Any Question Answered

[MrSimon]

On 07/08/2020 at 14:47, CF MRC said:

They are much improved by being filleted. 

An exercise undertaken by Matthew for our Flying Kipper train. 

 

Tim
 

Hi Tim, 

Which way are they filleted? Some from the ends or some from the sides?

Many thanks

Simon

[Caley Jim]

On 07/08/2020 at 14:47, CF MRC said:

They are much improved by being filleted. 

 

An exercise undertaken by Matthew for our Flying Kipper train. 

But for kippers they have to be opened out flat!  Arbroath smokies are a different thing.  

Jim

[-missy-]

3 hours ago, Valentin said:

 

Hi Julia,

 

What size are the timbers you're using for the plain track? The ones in the shop are 1.3 mm wide, 12 mm long and 0.85 mm thick - not very prototypical for a 2' or 2'6" narrow gauge line; they could be improved by shortening and ballasting, but how would one deal with them being too wide?

 

Hi Valentin.

 

I am using the association NG sleepers for the purely NG track using the code 30 rail. I don't know what size they are meant to replicate, sorry. I do trim the length of them though. That reminds me that i need to make a track jig to suit...

 

Julia.

[Sithlord75]

I recently made a Nn2 1/2 jig for 32' lengths using my Photon printer.  I've a couple of adjustments to make to help but the first length (only 30' as I couldn't be bothered going out to the shed to find the sleepers at 2300hrs!) is below.  I used Code 40 BH for it, because that's what was handy.

 

 

For what it's worth, I think the NG sleepers from Shop 1 are ok for 5mm gauge but possibly too long for 4mm gauge.

 

 

Edited August 11, 2020 by Sithlord75
Additional information

[CF MRC]

4 hours ago, MrSimon said:

Hi Tim, 

Which way are they filleted? Some from the ends or some from the sides?

Many thanks

Simon

Down the middle. 

Tim

[-missy-]

HI.

 

A question for all the DCC fans.

 

What is the smallest DCC chip available currently? Im thinking non-commercial and/or DIY products as well as the usual sources. Maybe radio control chips are smaller? I don't know....

 

Thanks

 

Julia.

[queensquare]

35 minutes ago, -missy- said:

HI.

 

A question for all the DCC fans.

 

What is the smallest DCC chip available currently? Im thinking non-commercial and/or DIY products as well as the usual sources. Maybe radio control chips are smaller? I don't know....

 

Thanks

 

Julia.

 

CT chips are by far the smallest, the problem at the moment is getting hold of them. I believe they can be had from various sources on the continent - hopefully somebody will have a link.

 

Jerry

[Nig H]

1 hour ago, queensquare said:

 

CT chips are by far the smallest, the problem at the moment is getting hold of them. I believe they can be had from various sources on the continent - hopefully somebody will have a link.

 

Jerry

Hi,

 

Here is a link to a supplier I used recently. I think David Long posted it originally. With shipping and transaction fees the CT chips came out at about £30 each. They accept paypal now so the transaction fees might be less. The transaction went smoothly and delivery was prompt.

http://213.47.219.165/www.z-stueberl.at//index.php?cat=c11_CT-Elektronik.html&XTCsid=gyqpzali

 

Nigel Hunt

 

 

[Coal Tank]

Hi would anyone know where I can get a maxon 118391 motor as they no longer hold them in the Association stores

John 

[-missy-]

Thanks guys.

 

I was just trying to think outside of the 'CT box' and wonder if there was any alternatives that might not have been considered (hence the radio control comment). I recently saw a youtube video of a guy adding radio control gear to a 4mm scale (ish) car and the control components were tiny! I just wondered if the same could be applied to DCC ? Is a CT chip the smallest of the small or is it just the 'default' choice for 2mm modellers?

 

Julia.

[-missy-]

5 minutes ago, Coal Tank said:

Hi would anyone know where I can get a maxon 118391 motor as they no longer hold them in the Association stores

John 

 

Hi John.

 

How about Maxon direct? 

 

https://www.maxongroup.com/maxon/view/product/118391

 

Julia.

[Izzy]

3 minutes ago, -missy- said:

Thanks guys.

 

I was just trying to think outside of the 'CT box' and wonder if there was any alternatives that might not have been considered (hence the radio control comment). I recently saw a youtube video of a guy adding radio control gear to a 4mm scale (ish) car and the control components were tiny! I just wondered if the same could be applied to DCC ? Is a CT chip the smallest of the small or is it just the 'default' choice for 2mm modellers?

 

Julia.

 

 I think they are the smallest not only in size but thickness which is often just as important. I now use the cheaper budget £20 Zimo MX617's when I need a decent spec decoder which although they are bigger in all directions do at least have decent sized solder pads for adding stay-alive.

 

Izzy

 

 

[2mm Andy]

10 minutes ago, Coal Tank said:

Hi would anyone know where I can get a maxon 118391 motor as they no longer hold them in the Association stores

John 

 

I've never ordered from them, but SB Modelbau are listed in the 2mm Yearbook as a source of the motors;

 

https://www.sb-modellbau.com/

 

Andy

[Argos]

59 minutes ago, Izzy said:

I now use the cheaper budget £20 Zimo MX617's when I need a decent spec decoder which although they are bigger in all directions do at least have decent sized solder pads for adding stay-alive.

 

Zimo do a smaller version in the form of the MX616 series, they are quite pricey at around £32 compared to £20 for the MX617 if you can find them in stock.

The MX616 are only 8x8x2.4mm as opposed to the 13x9x2,6mm of the MX617.

 

I think the smallest Ct decoder is 7.6x5x1,8mm so the MX616 is only slightly larger (but of course, this can be critical!).

[Nig H]

1 hour ago, Coal Tank said:

Hi would anyone know where I can get a maxon 118391 motor as they no longer hold them in the Association stores

John 

Some on Ebay at a mere £154 ( each, not per dozen), and free post too. I have some of these I bought from China. They were described as used, and I can't guarantee they are genuine, but let me know if you are interested in them.

 

Regards,

 

Nigel Hunt

[Ian Morgan]

22 hours ago, John57sharp said:

Any advice or pointers please for using 2 Easitrac pegged B6 turnouts as a crossover?  I’m guessing build them together as a unit, but I’m wondering if the standard 22.4mm between centre lines would have to be widened, or is there some overlap to trim out?

 

A 'proper' crossover with a 6 foot way between the lines would normally include a few timbers that spanned across the full width of both tracks, so some copper-clad timbers would need to replace parts of the plastic bases.

 

A quick search of the Internet found several photos of the real thing, but all at a low angle making it difficult to see. Here is one of the better ones, using concrete instead of wood, but you can just about see where the full length ones end, and separate ones for each track commence by a V shape in the ballast infill.

 

 

[Ian Morgan]

Duplicate

Edited August 12, 2020 by Ian Morgan
Duplicate

[Caley Jim]

8 hours ago, Argos said:

 

Zimo do a smaller version in the form of the MX616 series, they are quite pricey at around £32 compared to £20 for the MX617 if you can find them in stock.

I used an MX616 in my Jubilee Pug.  Both Peter's Spare and Youchoos had them in stock at that time.  It too has nice big (relatively speaking) pads, in fact it comes with a wire attached to the common +ve.

 

Jim

Edited August 12, 2020 by Caley Jim
Spelling correction

[John57sharp]

Thanks for the crossover info Ian

 

John

[2mm Andy]

On ‎11‎/‎08‎/‎2020 at 00:16, Roger.s said:

If this were full size then the platelayers would have the same problem. They would pack the NG rail-head to be level with the mixed gage rail-head making the NG sleepers higher than the standard/mixed gauge sleepers. So the sleepers would look wrong if they were at the same height. They would also use special fishplates rather than cut a taper in the rail.

 

Regards Roger

 

To illustrate Roger's post, there is a nice example of how the prototype treats the change in rail section here;

 

https://www.whrsoc.org.uk/WHRProject/2008/whrcl-caepawb-070808-3.jpg

 

The prototype is 'Cae Pawb' crossing on the Welsh Highland Railway, where the WHR crosses the Cambrian Coast line on the level at Porthmadog. The flat crossing unit is laid in 113 lbs/yd flatbottom rail, with joggled fishplates connecting to a section of 80lbs/yd narrow gauge track and then to the ordinary 60 lbs/yd narrow gauge tracks either side of the crossing.

 

More info here;

 

https://www.whrsoc.org.uk/WHRProject/phase4/cambrian.htm

 

Andy

 

 

[Doncaster Green]

Can anyone point me to a source of vacuum reservoir tanks suitable for LNER coaches.   My normal source of cast WM ones is Etched Pixels but, due to the virus, he has not yet resumed trading and I am down to my last 2!   I have tried making some from plastic rod and strip but the results strike as very over scale.   I don’t have a lathe or milling machine so homebrew brass is not an option.   Be grateful for any advice.

 

John

Edited August 13, 2020 by Doncaster Green
Grammar!

[PaulCheffus]

Hi

 

I’ve turned them in the past from plastic rod using a powered modelling drill and a file. No good of course if you don’t have a drill. Once you have the shape then you can add straps from 0.005” plasticard.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Doncaster Green]

9 minutes ago, PaulCheffus said:

Hi

 

I’ve turned them in the past from plastic rod using a powered modelling drill and a file. No good of course if you don’t have a drill. Once you have the shape then you can add straps from 0.005” plasticard.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

This is, basically, pretty much what I have been trying.   I did try to turn the straps into some slightly oversize rod but came up against another problem - in the horizontal plane my drill stand is not stable enough to stop the drill tilting.

 

John

 

[-missy-]

46 minutes ago, Doncaster Green said:

Can anyone point me to a source of vacuum reservoir tanks suitable for LNER coaches.   My normal source of cast WM ones is Etched Pixels but, due to the virus, he has not yet resumed trading and I am down to my last 2!   I have tried making some from plastic rod and strip but the results strike as very over scale.   I don’t have a lathe or milling machine so homebrew brass is not an option.   Be grateful for any advice.

 

John

 

Hi John.

 

If you get stuck I could make some for you, there are plenty of people with 3D printers more than capable for doing them too if you have a drawing to work too.

 

Julia.

[Doncaster Green]

1 hour ago, -missy- said:

 

Hi John.

 

If you get stuck I could make some for you, there are plenty of people with 3D printers more than capable for doing them too if you have a drawing to work too.

 

Julia.

Many thanks for the offer Julia but, unfortunately, I don't have a drawing.   The only underframe drawing I have doesn't include the tanks!   I am, to some extent, relying on EP's version being about right - it certainly looks about right.   In the meantime I have been turning out cupboards here, there and everywhere in search of suitable stand-ins.   I have found some smaller diameter plastic rod and some 5 thou plasticard I didn't realise I had so I will have another go at them.   It does surprise me, though, that EP seem to be the only source in 2mm/N.

 

Regards

 

John