Model Rail/Rapido Trains GER/LNER 'J70' 0-6-0T 'Project Toby'

[PaulG]

1 hour ago, ExplosiveCookie said:

Out of curiosity - does anyone know if there are any decent pics of 68221? (GER 127, LNER 7127, NE 8221).

Only found one so far, on Ipswich dock as 7127 - seems a rather camera shy tram!

Model Railway 230 published a photo of 68221 on page 41. Also a couple of photos in Yeadon as 127 and 7127.

Paul

[ExplosiveCookie]

Small update - pretty much done now apart from weathering.

Really happy with how it's turned out, thank you all for the nice comments.

 

[lochlongside]

Received my two (MR202/3) over last two days and have now run them both in. I have got to congratulate both Rapido and Model Rail - they really do run well straight from box - one is virtually silent, the other has a slight whiffle but well within acceptable limits. My initial impression was of watchmaker quality - and for their size they do feel heavy - at 170gms much heavier than I expected and this tends to contribute to their impression of quality. Once run in and on clean track they started moving at approx 0.5v, and on slightly dirtier track (i.e. my norm !!)  they ran steadily on just under 1v. At 12v approx they each towed 10 Bachmann Mk1 coaches  at a steady 40+ scale mph

I have a perceptible minor but unmeasured gradient due to sloping floor  possibly around 1 in 80 - they will take 8 with no slipping - will start 12 on the level but slipped at on starting 8 on the uphill bit, however once moving will shift 10 coaches consistently. 

Interestingly although they ran well over all my Peco/C&L code 75 track and turnouts (straight and curved), not derailing at any time during their 90 min running in ,  if watched carefully they do actually highlight any variation in track-laying i.e. slight twitches at discontinuities/variations in level etc which I had noticed before with other locos - probably as a result of the very short 6-coupled wheelbase.

For those who have not yet ordered either, both (202 and 203) came with the side chains and autocouplers fitted, and one (68225) came with the bufferbeam safety chains fitted. In the other (68222) the bufferbeam safety chains were an optional fitting in the separate accessory pack. Screw couplings and alternative cow-catchers(?) are also supplied as part of the accessory pack plus sets of cab end doors and window frames to enable you to model the doors/windows open and closed as well as a set of etched brass maker plates and some etched metal straps which will require a steady hand to fit.
Highly recommended (and when are they going to do some J69s !!).

[south_tyne]

54 minutes ago, ExplosiveCookie said:

Small update - pretty much done now apart from weathering.

Really happy with how it's turned out, thank you all for the nice comments.

 

 

Love it! 

[corsair]

Hello  would any one be kind enough to let me know how many crew worked on the j70 some pics show two and some show three in the br days i am gussing there was a driver /secondman / and fireman can any one please help thanks i would like to add some train crew to my j70 it has the early british railways crest thank you mike.

[dibber25]

11 minutes ago, corsair said:

Hello  would any one be kind enough to let me know how many crew worked on the j70 some pics show two and some show three in the br days i am gussing there was a driver /secondman / and fireman can any one please help thanks i would like to add some train crew to my j70 it has the early british railways crest thank you mike.

The crew would be two - driver and fireman as on any other steam loco, but there may well have been a shunter travelling with them in order to attach or detach wagons at the intermediate depots. Similarly, on the docks there would likely be a shunter on board as well as the crew. It's pretty obvious, I know, but worth remembering that the driver could operate from either end (i.e. always at the front) but the fireman would always be at the firebox end. There was no internal access between the two cabs. Many of the photographs taken on the W&U tramway were clearly posed with both crew members in the front cab, but that may sometimes have been just for the photographer. (CJL)

[MarkSG]

The published material that I've read refers repeatedly to driver and fireman, never to a third member of crew. That's not to say there may never have been, but as far as I'm aware there's no reason to think they routinely had more crew than any other steam loco. At least, not on the W&U, anyway. On the docks, there could well have been a shunter on board as well as the loco crew.

 

On the W&U there would have been a guard in the brake van as well as the loco crew, so the train as a whole would always have at least three crew members.

[MarkSG]

On a different note... has anyone chipped theirs yet? If so, which chip did you use? And has anyone installed DCC sound on one, and if so, what sound file did you use?

 

 

[Martin S-C]

The handbook that comes with the model suggests looking on the ESU site for one of the continental tram engines that has a bell. They recommend the Lokalbahn BR-98 or BR-91 and the Glaskasten locomotives. This of course limits you to an ESC decoder though that's no bad thing. If you have the Lokprogrammer software on your PC you can install any sound files and mix and match to make up a suitable sound set, or any respectable DCC fitting service could do that.

[Hilux5972]

12 hours ago, ExplosiveCookie said:

Small update - pretty much done now apart from weathering.

Really happy with how it's turned out, thank you all for the nice comments.

 

How’s he supposed to see without his face lol

[MarkSG]

1 hour ago, Martin S-C said:

The handbook that comes with the model suggests looking on the ESU site for one of the continental tram engines that has a bell. They recommend the Lokalbahn BR-98 or BR-91 and the Glaskasten locomotives. This of course limits you to an ESC decoder though that's no bad thing. If you have the Lokprogrammer software on your PC you can install any sound files and mix and match to make up a suitable sound set, or any respectable DCC fitting service could do that.

 

Thanks. I'm still not really sure whether I want to go for sound or not, but that looks like a good starting point for investigation if I do.

[dibber25]

Just found photographic confirmation that 68222 only had one white window frame on the firebox-end 'front' and that it lasted, white or unpainted till the end. I think we can presume, therefore that the two on the smokebox end would also have remained white or unpainted until the end, the 'end' being its last trip to Upwell in 1955.  (CJL)

 

[wiggoforgold]

A change of couplings, and a bit of weathering

 

Alex

[MarkSG]

13 hours ago, wiggoforgold said:

A change of couplings, and a bit of weathering

 

Alex

 

That is really nice - the fruit van, too, really looks the part.

 

Do you mind sharing what techniques and materials you used for the weathering? I want to do something similar with mine, so any hint and tips are welcome.

[Sir TophamHatt]

On 16 February 2019 at 11:37, MarkSG said:

On a different note... has anyone chipped theirs yet? If so, which chip did you use?

 

 

I used a Zimo MX622N - It's in the unboxing video I did:

 

Edited February 18, 2019 by Sir TophamHatt

[wiggoforgold]

9 hours ago, MarkSG said:

 

 

Do you mind sharing what techniques and materials you used for the weathering? I want to do something similar with mine, so any hint and tips are welcome.

I patch painted the roof and footplate with Tamiya Acrylics (Mainly NATO Black and Dark Grey). The widows were masked off, and the whole sprayed with Humbrol Acrylic matt varnish (wonderful stuff). I then painted the body all  over with Humbrol Smoke weathering powder, mixed with water and Humbrol decalfix. I then wiped most of it off with a damp cotton bud. When dry, more was removed with a damp cotton bud. The skirts were brushed with Humbrol earth weathering powder, used dry this time. I also used a mix of earth and red oxide powders on the skirts and cowcatchers. Some dust coloured paint was lightly airbrushed on the bottom of the skirts.

It still needs a crew (Airfix) a lamp (Modelu) and the supplied shed plates fitting.

 

Alex

 

[Lu4472ke]

1 hour ago, wiggoforgold said:

I patch painted the roof and footplate with Tamiya Acrylics (Mainly NATO Black and Dark Grey). The widows were masked off, and the whole sprayed with Humbrol Acrylic matt varnish (wonderful stuff). I then painted the body all  over with Humbrol Smoke weathering powder, mixed with water and Humbrol decalfix. I then wiped most of it off with a damp cotton bud. When dry, more was removed with a damp cotton bud. The skirts were brushed with Humbrol earth weathering powder, used dry this time. I also used a mix of earth and red oxide powders on the skirts and cowcatchers. Some dust coloured paint was lightly airbrushed on the bottom of the skirts.

It still needs a crew (Airfix) a lamp (Modelu) and the supplied shed plates fitting.

 

Alex

 

What does the decalfix do?

[wiggoforgold]

26 minutes ago, Lu4472ke said:

What does the decalfix do?

It makes the mixture slightly sticky, and helps adhesion, particularly in crevices. If you let the mixture dry you can deactivate it with water

[Steamport Southport]

On ‎17‎/‎02‎/‎2019 at 19:16, dibber25 said:

Just found photographic confirmation that 68222 only had one white window frame on the firebox-end 'front' and that it lasted, white or unpainted till the end. I think we can presume, therefore that the two on the smokebox end would also have remained white or unpainted until the end, the 'end' being its last trip to Upwell in 1955.  (CJL)

 

 

I just noticed Toby has the slightly lighter window frames on the cover of the book. I'm wondering whether the artist used a photo of 68222 as a reference.

 

https://www.lner.info/co/GER/wisbech/toby_mavis.php

 

I believe that was the artist who was more realistic in his approach than the artist in the earlier books who drew Percy as a green caterpillar. 

 

 

 

Jason

[Paul C]

Any advice on controllers please?

 

The instruction manual has dire warnings about controllers that output in excess of 15V, and sure enough on checking the only controller in the house (my son's Hornby trainset controller) it gives 17.9V across the rails when at full output. I'd been intending to get a basic Gaugemaster single track controller - presume this will be ok based on the spec sheet which shows 0-12V on the controlled output. 

 

Thanks! 

[PMP]

14 hours ago, Paul C said:

Any advice on controllers please?

I'd been intending to get a basic Gaugemaster single track controller - presume this will be ok based on the spec sheet which shows 0-12V on the controlled output. 

 

Thanks! 

 

Ive been using a Gaugemaster W with mine with no problem.

http://www.gaugemaster.com/handheld.html

 

Edit: removed references to HH type controller 

 

Edited February 20, 2019 by PMP

[Steamport Southport]

Most will be fine. Just avoid anything that is calling itself a feedback controller. The ones with F in their description like Gaugemaster UF and UDF for example. They apparently don't like the coreless motors which some manufacturers are now using.

 

Gaugemaster controllers are very good and will last years.

 

Possibly worth considering whether your model railway will grow in the future as it may work out cheaper buying a twin track controller in the long run.

 

 

Jason

[Steamport Southport]

3 minutes ago, PMP said:

 

Ive been using a Gaugemaster W with mine, I’ve also got a HH which I anticipate will be suitable too. http://www.gaugemaster.com/handheld.html

 

 

 

Feedback though. Rapido and Gaugemaster don't recommend them with coreless motors.

 

Quote

FEEDBACK:  Feedback controllers create a closed loop between the controller and the locomotive which senses the load in the circuit and constantly adjusts the output.  This will maintain the locomotive at an even speed up and down gradients and around curves without altering the regulator of the controller.  Feedback controllers are not suitable for Portescap or other coreless motors or for poor quality mechanisms particularly in ‘N’ and other small gauges.

 

 

Jason

[dibber25]

11 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

Most will be fine. Just avoid anything that is calling itself a feedback controller. The ones with F in their description like Gaugemaster UF and UDF for example. They apparently don't like the coreless motors which some manufacturers are now using.

 

Gaugemaster controllers are very good and will last years.

 

Possibly worth considering whether your model railway will grow in the future as it may work out cheaper buying a twin track controller in the long run.

 

 

Jason

Yes, you're quite correct. The 'J70' does have a coreless motor, so feedback controllers should be avoided. We have no experience of using the 'J70' with trainset controllers but Rapido's latest North American products have placed great emphasis on not using trainset controllers with their products. Controller and motor technology has advanced considerably and it is necessary from time to time to upgrade to a new controller. I use a 20-year-old Gaugemaster (non-feedback) controller on my British layout and I have test run and run-in several 'J70s' with no problems. (CJL)

[MarkSG]

I'm currently using a Hornby train set controller on the early iteration of the shunting plank without any issues, although of course, given that it is only a couple of yards long, I'm never turning the power knob up to 11. And it is a new controller, not an ancient one from my own train set days - it's the one that came with the Christmas train set I bought for the children a couple of years ago.

 

Oddly enough, though, the reason I am using a train set controller is because the Gaugemaster controller I was using stopped working for some reason. That's the first time I've ever had a controller, of any brand, die on me, so I can only presume it's sheer bad luck.