well filled baps The Sheep Chronicles : These are the adventures of a Sheep, the Works Forecat and Naughty George,

[NHY 581]

Nice to see us hit 450 pages. 

 

Whoop whoop. ! 

 

 

Rob. 

[magpac]

38 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

Nice to see us hit 450 pages. 

 

Whoop whoop. ! 

 

 

Rob. 

With NO pictures!

 

Mark.

 

[Mick Bonwick]

1 hour ago, NHY 581 said:

But I am going to have a go at it...................

 

When you've finished with my hammer, can I have it back, please?

 

 

[MrWolf]

 

Mainline Pannier with the dreaded monkey metal rot in one half of the chassis.

 

 

A mix and match with a chassis that had a smashed gearbox / motor casing and it  might  be another thirty years before it needs a brass chassis.

Needs to lose the top feeds though!

 

Pictures on page  450 as requested @magpac

 

Because I felt the urge....

Edited July 18, 2021 by MrWolf

[Gedward]

11 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

Ahem..........

 

May I introduce the Works ForeCat's new apprentice.......

 

George Kitten. 9wks.

 

Congrats on the new addition to the family, and what a handsome young lad he is. We also have a Works cat doing the rounds here. Nice name BTW. 

[Gilbert]

7 hours ago, Mick Bonwick said:

 

When you've finished with my hammer, can I have it back, please?

 

 

and I thought you used a passive hammer ( the shed floor)..

[SteveyDee68]

Watching with hopes of picking up a few tips about getting dodgy chassis to run better...

 

I picked up a Lima J50 with a Bachmann Pannier chassis off eBay a while back at a silly low price. Description said it was a good runner. Took it to the local model shop to give it a run on their test track (I buy enough stuff from there that they don't mind the occasional eBay intruder as long as I don't shout about it!). It ran okayish, but not great. The resident mechanical genius suggested a quick oil, and did so. Not much improvement. Body off, and interest perked by the fact it was a Lima/Bachmann hybrid. Apprentice mechanical engineer suggests stripping it down, and proceeds to do so whilst mechanical genius sorts out another customer. Forty minutes later, after having bits sat in a bath of IPA etc, reassembled and run. Or, rather, not. Now dead as a dodo. Apprentice suggests that he may have not put clips onto brushes correctly (whatever that means) and hurries off to 'assist' another customer. 

 

What have I learnt from the experience?

1. If an eBay loco runs a bit ropey, contact seller, send it back! (I was reluctant to do so, it was so cheap!)
2. Think twice before taking eBay purchases to local model shop - ulterior motives at play?
3. Never let the Apprentice loose on your loco, only ever the Master!

Baaa!

[keefr2]

I think a new update to the thread title is needed Rob, to include the works forecat's new young apprentice in the adventures! And what a dashing young whippersnapper young George looks! 

 

Good luck getting whatever recalcitrant loco is currently residing on your bench to work properly - there's been so many lately I've lost track (no pun intended) of what variety of model it is! 

 

Other projects have meant I've done no more on my embryonic OO layout and I'm now seriously thinking of scrapping it (again!) and sticking with the N gauge diesels I have....!! 

 

Keith

[Captain Kernow]

12 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

The wheel rotation is smoother. No doubt.  The gradual stop isn't and the bag of spanners noise effects remain. 

 

But I am going to have a go at it

One thing you could try, Rob, is to remove the keeper plate and wheels and see how the centre gear rotates under power. If that goes round smoothly in both directions, try removing the rods temporarily from the centre drivers (ie. the driven axle), put that in plus keeper plate and see how smoothly that rotates.

 

If all is well there, it could be a factory quartering issue.

 

[RodneyS]

I have just received one of the new Hornby Terriers, 32640 in lined BR livery.

After reading about your problems with the Pecketts and Terriers I wondered how it would perform. 

I don't have a layout, only about 9' of test track so I usually run my locos on a friend's layout.

This has Gaugemaster controllers with their track cleaning device.

 

On his layout 32640 ran very nicely, even over his dead frog points.

 

I've done a bit of testing on my length of track with a Gaugemaster Combi controller.

 

The Hattons P class are superb, as we know.

My first Hornby Terrier 32655 runs nearly as well but the pickups on this are soft copper and difficult to keep adjusted.

Both start moving slowly as soon as the knob is turned.

 

32640 sits there humming at the same setting but then moves off smoothly.  It's almost as if there is something sticking.  I wonder if it is packed with that dreaded grease ?  I'll have a look sometime.

Having said that I am happy with it straight out of the box but it may not be as good as you require for your layouts.

 

I also have a 'Bembridge' and that runs similarly to 32640.

 

Rather strangely I also have a 'Cowe's which was produced after Bembridge but before 32640 and that is as good as 32655.

 

It seems that it's a bit of a lottery trying to get a model that runs well.

Rodney

 

[NHY 581]

Evening all. 

 

Can I firstly thank everyone and there are many who have posted or otherwise contacted me offering help, advice, support, encouragement, locos and many, many other things over the last few days. 

 

I am very grateful to you all and a fine example of the community spirit that exists on this thread. 

 

Thank you all so very much. 

 

On 18/07/2021 at 21:26, NHY 581 said:

 

The wheel rotation is smoother. No doubt.  The gradual stop isn't and the bag of spanners noise effects remain. 

 

But I am going to have a go at it...................

 

I have had an hour in the blast furnace that passes as a railway room. By way of an update, through further tinkering and cleaning I have seemingly managed to quieten things down, a lot. 

 

Wheel rotation is smoother and has not changed. It still halts too abruptly for comfort but..............there is an improvement of sorts, considerable when I think of what it was like to start with. 

 

Am I content ? No. It could be better but I am encouraged. 

 

Have we snatched victory from the jaws of defeat ? Not yet. 

 

Has 9735 secured lodgings at Chateau Sheep ? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes. 

 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by NHY 581
Anchovies

[Mick Bonwick]

20 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

Yes.

 

Now that is very encouraging.

[2ManySpams]

SheepyB, as a further fault finding exercise can I ask if it's possible on the pannier to disconnect the motor from the drive? Pushing a model along is easier to find where it's binding.

 

Also, which axle is driven - the centre one? Is it possible to remove the front axle and see if the binding is still present and then repeat the process with the rear? This could identify which axle is the problem.

 

As weird as it sounds, it might also be worth swapping the two non-driven axles to see if this helps.

 

If you do find which axle is the cause of the binding you can then hit it with a large bat and throw the whole lot in the bin.

 

Oh, as an after thought... Just check that the rear face of the drivers is smooth. I've had models before with moulding pips sticking out which have caught on the pickups. Of course don't bother doing this if you've already applied the big bat solution, that would be silly.

[Siberian Snooper]

Following on from young Spams comments, it's possible that the quartering on one axle is slightly out, it doesn't take much. The way I check, is to get the crank pins horizontal on one side and then check the other side to see that they are all either top dead centre or bottom dead centre.

[Captain Kernow]

I agree with Spams about changing axles around etc., but I'm not sure how easy it is to separate the two halves of the Bachmann articulated side rods, in such a way that they can be easily re-attached?

 

[bgman]

27 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

I agree with Spams about changing axles around etc., but I'm not sure how easy it is to separate the two halves of the Bachmann articulated side rods, in such a way that they can be easily re-attached?

 

27 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

Vanilla ice cream.

 

One would be cautious if trying to do this manoeuvre whilst holding a wafer or better still a cornet filled with this delectable food.

 

That said I would suggest just having the ice cream and dream of a smooth running Pannier once the heat has dissipated.

 

S. Alcombe D. Airy

[2ManySpams]

21 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

I agree with Spams about changing axles around etc., but I'm not sure how easy it is to separate the two halves of the Bachmann articulated side rods, in such a way that they can be easily re-attached?

 

 

Chainsaw? Sorted.

[ManofKent]

There's always the alternative of going with GWR locos with proper tanks rather than those daft paniers...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GWR_1361_Class

[PMP]

I’ve got ‘some’ 2nd generation Bachmann panniers and 45xx’s, so far they are all excellent runners. The 64xx’s aren’t quite as refined as the 57 varieties. All three types 57/64/94 drive on the rear axle. The wheel sets on all three will drop out with base plate removal, and are a complete assembly including coupling rods. The coupling rods can be removed, you need a crankpin socket driver, but can’t be split unless you cut the rivet. The problem sounds like quartering, so removing the rods and tweeking whichever set/s is out is a practical fix. If however they’re new, it’s just as easy to return them. I think with the number I have that @NHY 581 has just been a bit unlucky. With a good one they are an excellent basis for tarting up. 
The same can be said for Bachmann’s 3F Jinty, ( I have ‘some’ of those too) which uses  the same approach as the 57’s, however they aren’t quite as good in the finesse of the running, the worm to top gear not being as good as the panniers. The majority of my stock is second hand too.

 

 

Edited July 21, 2021 by PMP

[Captain Kernow]

I tend to agree, Paul.

 

I have two 8750s running with original chassis, albeit one of them is to be converted to P4 quite soon (so I will have a spare wheelset, thinking about it, Rob!). Both run very well.

 

Of two 64XXs bought, one wasn't good enough, so that acquired a High Level chassis, when it was converted to a 74XX and the other appears OK, although that is also supposed to be converted to P4 (as a 64XX), at some unspecified time in the future.

 

[Captain Kernow]

Rob - PM sent.

 

[PMP]

Another thought, the 57’s have a centre sprung axle, check there’s no binding in its vertical movement. The centre axle sits in a holder of which the spring can sometimes be too stiff. On a couple of mine I’ve cut a coil from the spring and then gently stretched the remaining piece.

NB pics show one from a 3F put same principle used in 57’s

 

[Mick Bonwick]

Pannier performance is predominating this part. Please proceed apace.

[Captain Kernow]

Prior planning and preparation prevents particularly poor pannier performance.

 

[Gilbert]

17 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

Prior planning and preparation prevents particularly poor pannier performance.

 

Possibly.....