bigwordsmith Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Parked outside our home today, a Sun Star Routemaster. A bit big for Carrog but a super display... Is it yours Larry? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn1 Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 I apologise to Larry about this post! Do any LT bus fans remember the vehicles constructed out of parts to do long term testing of the new Routemasters? I think there were three of them working routes alongside the buses. They carried no passengers and had strange utilitarian bodywork. I saw one as a little boy on a summer holiday trip to London from my aunts in West Worthing. Made an impression!! I think there are some shots of them, certainly one in an old Ian Allan London Bus Album. Right, I'll get my coat, Again!!! Chris. You remember correctly Chris. There were three 'test rigs'. The mechanical units from these went (on paper at least) to make up RM's 5, 6 and 7. That's how RM8 ended up as the first 'production' Routemaster. Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWsTrains Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 At the moment, all my DCC sound decoders are Zimo with F2 brake and F5 alternative exhaust sounds. Seeing as my ex.GWR 38XX was set up months ago exactly as I wanted it, I found the time today to re-set every CV on the other locos to match exactly those of the 2-8-0. Only the chuff-rate and rate of acceleration was individualized to suit each chassis. I should have done this long ago. While performance is entirely predictable across the fleet now, the locos differ in sound due to other factors. But the main thing is they do what I want them to do and this had added immeasurably to the pleasure of operating trains. Larry, Could you please share those CV settings? With a decent Sound chip now I'm sure I'll be adding more later, to my Collett Goods for example and the 45xx. Your help would be appreciated, Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 (edited) Is it yours Larry? Yup. Another arrived this morning; this time a Greenline version. Spot the difference from the red one....Twin headlights, upper deck front opening windows... Platform doors, different rear end, rear wheel discs.... Some engine compartment fitting differ.... Superb.... Thank you dear friend... If we had buses like these around here, my bus-pass would be very very useful...... Edited July 19, 2018 by coachmann 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandhole Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 If you are in Manchester when the bus museum has an event on, you have a chance to travel on this lady . Stops outside the CIS building. Came to Manchester on a loan agreement between LT and Manchester Corporation Transport. I am definitely stopping now!!! C. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 There was a lovely period in the late 80s/90s when Greater Manchester Transport borrowed or purchased some ex LT Routemasters. They were utilised on the Oxford Road/Wilmslow Road corridor which was heavily used by students and commuters and i always chose a Decker over the usual Atlanteans. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandhole Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 There was a lovely period in the late 80s/90s when Greater Manchester Transport borrowed or purchased some ex LT Routemasters. They were utilised on the Oxford Road/Wilmslow Road corridor which was heavily used by students and commuters and i always chose a Decker over the usual Atlanteans. Being a Manc and coming home from Gloucestershire for holidays, I used to travel on them just because!!!! My mate Graham, a Halifax resident, went to places in his home town with me just so I could travel on a proper RM in the 80's!!! Ah, like jazz, being a bus freak is another of my guilty pleasures!!! C. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 (edited) Larry, Could you please share those CV settings? With a decent Sound chip now I'm sure I'll be adding more later, to my Collett Goods for example and the 45xx. Your help would be appreciated, Colin Hi Colin, Sure, no problem... CV 574 Boiler hiss = 70 CV578 Brake squeal volume = 255 Braking rate reduced to 130 (from 175) after video was filmed. The need for F-Key#2 brake was reduced. Edited July 19, 2018 by coachmann Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 Clank clank clank clank...... 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danemouth Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Lovely sound Larry. It is you I blame for the large quantities of modelling tokens being spend on sound chipping the Danemouth fleet :yes: :) . I have standardised on SWD chips. Regards, Dave 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 LMR 4F from Ruthin pressed into service at Corwen to work the local pick-up goods to Ruabon yard. At least the RH drive suited Western men... 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Focalplane Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Larry, the 4F is a lovely model and your sound files do it justice. I can see why you preferred the 4F over the 3F as the greater room for cube speakers in the Fowler tender works a treat. i haven't run my 7mm Connoisseur 4F for months, it needs a work out! Paul 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 5BarVT Posted July 19, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 19, 2018 I’m too young to have memories of what BR steam sounded like. :-( That sounds very good to me and particularly the slow start and the coasting. I have yet to hear diesels sound as good as that on a start and stop - they seem to move before the revs have gone down under load and seem to power to a stop. Given that people say steam is harder to get right than diesel, you have done an excellent job. Really liked it. Paul. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 My green livery Heljan GWR 47XX was fitted with a Zimo 21-pin sound decoder today. A YouChoos Flame12 speaker and two small stay-alive's were dropped into the circular "speaker" cavity and the decoder installed. This loco will eventually receive a repaint and engraved plates. It has YouChoos 'Hall' sound set up to be rather clanky. While it ran as smooth as silk on DC, it seemed to have a stiff point in forward direction and so I put the capping plug back and ran-in the loco on DC before reinstalling DCC. It ran much better afterwards and will no doubt improve further in the coming weeks. My black version ran smoothly on DC but was worse than the green loco on DCC, so i doubt it will ever get sound.... 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danemouth Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 Larry, I hope you don't mind me asking you a question about the fencing around the station. I will be putting the same type of fencing on Danemouth and had been wondering what colour to paint it - black certainly agrees with my childhood memories around Cardiff, but looking at some other layouts some modellers seem to paint it BR(W) cream. Any thoughts on this, or can you point me at suitable resources please? And the way that 47xx clanked it sounds as if it's due for a major overhaul - lovely sound! Thanks, Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted July 20, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 20, 2018 "My black version ran smoothly on DC but was worse than the green loco on DCC" Is that not a bit worrying? Surely locos should work with or without a chip, but not being able to fine tune the CVs, to me hints of a serious problem with the whole DCC concept. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 (edited) Larry, I hope you don't mind me asking you a question about the fencing around the station. I will be putting the same type of fencing on Danemouth and had been wondering what colour to paint it - black certainly agrees with my childhood memories around Cardiff, but looking at some other layouts some modellers seem to paint it BR(W) cream. Any thoughts on this, or can you point me at suitable resources please? I have just flipped through five colour albums and cream painted metal spear fencing looks to be quite rare. However, there did seem to be a higher incidence of it in South Wales. And the way that 47xx clanked it sounds as if it's due for a major overhaul - lovely sound! The mic picks up treble far better than bass tones, which is why it sounds more like an Austerity 2-8-0. It will be reduced in the morning to restore some GWR dignity ha ha... Edited July 20, 2018 by coachmann Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mulgabill Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 I have just flipped through five colour albums and cream painted metal spear fencing looks to be quite rare. However, there did seem to be a higher incidence of it in South Wales. The mic picks up treble far better than bass tones, which is why it sounds more like an Austerity 2-8-0. It will be reduced in the morning to restore some GWR dignity ha ha... Larry I'm no expert, but I suspect that the higher pitch through the mic could be echo. Your railway shed is quite empty, more sound absorbtion may help. A few soft furnishings or even egg boxes, perhaps. Even so, yours are the only "proper sounding" steam DCC I,ve heard.' You're definately on the right track. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted July 21, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 21, 2018 Larry, I hope you don't mind me asking you a question about the fencing around the station. I will be putting the same type of fencing on Danemouth and had been wondering what colour to paint it - black certainly agrees with my childhood memories around Cardiff, but looking at some other layouts some modellers seem to paint it BR(W) cream. Any thoughts on this, or can you point me at suitable resources please? And the way that 47xx clanked it sounds as if it's due for a major overhaul - lovely sound! Thanks, Dave Having gone through lots of pictures in the West Midlands for my layout stock ideas there seem to have been several different styles over the years. As most of the shots are b/w you can't be definite but on the North Warwicks line the spear fencing looked very light, possibly cream on opening in 1908. Later it seems to be the same shade as the panels on the footbridges. By the end of GWR/ early BR it is dark possibly black, then when the buildings were repainted in chocolate and cream by BR(W) it became cream. Later in BR some were repainted in a shade like GWR Light Stone. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffnut Thorston Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 On Fence colours... From 'Great Western Way' Historical Model Railway Society (HMRS)... (GWR Period.) Wooden station fences were painted 'Light Stone No.2', with ironwork on gates black. It was also the practice to paint black were any parts of a gate that would be handled in normal use From old photos, some stations seem to have had white fences. 'Spear' fencing, made from old boiler tubes at Wolverhampton Works, was most often painted 'Light Stone No. 2'.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 I wonder if spear fencing was a proprietary product seeing as it was also commonplace on the LNWR. It is still extant in places along the North Wales mainline. It appeared to have been painted with a thick tar type paint to protect the metal. Black seems to have been the most favoured 'colour' on ex. GWR stations. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 Is that not a bit worrying? Surely locos should work with or without a chip, but not being able to fine tune the CVs, to me hints of a serious problem with the whole DCC concept. Sweeping Statement alert..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 (edited) Pathing a 47XX back to Ruabon to save a light engine movement... Edited July 21, 2018 by coachmann 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 (edited) Yesterday, I came across some video I shot in 1996 just after the extension to Carrog opened (note the lack of signalling). Filmed from the cab of a Class 47 from Carrog to Glyndyfrdwy, this 'still' from the film shows was the open look of the area just outside the station..... I have removed the trackside fencing (it was not GWR style anyway), which helps the scene I think. ... It will be seen that the real points provide a smooth run into the Down platform whereas trains take a right turn off the 'main' into the up platform. I reversed this on the model and put the kink in the down loop because I wanted a smooth passage for trains leaving and entering the Up platform. Edited July 21, 2018 by coachmann 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tortuga Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 (edited) Hmm interesting. I’m going to assume that the reason for the kink in the up line on the real thing is because trains in this direction would be moving slowly having just set off from Carrog therefore the effect of the reverse curve on passengers would be minimal. Looking back at your photo of the real thing in post #59, I notice the kink in the down line is present (as you’ve modelled); presumably it’s due to trains at Carrog under preservation predominantly using the Up Platform for passenger workings. Edited July 22, 2018 by Tortuga Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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