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

[gpplumy]

If you need yorkshire/bth/aei plays you could try mr Edge. He has sold me several sets 

[coline33]

Steven, great view - only another eight Janus's to go for a full set!!!   PLA never had end-tipping wagons but loads of secondhand mainline mechandice ones.   Then there were the vans, few brakes only at Royals plus Breakdown vans.   In Janus days there was a fleet of ex-BR Pallet Vans one of which is preserved on the Bluebell.   PLA did finally sort out its wagons/vans into A, B and C prefixed numbers as the one one the Bluebell.   There is another RMweb thread with much detail of the wagon/van fleet.   Keep up  the good work, Colin.    

[SDuhig]

On 21/06/2021 at 05:54, coline33 said:

Steven, great view - only another eight Janus's to go for a full set!!!   PLA never had end-tipping wagons but loads of secondhand mainline mechandice ones.   Then there were the vans, few brakes only at Royals plus Breakdown vans.   In Janus days there was a fleet of ex-BR Pallet Vans one of which is preserved on the Bluebell.   PLA did finally sort out its wagons/vans into A, B and C prefixed numbers as the one one the Bluebell.   There is another RMweb thread with much detail of the wagon/van fleet.   Keep up  the good work, Colin.    

Thank you Colin. I was suspicious of that Golden Valley set! My current biggest challenge appears to be to model the three lamps on each end of the Janus! My third just arrived and I think sufficient unto the day! 

Re Pallet Vans etc.. Thanks for your help:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/beechwoodphotography/62818fGeo5

 

 

Edited July 18, 2023 by SDuhig

[SDuhig]

Now have two Janus in original condition, as released, but in refinished livery from photos. 

My third Janus now has additional details and changes, but still in the original livery as released by GV

 

(See above)

Edited July 18, 2023 by SDuhig

[EugenNazaroff]

On 17/01/2021 at 06:37, Kaustubh said:

Hi All,

My Oxford Rail Janus 0-6-0 is not running well. It needs push/gentle touch multiple times.

 

Although the attached video is intended for Hattons, but it will explain my problem. Hattons asked me to adjust the pickups.  But even after that also the loco is not running properly.  Can anyone here help me with what to do? One thing I would like to mention that this is the replacement unit I got from Hattons as the first one was having same issue.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hOrHaw1WNI8lwhKKaeYbTN1du0PcjvRs/view?usp=sharing 

Hi ! Have You solved the issue? I have just bought one from Hattons and faced the same problem. Cleaned track and wheels several times. 

LokSound V4.0 installed.

Nothing helps.

 

Has anybody installed PowerPack please?

[EugenNazaroff]

Thanks to both Oxford Diecast and Golden Valley! They suggested to strongly clean the wheels. I cleaned them with abrasive toothpaste and a brush. That helped a lot - the loco ran on the rails.... But ! Still badly ran though switches since the 6 wheels have bad contact. We can see that the 3d wheelpair is sprung, but that is not enough. At least 2 wheelpairs must be sprung to provide proper contact on switches.

I have installed ESU PowerPack Mini and that solved the issue fully. I can conclude that power pack is "must have" for 3 axles locos. Flywheel is not comparable with powerpack in effectiveness. Now my Janus can shunt on a very complicated layout with a lot of switches. I even have the reversing loop on my layout with 11 cm (4.5 in) isolated (non-electrified) rail section - and Janus easily go through it.

Also, as an engineer, I would suggest to gear the wheels together, while the stick should be just cosmetic.

[Gordon A]

A properly working 0-6-0 should not have problems going through point work. It sounds like the pick ups are of a poor design so it may be a case of fitting additional pickups to the chassis rather than going to the expense of fitting a power pack.

 

Clean wheels, track and pick ups are an essential for good running.

Points with live crossings are a definite improvement over those with plastic crossing V's.

 

Gordon A

[Michael Edge]

I don't know what sort of engineer you are but you had better tell all the owners and builders of full size locomotives around the world that the "sticks" connecting the wheels are unnecessary and should be replaced with gears......

[PenrithBeacon]

2 hours ago, EugenNazaroff said:

Thanks to both Oxford Diecast and Golden Valley! They suggested to strongly clean the wheels. I cleaned them with abrasive toothpaste and a brush. That helped a lot - the loco ran on the rails.... But ! Still badly ran though switches since the 6 wheels have bad contact. We can see that the 3d wheelpair is sprung, but that is not enough. At least 2 wheelpairs must be sprung to provide proper contact on switches.

I have installed ESU PowerPack Mini and that solved the issue fully. I can conclude that power pack is "must have" for 3 axles locos. Flywheel is not comparable with powerpack in effectiveness. Now my Janus can shunt on a very complicated layout with a lot of switches. I even have the reversing loop on my layout with 11 cm (4.5 in) isolated (non-electrified) rail section - and Janus easily go through it.

Also, as an engineer, I would suggest to gear the wheels together, while the stick should be just cosmetic.

The sticks are coupling rods 

I too have difficulties with the conventional way of supplying juice to motors, I find that it is a pretty poor design, and yes I know that millions of railway modellers get on with it just fine, but it seems to me to be a constant hassle.

I think the solution is battery powered radio control. Simple!

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, EugenNazaroff said:

Also, as an engineer, I would suggest to gear the wheels together, while the stick should be just cosmetic.

 

 

Then you should know that using gears will cause more friction and losses..............

[No Decorum]

In full size, a set of “sticks” had to be removed from the Fell locomotive because they caused conflict with the internal gearing. In model form, DJM models have used internal gearing with cosmetic coupling rods and the results were not good. Where the real thing has coupling rods and therefore the model has to have them, it’s usually better to let them do the job. Many models from different manufacturers do it that way with complete success.

[Gordon A]

Your comment about at least two out of three axles being sprung has been disproven by Bachman. I have a Bachman 57xx pannier and two Bachman 08 diesel shunter, both with centre sprung axles. They ran very smoothly in the 00 format, and run as well after being converted to P4.

 

Gordon A

[melmerby]

42 minutes ago, Gordon A said:

Your comment about at least two out of three axles being sprung has been disproven by Bachman. I have a Bachman 57xx pannier and two Bachman 08 diesel shunter, both with centre sprung axles. They ran very smoothly in the 00 format, and run as well after being converted to P4.

 

Gordon A

I've got several panniers and they just work. No faffing around to get the best running.

Nice and smooth and good slow running with just the standard Bachmann 3 pole motor.

 

[Ruston]

These things effectively only run as an 0-4-0. If you remove the rods and run it you'll find the wheels of the centre axle don't even touch the rail tops, which means poor tractive effort and pickup on only 4 wheels. It only takes one single pickup on either of the outer axles to be not fitting properly and they run very poorly, if at all. They should have sprung the centre axle, as on the Bachmann BR Class 08.

[Flying Pig]

20 hours ago, Ruston said:

These things effectively only run as an 0-4-0. If you remove the rods and run it you'll find the wheels of the centre axle don't even touch the rail tops, which means poor tractive effort and pickup on only 4 wheels. It only takes one single pickup on either of the outer axles to be not fitting properly and they run very poorly, if at all. They should have sprung the centre axle, as on the Bachmann BR Class 08.

 

Looking at the photo with the keeper plate removed in this post, I do wonder if the construction is precise enough to achieve that by design.  Are the bearings perhaps just resting on top of the keeper plate and would a few strokes of a file allow the middle axle to sit down on the track?  Would light springs fixed under the running plate and bearing on top of the middle wheels be a useful addition?

[Ruston]

1 hour ago, Flying Pig said:

I do wonder if the construction is precise enough to achieve that by design. 

Possibly not. I often wonder how some of these RTR things manage to run at all, with the amount of slop that seems to be built into them. I'm just an amateur, a bloke in a shed, and I can build a chassis that's more precise and runs better than some of these manufacturers do, with their professional designers and the machinery and resources of a factory that they have behind them.

I was never satisfied with the running qualities of my Oxford Janus. I could have tinkered with it, but I didn't think it worthwhile as the stance was all wrong and that bugged me and so I sold it. The Oxford model appears to sit too tall. Or the buffer beam isn't deep enough? Either way if you look at the real thing, compared with the model, the gap between the rail tops and the bottom of the buffer beam is excessive on the model. Someone didn't measure something properly.

I intend to replace it with a Judith Edge kit, which I really should have done instead of buying the RTR thing.

[cctransuk]

I thought that I'd revive this thread since Hattons are virtually giving away the 'Janus model at present. At under £60.00 for the PLA version, I felt that it would be rude not to order one - so I did! It arrived in double-quick time - but I was a little wary as I had seen several postings relating to poor performance.

 

I need not have worried - the loco is smooth, sure-footed and virtually silent. It will pull impressive rakes and is the ideal industrial yard shunter / trip working motive power.

 

I am looking forward to receiving my Planet Industrials 'Victory' 0-6-0T in due course, and the 'Janus' will be repainted to match the green livery of the one that I have ordered. Nameplates have been ordered - 'Vulcan' and 'Hercules' - (Gods of fire and strength); but no ownership markings will be applied, so that the pair can operate in whichever version of my industrial yard and branch is current.

 

If you can use a cheap 'Janus', now is your chance - assuming that Hattons have some remaining!

 

(No connection with Hattons, other than as a satisfied customer).

 

John Isherwood.

[coline33]

Yes, John, if a change in health had not stopped my railway modelling with two Janus as PLA 200 and 201, which have given good service, I would have ordered another PLA one like a shot!!!   Then another order on Narrow Planet for a PLA number plate in their 200-209 series.  Alas times change!   All the best, Colin.

[class37418stag]

I was awaiting for Janus Shunter based templeborough and Rotherham and what happen with Janus Shunter discontinued!?!?
I don’t like other livery because I do want chevron fully body of Janus Shunter 

 

Edited March 13, 2023 by AY Mod
Copyright image removed.

[cornelius]

My understanding is that the production run is now fully sold by the producer - retailers may still have some hanging about.

[gpplumy]

On 13/03/2023 at 11:07, cornelius said:

My understanding is that the production run is now fully sold by the producer - retailers may still have some hanging about.

This is correct, on discussion with OR they felt the model had run its course

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, gpplumy said:

This is correct, on discussion with OR they felt the model had run its course

 

 

Less than zero chance of spares now.

 

Mike.

[gpplumy]

13 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Less than zero chance of spares now.

 

Mike.

i dont think we got much anyway, 

[adb968008]

On 15/03/2023 at 02:52, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Less than zero chance of spares now.

 

Mike.

As long as the tooling exists, theres always chance of a return.

 

[big jim]

On 15/03/2023 at 02:52, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Less than zero chance of spares now.

 

Mike.

I’ve been looking for spares for the Janus, put mine on the track for the first time a few weeks back and it had a traction motor flashover, something, I assume the capacitor on the blanking plate, glowed bright enough to see through the body shell then went pop!

 

Burning smell from the motor so I gave it a go with a different blanking plate but nothing so I assume the motor has burned out on it but I can’t find a source of spares to get a replacement, might have to measure it and see if I can find a generic motor to fit