dibber25 Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 As Chris L says, it sounds like a duffer, which I'm sure will be sorted out for you. I'm totally amazed with the performance, and that's with both Gaugemaster feedback and non-feedback controllers. The one in my posession is high mileage too (I'm guessing 50 hours - Chris L will know more seeing it's spent much of its like going round in circles on the Model Rail Towers Nürburg Ring and all weekend at Warley ) and it still runs stunningly well, unlike some other engines of mine that have 'dropped off' despite being well maintained. I think this is the original sample loco, in which case Ben has had over 100 hours out of it! However, its not a case of just being well run in, because it ran just as well right from the beginning and the production models should do the same. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian J. Posted July 15, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 15, 2011 This is looking like a really nice little loco. Makes me even more cheesed off that I can't afford it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium spamcan61 Posted July 15, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 15, 2011 The HM review states "Overall performance was smooth and quiet with excellent slow speed control" so this noisy one does sound like a rogue. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Harrap Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Here's what it looks like with wheels to P4, Doesn't look as though its on the track? Thats because its standing on P87. Crane going on later, Brian. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Clever of them to put that pin on for you to pivot the jib, Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Here's what it looks like with wheels to P4... Looks good, Brian. I intend to do the same with mine eventually. Could you say how you did it? Did you turn down the wheels it came with or replace them with something else? Any problems with clearance on the brake gear? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Taz Posted July 15, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 15, 2011 It is actually the good Captains Sentinel. Brian has turned down the supplied wheels. CK was originally thinking of using lomac wheels but they were 11mm and too big. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Brinkly Posted July 15, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 15, 2011 Thats a good bit of work there Mr Harrap! Very nice. Regards, Nick. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 ...Brian has turned down the supplied wheels... Yes, I remembered the earlier post where either Brian or CK said that was the intention but, if so, it looks like Brian has also reshaped the wheel faces. The effect is to make the wheels look a bit larger to me. The other part of my question (about the brakes) arose because I couldn't see them on the photo and my measurements suggest they will need a bit of trimming to fit with P4 wheels. Another question is how easy it is to move the wheels on the stub axles and whether they come out of the gear muffs easily. In other words, I'm fishing for a bit more information about how the job was done. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Taz Posted July 15, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 15, 2011 Brian has turned down the supplied wheels. CK was originally thinking of using lomac wheels but they were 11mm and too big. I must apologise. Having seen Brian and the Sentinel tonight (at the SWAG curry evening) it turns out he has used alternative wheels. The Sentinel is now back in the hands of CK so I will leave it one of them to explain what has been done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Brinkly Posted July 15, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 15, 2011 Having seen Brian and the Sentinel tonight (at the SWAG curry evening) it turns out he has used alternative wheels. ... and it's too late now if it's the wrong colour! But it was an excellent little loco and Mr Harrap has done an excellent job on her, and it must be the first Sentinel to be converted to P4? Regards, Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted July 16, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 16, 2011 The plan was that Brian and I would tackle the conversion together, using his lathe (mine is still not set up), but unfortunately this didn't prove possible for domestic-type reasons, so Brian very kindly pressed on with the conversion on his own. The original wheels apparently refused to budge off the 2mm axles (although they are seperate components, and indeed a different kind of metal to the steel of the axles). The arrangement uses split chassis techniques, with an insulated central section/muff where the gears are, so Brian has turned down/reprofiled some spare wheels that he had and fitted new stub axles. The brake shoes were removed, because they don't currenly line-up with the wheels, but I'll be doing a bit of cutting and re-fitting later. I've tested the Sentinel on Callow Lane this morning and it runs beautifully, no trouble through any of the pointwork etc., so Brian has done an excellent job and I've very grateful for his assistance and trouble. I'm sure he'll provide further commentary in due course on the mechanics of the conversion, if anyone wants further information. I've removed the tension lock couplers and now need to work out how to remove the NEM pockets themselves. My Sentinel will have the GW number plate removed and will be weathered up as an industrial loco, possibly with a nameplate. I'll take some footage of it on the layout later and put it up on YouTube, plus some close-up photos of the chassis. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Nevard Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Mr CK - Chocolate factory livery? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Thanks for the explanation, CK. It very much confirms the impressions I had when I took mine aparrt to see how it all worked. It certainly looked like the wheels were firmly pressed onto the axles. I'd been wondering about whether I would need to make up a small drift with a conical hole in the end to push the axles through the wheels without damaging the pointed ends of the axles. ...I've removed the tension lock couplers and now need to work out how to remove the NEM pockets themselves... I found it necessary to unclip the gearbox and wheels unit to get at the screws and remove the pockets as I couldn't get a screwdriver in with the gearbox in place. This morning I've fitted a TCS DP2X-UK decoder to mine. Initial impressions are that it will need a bit of tweaking to optimise the slow running but, even without this, it still runs quite well on DCC. Initially, I thought the design of the pc board and socket were more intrusive in the boiler area than they needed to be, but I was impressed by the way the socket lifts the decoder well into the roof area so that it doesn't intrude into the view through the windows. A bit of black paint on the pc board and the couple of brightly coloured chokes should fix the problem of seeing them through the windows. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted July 16, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 16, 2011 Here are some photos taken on Callow Lane today: Brake gear needs to be modified to cater for wider gauge and re-attached. The YouTube footage can be found . 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted July 16, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 16, 2011 Mr CK - Chocolate factory livery? It's certainly going to be one of the chocolate factory locos, not sure yet what livery to adopt, don't want anything too garish or specific to the chocolate factory, though, so that I can use it in other scenarios in future... The other chocolate factory loco is that little Ruston 48DS that I obtained from a fellow club member a few years ago. That's currently in black livery, which I plan to change to a 'Ruston green'... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Garry D100 Posted July 16, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 16, 2011 I have just given mine [No 13] its first outing at the club tonight and would very much much appreciate comment from others as to the running qualities of theirs'. Straight out of the box, and following instructions to lightly oil the two exposed cogs underneath, I ran the Sentinel for about 25-30 minutes, moderately slowly in each direction, on previously cleaned track. After that time, there was no discernible difference in the running quality : the engine was quite noisy [very noisy at flat out - but I can understand that it probably would be given the gearing], did not respond at all well at low / crawling speeds and tended to judder a lot. A steady, smooth slow run with wagons was not possible. It seemed to me that an hour's running in was probably going to achieve all that it could and further running would produce no better result. Obviously, this is disappointing. But before I return it for a replacement [i really [i]do[/i] want one], I would genuinely appreciate some other users' comments : is it worth allowing another half-hour's each way running in ? Are any of your models showing similar characteristics ? Many thanks. Tony Got my No 13 yesterday and interestingly have similar issues. Running the loco one way its what I call reasonably quiet just the motor noise but judders a lot. Running the other way it sounds like someones chucked a few spanners in the gears. Much rattling and noise plus juddering. I havnt added the oil yet but wondering if I should just get a replacement. Don't think the oil will do much for the noise I am getting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 I too was eager to see it running so ran it briefly before oiling. It was impressive, but a little rough. Oiling made all the difference. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Brinkly Posted July 16, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 16, 2011 The other chocolate factory loco is that little Ruston 48DS that I obtained from a fellow club member a few years ago. That's currently in black livery, which I plan to change to a 'Ruston green'... So what is the company name for the chocolate factory then CK? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted July 17, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 17, 2011 It's certainly going to be one of the chocolate factory locos,......... ........named 'Algernon' or 'Lldiwych' perhaps?..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted July 17, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 17, 2011 So what is the company name for the chocolate factory then CK? It begins with a 'C'.... ........named 'Algernon' or 'Lldiwych' perhaps?..... I'd have to get it specially etched.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted July 17, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 17, 2011 Bit more information now - the chassis retaining plate (which is plastic) is retained by a plastic clip at either end, and it's a simple matter to prise one end open slightly with a small screwdriver, which then allows the whole thing to be removed, exposing the axles and gears. Before you do this, however, you need to remove the brake gear assembly (one piece, which when removed can stand on it's 4 'legs', looking a bit like an odd stick insect!): I have now re-fitted my brake gear, and all that was needed to get it to fit nice and snugly against the wheels was to pare off some of the plastic on the inside faces. This narrows the width just sufficiently to re-fit it, with no detrimental effects on running or brake gear touching the wheels. Fortunately the width of the original OO wheels allows this without any further cutting and widening of the cross members. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Brinkly Posted July 17, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 17, 2011 It begins with a 'C'.... Callobury ! Even made you a sign! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Much obliged, Cap'n. Has anyone got far enough into theirs to unscrew the NEM pocket holders yet? I want 3 links on mine bit it seems cleaner to unscrew rather than cut them off. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Yes, see my post #341 above where I said: I found it necessary to unclip the gearbox and wheels unit to get at the screws and remove the pockets as I couldn't get a screwdriver in with the gearbox in place. Fairly straightforward once you work out how the gearbox block is clipped on. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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