Popular Post 37114 Posted April 15, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 15, 2021 Another class 37 shot which was too big for the last post. 21 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 All superb Rob,. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted April 15, 2021 Author Share Posted April 15, 2021 1 hour ago, Andrew P said: All superb Rob,. Thanks Andy, I am definitely looking forward to taking this out to shows later this year and getting some proper play time with it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium HillsideDepot Posted April 15, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 15, 2021 (edited) 4 hours ago, 37114 said: The layout's looking great Rob, and whilst all the photos look good this one stands out for me. I think its the way we're looking down that straight, and everything leads off of that, but it has a great sense of "real railway" about it which draws me in. Hard to describe, but it really hits the spot. Edited April 15, 2021 by HillsideDepot Spelling 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted April 15, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 15, 2021 4 hours ago, 37114 said: On of the classic images that got me hooked on Avon Street was of the class 03s shunting Presflos, below the arches of the GWML. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the 7 I have on order. You have (another) 7 03s on order? Oh, I see, the wagons, not the loco! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 Nice photo's rob, I do like the 03, great stuff. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted April 15, 2021 Author Share Posted April 15, 2021 2 hours ago, HillsideDepot said: The layout's looking great Rob, and whilst all the photos look good this one stands out for me. I think its the way we're looking down that straight, and everything leads off of that, but it has a great sense of "real railway" about it which draws me in. Hard to describe, but it really hits the spot. Thanks Adrian. The view from the fiddle yard really works on this layout which has proved to be a pleasant surprise as on Peafore Yard this view didn't come across anywhere near as well. I think swaping the scrapyard to the front and having the cement silo at the back work much better on this variant. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted April 15, 2021 Author Share Posted April 15, 2021 2 hours ago, Regularity said: You have (another) 7 03s on order? Oh, I see, the wagons, not the loco! Ha ha, not sure I have room for another 7 class 03s, mind you I don't really have room for 7 Presflos hence the medium term plan to build another board with the cement terminal on. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted April 15, 2021 Author Share Posted April 15, 2021 1 hour ago, sb67 said: Nice photo's rob, I do like the 03, great stuff. Thanks, the 03 is a nice bit of work from Heljan, I need to fit a driver in them both. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mol_PMB Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 What make are your Presflos? MM1 kits or something else? That one looks really good. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted April 15, 2021 Author Share Posted April 15, 2021 1 hour ago, Mol_PMB said: What make are your Presflos? MM1 kits or something else? That one looks really good. The Presflo is a First Class Kits model (I think it was originally produced by a company called M&M), I did a separate thread of the build last year. It is a good kit and significantly cheaper than the MM1 kit. The 7 on order are the Ellis Clark RTR version though as I don't have the time to build that many kits and the RTR ones look fantastic from the info shared so far and work out cheaper than the kits. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mol_PMB Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 Many thanks! I hadn’t realised there was an RTR one on the way, I might have to order a few myself. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
47606odin Posted April 16, 2021 Share Posted April 16, 2021 Can’t believe I’ve only just found this layout. It looks fantastic 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted April 16, 2021 Author Share Posted April 16, 2021 (edited) Something a little different today, I have been contemplating control systems for the layout, especially having been playing with the layout over the last few days and also I wasn't 100% happy with the slow runningof the class 37 in particular. Currently I use a standard Gaugemaster 100MO controller which has enough amp capacity to cope with the class 37 and is smooth but not as smooth as I would like. Part of this is for the last 10 years I have used Feedback contollers which are great for slow speed shunting layouts. I have a Gaugemaster HH feedback contoller on hand which I wanted to test but it is only rated to 1 amp which I was told isn't enough for the class 37 and I can't find an O gauge Feedback contoller. Now it is worth saying at this stage that I have looked recently at DCC but the costs of the new contoller and 4 chips (plus Sound) are a bit beyond my budget so wanted to explore what could be done with what I have. First off, I wanted to ascertain what the current draw of my stock is so I set up 2 lengths of track on the table with the multimeter wired into the contoller to measure the amps. I started off with the 08 which was recording circa 0.15amps running along at top speed for the layout and drew a peak of 0.3amps when turned up, well within the capacity of the HH. So far so good so I tried the 03 which being Heljan took 0.25amps when running and a peak of 0.55 amps. Then it was time for the class 37... At slow speed running 0.54 amps was recorded but peaked at 1.6 amps when pulling away so no good for the HH. More worrying was a clicking noise in one direction from No2 bogie and some jerkiness. I decided to investigate and at the same time remove a motor as I only need 1 motor for the layout and also it would mean the current draw would come in tolerance of the HH. On removing the motor I tried again and although current draw was reduced it was still high. It was at this point I noticed one wheelset on the no2 bogie was not turning. Investigating found the gear set locked up at one location when rotated, displaying all the symptoms of a cracked gear (bearing in mind this is the latest release this should not be a problem). I dismantled the gears and narrowed it down to an idler gear but I could not see a sign of a crack anywhere. Totally perplexed I cleaned the gear up in case of any debris but I found none. I reassembled the gears and could get them to turn OK but decided to remove the idler gears next to the 2 driven wheelsets to reduce drag. I also disconnected the roof fan as it rotates really slowly on the layout which is unrealistic and in later years the fans were modified so they were not rotating all the time to avoid over cooling. I then tested the chassis and got a normal current draw of near 0.43 and a peak when I tried to stop the loco by hand of 0.89amps so within the capacity of the HH. There was a noticeable improvement of slow running so I will use the HH going forward, especially as it gives me walkabout capability as well. Edited November 21, 2022 by 37114 Add photos back in 10 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted April 16, 2021 Author Share Posted April 16, 2021 13 minutes ago, 47606odin said: Can’t believe I’ve only just found this layout. It looks fantastic Thanks Ian, v kind of you, likewise I am a big fan of your layout. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted April 16, 2021 Author Share Posted April 16, 2021 (edited) One advantage of the fold down front is it provides a perfect place to display info about the layout. I took a different approach with this layout as I focused the display content on the inspiration and history of Avon Street rather than the build of the layout. I thought I only had room for 5 A4 sheets but have space for a 6th so will have a think about how I use the space. I designed the display sheets in PowerPoint and included a few photos (with the appropriate credit to the relevant photographers/ contributors). Edited April 16, 2021 by 37114 Left off the photo 11 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 The stuff about the controllers is interesting, I wish I understood more about that side of the hobby. Wonder if that would apply to 4mm as much, after using a gaugemaster combi for years I switched to a gaugemaster walkabout and I'm sure I cant get smooth running using that with a few locos. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted April 17, 2021 Author Share Posted April 17, 2021 (edited) 39 minutes ago, sb67 said: The stuff about the controllers is interesting, I wish I understood more about that side of the hobby. Wonder if that would apply to 4mm as much, after using a gaugemaster combi for years I switched to a gaugemaster walkabout and I'm sure I cant get smooth running using that with a few locos. I am definitely no expert in the area, just read the odd bit on here and a bit of trial and error. From memory the Combi has feedback but the standard walkabout doesn't. I only went down the feedback controller route when I tried one of my Bachmann class 37s (which wasn't running well) on Dave's layout some years ago. It was a revelation as it ran as smooth as cream over jelly and we deduced it was the feedback controller that Dave used vs my standard Gaugemaster walkabout. I went and bought a Gaugemaster HH the next day and have used the same controller for the last 13 years or so. Edited April 17, 2021 by 37114 Clarity 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted May 3, 2021 Author Share Posted May 3, 2021 My latest wagon build is this Parkside Grampus, my first o gauge Parkside wagon. I have built many Parkside oo gauge wagons but a Grampus wasn't one of them so can't really compare how different this one is to it's smaller cousin but it was easy enough to build. It builds up to a nice looking wagon and has some nice detail on the doors. There are a few things that could be better, not least the suspension arrangement which seems quite loose but it ran OK over my track and I was loathed to build it rigid on a wagon of such a long wheelbase. The baskets underneath for the ends are a bit of a faff to build but got there in the end. 17 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold mudmagnet Posted May 4, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 4, 2021 I've build a couple of these and rebuilt another for someone. Make up into decent wagons and yes the baskets are a bit awkward to make up! Look great when painted and weathered. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted May 5, 2021 Author Share Posted May 5, 2021 7 hours ago, mudmagnet said: I've build a couple of these and rebuilt another for someone. Make up into decent wagons and yes the baskets are a bit awkward to make up! Look great when painted and weathered. Glad it wasn't just me who found the baskets a faff! Hopefully I will get some primer on it later this evening, it will be black under the grime... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 Hi Rob, That looks really neat. I've got two Grampus to build for Seven Mills, and mine will be Dutch Livery, (I hope). I might leave the baskets off, as I'm not sure they still had them into the 90's but I could be wrong. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted May 5, 2021 Author Share Posted May 5, 2021 9 minutes ago, Andrew P said: Hi Rob, That looks really neat. I've got two Grampus to build for Seven Mills, and mine will be Dutch Livery, (I hope). I might leave the baskets off, as I'm not sure they still had them into the 90's but I could be wrong. I knew I should have modelled the 90s! Joking apart that wouldn't surprise me if the baskets had been removed by then. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 Further to my update on my Parsons Vale thread, the exhibition debut of Peasevern Yard is also slipping back as I have been informed the BMRG are now not holding the Calne show this October and with the sad passing of Geoff Endacott, Trainwest is sadly not planned to return in the short term. I am awaiting confirmation on at least 1 other show but the currently the only confirmed booking I have is October 2022 in Cheltenham but if of interest to any exhibition managers in the South West/ Wilts area it would be available to attend shows from October this year (expenses are cheap as it fits in my car). 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungus the Fogeyman Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 Have you tried Minehead again Rob. I seem to remember Peafore yard being there in the past....... Disgusting of Market Harborough 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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