Henley-on-Thames - GWR in the 1930's

[The Fatadder]

2 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

If only I had the space for 9 carriage trains.....

 

I realise I’m stretching a point by saying they are on a Regatta special, in the mid-30’s they wouldn’t have been used on such services. Only ever Paddington to Penzance, it would only be in the BR era that they would be used elsewhere, but I am happy with the compromise. Hopefully they will look good as a complete train, although a lot of work is needed to get to that stage.

 

Ive not carved up a carriage to the extent that needs to be done before. It will no doubt be a slow process.

For me it’s rather the opposite, I have seen three photos post WW2 of centenaries.  One of a CRE formation (the source of which escapes me), one well known shot of a complete set of  centenaries on a Paddington WSM (with no diners) and finally a local Exeter Plymouth  service making use of a BCK.   For my layout the CRE was more typically a mix of Hawksworth and sunshine stock (as per my other formation).  Given the limits of my fiddleyard having the up and down riviera is rather overkill, but I just like the centenary service too much 

[Harlequin]

I don't have a specific plan for my Small Metro (Tank!). I bought it because I knew they were used on Westcountry branch lines and it seemed like a simple kit for a beginner. BLTs were on my radar at the time but I came to realise that I really want to see big locos hauling long (within reason!) trains at a range of speeds and although BLTs are lovely they wouldn't let me do that.

 

My long term plan is to model a fictitious location somewhere on the Berks & Hants or the Berks & Hants extension in the 1930s - somewhere where the canal is close by. (Canals in layouts seem to be in lots of people's minds at the moment.) To that end I too have a large collection of Centenaries awaiting something to be done to them (also on people's minds! ).

 

That is all bubbling away in my head but in the meantime, I'm just doing bits and pieces on my test track such as this Large Prairie sound installation that I completed yesterday:

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/160126-Hornby-large-prairie-sound-light-and-stay-alive/

 

Edited November 29, 2020 by Harlequin

[checkrail]

On 27/11/2020 at 11:48, Neal Ball said:

I have dug out my stalled projects and there are quite a few!

That's a goodly array of varied coaches Neal.  I hope we'll see them on here again as they are eventually completed.

 

On 27/11/2020 at 11:48, Neal Ball said:

Plus of course, I have two Slaters Toplights which are almost done (the bogies are not free running).

Funnily enough I had a similar issue this week.  I have two identical  Slater's toplight 3rds under construction and had built four identical (non-Slater's) bogies.  When mounted loosely on said bogies one would run perfectly without alteration while the other would bind on curved pointwork.  It was rectified by carving away some of the underframe cross-members adjacent to the bogie boss, as per Slater's own instructions.  (Though why they designed the kit in such a way that you had to carve parts off to make their own supplied parts fit is another question.) Using the Dremel I ground these bits flush with the underside of the floor, paying particular attention to the bits between the bogie boss and headstock.  Both running very freely now, with no intervening washers required.

[Neal Ball]

4 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

For me it’s rather the opposite, I have seen three photos post WW2 of centenaries.  One of a CRE formation (the source of which escapes me), one well known shot of a complete set of  centenaries on a Paddington WSM (with no diners) and finally a local Exeter Plymouth  service making use of a BCK.   For my layout the CRE was more typically a mix of Hawksworth and sunshine stock (as per my other formation).  Given the limits of my fiddleyard having the up and down riviera is rather overkill, but I just like the centenary service too much 

Thanks Rich. Presumably you are also talking about The BR era with no diners. Although it still seems odd if they were on a CRE service.

 

3 hours ago, Harlequin said:

I don't have a specific plan for my Small Metro (Tank!). I bought it because I knew they were used on Westcountry branch lines and it seemed like a simple kit for a beginner. BLTs were on my radar at the time but I came to realise that I really want to see big locos hauling long (within reason!) trains at a range of speeds and although BLTs are lovely they wouldn't let me do that.

 

My long term plan is to model a fictitious location somewhere on the Berks & Hants or the Berks & Hants extension in the 1930s - somewhere where the canal is close by. (Canals in layouts seen to be in lots of people's minds at the moment.) To that end I too have a large collection of Centenaries awaiting something to be done to them (also on people's minds! ).

 

That is all bubbling away in my head but in the meantime, I'm just doing bits and pieces on my test track such as this Large Prairie sound installation that I completed yesterday:

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/160126-Hornby-large-prairie-sound-light-and-stay-alive/

 

 

Thanks Phil, I have the Metro tank as I have a photo of one on a local Henley service in the early 30’s. Although I’m stretching a point for my mid-30’s layout.

 

The sound on that Priarie is great. I’m still waiting for my decoders to fit in the mogul. Post from the UK has really slowed down in the last week or so.

 

1 hour ago, checkrail said:

That's a goodly array of varied coaches Neal.  I hope we'll see them on here again as they are eventually completed.

 

Funnily enough I had a similar issue this week.  I have two identical  Slater's toplight 3rds under construction and had built four identical (non-Slater's) bogies.  When mounted loosely on said bogies one would run perfectly without alteration while the other would bind on curved pointwork.  It was rectified by carving away some of the underframe cross-members adjacent to the bogie boss, as per Slater's own instructions.  (Though why they designed the kit in such a way that you had to carve parts off to make their own supplied parts fit is another question.) Using the Dremel I ground these bits flush with the underside of the floor, paying particular attention to the bits between the bogie boss and headstock.  Both running very freely now, with no intervening washers required.

Thanks John, I will have to try that with the Toplights. I wonder how close Slaters are to producing them again.

 

Its interesting to dig out those carriages... during my recent timetable test (part 1), I didn’t take any of them into account. Clearly I need to.

 

I need to crack on and get some of them finished...

[Neal Ball]

We’ve been away for a few days, spending a pre-birthday and Christmas in Alicante.

 

As well as Christmas shopping and plenty of good food and drink, I managed to get over to a model shop...

 

Mecamodel in Alicante, is going to be my go-to place for Vallejo paints. They also had some Scenic items. Sadly time was pressing, so there is already an excuse for a revisit. Www.mecamodel.es 

 

We also saw the Christmas lights: 
 

 

On our return home, I’m pleased to say that the decoder has arrived for my 43xx....... photos shortly...

 

[The Fatadder]

21 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

We’ve been away for a few days, spending a pre-birthday and Christmas in Alicante.

 

As well as Christmas shopping and plenty of good food and drink, I managed to get over to a model shop...

 

Mecamodel in Alicante, is going to be my go-to place for Vallejo paints. They also had some Scenic items. Sadly time was pressing, so there is already an excuse for a revisit. Www.mecamodel.es 

 

We also saw the Christmas lights: 
 

 

On our return home, I’m pleased to say that the decoder has arrived for my 43xx....... photos shortly...

 

Pictures like that make me miss Sevilla 

Christmas lights in the warm, very pleasant!  

[Neal Ball]

55 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

Pictures like that make me miss Sevilla 

Christmas lights in the warm, very pleasant!  

 

The first time you do Christmas in the warm is very strange - last Christmas day it was 31 degrees at lunchtime. But when the sun goes down it gets very cold very quickly. Although a long way off UK cold temperatures!

[Neal Ball]

The Dapol 43xx 2-6-0 is being fitted with a Zimo MX658 Next18 decoder and a Zimo LS26x20x08 Speaker. The red and black wires were provided as part of the loco from Dapol, it was a simple process of sobering them to the speaker. This is then fixed into the tender weight by double sided tape.

 

 

Before wiring up the speaker, I had tried it with only the decoder on DCC. It seized once, but as it released straight away, I thought it must be me.

 

Installation of the decoder was very easy. it sits on top of the green transport PCB and then slots into place in the socket.

 

 

However, it wasn't all plain sailing.

 

Whilst in parts, the track might be a bit grubby, having not been used for a couple of weeks.... I also had had the loco seize when going forward. I will persevere with it for a bit; just in case. But of it starts seizing again, its going to have to go back. 

 

 

[Neal Ball]

The first run for the Sound Fitted 43xx.

 

I didn't have the laptop in the railway room, so I have not yet adjusted the chuff rate. Also apologies for the unsteady camera action! - I was using my iPhone.

 

No doubt more to come.....

 

Tomorrow I want to run the track cleaner round and then stretch the 43xx. Hopefully it wont seize up any more. If it does it will have to go back.

 

 

[Harlequin]

So, Neal... What do you think of the YouChoos 43XX chuff sound?

 

Mine sounds exactly the same even though we have slightly different sound installations. I've also attached a big speaker with a good frequency response, just as a test, and it still sounded the same. So I don't think the installations are affecting the chuff sound.

 

I think it's a bit wimpy, especially compared to the video that was posted in the Dapol Mogul topic today... Not up to YouChoos usual standards.

 

 

 

Edited December 3, 2020 by Harlequin

[Darwinian]

Regarding the mogul seizing. There is a report on here somewhere (sorry I cannot remember which area) where their’s was jamming because one of the leading crankpins had come loose and was hitting the back of the cross head. 

Hope you sort yours.

Adrian.

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, Darwinian said:

Regarding the mogul seizing. There is a report on here somewhere (sorry I cannot remember which area) where their’s was jamming because one of the leading crankpins had come loose and was hitting the back of the cross head. 

Hope you sort yours.

Adrian.

Thanks Adrian.

Im not sure, need to investigate further. Sadly the spanner’s Hornby sent me are not a fit for the Dapol loco. I’ve already tried!

[Neal Ball]

3 hours ago, Harlequin said:

So, Neal... What do you think of the YouChoos 43XX chuff sound?

 

Mine sounds exactly the same even though we have slightly different sound installations. I've also attached a big speaker with a good frequency response, just as a test, and it still sounded the same. So I don't think the installations are affecting the chuff sound.

 

I think it's a bit wimpy, especially compared to the video that was posted in the Dapol Mogul topic today... Not up to YouChoos usual standards.

 

 

 

Im going to compare it properly with the sounds for the Hornby Prairie as well as your loco.... I didn’t get the chance thus afternoon.

 

So little time, so many projects!

[37Oban]

5 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

.. it was a simple process of sobering them to the speaker. 

Were the wires tipsy and the speaker refused to have anything to do with them? I think being jabbed with a hot iron would sober them up pretty quickly!

 

Roja

[St Enodoc]

9 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

 

The first time you do Christmas in the warm is very strange - last Christmas day it was 31 degrees at lunchtime. But when the sun goes down it gets very cold very quickly. Although a long way off UK cold temperatures!

That's why I like it here - and it doesn't get cold at night in December!

[Neal Ball]

8 hours ago, 37Oban said:

Were the wires tipsy and the speaker refused to have anything to do with them? I think being jabbed with a hot iron would sober them up pretty quickly!

 

Roja

They were literally falling about all over the place. :-) 
 

I blame predictive text on the iPad.

 

4 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

That's why I like it here - and it doesn't get cold at night in December!

 

We had a lovely log fire burning last night. Last year we had a log burner installed and we currently have Lemon and Oak logs in at the moment.

[bgman]

I hope you don't mind this, a pretend Mogul ( very nice nevertheless ) on crew training at the WSR recently.

 

Jump to about 5.00 mins in for the first sighting then later at Williton.

 

 

G

[Neal Ball]

5 hours ago, bgman said:

I hope you don't mind this, a pretend Mogul ( very nice nevertheless ) on crew training at the WSR recently.

 

Jump to about 5.00 mins in for the first sighting then later at Williton.

 

 

G

Thanks for sharing that, it looks chilly in Somerset.

[Neal Ball]

re: 43xx.

Having placed the loco onto the rollers, in the first 5 minutes it seized 3 times. This was the last time:

 

 

Having freed it up, it then ran for another 10 minutes before I called it a day.

 

Its seized in almost the same spot:

 

I have now telephoned Hattons and will be sending it back. Unfortunately they don’t have any others in stock so I will need to trawl around for a new loco.

 

[bgman]

I've got a 7mm one if you want to move up a scale ? 

 

Joking apart Neil, sorry it hasn't worked out and I think you're doing the right thing by returning it.

 

I hope you eventually manage to get a decent running version at some point.

 

G

[Neal Ball]

3 hours ago, bgman said:

I've got a 7mm one if you want to move up a scale ? 

 

Joking apart Neil, sorry it hasn't worked out and I think you're doing the right thing by returning it.

 

I hope you eventually manage to get a decent running version at some point.

 

G

 

Thanks very much. I'm sure another one will be fine, it's just frustrating to order a loco from the UK that takes a week or more to get here; then a week plus to send back etc. Only to find out it's now getting out of stock.

 

Ironically Hattons have stock of the DCC sound versions - which I originally had on order. But obviously that isn't of any use now as the decoder I have from Youchoos is a Next18; which I can't use elsewhere. :-(

 

Ho Hum - its going back - I will find another one elsewhere.

[MrWolf]

Every other thread I am reading the same thing, brand new locomotives of every type and almost every manufacturer not being able to do what they are supposed to, run smoothly and reliably up and down a piece of track.

 

I have had a 20 year break from railway modelling, so maybe I missed something? How, with the strides we have made technologically in those two decades are manufacturers not able to make a decent chassis? 

 

Especially when the price has trebled or even quadrupled?

 

Or as so often happens, is the customer again doing the development work?

[Neal Ball]

6 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Every other thread I am reading the same thing, brand new locomotives of every type and almost every manufacturer not being able to do what they are supposed to, run smoothly and reliably up and down a piece of track.

 

I have had a 20 year break from railway modelling, so maybe I missed something? How, with the strides we have made technologically in those two decades are manufacturers not able to make a decent chassis? 

 

Especially when the price has trebled or even quadrupled?

 

Or as so often happens, is the customer again doing the development work?

In part you are right. But the reality is we demand such high standards when compared to earlier times. Which means tolerances are so much tighter, meaning if there is a bolt just slightly loose then it will foul the motion.

 

I had it on the Prairie from Hornby, but on that occasion spoke to them direct as it seemed a common issue. They sent me the spanner and I’ve not had an issue since.

 

From everything I’ve read (I might have missed it of course), I can’t see that anyone else has found the reason for the seizing on the Dapol Moguls.

 

edit: I should add of course that the issues with new locos remain quite small when compared to the amount of locos produced.

Edited December 5, 2020 by Neal Ball

[MrWolf]

The occasional assembly fault with anything might be inevitable, but if a manufacturer offers a finescale working model, it should be just that.

As someone who has worked in aircraft engineering amongst other branches, I don't consider that the demands of the customers is either unrealistic or unachievable. We have been making electrical equipment, metal stampings and diecastings with ever more success and accuracy since the 1930s. 

Also I suspect that pre sales testing of the locomotives must be the bare minimum, otherwise mechanisms wouldn't jam up so quickly.

[Neal Ball]

Morning all,

My Dapol Mogul is now packed up and will today be picked up by DHL and will be flying back to Hattons.

 

Given how frequently it kept jamming I didn’t want to continue with the loco any more. There clearly is a major issue with it, despite what DCC supplies said, I don’t think it’s a case of running it in. 
 

As I packed it up, I took a photo of the firebox flicker. Not so much a flicker, as two LED switching on and off!

 

 

Not hugely visible, but it’s there.

 

At the time I spoke to Hattons about returning the loco, I was told they had sold out. But I see they have more stocks now, obviously a second batch. I wonder if this batch will be more reliable.

 

I am going to ask them to test a loco for me before sending it over!