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Sheffield Exchange, Toy trains, music and fun!


Clive Mortimore
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57 minutes ago, 31A said:

 

When you put 2 x 2-car Bachmann Cravens units together, do they play nicely together?  I've got two which sometimes run coupled and sometimes on their own.  When coupled, there's an awful lot of 'surging' as if one's being pushed by the other and its gears don't like it.  Only at certain speeds though and only when going in one direction.  A pity as they're very good runners on their own!

 

Hi Steve

 

I couple all sorts of DMUs together. Never noticed a major problem with two or three Bachmann ones in the same train, at slow speed I can sometimes detect some pushing and shoving. The Hornby 101s (new motor in Lima body) run very well as well. Lima's I have one 101 set that will play up and not start with the one it is coupled to, and even on its own it can be a tad temperamental. All the others run nicely when coupled to each other or other makes. The older Hornby motored units if they haven't run for a while can judder for a short while, that causes problems if coupled to another unit, but after a few laps they are OK . They do that on their own if they haven't run, and so do Hornby ringfield motored locos.

 

The worst one for running with others is the Heljan Parcels Car, on its own lovely, coupled to a Bachmann, newer motored Hornby or a Lima it plays up. The acceleration profile doesn't seem to match the other types so when they are going slow it wants to go faster than them and when they pick up speed it holds them back. Oddly when coupled to an older Hornby motored unit it doesn't seem to have any problems, I think it just pulls or pushes the Honby unit as if it doesn't have a motor of its own.  

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Thank you Clive.

 

I may play around with the couplings.  I replaced the "Loop and hook" type Bachmann provided between the cars with Roco type which works well and reduces the gap between the cars.  I was pleased with that so I also replaced the cab end couplings with Roco type, for no real reason except that I thought they looked slightly less obtrusive than the tension lock type.  But I'm wondering now whether they couple the two units too tightly with no slack between the sets, which somehow causes binding in the gears in some situations.  The Roco couplings do also prevent a tail load being hauled (as the units won't couple to any other rolling stock), so perhaps they're not such a good thing after all.

 

When I modified my Limby Metro Cammell into a 2-car Motor/Trailer, I tried running that in multiple with the Bacchy Cravens but that was a BIG no-no - it just wanted to go so much faster than the other units and was always spinning its wheels, so I took the auto couplings off that completely and just fitted cosmetic screw couplings on the outer ends, so it always runs solo now.

 

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10 hours ago, 31A said:

When you put 2 x 2-car Bachmann Cravens units together, do they play nicely together?  I've got two which sometimes run coupled and sometimes on their own.  When coupled, there's an awful lot of 'surging' as if one's being pushed by the other and its gears don't like it.  Only at certain speeds though and only when going in one direction.  A pity as they're very good runners on their own!

With DCC you could match the speeds.

 

Just saying.

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58 minutes ago, 31A said:

Thank you Clive.

 

I may play around with the couplings.  I replaced the "Loop and hook" type Bachmann provided between the cars with Roco type which works well and reduces the gap between the cars.  I was pleased with that so I also replaced the cab end couplings with Roco type, for no real reason except that I thought they looked slightly less obtrusive than the tension lock type.  But I'm wondering now whether they couple the two units too tightly with no slack between the sets, which somehow causes binding in the gears in some situations.  The Roco couplings do also prevent a tail load being hauled (as the units won't couple to any other rolling stock), so perhaps they're not such a good thing after all.

 

When I modified my Limby Metro Cammell into a 2-car Motor/Trailer, I tried running that in multiple with the Bacchy Cravens but that was a BIG no-no - it just wanted to go so much faster than the other units and was always spinning its wheels, so I took the auto couplings off that completely and just fitted cosmetic screw couplings on the outer ends, so it always runs solo now.

 

Hi Steve

 

I make it sound perfect, they are far from it. On leaving the fiddle yards there is the jostling to see which unit is going to be in charge, sometimes the fast one wins other times it is the slower. By a couple of laps they have settled down. You can see which one is in command by looking at the couplings between the power cars, sometimes they are in tension and sometimes in compression but not to the extent that it effects their running. There are times when there is no tension or compression and both units are running at the same speed. I am lucky they can have that run to become more equalised.

 

The argy bargy is not so noticeable when leaving the station, that may be due to the more prototypical gradual acceleration which isn't needed when leaving the fuddle yards.

 

 

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12 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

Only if you have a PhD in Astro Physics:diablo_mini:

 

37 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

With DCC you could match the speeds.

 

Just saying.

I viewed a recent "DC or DCC" thread where a DCC expert said the wiring was simpler but not necessary the volume of wires. :umbrage:

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11 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi Steve

 

I couple all sorts of DMUs together. Never noticed a major problem with two or three Bachmann ones in the same train, at slow speed I can sometimes detect some pushing and shoving. The Hornby 101s (new motor in Lima body) run very well as well. Lima's I have one 101 set that will play up and not start with the one it is coupled to, and even on its own it can be a tad temperamental. All the others run nicely when coupled to each other or other makes. The older Hornby motored units if they haven't run for a while can judder for a short while, that causes problems if coupled to another unit, but after a few laps they are OK . They do that on their own if they haven't run, and so do Hornby ringfield motored locos.

 

The worst one for running with others is the Heljan Parcels Car, on its own lovely, coupled to a Bachmann, newer motored Hornby or a Lima it plays up. The acceleration profile doesn't seem to match the other types so when they are going slow it wants to go faster than them and when they pick up speed it holds them back. Oddly when coupled to an older Hornby motored unit it doesn't seem to have any problems, I think it just pulls or pushes the Honby unit as if it doesn't have a motor of its own.  

The Hornby ringfields may themseleves not exactly match either, though this may be a difference between 3 and 5 pole variants. I have two detailed 110's with slightly different profiles, although once they're running at a nice mid-speed they seem to do fine.

 

The old but in my view sound idea of double motoring the likes of Lima diesels I've done by running several power bogies together a bit apart on the track. and then choosing the two that are closest, which also seems to work. And yes, I know we're supposed to be more grown up these days with our big centrally mounted cans!

 

John.

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2 hours ago, John Tomlinson said:

The Hornby ringfields may themseleves not exactly match either, though this may be a difference between 3 and 5 pole variants. I have two detailed 110's with slightly different profiles, although once they're running at a nice mid-speed they seem to do fine.

 

The old but in my view sound idea of double motoring the likes of Lima diesels I've done by running several power bogies together a bit apart on the track. and then choosing the two that are closest, which also seems to work. And yes, I know we're supposed to be more grown up these days with our big centrally mounted cans!

 

John.

Hi John

 

I find Hornby ringfields quite inconsistent. What is more annoying is unit Z on Monday will be the one that doesn't respond as well as unit Y. Come Thursday unit Z is working well and unit Y is being asked which window it wants to be thrown  out of.  

 

All in all the trains on Exchange run well, a lot better than some on layouts that are supposed to be must sees at exhibitions.

 

I have just taken delivery of another Standard Five :scare:

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1 hour ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi John

 

I find Hornby ringfields quite inconsistent. What is more annoying is unit Z on Monday will be the one that doesn't respond as well as unit Y. Come Thursday unit Z is working well and unit Y is being asked which window it wants to be thrown  out of.  

 

All in all the trains on Exchange run well, a lot better than some on layouts that are supposed to be must sees at exhibitions.

 

I have just taken delivery of another Standard Five :scare:

You could convert it into the crosti boilered ones which were not built. 

Richard. 

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6 minutes ago, richard i said:

You could convert it into the crosti boilered ones which were not built. 

Richard. 

Hi Richard

 

I could do, I could make it an ordinary Caprotti one or simply renumber it as it is one of 512 produced exclusively for BRM, all three would upset the collectors . Anyhow when are you going to bring your Crosti-Caprotti "standard" five to run on my train set? And that lovely BR 2-8-2 freight loco.

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The new Class 5 looks like it hasn't been used, so I gave it a good test. Twelve on the back and it managed to start them, with a little slipping but once moving it managed a scale 60. That will do for Exchange. 

 

Back to normal operating, a parcels hauled by a class 37 is dashing to Sheffield. As  more sedately on the other line is a 2 car DMU with a diesel parcels car attached, it is Hornby powered DMU so the Heljan beastie is pushing it along like it has two hauled coaches with it.  

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2 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi Richard

 

I could do, I could make it an ordinary Caprotti one or simply renumber it as it is one of 512 produced exclusively for BRM, all three would upset the collectors . Anyhow when are you going to bring your Crosti-Caprotti "standard" five to run on my train set? And that lovely BR 2-8-2 freight loco.

We need to pencil in a date. 

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2 minutes ago, Mulgabill said:

Clive

 

Hope this wasn't filmed at Sheffield Exchange....

 

 

Would love to hear your DC sound for it.

 

All the best

 

TONY

He didn't mean to do that. :nono:

 

As for DC sound, "Chuff Chuff.....Rrrrrrriiiiiipppppp....Oh (not a RMweb word)...(not a RMweb word) me....wheres me 'ammer and super glue?"

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14 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

 

I viewed a recent "DC or DCC" thread where a DCC expert said the wiring was simpler but not necessary the volume of wires. :umbrage:

Serious head on. Your expert is absolutely right. As I have said myself before, DCC uses multiples of two wires.

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