rods look like they were made for the job after removal of one rod.

 

 

Yes, the brake gear fouls the widened wheels. Mine is currently Unbraked, I’ll sort it when I do the pickups.

 

You are also right that the inner face of the air tank needs trimming for the centre wheel to fit and run freely.

I converted one to EM using the existing wheels turned down. I also had to modify the back of the air tank, and to solve the brake gear issues I fashioned to plasticard pads with appropriately positioned holes in, and stuck them onto the chassis with the hole matching those on the original chassis then re-glued the brake gear back in place. See photo below. The spacer is marked with the red arrow.

post-7146-0-61815200-1512521064_thumb.jpg

 

I must admit I found the brake gear very fiddly to take off without breaking parts, and just as bad to refit.

 

Paul J.

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SDJR7F88

SDJR7F88

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After 3 weekend of operating my Sound Fitted NCB Janus on my Micro Dockside Layout "Compton Quay", I must say I've been very impressed it's performance. It performed flawlessly over the 3 event, and certainly raked up the scale miles on the Ironing Board. On the last day of the last show I had it running for around 5 hours, with no hiccups (apart from by driving).

It certainly added extra interested to the layout and got quite a lot of interest, with many visitors asking if I'd fitted it myself! 

Here's a little cameo of the loco in action on the layout at the Wincanton Model Railway Exhibition (the first of the 3 shows), as you can hear, my friend who was operating the layout at the time, really enjoyed the horn function...

Hope you enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X4UPOkEmbg 

post-20663-0-78678000-1512549702_thumb.gif

post-20663-0-31028900-1512549727_thumb.jpg

post-20663-0-81630300-1512549733_thumb.jpg

Edited by SDJR7F88
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Michael Edge

Michael Edge

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There's no reason why we can't etch the frames/brakes/rods separately from the Janus kit but I haven't had one of the rtr ones to take apart. If you take out the frames what's the height from rail level to the bottom of the body? If the buffer beams stay on the body what's the length between them?

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Ouroborus

Ouroborus

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84090-imag4350

Just got my little Janus (Happy Christmas to me)

Popped it on the track and POP! The PCB blew. Anybody else have this problem?

 

 

gallery_8356_3171_263681.jpg

 

 

Yes, had the same issue with the same loco.  Ran it on a DC rolling road for some time and all was good.  Put it on the main track (still without a decoder in) and a puff of smoke and dead to the world.  Exchanged by Rails with no problem

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Porcy Mane

Porcy Mane

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84090-imag4350

Just got my little Janus (Happy Christmas to me)

Popped it on the track and POP! The PCB blew. Anybody else have this problem?

 

That looks like a SMD PTC resettable fuse that has burnt out  (Any other electrical bods out there confirm that?)

 

It shouldn't be doing that.  Looks like Oxford has modified the electrics since I got mine by installing a can capacitor across black and orange on the blanking plug. Strange.

 

post-508-0-19835400-1513301694_thumb.jpg

 

P

Edited by Porcy Mane
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adb968008

adb968008

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That looks like a SMD PTC resettable fuse that has burnt out (Any other electrical bods out there confirm that?)

 

It shouldn't be doing that. Looks like Oxford has modified the electrics since I got mine by installing a can capacitor across black and orange on the blanking plug. Strange.

 

attachicon.gifOx-Rail-Janus-080-EditSm.jpg

 

P

Presumably that capacitor is to give a constant flow in case of intermittent power loss on dirty sections of track/ insulated sections of points ? Are you thinking it’s putting out too much surge for the fuse ?

I wonder why it’s on the plug rather than the pcb ?

Edited by adb968008
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Porcy Mane

Porcy Mane

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Are you thinking it’s putting out too much surge for the fuse ?

 

If that cap has been fitted by Oxford, the only thing I'm thinking at the moment is somebody hasn't quite done the maths and followed up with some prolonged testing. There has certainly been quite a few variations to the "internal specs" of the Janus since its introduction. If it is a storage capacitor it would be good to know what its rated at.

 

With some people still using older controllers that can out put well over 12 volts  I could see it causing problems.

 

Would be nice to hear Oxfords perspective on this.

 

What type of controller is TonyM using?

 

I wonder why it’s on the plug rather than the pcb ?

 

Easy to locate

Easy to fit?? 

Whim?

Afterthought?

Probably the old cherry; cost?

 

Again it would be nice to hear Oxfords thinking on this. I wonder if they have been going of the advice of a China based engineer or their own.

 

Maybe it's just an isolated case?

 

P

Edited by Porcy Mane
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Ouroborus

Ouroborus

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If that cap has been fitted by Oxford, the only thing I'm thinking at the moment is somebody hasn't quite done the maths and followed up with some prolonged testing. There has certainly been quite a few variations to the "internal specs" of the Janus since its introduction. If it is a storage capacitor it would be good to know what its rated at.

 

With some people still using older controllers that can out put well over 12 volts  I could see it causing problems.

 

Would be nice to hear Oxfords perspective on this.

 

 

 

 

Mine went puff after transferring from a dc rolling road using gaugemaster to a dcc lenz main track.  It instantly went pop- never got the chance to move it

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Porcy Mane

Porcy Mane

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Nope, I’ve got a capcitor on the one I have too.

 

Edit - added some pictures

 

 

I meant, what looks like a large Can type Capacitor fitted to the DCC blank via the grey wires and seen at the extreme left of Tony M photograph above. 

 

Not the small SMD cap mounted directly on the DCC blank and Identified as C1.

 

P

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