Ruston's Industrial locomotive and wagon workshop thread.

[John Besley]

That looks gorgeously filthy, love it

 

BTW how many pockets or derivatives of them do you have.... I've lost track of them

[Ruston]

41 minutes ago, John Besley said:

That looks gorgeously filthy, love it

 

BTW how many pockets or derivatives of them do you have.... I've lost track of them

Pecketts? The 0-4-0ST flavoured ones? I don't know. I'll have to round the pesky little things up for a head chimney count.

[John Besley]

I meant Pecketts... silly predictive text....

[Ruston]

Count 'em.

 

Taliesin

 

Osiris

 

Ceridwen

 

The Brown Peckett

 

The Green Peckett

 

The Black cut down Peckett

 

The Red Peckett

 

The gasworks Peckett

 

That makes 8. There are two more in works. One inside-cylindered and one body that I was given for nowt that is being built up into a working engine on a scratchbuilt frame.

 

There are also this pair that are not mine but I did the rebuilds/paint/weathering.

 

 

 

Edited October 13, 2022 by Ruston

[Sweet pea]

Dave a nice selection of reworked Pecketts, they all look great. 👍

[Ruston]

In this life

One thing counts

Saddletanks

Large amounts

I'm afraid these don’t grow on trees

You've got to pick a Peckett or two

You've got to pick a Peckett or two

Boys!

You've got to pick a Peckett or two

 

 

[Corbs]

I do feel like you need to change your location to 'Atlas Works'

[Din]

How'd you come about the R4 styling, Ruston?

 

One such loco worked local to me, and I'd quite like some form of it in my own collection.

[Ben B]

On 09/10/2022 at 17:24, Ruston said:

I had another spare Peckett body to play with so hacked it up yesterday. My local model shop have some tins of discontinued Humbrol paints for sale and No.36, Pastel Green seemed like a good idea.

It doesn't seem such a good idea now.

 

Not a Peckett, but very green nonetheless;  No.6 at the Middelton in 2021 :)

 

[Ruston]

The cut down Barclay has been back in works.

 

It hasn't had very much use at all but when it has run it has done so without fault. I took it out yesterday to use in testing the hopper discharge gear on Harboro Stone and it ran for about 3ft and when put into reverse it wouldn't move. Then it wouldn't go forward either.

 

A strip down and a run of the motor, disengaged from the gears, showed the coreless motor had failed. It wouldn't start without intervention and sounded growly. I swapped it for a spare and the engine is running again but this experience doesn't fill me with confidence over the reliability of these coreless motors.

 

Whilst it was on the bench I addressed something that has been bugging me for a while now. When I built it, based on Dalmellington No.18 it was intended for use on the CVMR, where the open footplate would be suitable and in period with the build date of No.18. After messing up the lining and then making it look as if it had been patch-painted, it no longer looked like a nearly new engine and so didn't fit in with the CVMR but then I began to build Harboro Stone, where it was then to be used. It's the open footplate that's been bugging me. The time period of Harboro Stone is the 1960s and it's meant to be up in the hills of the Peak District. All the other engines intended for the layout have cabs and some even have shutters or tarps that have been added to keep out the weather, so an open footplate engine really does not fit in.

 

It now has an open-backed cab and tarps. I've gone overboard with the weathering and it wasn't intentional but you can't have them all well cared for.

[Ruston]

Planet Industrials Kerr, Stuart Victory.

 

What a whopper! This thing is massive!

I've already had the paintbrush to it and have slapped some brass colour on the cylinder lubrication globes and have painted the buffer heads and safety valves. It will be superpower and overkill for the CVMR's coal trains and will be fitted with a set of dumb buffers to work with chaldron-type wagons. 3-links have also been fitted, which necessitated removing the drawhooks that came with it. Whilst they looked very good, there was no way of fitting the links, or at least keeping the links fitted. 

 

Other jobs on the list are to fit the sound decoder when it arrives and to do something about that dome. Without a flange it looks as if it's just growing out of the boiler.

 

It's nicely heavy and runs well enough, although is quite noisy, especially in reverse gear. There was no sign of it having been lubricated at the factory so I put some oil in the gearbox and some light oil on the motion and wheel bearings. It has quietened slightly but it's still nothing like as quiet as a Hornby W4 Peckett straight out of the box. As long as it quietens enough to be drowned out by the DCC sound I'll be happy but we'll have to wait and see what happens with that.

 

As this is more of a review than workshop at the moment I may as well add that the motion is particularly nice. It's solid and has depth to it, unlike the skinny stampings on Hornby and Hattons efforts. The fact that it drives off the rear axle and that the centre is sprung is good, too, unlike the Oxford Janus, which is effectively only an 0-4-0 as the centre wheelset doesn't even touch the rail tops on straight and level track, so this does actually benefit from pickup on all six wheels.

 

Weathering next, I guess...

 

Edited November 5, 2022 by Ruston

[cctransuk]

41 minutes ago, Ruston said:

 

 

.... do something about that dome. Without a flange it looks as if it's just growing out of the boiler.

 

Agreed - shame; please post your solution, so that the rest of us can blatantly copy!

 

41 minutes ago, Ruston said:

It's nicely heavy and runs well enough, although is quite noisy ...

 

Agreed again - and mine won't be able to hide behind DCC sound. Off with the body and out with the oil and grease, methinks!

 

John Isherwood

 

[Ruston]

Just now, cctransuk said:

 

Agreed - shame; please post your solution, so that the rest of us can blatantly copy!

 

 

Agreed again - and mine won't be able to hide behind DCC sound. Off with the body and out with the oil and grease, methinks!

 

John Isherwood

 

I have an idea and I will reveal it once I know it will work. Although I don't suppose it's good that you are in agreement about the noise, in terms of the fact that there is noise to be in agreement over, but at least I know it's not just me. People on the Victory thread are saying how quiet they are, even when posted videos seem to show quite the opposite!

[cctransuk]

2 minutes ago, Ruston said:

I have an idea and I will reveal it once I know it will work. Although I don't suppose it's good that you are in agreement about the noise, in terms of the fact that there is noise to be in agreement over, but at least I know it's not just me. People on the Victory thread are saying how quiet they are, even when posted videos seem to show quite the opposite!

 

Noise - or lack of - is subjective. If you are used only to RTR, the Victory is perhaps quiet.

 

Those of us who use Mitsumi or N20 motors have a more precise datum by which to judge new models!

 

John Isherwood.

[Ruston]

4 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

Noise - or lack of - is subjective. If you are used only to RTR, the Victory is perhaps quiet.

 

Those of us who use Mitsumi or N20 motors have a more precise datum by which to judge new models!

 

John Isherwood.

I can't really disagree but I do have N20-powered stuff that is no noisier than this and I think it's about my expectation of RTR these days. They all seem to run almost silently. I've never noticed that the Mitsumis themselves contribute noise but if you're right then I wonder how much of the Victory's noise is from the motor? If you look at the flywheel end it looks to be a Mitsumi, only a bit longer.

[Phil Parker]

14 minutes ago, Ruston said:

People on the Victory thread are saying how quiet they are, even when posted videos seem to show quite the opposite!

 

Presumably, that's another dig at the quick video I posted. Meant to be helpful, not a mistake I will make again. You, of course, know the exact circumstances and equipment used to record it which is how you can use it to comment.

 

Anyway, the video has (you will be pleased to know) been removed. Lesson learned. Stop trying to help people.

[Ruston]

2 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

Presumably, that's another dig at the quick video I posted. Meant to be helpful, not a mistake I will make again. You, of course, know the exact circumstances and equipment used to record it which is how you can use it to comment.

 

Anyway, the video has (you will be pleased to know) been removed. Lesson learned. Stop trying to help people.

It wasn't a dig at all. Why are you always so paranoid and defensive? I've seen it mentioned about how quiet they supposedly are elsewhere than your post, Phil. Someone even said his was quieter than a Hornby Peckett. But as you've mentioned it, your loco did sound very noisy and whether that was down to the recording equipment or not, how was anyone supposed to know that? I'm sure you thought you were helping people but if I hadn't have asked about it people would still be assuming that the model sounded like a bag of spanners, so don't come telling me that I'm having a dig when it was nothing of the sort.

[cctransuk]

27 minutes ago, Ruston said:

I can't really disagree but I do have N20-powered stuff that is no noisier than this and I think it's about my expectation of RTR these days. They all seem to run almost silently. I've never noticed that the Mitsumis themselves contribute noise but if you're right then I wonder how much of the Victory's noise is from the motor? If you look at the flywheel end it looks to be a Mitsumi, only a bit longer.

 

You misinterpret me - probably my fault.

 

From my experience, Mitsumi and N20 motors are at the lower end of noise generation. By contrast, I find that much RTR output is noticeably noisier - particularly older Bachmann.

 

Mention of the flywheel has reminded me that these can be noise generating, if not perfectly balanced. I have quietened a number of models by removing the flywheel.

 

John Isherwood.

[James Hilton]

All, having tested my own ‘production’ Victory which was noisier in reverse I thought it useful to share how I worked through the model.

 

All models are lubricated and tested at the factory, and then tested again here before dispatch, this makes sure they work, but does not address any variation in drive noise. Of course, lubrication applied in China may well have dried out before the models are run properly here in the UK on your layouts. With this in mind, I decided to dig a bit deeper as I would with any model.

 

I added some fine oil to the bushes on the axles, no different.

I added some grease in the gearbox, no different.

I added a tiny spot of oil to the motor shafts (each end of the motor). Transformed.

I added a tiny touch of oil on the crankpins and slide bars too, no obvious difference.

 

I would suggest anyone who wants to improve the quietness of their Victory that this is a good course of action. Motor bush/bearing lubrication often makes a big difference to noise, but oil must only be applied very sparingly to avoid contamination of the electrical parts. 
 

I’ll add this to the Victory thread as well.

[Ruston]

19 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

You misinterpret me - probably my fault.

 

From my experience, Mitsumi and N20 motors are at the lower end of noise generation. By contrast, I find that much RTR output is noticeably noisier - particularly older Bachmann.

 

Mention of the flywheel has reminded me that these can be noise generating, if not perfectly balanced. I have quietened a number of models by removing the flywheel.

 

John Isherwood.

Sorry, John, I've only just seen this after being so rudely interrupted. I thought you meant that the N20s were noisy but then I'm thinking of the N20 gearmotors. The gearboxes on those whine quite loudly but the motors themselves, when fitted to a High Level gearbox are very quiet.

 

1 hour ago, James Hilton said:

All, having tested my own ‘production’ Victory which was noisier in reverse I thought it useful to share how I worked through the model.

 

All models are lubricated and tested at the factory, and then tested again here before dispatch, this makes sure they work, but does not address any variation in drive noise. Of course, lubrication applied in China may well have dried out before the models are run properly here in the UK on your layouts. With this in mind, I decided to dig a bit deeper as I would with any model.

 

I added some fine oil to the bushes on the axles, no different.

I added some grease in the gearbox, no different.

I added a tiny spot of oil to the motor shafts (each end of the motor). Transformed.

I added a tiny touch of oil on the crankpins and slide bars too, no obvious difference.

 

I would suggest anyone who wants to improve the quietness of their Victory that this is a good course of action. Motor bush/bearing lubrication often makes a big difference to noise, but oil must only be applied very sparingly to avoid contamination of the electrical parts. 
 

I’ll add this to the Victory thread as well.

Thanks, James. I'm pretty certain that mine had not been lubricated. When I lifted the speaker housing there was no trace of grease or oil on the worm and the gears that could be seen but, as you say, it makes no difference anyway. I have lubricated everything that can be lubricated now, except for the motor shafts and it appears to be running easier, if not quieter. I would have lubricated it anyway in the interests of reducing wear, even if it was a silent runner. I will put a spot of oil on the motor shaft, as you suggest.

 

It's not massively noisy and I expect that it won't be heard behind the DCC sound when that is fitted. It's just, as I said previously, it's more about my expectations based on my experience of Hornby and Hattons RTR, which I have found to be very quiet runners straight from the box but then John's experience appears to be the opposite of mine regarding RTR...

 

It's still a good model and I'm happy with it. You know that I'm not in the habit of blowing smoke up anyone's arse, so if I say I'm happy with it then I am and if I point out something that I think is wrong then that's all it is; it isn't a "dig" at anyone and it isn't personal.

 

Anyway, I have done a bit of weathering on it and if my camera plays ball I may even post some pictures later.

 

[Ruston]

I haven't really weathered the chassis yet. The only attention that has had is to paint the brake blocks rusty and paint the drain cock operating rods with some Humbrol polished steel and a bit of dulling of the cylinders.

 

Polished steel on the handrails.

 

 

Coal added to the bunker and plenty of rust and coal dust where the paint has been knocked off during coaling.

 

[Barclay]

16 hours ago, Ruston said:

I haven't really weathered the chassis yet. The only attention that has had is to paint the brake blocks rusty and paint the drain cock operating rods with some Humbrol polished steel and a bit of dulling of the cylinders.

 

Polished steel on the handrails.

 

 

Coal added to the bunker and plenty of rust and coal dust where the paint has been knocked off during coaling.

 

It makes an interesting comparison with my old Centre Models loco., which clearly isn't in the same league for sharpness and detail. I note the firebox shapes are very different, with the PI version being significantly more rounded all round. I think it may be a touch too curvaceous in that department - maybe the truth is somewhere between the 2? Does the firebox also sit slightly higher than the boiler or is that an illusion?

 

 

[Michael Edge]

I think the firebox cladding is a bit too rounded and I don't think it should be higher than the boiler cladding although it's not easy to decide from this works photo.

This is really a bit picky about a fine model - I would be more concerned about the base of the dome. Boiler cladding varies quite a bit, the two Victorys inherited by the GW from Alexandra Docks later had replacement Swindon style cladding and the shape of the others varies - and not always replaced accurately.

[Ruston]

On 06/11/2022 at 15:28, James Hilton said:

I added a tiny spot of oil to the motor shafts (each end of the motor). Transformed.

I've just done that and it's cured it. The clicking and grinding in reverse has gone.

[AlfaZagato]

Always great to hear a company man chime in.