Caley Jim Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 1 hour ago, 2mm Andy said: I'm sure I have seen an article/drawing of the WCJS sleeping composite coach recently - possibly in a LNWRS or HMRS journal? All the details you need to model any WCJS vehicle are in the 'Register of West Coast Joint Stock' book published by the HMRS many years ago. That photo is a scan from it. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Caley Jim Posted January 22 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 22 (edited) Having spent the last few days chasing short circuits in both the loco and tender, involving much tissue paper and cyanoacrylate to cure them, the loco is finally running, albeit without any stay-alive yet. The motor has been tuned slightly, P and I set to 20 and 10 respectively, which seem to give the smoothest running, and acceleration and deceleration both set to 10. This test had the power setting in JMRI at 50% and direction change by switching directly between forward and reverse without using the brake. The lead on the cab roof is to help adhesion and pick up from the loco. The stuttering through the turnout is probably as much to do with the turnout as the loco! As can be seen, it copes quite happily with the approx. 15" (370mm) curve on my test track. It will also run at 'count the spokes as they come to the bottom' speed, so I'm happy with that. Jim Edited January 22 by Caley Jim Typos as usual! 16 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caley Jim Posted February 4 Author Share Posted February 4 The buffer beam, valances and footsteps, cab inside splashers, reversing lever, smokebox door and bogie were all fitted in quick succession. Then I found I was back experiencing short circuits. Now this didn't surprise me as the clearance between the rear coupled wheel flanges and the rear of the cab splashers is very tight, but even after I had filed the inside of the splashers back a bit and lined them with tissue, the shorting was still there! 🙄 Much checking and partial dismantling followed, revealing shorting where I thought I had made sure there was none, including some of the thin double-sided PCB pads. (That bent step support on the LHS valance has been straightened) Having got that problem dealt with I then had to spend some time getting the front bogie to behave itself. The wheels weren't for rotating and adjusting the springs taking the current from it either had one set rotating or the other, but not both. It also wasn't happy going through a turnout. Eventually I replaced the 8thou wire with 10thou and the stronger springs seem to have done the trick. Thanks to a new circuit from one of our group members the stay-alive is now wired up and it's running rather nicely, though traction is still not great. Just as well it won't need turned on Kirkallanmuir as the combined wheelbase of loco and tender will barely fit on the 50ft turntable! Sandboxes and brake gear next. Jim 10 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caley Jim Posted February 4 Author Share Posted February 4 Post script to the above. Although the loco is running well, I found that when I either turned off the track power (when testing with a SPROG and JMRI), set a turnout against it, or lifted it off the track the motor gave a 'kick', enough to move the loco c1cm, which I realised was due to the CT decoder taking power from the capacitors. I hadn't experienced this with locos fitted with Zimo decoders. In consultation with my consulting electronics engineer, AKA @Nigelcliffe, it turns out that 'Zimo, being smarter, can tell the difference between "track DC" and "stay-alive DC". Most decoders cannot'. Changed the setting to 'NMRA digital only' and problem solved! Moral is, if you fit stay-alive to a CT decoder, don’t enable DC! At least with this loco I can unplug the decoder and plug the motor straight to the track supply for DC running (e.g. for running on Dunallander, which is why I enabled DC). Jim 4 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caley Jim Posted February 6 Author Share Posted February 6 (edited) Sandboxes and brake gear now fitted. Because the sandboxes are hidden behind the front steps, I thought I might have got away with just a piece of brass with the sandpipe attached, but then I realised that from an oblique angle that would leave a bit of a gap, so proper sandboxes were created from the end of a pin from a 13amp plug. They and the brake gear have been treated with Beechwood Casey Aluminium Black which i feel gives a better representation of 'in service' condition than black paint. Since taking the photo I've added some thin strips of scrap etch in the area between the firesmokebox and the driving wheels, not to try to accurately model the valve gear, but just to put some 'clutter' in there to fill what would otherwise be an empty space. With all the etched parts now fitted, apart from the cab side lamp brackets, which won't go on until just before painting, and the number plates, which won't go on until after painting, attention will now turn to the 'round bits', So the trusty Black and Decker will be coming out! Jim Edited February 7 by Caley Jim correct 'firebox' to 'smokebox' 11 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Caley Jim Posted February 20 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 20 (edited) With the buffers, tender fittings and boiler furniture fitted she's almost ready for the paintshop. I say 'almost' as I won't be fitting the cabside lamp brackets until the very last thing as they will be left projecting straight out and so will be very vulnerable. They'll be bent up to the vertical after painting. Painting won't start until after this weekend as I'll have it on the 2MM SA Roadshow stand at Model Rail this Friday and Saturday, so you can see it 'in the flesh NSR livery' there. The boiler handrail has just been threaded into place at the moment and will be removed prior to painting. After painting, the whistle, Westinghouse pump and pipes, smokebox dart wheel and the front cylinder lubricators will be the last things to go on. After packing as much lead as I can into every nook and cranny in the vicinity of the coupled wheels, including making the backhead (still to be detailed) and cab floor out of lead, she will 'just' haul the Glasgow and Edinburgh Direct set of three 65' coaches. The long line of wagons in the down loop are all the vehicles which were in the goods yard as I need to bring that board into the house to trace a bad connection somewhere at the far end of the loop. (Note to self, must fix that damaged finial on the down main starter.) Jim Edited February 20 by Caley Jim punctuation 16 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Caley Jim Posted April 5 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 5 Well! Painting and finishing off has taken some considerable time, between being a slow business in itself and other things getting in the way. I decided to finish it in the later light blue livery (at least my rendition of it) and the result can only be described as being on the 'very nearly' side of acceptable, but from 3 ft away with your eyes screwed up it's just about OK. Jim 21 18 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium nick_bastable Posted April 6 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 6 a thing of beauty 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrism1964 Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 Outstanding. At first (and even second and third) glance one could easily believe that it's a much larger scale model. The detail's superb and that lining is simply exquisite. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium CF MRC Posted April 6 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 6 That is a very pretty little engine! Tim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted April 6 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 6 11 hours ago, Caley Jim said: Well! Painting and finishing off has taken some considerable time, between being a slow business in itself and other things getting in the way. I decided to finish it in the later light blue livery (at least my rendition of it) and the result can only be described as being on the 'very nearly' side of acceptable, but from 3 ft away with your eyes screwed up it's just about OK. Jim Gorgeous Jim. Any chance of a snap of it with the coaches you built recently. Jerry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richbrummitt Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 (edited) 16 hours ago, Caley Jim said: from 3 ft away with your eyes screwed up That's how I view most things and probably a great many others have no choice in the matter either. Even then I think you are being most unkind to yourself and your abilities . Edited April 6 by richbrummitt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Caley Jim Posted April 6 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 6 5 hours ago, queensquare said: Gorgeous Jim. Any chance of a snap of it with the coaches you built recently. Your wish is my command, Sir. Jim 20 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Doncaster Green Posted April 6 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 6 2 hours ago, Caley Jim said: Your wish is my command, Sir. Jim Absolutely gorgeous, Jim John 1 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted April 7 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 7 17 hours ago, Caley Jim said: Your wish is my command, Sir. Jim Splendid, a very handsome train, Jerry 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caley Jim Posted April 7 Author Share Posted April 7 11 hours ago, queensquare said: Splendid, a very handsome train, Well, the Caley was a very handsome line! 😁 Jim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted April 8 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 8 11 hours ago, Caley Jim said: Well, the Caley was a very handsome line! 😁 Jim I think it’s something to do with having blue engines Jim! Jerry 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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