Ruston's Industrial locomotive and wagon workshop thread.

[Ruston]

Home-made wasp stripes, for the Pecketts. Those with the tip of the arrow facing up are for my friend's loco, whereas my loco will have them facing down, as I did on the Barclays.

[Ruston]

The Pecketts are well on the way to being finished. Tank front handrails and cab footsteps are about all that's left to add and then there's some finish painting, weathering and detailing. I fitted block buffers of a type that I have seen on Pecketts at a cement works in the south of England. I've used this same type before but made them from brass to add weight for traction. This pair won't be pulling any more than three wagons at a time, so the buffers are made from styrene sheet.

 

[AlfaZagato]

They just need the grime.  Is yours destined for a specific layout?  Or a 'stock' loco for whatever you fee like having a play with?

[Ruston]

17 hours ago, AlfaZagato said:

They just need the grime.  Is yours destined for a specific layout?  Or a 'stock' loco for whatever you fee like having a play with?

They'll be joining the Barclays on Sevastopol Works, whenever that layout gets built. Because none of these four will have sound, they won't be used on any of my existing layouts.

[Ruston]

Two vans that I've had for a long time without doing anything with them. I had a surplus of milled coupling hooks, so decided to fit them and weather the vans. Both were as new and untouched at lunchtime, yesterday. By tea time they were ready for service. That's why I like to use acrylic paints.

 

The bodies were separated from the underframes and given an overall wash of dirty grey, whilst the underframes were painted with Tamiya No.85, Rubber Black and were also given the same grey wash once the paint was dry. The metalwork on the bodies, and the springs, brake gear and buffer heads on the underframe were picked out in a mix of 85 and 9, Hull Red. The roofs were given another, darker wash and the corrugated ends had dark rust weathering powders applied. I had just enough Lanarkshire Model Supplies vac pipes to finish the pair of vans.

[Ruston]

One Peckett finished. Almost. It needs to have some frame overlays to hide the gap between the 3D-printed bufferbeam/frame extension and the actual chassis block. It can't be seen from this angle but it is noticeable when viewed from lower down. Name plates are on order for both the Pecketts and Barclays.

 

[Ruston]

They are all ready for service. One crew figure each and a plain decoder and Stay Alive installed in all. All that's needed to complete are name plates.

 

 

 

 

[Ruston]

The last time this one was seen was 363 days ago, back on page 29. It doesn't look any different but the motor is now wired to the pickups, so it can move under its own power.

I don't know what I am going to do with it now. The only layout that it's really suitable for is the CVMR, but that would mean fitting sound to it and spending a load of money on it. Getting it running is part of a rationalisation of stock. I've got many projects that have stalled for one reason or another, or that don't really have a use now, so some may be sold.

 

Others are being abandoned completely, such as the Peckett W6 scheme. I also need to clear some of the mountain of loco kits that I have collected and will probably never build, such as the Impetus Bagnall 0-6-0ST. There are also some complete locos that may go.

[AlfaZagato]

Sorry to hear you cutting back.  Will you be mentioning here if or when you decide to let things go?

[Ruston]

On 01/12/2023 at 19:21, AlfaZagato said:

Sorry to hear you cutting back.  Will you be mentioning here if or when you decide to let things go?

I will do.

 

I've been waiting for the Hornby Ruston 88DS for a long time so I was excited to receive a parcel containing this:

I was so excited in fact that I thought of making an unboxing video but then I remembered that I'm not a moron, so I didn't bother.

 

Now that it's here I must say that I am rather disappointed at the chassis. It appears as a plate frame that runs the length of the loco, as it would on a steam loco or a rod-driven diesel. Hornby have done it like that to give somewhere to fit the awful tension lock couplers but it detracts from the look of the thing. There is nothing in those overhanging areas of any importance, so they can be sawed, filed or milled away if, like me, you use 3-link couplings. I haven't run it yet but it does work. I put a 9v battery to the wheels to test it.

 

This particular example, the Reading signal works shunter, is unusual in not having the buffer beam ballast weights. The only ones that I know of in UK industry to not have those weights worked in the petro-chemical industry. The front part of the engine casing was longer and the front air intake was smaller than normal and I think that the frames were actually longer to accommodate this.

 

I have no interest in modelling the BR Reading signal works example, so this loco will become a petro-chemical works shunter. Those lamp brackets will be the first things to go, followed by the replacement of the oval buffers with round ones. The exhaust pipe will receive a vortex spark arrestor and a flameproof battery box will be added to the running plate. I'm not going to attempt to lengthen the frames but may alter the air intake.

[Ruston]

The areas blocked out in red can be cut away. Looking at the shape of the cover plate for the gears, it appears that some material between the wheelsets could also be removed if it wasn't for the keep plate would still be left bridging the gap. As this plate holds the pickups I think that it's too much trouble. I can live with the block between the wheelsets.

The chassis block and motor leave no space to get a Stay Alive under engine casing, let alone a speaker. It definitely needs a SA but whether or not sound will be fitted is undecided. They will have to go in the cab in any case.

[cctransuk]

On 04/12/2023 at 11:30, Ruston said:

 

 

I have no interest in modelling the BR Reading signal works example ....

 

On arrival, mine has an appointment with various car paints - in order to back-date it to its original black / red / early crest livery.

 

CJI.

[AlfaZagato]

Have you investigated, I believe, Loksound doing a chipset with integrated stay alive?  I believe I saw it mentioned in relation to the forthcoming Rapido Port of Par Bagnalls.  

[Ruston]

3 hours ago, AlfaZagato said:

Have you investigated, I believe, Loksound doing a chipset with integrated stay alive?  I believe I saw it mentioned in relation to the forthcoming Rapido Port of Par Bagnalls.  

I haven't. I don't use Loksound, I use Zimo. I would use a Loksound if they did an 88DS sound project but no one does an 88DS project for any decoder type. I know that Accurascale are doing a sound-fitted 88DS in 7mm, but they'll be using a decoder that won't possibly fit in the 4mm Hornby loco, even without a SA, and even if they offer it without buying their model. I know that recordings were made for a Zimo project because I was there when they were made but they have never been made into a finished project. The nearest that can be got is the 165DS project, from Digitrains. It's the same type of engine, but with two more cylinders, is a mechanical transmission and uses an air start like the 88DS does.

 

I successfully voided the warranty on this one.

 

Before hacking the chassis blocks on Hornby Pecketts and Hattons Barclays I usually strip everything down to the bare block, including the gears. I took the cover plate off the chassis block and decided not to mess with it.

With the cover back in place, everything must be sealed with tape and black tac to prevent the ingress of swarf and filings. I really wouldn't want to try and clean anything out of that little lot!

[Ruston]

I noticed that with the working chassis fitted and screwed into the body, the axle centres didn't appear to match the axlebox centres. I put the body/chassis on track and buffered it up to to a Bachmann 16-ton mineral. The buffer centres on the 88DS were over 1mm higher than on the wagon, so it's not simply that the axle and axlebox centres don't line up, it's that the ride height is wrong.

 

And then I noticed these lumps of foam tape. Scratching them off, particularly the one under the cab, reveals a raised piece of casting that, if it were not for the tape, would fit nicely into the matching recess on the underside of the cab. I suspect this is another bodge to cater for those vile appendages known as tension lock couplings, in order to get them to line up with other stock. At least a bit of foam tape can be scratched off and they haven't (hopefully as we have yet to see the actual models in our hands) cut a lump out of the buffer beam weight on the models that will be fitted with them.

With these lumps of foam scratched off, the ride height is reduced to near enough to the buffer height of the 16-ton mineral. I still have to attend to the parts of buffer beam that have been omitted due to the hateful and horrible appendages. Plugs for these gaps are provided with the model but there will be nowhere to plug them in once the chassis block has been altered. I've lost the little bag containing them and the couplings, so will make plasticard replacements and if I do find the bag of couplings I shall set fire to it.

[Ruston]

After a quick splash of paint.

 

[sb67]

Wow, you don't hang about! That looks different, think it suits it. 👍

[John Besley]

Reminds me of the Paignton Gas Works shunter that lived by the mainline at Hollicombe

[Ruston]

The livery is based on that on various Imperial Chemical Industries diesels.

 

The chassis mods have improved the look somewhat but it's a lot of trouble to go to. It could have been avoided if Hornby had put more thought into it. I know they have to be able to fit those awful couplings but surely a plastic pocket that can be unscrewed, like those on Bachmann wagons, could have been used instead? Some people have suggested that it's to add weight but it's now only 7 grammes lighter than when it came out of the box. Seven grammes won't make much difference in pulling power and just how much does anyone want to hang behind one of these things anyway?

 

 

 

I have made some ICI logos for it but no specific division or location lettering. It will run on Charlie's Yard as something that came in for scrap but was found to be servicable and was put to use. Ultimately, I see it on a chemical works micro layout.
 

[Ruston]

 

Stay Alive test fit into cab. The glazing was removed for the repaint but will be reinstalled before the roof goes back on.

 

The start of the vortex spark arrestor. Things such as this would be better made as 3D prints as all the nut and bolt detail can be added but I can't drive a computer, so this is made from a length of brass rod and a turned piece of aluminium. I'll use a piece of square section styrene for the part where sparks are collected and emptied from.

 

Another small detail that I want to have a go at is to make the buffer heads appear like spark proof ones. I'm thinking some fine weave material glued on and soaked in glue.

[Ruston]

It runs and it's got sound and Stay Alive in it now. Unfortunately, I ordered the sound gear on Thursday and it arrived this morning. Unfortunately because Digitrains have launched a proper 88DS sound project. This has the 165DS project in it, which was the nearest thing available but I will get it reblown with the proper one.

Vortex spark arrestor fitted.

 

The lamps will be changed to flameproof ones as soon as the order from RT Models arrives but other than that it's ready to go.

 

[John Besley]

Just out of intrest what other electrical components did the original have that would have been intrinsically safe for type of environment it would have worked in

[Ruston]

On 10/12/2023 at 08:30, John Besley said:

Just out of intrest what other electrical components did the original have that would have been intrinsically safe for type of environment it would have worked in

The only electrics on a standard 88DS were the front and rear lamps, internal cab lamp and the electric fan for the cab heater. And of course the battery and dynamo. They could all pose a spark risk so the flameproofed gear had sealed cases, with tamper-proof fastners and, I presume, toughened glass on the lamps. I don't know what they did about the heater fan motor.

 

The other spark risk would have been the ignition system on the donkey engine that charged the air-start reservoir if it became totally depleted. This was why the flameproofed locos used electric start, instead of air, as the battery box and starter motor were also flameproofed.

[Max Legroom]

Your modifications to the chassis block of the 88DS have made a big improvement to the appearance.

[Captain Kernow]

2 hours ago, Max Legroom said:

Your modifications to the chassis block of the 88DS have made a big improvement to the appearance.

Agreed, but I wonder how easy it would be, without access to the appropriate machine tools? Anything else seems to me to risk damaging the bits of the chassis that you would want to retain?...