My latest additions to my engine stable.

[cypherman]

Hi all,

I have finally managed to get the 2 Triang/Hornby singles I wanted to go with my LMS Drummond single and here they are in all their glory.

[Ruffnut Thorston]

That’s a later issue Caley Single, with the plated wheels, and different colour red underframes.

 

Does LOTI have a Smoke Unit?.

[cypherman]

Hi Ruffnut,

They have not arrived yet. I am expecting them one Thursday. I will check when LOTI arrives.

[cypherman]

hi all,

Well a bit of a disaster on the Caladonian front. Came to service it and the base/pick up plate started to disintegrate before my eye. This is a quite a problem as there are 4 lugs on the plate that hold the wheels in place. I have managed to bodge the the pick ups and ordered a replacement base plate. Will have to fettle it a bit as it is for the newer engine. but it should fit.. Wish me luck.

[RedgateModels]

29 minutes ago, cypherman said:

hi all,

Well a bit of a disaster on the Caladonian front. Came to service it and the base/pick up plate started to disintegrate before my eye. This is a quite a problem as there are 4 lugs on the plate that hold the wheels in place. I have managed to bodge the the pick ups and ordered a replacement base plate. Will have to fettle it a bit as it is for the newer engine. but it should fit.. Wish me luck.

 

Happened to them all. The plastic was very vulnerable to mineral oil attack. I made a new one from PCB material and plastic to make the wheel retainers. I'd be interested to know where you ordered a replacement from

Edited June 15, 2021 by RedgateModels

[Ruffnut Thorston]

Yes, a definite problem with these models...

 

Someone could do some 3D printing? 
 

Fabrication using plastic card is probably possible?

 

The other problem is the rivet/eyelet that the pick up wire loops around, and has the feed wire soldered to it. This can break away from the plastic base...

 

 

[cypherman]

8 hours ago, RedgateModels said:

 

Happened to them all. The plastic was very vulnerable to mineral oil attack. I made a new one from PCB material and plastic to make the wheel retainers. I'd be interested to know where you ordered a replacement from

Hi,

I ordered one of the new baseplates for the new China made Hornby singles. It looks similar enough that I may be able to bodge it to fit. It has the wheel retainers in what looks like the correct place. I think the chassis is just an updated version of the old one with a different motor mounting point. So hopefully I will only have to create new screw holes and fit new pick ups. both of which should be doable. I ordered it from Peters spares. I will let you know how I get on when I get it done.

[cypherman]

On 13/06/2021 at 22:24, Ruffnut Thorston said:

That’s a later issue Caley Single, with the plated wheels, and different colour red underframes.

 

Does LOTI have a Smoke Unit?.

Hi Ruffnut,

Yes the LOTI had a smoke unit. I have removed it and put it away should I ever want to reinstate it. Again this engine did not work. It was sold as in good condition and to be honest it is in almost mint looking physical condition. But once inside it was a different matter. Some one had had it apart, and had attached the power lead to the wrong side of the motor. Both the brushes were green with verdigris and their carbon brushes were nothing but a distant memory. Still I stripped it down and rebuilt it. cleaned up the motor. Made new brushes for it from X03 ones. The XT60 brushes are smaller than the X03 ones. It now runs a treat. Gave the whole engine a service.

Edited June 16, 2021 by cypherman

[Ruffnut Thorston]

I believe that only the first batch of LOTI had smoke units fitted...

 

Certainly, later ones don’t. 
 

The Caley Single was not factory fitted, but as the chassis could accept a smoke unit, some were probably fitted by the owner.

[cypherman]

Hi Ruffnut,

Well the new base plate for the Caladonian single arrived this morning. Unfortunately it does not fit and would need a large amount of fettling to get a possible fit. So I made my own engine retainers instead. I must admit that the Triang/Hornby singles all have the pulling power of Emanual Macron at a British fisheries meeting.  Which is basically nil. They cannot pull the air behind them let alone wagons. But I suspect that is because they need steel rails for the magna adhesion to work.

[BernardTPM]

Magnadhesion was the equivalent of steam sanding - it made singles viable as models. LOTI, Rocket & 123 were all designed after it's introduction.

[cypherman]

Hi all,

Well after getting another very early LOTI chassis I stripped it for the bits to get the Caladonian 4-2-2 running. I also got out some steel track I had forgotten I had and had a good run with them. The difference with the magnadhesion is truly staggering. Well they are both running like a dream now. So they have been boxed away until the next time. Now on to the next project. What ever that may be. Perhaps another Lima J50. I did also manage to get a crane wagon I had been after for some time. That arrived this week. It is this one the R560 transcontinental bogie crane wagon.

Edited June 19, 2021 by cypherman

[Ruffnut Thorston]

The TC crane wagon was a good use of existing parts.

 

The crane body from the R.127 crane wagon.

 

The bogie well wagon or, without buffers, the TC series depressed center car.

 

The bolster and pins came from the original bolster wagon (used 2) and bogie bolster wagon (used 3).

 

 

There was also a version of the crane wagon moulded in khaki plastic, and sold as a tank recovery car in the Battlespace range.

 

 

Edited June 19, 2021 by Ruffnut Thorston
Typo

[Il Grifone]

The Tri-ang singles depend on Magnadhesion to 1. pull anything* and 2. balance about the driving axle (they are nose heavy). My Dean Single was to have a weight cantilevered into the tender, but it's one of those projects  on hold

The last real things depended on sanding for their traction. Increasing loads in the twentieth century ensured their demise. There were plans to rebuild the GWR ones as 4-4-0s, but it was found to be impractical. CR 123 survived (in use) to the thirties, but she was a one-off special. It's notable that for her revival in the late fifties** two coaches were deemed sufficient. 57 foot coaches, not the 'Grampians' that Tri-ang cobbled together. (Assuming that is what they are intended to be. They are too long for one and too short for the other.)

Steam sanding - one of the few things where the statement below is incorrect. (28xx failure in the BR exchange trials....)

 

* They could manage about three of the light Tri-ang clerestories. A real one was alleged to be pulling 23 vehicles in a book I read (first hand count by the author, but I can't remember which book).

 

** I saw her on her visit to Bristol Temple Meads (1958?), but actually managed a cab visit to 'City of Truro'.

[cypherman]

1 hour ago, Il Grifone said:

The Tri-ang singles depend on Magnadhesion to 1. pull anything* and 2. balance about the driving axle (they are nose heavy). My Dean Single was to have a weight cantilevered into the tender, but it's one of those projects  on hold

The last real things depended on sanding for their traction. Increasing loads in the twentieth century ensured their demise. There were plans to rebuild the GWR ones as 4-4-0s, but it was found to be impractical. CR 123 survived (in use) to the thirties, but she was a one-off special. It's notable that for her revival in the late fifties** two coaches were deemed sufficient. 57 foot coaches, not the 'Grampians' that Tri-ang cobbled together. (Assuming that is what they are intended to be. They are too long for one and too short for the other.)

Steam sanding - one of the few things where the statement below is incorrect. (28xx failure in the BR exchange trials....)

 

* They could manage about three of the light Tri-ang clerestories. A real one was alleged to be pulling 23 vehicles in a book I read (first hand count by the author, but I can't remember which book).

 

** I saw her on her visit to Bristol Temple Meads (1958?), but actually managed a cab visit to 'City of Truro'.

Hi Il Grifone,

I agree about the poor balance. All 3 of my singles run quite well backwards where the rear wheels are forced on to the track by the direction of movement. But the back wheels tend to lift when going forwards. I have solved that problem slightly by putting a flexible light spring between the front bogie and the chassis to put some lift into the front of the engine pushing the back wheels down. It helps a bit. I did not really buy the for use. I just wanted them for my collection. But I still want them to be working as they should.