Little Loco Company - Ruston 48DS

[brossard]

Ken, just for a laugh (and to check that both bogies are picking up), I laid a paper towel over the track.  I started the loco at low speed (default heavy load setting) and it sailed right over the towel.  Zimo decoders seem to come with a stay alive, so perhaps the factory sound loco has it already.  Given the dual flywheels, not sure it even needs a stay alive. 

 

John

[pauliebanger]

Has anyone installed a keep-alive into their 15? I'd like to do one before I start lettering and weathering mine.

 

Yes, I have, though as Brossard says, it's probably not really necessary.

 

Someone seems to have thought when designing the PCB that modellers might like to do this so you will find solder pads on the PCB specially for connecting Stay Alive capacitors, 'CAP +' and 'GND'. Couldn't be simpler.

 

Of course, being ZIMO, the decoder is already equipped with the necessary circuitry to manage stay alive caps. The decoder in this model also has voltage regulation to limit voltage to the caps at 16V, so you can use any caps from 16v upwards.

 

I've used 6 x 2.7v 1F supercaps wired in series to give 166,666 uF, but then, I will be using this during my sound demos at shows (Lincoln this weekend) so I need the 'belt and braces' assurance of trouble-free running this gives me.

 

Kind regards,

 

Paul

Ken, just for a laugh (and to check that both bogies are picking up), I laid a paper towel over the track.  I started the loco at low speed (default heavy load setting) and it sailed right over the towel.  Zimo decoders seem to come with a stay alive, so perhaps the factory sound loco has it already.  Given the dual flywheels, not sure it even needs a stay alive. 

 

John

 

'You're gonna need a bigger towel'

[brossard]

 

'You're gonna need a bigger towel'

 

I should probably try it with a bath towel. 

 

John

[HeavyDuty]

Yes, I have, though as Brossard says, it's probably not really necessary.

 

Someone seems to have thought when designing the PCB that modellers might like to do this so you will find solder pads on the PCB specially for connecting Stay Alive capacitors, 'CAP +' and 'GND'. Couldn't be simpler.

 

Of course, being ZIMO, the decoder is already equipped with the necessary circuitry to manage stay alive caps. The decoder in this model also has voltage regulation to limit voltage to the caps at 16V, so you can use any caps from 16v upwards.

 

I've used 6 x 2.7v 1F supercaps wired in series to give 166,666 uF, but then, I will be using this during my sound demos at shows (Lincoln this weekend) so I need the 'belt and braces' assurance of trouble-free running this gives me.

 

Kind regards,

 

Paul

 

'You're gonna need a bigger towel'

"Someone?"

[The Nth Degree]

You know when you've thought of doing something so much that you believe you've actually done it? Well, that happened. I thought I had posted a photo of Little Loco's donation to the C15PS as I had been planning to do it all week, but I haven't so here it is.

 

 

Here are some members of the Class 15 Preservation Society Committee receiving our first donation of £7,500 towards the restoration of D8233. This will be used to restore and fabricate parts required to produce a solid running and rolling chassis to build the body onto.

 

Our second donation of £5000 will be made when all limited edition models have been sold. If you want to help, we still have approx 20 models of the limited edition left, so even if you do not necessarily need a BTH Type 1 for your layout, you will be contributing a substantial amount to the C15PS by purchasing one and you will be buying an appreciating asset too. Each model comes with a numbered certificate.

 

Another way, is to bid on limited edition no.1, which is now in possession of the C15PS. This model comes with a special certificate and was the first off the production line, so is very special indeed. They will announce an auction date and details in due course, but may be at their next gala event in June. Contact them for details at www.d8233.org

 

On behalf of us both, thank you!

Steve

[leopardml2341]

Brilliant!

 

Any news on transfers please?

[kernowtim]

Well my model turned up safety at work earlier this week, just need to build the layout for it to run on, in retrospect should have ordered the dcc version, can anyone recommended a decoder?? Not necessarily with sound.. Or is sound decoder available separately

Edited February 24, 2017 by kernowtim

[leopardml2341]

..... Or is sound decoder available separately

See post 357, but ignore the Spanish Inquisition that ensued.......

[brossard]

Here's a question that I can't recall being discussed.  Has anyone played with the discs?  As delivered, there are too many showing white I think. When not in use they would have been folded over, to cover the marker light, with green painted backs.  Love to hear what others have done here.

 

John

[norman]

Here's a question that I can't recall being discussed.  Has anyone played with the discs?  As delivered, there are too many showing white I think. When not in use they would have been folded over, to cover the marker light, with green painted backs.  Love to hear what others have done here.

 

John

The discs are fully operational, just flip over the ones not required, simple.

Norman

[Izzy]

Here's a question that I can't recall being discussed.  Has anyone played with the discs?  As delivered, there are too many showing white I think. When not in use they would have been folded over, to cover the marker light, with green painted backs.  Love to hear what others have done here.

 

John

 

With the class 15's the discs were mostly folded up rather than down. Like this

 

 

 

 

Not quite sure why, but it seemed to happen right to the end of their existence and is clearly seen in photos of them.

 

There are a few here which show this: http://www.emgauge70s.co.uk/

 

Look under the Reference & inspiration link

 

Izzy

[russ p]

You can fold headcode discs either way

The most common way is over the lamp but I've seen pictures with discs folded both ways on the same cab front

[brossard]

Thanks guys, probably a silly question in hindsight but glad to have the responses.

 

John

[Izzy]

You can fold headcode discs either way

The most common way is over the lamp but I've seen pictures with discs folded both ways on the same cab front

 

I have long puzzeld over why they were folded upwards, it's something not really commonly seen on other diesel types, and of course gives rise to the white dot showing through the disc, which at first when I saw photos of them - at distance - I thought were some kind of route code. Perhaps someone might know. I think some other early diesels such as the class 21 had the discs hinged sideways.

 

Izzy

[Phil Bullock]

I have long puzzeld over why they were folded upwards, it's something not really commonly seen on other diesel types, and of course gives rise to the white dot showing through the disc, which at first when I saw photos of them - at distance - I thought were some kind of route code. Perhaps someone might know. I think some other early diesels such as the class 21 had the discs hinged sideways.

 

Izzy

 

Class 21s and 22 featured sideways folding discs - I always though they were an NBL speciality therefore, but Class 16 and D600s had them folding conventionally!

 

Phil

[leopardml2341]

Class 21s and 22 featured sideways folding discs - I always though they were an NBL speciality therefore, but Class 16 and D600s had them folding conventionally!

 

Phil

IIRC, the sideways folders were to allow the nose doors to be used?

[HeavyDuty]

With the class 15's the discs were mostly folded up rather than down. Like this

 

 

RMweb ASE 01.jpg

 

 

Not quite sure why, but it seemed to happen right to the end of their existence and is clearly seen in photos of them.

 

There are a few here which show this: http://www.emgauge70s.co.uk/

 

Look under the Reference & inspiration link

 

Izzy

I haven't been able to test my lighting yet (I had to order a new DCC system allowing functions higher than F9 grumble grumble), but wouldn't the white lights here be off, and the one lower left on? Headcodes are still a bit of a mystery to me, but I do know the one you show would be the most used display for my needs.

[Izzy]

I haven't been able to test my lighting yet (I had to order a new DCC system allowing functions higher than F9 grumble grumble), but wouldn't the white lights here be off, and the one lower left on? Headcodes are still a bit of a mystery to me, but I do know the one you show would be the most used display for my needs.

 

According to the notes I have the headcode shown on the model - a Heljan 4mm one - denotes a freight, mineral or ballast stopping at intermediate stations in the 1960's period, and Unfitted freight, Branch freight, freight stopping in section in the 1970's.

 

I must admit to being puzzled by the comments regarding the white lights as there are non illuminated on it. Are you seeing the white discs showing through the upturned flaps holes as lights perhaps?

 

Izzy

[HeavyDuty]

According to the notes I have the headcode shown on the model - a Heljan 4mm one - denotes a freight, mineral or ballast stopping at intermediate stations in the 1960's period, and Unfitted freight, Branch freight, freight stopping in section in the 1970's.

 

I must admit to being puzzled by the comments regarding the white lights as there are non illuminated on it. Are you seeing the white discs showing through the upturned flaps holes as lights perhaps?

 

Izzy

That's what it was, Izzy - I zoomed in to your photo and realized I was seeing the discs through the mouseholes, not lit white lights. I need to look for photos, I'm modeling the very early 1960s and am curious if there was any consistency in how the discs were folded at that time.

[brossard]

I was a bit confused over the use of white discs and lamps on diesels in the early 60s.  I did do a search and came up with this:  http://www.2d53.co.uk/Headcode/headcodeC.htm  There's a neat method to determine the disc/lamp position for classes of trains.  My confusion was about whether white discs were used all over the network, not just the Southern Region - seems they were.

 

John

[Swindon 123]

With the class 15's the discs were mostly folded up rather than down. Like this

 

 

RMweb ASE 01.jpg

 

 

Not quite sure why, but it seemed to happen right to the end of their existence and is clearly seen in photos of them.

 

There are a few here which show this: http://www.emgauge70s.co.uk/

 

Look under the Reference & inspiration link

 

Izzy

 

With the class 15's the discs were mostly folded up rather than down. Like this

 

 

RMweb ASE 01.jpg

 

 

Not quite sure why, but it seemed to happen right to the end of their existence and is clearly seen in photos of them.

 

There are a few here which show this: http://www.emgauge70s.co.uk/

 

Look under the Reference & inspiration link

 

Izzy

 

 

You can fold headcode discs either way

The most common way is over the lamp but I've seen pictures with discs folded both ways on the same cab front

 

 

I have long puzzeld over why they were folded upwards, it's something not really commonly seen on other diesel types, and of course gives rise to the white dot showing through the disc, which at first when I saw photos of them - at distance - I thought were some kind of route code. Perhaps someone might know. I think some other early diesels such as the class 21 had the discs hinged sideways.

 

Izzy

Folding the discs upwards on locos seems to be a Stratford/GE trait. Nearly all photos taken of class 15, 16 and 31/0 on the GE show them with the discs folded up, leaving the marker light exposed. Sometimes the odd one might be folded down, but most of the time they seem to fold them up. The only way to be sure is find photos of the loco you want to model.

 

Paul J.

[HeavyDuty]

I did have a look through the books I had at hand and found the majority of the photos of Class 15s in solid green were folded down, and those with yellow warning panels were folded up. This leads me to believe that, for the very early 60s that are of interest to me at least, I'm safe folding them down.

[Izzy]

I did have a look through the books I had at hand and found the majority of the photos of Class 15s in solid green were folded down, and those with yellow warning panels were folded up. This leads me to believe that, for the very early 60s that are of interest to me at least, I'm safe folding them down.

 

It would appear it also depends on where they were located, those off the GE appearing to be the normal flaps down. If you look at the photos here you can see that the plain green ones around Essex had them mostly up.

 

http://www.d8233.org.uk/gallery_others.htm

 

As Paul J says it does seem to have mainly been a Stratford thing and using photos of the actual one modelled is best.

 

Izzy

[brewery-railways]

Yes, I have, though as Brossard says, it's probably not really necessary.

 

Someone seems to have thought when designing the PCB that modellers might like to do this so you will find solder pads on the PCB specially for connecting Stay Alive capacitors, 'CAP +' and 'GND'. Couldn't be simpler.

 

Of course, being ZIMO, the decoder is already equipped with the necessary circuitry to manage stay alive caps. The decoder in this model also has voltage regulation to limit voltage to the caps at 16V, so you can use any caps from 16v upwards.

 

I've used 6 x 2.7v 1F supercaps wired in series to give 166,666 uF, but then, I will be using this during my sound demos at shows (Lincoln this weekend) so I need the 'belt and braces' assurance of trouble-free running this gives me.

 

Kind regards,

 

Paul

 

'You're gonna need a bigger towel'

Paul

Interested to know that you have connected such a large capacitance. As I understand it from the manual, Zimo state that 2200uF is the max.

Steve

[norman]

Paul

Interested to know that you have connected such a large capacitance. As I understand it from the manual, Zimo state that 2200uF is the max.

Steve

Yes I noticed this in the Zimo documentation but have no idea why, seems rather strange.  I have done the same as Paul and it works really well.  You can adjust the length of time that the stay alive is active via CVs.

Norman