Sheffield Exchange, Toy trains, music and fun!

[Clive Mortimore]

Hi All 

 

Mr Troll here. There is a thread where a chap has asked for advice on whether he should go DCC or not. He has decided on the advice of some DCC experts  who have all given there views on their system being the best. I have been checking their profiles, only one has a layout thread. A very good layout and what looks like a very good computer control set up. The others do not seem to want to show their modelling or layouts but are happy to tell me I am wrong. 

 

Running tonight has been the usual DMUs, that eight car train formed of the Derby 2 car, 3car and a Met Cam 3 car does look good coasting around. 

 

No modelling but lots of considering. Loco crews for steam locomotives, they are a very visible omission at the moment. No, I intend to make my own despite how lovely Modleu are. My quandary is regarding what poses. When they are out on the running lines  it don't matter as it is non scenic. It is when they are in the station and on shed . Now a fireman busy bunging another round on won't look right in my mind nor a driver yanking on the regulator. So I was thinking they need to be in a more casual stance, do you lot agree? 

 

Still unsure of DMU drivers, I still think that they would look good when the train is viewed from the front, daft when they are in the rear cab and darn right silly when two are looking at each other from the middle cabs of a multipled unit train. 

 

Diesel loco drivers, not too sure as yet. 

Edited March 11, 2019 by Clive Mortimore

[Clive Mortimore]

Hi All

 

Mr Troll here again. I forgot to say that I have been given some lumps of real coal to put in the tenders and bunkers of my locos, and the coal wagons. My kind neighbour gave it to me. So I am on the road to personalising my steam locos. 

 

[Satan's Goldfish]

Ref engine crew positions; could you get at least 1 fireman with a couple of fried eggs on his shovel, and another crew enjoying their egg banjos?...

[Stubby47]

For the dmus, would slightly tinted glass and an internal light work? Obviously only the 'active' cab would have a light on, illuminating the driver. The non-active cabs would be dark hiding the insides.

 

Switches could be miniature push-on/push-off, hidden behind a sprung buffer.

[Enterprisingwestern]

9 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi All 

 

Mr Troll here. There is a thread where a chap has asked for advice on whether he should go DCC or not. He has decided on the advice of some DCC experts  who have all given there views on their system being the best. I have been checking their profiles, only one has a layout thread. A very good layout and what looks like a very good computer control set up. The others do not seem to want to show their modelling or layouts but are happy to tell me I am wrong. 

 

Running tonight has been the usual DMUs, that eight car train formed of the Derby 2 car, 3car and a Met Cam 3 car does look good coasting around. 

 

No modelling but lots of considering. Loco crews for steam locomotives, they are a very visible omission at the moment. No, I intend to make my own despite how lovely Modleu are. My quandary is regarding what poses. When they are out on the running lines  it don't matter as it is non scenic. It is when they are in the station and on shed . Now a fireman busy bunging another round on won't look right in my mind nor a driver yanking on the regulator. So I was thinking they need to be in a more casual stance, do you lot agree? 

 

Still unsure of DMU drivers, I still think that they would look good when the train is viewed from the front, daft when they are in the rear cab and darn right silly when two are looking at each other from the middle cabs of a multipled unit train. 

 

Diesel loco drivers, not too sure as yet. 

 

Not knowing a great deal about steam locomotives, (or owt else for that matter), but don't some kettles have drivers on different sides?, so therefore make sure you get your peoplage the right way round.

 

Mike.

[Ian_H]

52 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

For the dmus, would slightly tinted glass and an internal light work? Obviously only the 'active' cab would have a light on, illuminating the driver. The non-active cabs would be dark hiding the insides.

 

Switches could be miniature push-on/push-off, hidden behind a sprung buffer.

Good idea!

 

With regard to the miniature push-on/push-off, may I suggest that you replace it with a diode (diodes will only conduct electricity in one direction). To take this a stage further, you could replace the diode and light source(bulb) with a LED. Install a LED in each cab, wired to illuminate with the direction of travel .... it's hard to get wrong, you've only got two wires but no doubt somebody will have a damn good try at getting it wrong;-)

 

Ian

[Clive Mortimore]

1 hour ago, Stubby47 said:

For the dmus, would slightly tinted glass and an internal light work? Obviously only the 'active' cab would have a light on, illuminating the driver. The non-active cabs would be dark hiding the insides.

 

Switches could be miniature push-on/push-off, hidden behind a sprung buffer.

 

9 minutes ago, Ian_H said:

Good idea!

 

With regard to the miniature push-on/push-off, may I suggest that you replace it with a diode (diodes will only conduct electricity in one direction). To take this a stage further, you could replace the diode and light source(bulb) with a LED. Install a LED in each cab, wired to illuminate with the direction of travel .... it's hard to get wrong, you've only got two wires but no doubt somebody will have a damn good try at getting it wrong;-)

 

Ian

Thanks Ian and Stu,

 

The drivers cabs would, even at night time, not be illuminated. The only exception is at night time when he is preparing the unit. It is like the problem of tail lamps on DMUs they will need them as it was 1960s practice but look stupid on the front of the unit when it runs the opposite way.

 

I should have built a roundy roundy then the front would be the front, not the rear next time it moved. Still only one year in on a ten year build so I have time to carry on worrying about it.

[Andrew P]

9 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi All

 

Mr Troll here again. I forgot to say that I have been given some lumps of real coal to put in the tenders and bunkers of my locos, and the coal wagons. My kind neighbour gave it to me. So I am on the road to personalising my steam locos. 

 

There is NOW a need to have segregated reaction icons, i.e I LIKE the fact that you have Real Coal for your Kettles, but feel just Friendly / Supportive of your choice of Music at times, (well most of the time TBH).

[Ashley Bridge]

17 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

 

Thanks Ian and Stu,

 

The drivers cabs would, even at night time, not be illuminated. The only exception is at night time when he is preparing the unit. It is like the problem of tail lamps on DMUs they will need them as it was 1960s practice but look stupid on the front of the unit when it runs the opposite way.

 

I should have built a roundy roundy then the front would be the front, not the rear next time it moved. Still only one year in on a ten year build so I have time to carry on worrying about it.

Hi Clive

As one troll to another, you have to accept it will never be right. Just make a point of never taking photos of the rear of a train, with some nonce trying like mad to apply the brake.

I have a dcc roundy roundy, two tracks, but the down one can be isolated to run analogue. It is necessary to run in any new loco, or trouble shoot problems before fitting a decoder.  Also nice to sit and watch some of my ancient collectibles trundle round.

Rich

[31A]

10 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

 

No modelling but lots of considering. Loco crews for steam locomotives, they are a very visible omission at the moment. No, I intend to make my own despite how lovely Modleu are. My quandary is regarding what poses. When they are out on the running lines  it don't matter as it is non scenic. It is when they are in the station and on shed . Now a fireman busy bunging another round on won't look right in my mind nor a driver yanking on the regulator. So I was thinking they need to be in a more casual stance, do you lot agree? 

 

Still unsure of DMU drivers, I still think that they would look good when the train is viewed from the front, daft when they are in the rear cab and darn right silly when two are looking at each other from the middle cabs of a multipled unit train. 

 

Diesel loco drivers, not too sure as yet. 

 

I think 'active' poses are best avoided; the model loco moves but the figures don't.  So on steam engines, I usually have the fireman either sitting in the seat or leaning on the cab / tender side; driver either sitting on the seat (or standing on older locos) with hand towards the regulator, if sitting, ideally with arm resting on cab side.  On DMUs, I've put drivers in both ends - I think it looks less daft than trains going along with no driver in the cab; I'm sure I remember when riding in old fashioned DMUs having my view from the back saloon sometimes blocked by a burly railwayman deciding to sit in the back cab - could be a driver 'on the cushions', maybe.  Likewise my diesel locos have a driver in each end and of course for a long time there was the grade of "Driver's Assistant" or second  man, so my Type 1s have two drivers in the cab, although I must admit I've so far not gone as far as putting four men on one loco!

 

During my railway career one of my jobs involved cab riding and one route had a long tunnel; a driver I was riding with said he couldn't see anything inside the tunnel anyway so he turned the light on and read the paper!  Which he promptly demonstrated to me.  But otherwise front cab lights are alway off when the train is moving, otherwise you'd have no 'night vision' and be unable to see the signals!  In fact on modern DMUs the rear cab light is more likely to be on if the guard is in it.

 

Re. tail lamps (oil) my DMUs carry them but I change them from one end to the other with tweezers.

 

 

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, Ian_H said:

Good idea!

 

With regard to the miniature push-on/push-off, may I suggest that you replace it with a diode (diodes will only conduct electricity in one direction). To take this a stage further, you could replace the diode and light source(bulb) with a LED. Install a LED in each cab, wired to illuminate with the direction of travel .... it's hard to get wrong, you've only got two wires but no doubt somebody will have a damn good try at getting it wrong;-)

 

Ian

That's fighting talk on Clive's thread!

[Clive Mortimore]

59 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

That's fighting talk on Clive's thread!

No because there is logical and real railway reason why Ian's suggestion would not be implemented, not because I am a electronics Luddite. No lights on in the cab while driving, and blinds down at night. ........now there's a thought have the blinds down on some of the DMUs because that miserable driver Mortimore and his like are in the cab and don't want the kids to see down the line.

 

I have used diodes in the past for interlocking colour light signals and for stud contact when changing 3 way points. For the three way points I took out the diodes that Hornby fitted in their class 47s and HSTs for directional lighting.

 

I did work for Marconi's before becoming a nurse so have a reasonable understanding of electronics far more than I let on.

[Clive Mortimore]

Afhverju er ljósið svart?

 

 

How come the light is dark?

[Sandhole]

25 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Afhverju er ljósið svart?

 

 

How come the light is dark?

Done for works!!!!!

Love the presentation!

Bit like Joy Division with a touch of Steve Strange and of course, remembering these are women!!!!

Made an impression Clive!!!

Not as much as Band Maid who I am in love with!!! But definitely made an impression!

                                                                     Chris.

[Enterprisingwestern]

4 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

I did work for Marconi's before becoming a nurse so have a reasonable understanding of electronics far more than I let on.

 

Apart from DCC!!

 

Mike.

[jazzer]

18 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi All 

 

Mr Troll here. There is a thread where a chap has asked for advice on whether he should go DCC or not. He has decided on the advice of some DCC experts  who have all given there views on their system being the best. I have been checking their profiles, only one has a layout thread. A very good layout and what looks like a very good computer control set up. The others do not seem to want to show their modelling or layouts but are happy to tell me I am wrong. 

 

Running tonight has been the usual DMUs, that eight car train formed of the Derby 2 car, 3car and a Met Cam 3 car does look good coasting around. 

 

No modelling but lots of considering. Loco crews for steam locomotives, they are a very visible omission at the moment. No, I intend to make my own despite how lovely Modleu are. My quandary is regarding what poses. When they are out on the running lines  it don't matter as it is non scenic. It is when they are in the station and on shed . Now a fireman busy bunging another round on won't look right in my mind nor a driver yanking on the regulator. So I was thinking they need to be in a more casual stance, do you lot agree? 

 

Still unsure of DMU drivers, I still think that they would look good when the train is viewed from the front, daft when they are in the rear cab and darn right silly when two are looking at each other from the middle cabs of a multipled unit train. 

 

Diesel loco drivers, not too sure as yet. 

 

Hi Mr Troll, (Fol-de Rol!)

 

Crews for steam locomotives : Depends on the age of the driver and type of loco. One old Nine Elms driver told me that in steam days, at the age of 60 they had the option of coming off the mileage jobs and going on regular day work, which basically meant ECS workings in and out of Waterloo, where, as he so eloquently put it, the driver could just "sit at the end of the platform,  puff on his pipe, look at the crumpet , and watch the world go by" . Translate that to OO gauge and you could have your tank engines coming in bunker first with the driver looking towards the front of the engine and therefore looking at the train to make sure all is in order. He has been in the platform a thousand times before and knows exactly where to make the brake application entering the platform to bring the train to a halt 6 feet from the buffers, so he doesn't need to look, He is then in a perfect  pose to "watch the crumpet go by ", and facing the front of the engine ready for departure. The fireman could be looking through to rear spectacle plate as they enter the platform to keep a look out entering the platform or to check the coal as they leave but a fireman putting some coal in is not wholly unrealistic. Picture this scenario :  -  the journey's end is Sheffield Exchange and he has to keep the engine quiet and stop it blowing off in the station or loco yard so he stopped putting coal in several miles away to run the fire down and run  in with a small fire and a half empty boiler.  Approaching the station he fills the boiler with cold water to knock the boiler pressure down  , closes the dampers and fills the firebox with fresh coal which  will take a long time to burn through while the dampers are shut, so the engine wont be blowing off in the yard.  Before he leaves the loco yard for the next trip he sticks some more coal  under the firebox door and back corners which will then burn through very quickly with the dampers wide open, to bring the boiler back up to full pressure. You can often see them shovelling coal in at Sheffield Park shortly before departure, for example.

 

. Coupling, uncoupling and cleaning ash from the smoke box could present a problem for your plastic card engine crews 

[Satan's Goldfish]

2 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Apart from DCC!!

 

Mike.

 

It was all analogue back then Mike, he's not as young as he pretends to look in his rmweb picture

[St Enodoc]

2 hours ago, jazzer said:

 

Hi Mr Troll, (Fol-de Rol!)

 

Crews for steam locomotives : Depends on the age of the driver and type of loco. One old Nine Elms driver told me that in steam days, at the age of 60 they had the option of coming off the mileage jobs and going on regular day work, which basically meant ECS workings in and out of Waterloo, where, as he so eloquently put it, the driver could just "sit at the end of the platform,  puff on his pipe, look at the crumpet , and watch the world go by" . Translate that to OO gauge and you could have your tank engines coming in bunker first with the driver looking towards the front of the engine and therefore looking at the train to make sure all is in order. He has been in the platform a thousand times before and knows exactly where to make the brake application entering the platform to bring the train to a halt 6 feet from the buffers, so he doesn't need to look, He is then in a perfect  pose to "watch the crumpet go by ", and facing the front of the engine ready for departure. The fireman could be looking through to rear spectacle plate as they enter the platform to keep a look out entering the platform or to check the coal as they leave but a fireman putting some coal in is not wholly unrealistic. Picture this scenario :  -  the journey's end is Sheffield Exchange and he has to keep the engine quiet and stop it blowing off in the station or loco yard so he stopped putting coal in several miles away to run the fire down and run  in with a small fire and a half empty boiler.  Approaching the station he fills the boiler with cold water to knock the boiler pressure down  , closes the dampers and fills the firebox with fresh coal which  will take a long time to burn through while the dampers are shut, so the engine wont be blowing off in the yard.  Before he leaves the loco yard for the next trip he sticks some more coal  under the firebox door and back corners which will then burn through very quickly with the dampers wide open, to bring the boiler back up to full pressure. You can often see them shovelling coal in at Sheffield Park shortly before departure, for example.

 

. Coupling, uncoupling and cleaning ash from the smoke box could present a problem for your plastic card engine crews 

I knew drivers who knew exactly where to stop to be able to see up through the slats of the footbridge...

[St Enodoc]

7 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

No because there is logical and real railway reason why Ian's suggestion would not be implemented, not because I am a electronics Luddite. No lights on in the cab while driving, and blinds down at night. ........now there's a thought have the blinds down on some of the DMUs because that miserable driver Mortimore and his like are in the cab and don't want the kids to see down the line.

 

I have used diodes in the past for interlocking colour light signals and for stud contact when changing 3 way points. For the three way points I took out the diodes that Hornby fitted in their class 47s and HSTs for directional lighting.

 

I did work for Marconi's before becoming a nurse so have a reasonable understanding of electronics far more than I let on.

Understood Clive. I was trying (but clearly failed) to make a mischievous reference to "two wires". Never mind. You are absolutely right that there would be no lights on in the leading cab.

[Gibbo675]

1 hour ago, Satan's Goldfish said:

 

It was all analogue back then Mike, he's not as young as he pretends to look in his rmweb picture

Mr Goldfish,

 

I had heard, from a dubious source, that electricity was actually known as clockwork back in the days when his hand tinted avatar photo was taken.

 

How cheeky ?!?!

 

Gibbo.

[jazzer]

15 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

I knew drivers who knew exactly where to stop to be able to see up through the slats of the footbridge...

It wouldn't surprise me . Slightly off topic but some years ago I read on article by an ex- Plaistow fireman who said that during the long lay overs on night shift at Fenchurch St they would go along a headshunt on the embankment , looking down on houses where " working girls were plying their trade with the curtains open "!  As they say, there is a prototype for e very thing !

 Apologies for interrupting the topic.

[Clive Mortimore]

49 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Understood Clive. I was trying (but clearly failed) to make a mischievous reference to "two wires". Never mind. You are absolutely right that there would be no lights on in the leading cab.

Lookie 'ere UDJ, I knew wot U were trying to do. I am only as daft as I look.

[Andrew P]

1 minute ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Lookie 'ere UDJ, I knew wot U were trying to do. I am only as daft as I look.

Indeed

[Clive Mortimore]

4 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Apart from DCC!!

 

Mike.

Hi Mike

 

Especially DCC......Knowing about how something works doesn't mean you need to buy and use it.

 

£100 for a sound chip, basically the same one as you get in a birthday card that sings "happy birthday to you" when you open it.

[Gibbo675]

43 minutes ago, jazzer said:

It wouldn't surprise me . Slightly off topic but some years ago I read on article by an ex- Plaistow fireman who said that during the long lay overs on night shift at Fenchurch St they would go along a headshunt on the embankment , looking down on houses where " working girls were plying their trade with the curtains open "!  As they say, there is a prototype for e very thing !

 Apologies for interrupting the topic.

Hi Jazzer,

 

That has reminded me of the row of terraced houses at Irwell Vale on the ELR that have bedroom windows at footplate height. A couple in one house got caught out in a "curtains open incident" as the Friday evening dining train coasted down from Rawtenstall one time. I know the driver blew the whistle, whether anyone was put off their dinner I cannot comment.

 

Gibbo.