7mm Diesels

[ozzyo]

Hi Andy,

 

I had not contemplated the LokSound V4.0 decoder, but I have just been on the SWD site and looked at the user manual. I notice that the decoder only has 6 user functions. Unfortunately I need 8 for the loco (4 x tail lights, 2 x disc headcode lights and 2 x cab lights) and that can be accommodated by the XL 3.5.

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Lee?

 

if you connect the two tail light at each end to one another you would only need 6 functions.

For what it's worth IIRC about the only time the cab lights were on (only the cab in use) would be when the driver was getting on the loco (if you go back to riding in a unit at night [behind the driver] most drivers would pull the blinds down, it was so that they didn't get any reflected light on the windscreen) , or if you had a second crew/guard riding in the back cab.

The red tail light/s would only be on if the loco was running light (or at the back of a train), or stabled. Around here it was only one tail light that was lit (IIRC).

If the loco was going to be stood for a day or two, more than likely there would be a oil tail light put on one of the lamp brackets.

 

HTH

 

OzzyO.

 

PS; it's looking good.

[Gazza]

After the helpful piccies from Nidge I have manage to fit the last part of the cast brass detailing to the fuel tank:

 

 

I'm quite pleased with the fuel tank now and perhaps I shall try to get a coat of primer on it at some point this week. With a bit of luck I may get the info I need to complete the air tanks at some point this week which will enable me to work towards a completed chasis frame with bogies fitted (and working) by the end of this week also - perhaps that's all wishful thinking.

 

I have made a start with the couplings today but I found them incredibly difficult to clean up. The hardest thing of all was drilling into the cast brass detailing to get the parts to fit. I broke a 0.7mm bit on this :

 

 

Not a good result really and that was right at the start of the days build but things improved a little as I went on and eventually I managed to get all this lot ready for assembly:

 

 

I have laid this out as I see it might go together, I think there is one collar missing but other than that I believe it to be correct - but I wondered if anyone can tell me whether I am going on the right lines with this. I did manage to find a drawing of a similar assembly on the JLTRT site but that was for the Class 20 build and the screw link coupling was a little different. Essentially the screw bar and one trunion were different but between that and the picture posted above by Richard I managed to get to this:

 

 

Not a lot to show for 4 hours work. I understand that it is necessary to tap the inside of the lower trunnion bar - is this a 12BA tap as per the JLTRT Class 20 instructions?

 

I'm looking forward to making a start on the loco body but that seems like an eternity away at the moment. I also need to work out a plan for fitting headcode, tail and cab lights plus (and this will be a first for me) a DCC sound chip with speaker. I have been looking at the Loksound XL provided by SWD and I would be very interested to hear any comments on the sound files used.

 

Until next time....

 

Cheers

Lee

Hi Lee,

nice work on the couplings but 4 hours work to do that must have been really frustrating, surely there must be some one who manufactures a decent 3 link screw coupling, I did see some one at the Kettering show ready made they were about a tenner a pair they looked very nice but I cannot remember there name but they had various couplings hanging up on a board with other items they did look nice. Does anyone know the name or company , Im getting old mind gone blank

[Vin]

Hi,

 

I,ve just joined today. So firstly I'd like to say the 'forty' is coming on well. Secondly I've been building the 'peak' kit and it is fitted with a ESU 3.5xl sound decoder. So I'll pass on all the information which should be useful to you. I bought the decoder with the sounds and aux. functions programmed from Olivia's trains in Sheffield. They are very helpful. The speaker is an ESU 50449. 40mm diameter, 1 watt, 32ohm with sound chamber. These's don't come with wiring so I attached two 120mm long black and red 28AWG wires to it. The speaker polarity is not important, but the removal of the red tab is. This tells the decoder that a speaker with an impedance of more than 16ohms is used. So you don't destroy the decoder. It is loud as I've measured it with my iphone app. 85db at 1metre from the speaker and I haven't changed the volume settings at all!

For the lighting I've used the following.

Marker lights - 3mm warm white leds (top hat design)

Head lights- Cool white 3mm with a clear diffused cap for the lens

Tail lights - 3mm standard red

Cab lights - 3mm warm white leds (top hat design)

 

All have been prewired in a loom and attached to a piece of vero board for the resistors. This board will be glued into the inside of the body with flying leads going to decoder.

 

Wiring to decoder is as follows

 

Use - Wire colour - Description - Resistor Value - Function button

 

RL - YL - Marker lights (2 x warm white) No.2 end - 330ohm - F0r

FL - WH - Marker lights (2 x warm white) No.1 end - 330ohm - F0f

AUX 1 - GN - Headlight (1 x Cool white) No.1 end - 470ohm - F5f

AUX 2 - BN or VI - Headlight (1 x Cool white) No.2 end - 470ohm - F6r

AUX 3 - WH/GN - Tail lights (2 x Red) No.1 end - 1kohm - F14

AUX 4 - WH/BN - Tail lights (2 x Red) No.2 end - 1kohm - F15

AUX 5 - WH/OR - Cab light (1 x warm white) No.1 end - 2.2kohm - F4

AUX 6 - WH/BL - Cab light (1 x warm white) No.2 end - 2.2kohm - F7

V + - BL - +15.5v

 

The sounds you get are assigned to function buttons. But with more sounds than available buttons. The 3.5xl only uses F0 to F15, but there are sounds on F16 to F20?? I have doubled up on some of the functions. The list is.

 

F0 Directional lights

F1 Engine sounds (start up, revv, full load, shut down, etc)

F2 Long blast, horn

F3 Short blast, horn

F4 Air Release + AUX 5

F5 Buffer clank + AUX 1

F6 Coupling clink + AUX 2

F7 Door Slam + AUX 6

F8 Guards whistle

F9 Pause then short horn blast

F10 Flange squeal

F11 Engine noise (full load)

F12 Air resevior ticks

F13 High speed rail clack

F14 AUX 3

F15 AUX 4

 

I hope this helps and I will attach some photos soon. The first table isn't that clear because the browser has removed all the tabs!!

 

Vin

[Vin]

Hi all i've got the pictures of the speaker and decoder fitting into the peak chassis. The leds are also shown.

This shows the speaker position. A large hole (39mm diameter) has been cut into the chassis. Then the speaker is screwed down from the underside.

Showing no.1 end lights. one loom for the head/tail/marker lights and the other for the cab light.

The third pic is a close up of the wiring to the decoder.

The final picture shows the decoder tray cut into chassis. The white plasticard covers the extra lead ballast weight. The vero board resistor relates to the wiring chart in the main blog and will be attached to inside of the body.The red tag on the decoder is in the 16 to 32 ohm position, which meant making a small cut in the protective plastic.

[HealeyMills]

Hi Vin,

 

Firstly, welcome aboard and I have to say you have made a fine job of that Peak.

 

Thank you very much for all the information and great piccies that you have posted here as it answers many questions that I have been trying to fathom for a while now.

 

Cheers

Lee

[HealeyMills]

Its been ages since I have had anything to report with the loco build, but thanks to the good weather I have at last manged to spray the bogies and chasis. Once dry I started to fit everything together and have managed to completely fit one complete bogie with motor, wheel sets and delrin chain:

 

 

I'm just waiting for the other bogie frame to dry and then I shall make a start on fitting the second one to the chasis. I'm also waiting for the water tank to dry, its had three coats of spray to get a uniform coverage:

 

 

Most other components are ready for an etch primer. I've been using the Precision etch primer which is excellent but thats back home and I'm miles away in very sunny Aberdeen. Once primed I can top coat all fittings (cable jumpers, vac pipes, steam heat pipes etc etc) and then fit to each bogie. Once I have those back on things will start to come alive again I think.

 

I really need to order the decoder now and get all the LEDs fitted into the cab so that I can finish painting that and press on with the body build now. I'm really looking forward to giving the loco its maiden trip with DCC Sound - but sadly that won't be for a few weeks.

 

I thought I'd update here so that you don't all think I've given up

 

Cheers

Lee

[HealeyMills]

Here with another update (2 in 2 days... good grief!). Having now assembled the second bogie and fitted it to the chasis the loco is now starting to come together and I feel like I am getting somewhere again after preparing all the fiddly bits and pieces for painting. Here are a couple of pics of the chasis... now in JLTRT satin black:

 

 

 

 

I couldn't help but try fit one of the screw link couplings I made too:

 

 

 

My first thought when I saw this picture was...Oooo how cruel the camera is, then I realised that the surface is not too dis-similar to that of the real thing.... once weathered in grimy stuff of course

 

I now need to blacken the couplings with Birchwood Casey blackening fluid after cleaning with Cillit Bang (thanks Ozzyo) and then a dowsing in paint thinners.

 

Having looked at other BR blue locos on here I am now at the stage of pondering which paint supplier to use for the loco body - do I use the JLTRT one, or do I use the railmatch colours with my airbush. Any input/ recommendations would be very, very welcome.

 

Cheers

Lee

[Michael Delamar]

looking good Lee,I keep meaning to get some of those couplings

 

cheers

 

Mike

[ozzyo]

I now need to blacken the couplings with Birchwood Casey blackening fluid after cleaning with Cillit Bang (thanks Ozzyo) and then a dowsing in paint thinners.

 

 

 

Hello Lee,

 

glad to have helped. The couplings maybe a bit of a fiddle but they do look good.

Well done, when you get them blackened they will look even better.

 

OzzyO.

[HealeyMills]

Good heavens, I had to do a bit of digging to find my thread... 3 pages before I found it. I hadn't realised that I hadn't updated it very much recently.

 

I've manage to blacken the screw link couplings and I have to say they have come up rather well. Additionally, I managed to get a little bit of spraying done last week, I finally got around to the cab consoles:

 

 

I think the green is correct for 40118 so all I have to do now is finish off detailing the instruments/ gauges/ dials and handles etc. With a little bit of luck I should be able to finish off the bulkhead detailing this week and build the cabs plus bodywork.

Cheers

 

Lee

[James]

For what it's worth IIRC about the only time the cab lights were on (only the cab in use) would be when the driver was getting on the loco (if you go back to riding in a unit at night [behind the driver] most drivers would pull the blinds down, it was so that they didn't get any reflected light on the windscreen) , or if you had a second crew/guard riding in the back cab.

Drivers often flash the cab light on and off when passing each other at night or when passing signalboxs!

[Gazza]

Welcome back Lee, thought your got lost some where?

ATB Garry

[ozzyo]

Drivers often flash the cab light on and off when passing each other at night or when passing signalboxs!

 

 

Why would they?

 

OzzyO

[James]

Why would they?

It's instead of waving as that wouldn't be seen at night!

[ozzyo]

It's instead of waving as that wouldn't be seen at night!

 

 

 

Glad that you think so.

 

OzzyO.

[James]

Glad that you think so.

Eh?

 

Just going on what I've seen from various night time cab rides and the like. Not sure what your comment is getting at...?

[ozzyo]

Eh?

 

Just going on what I've seen from various night time cab rides and the like. Not sure what your comment is getting at...?

 

 

It just doesnt seem to be the practice around this part of the world!

One reason it would make a mess of your night vision.

Question, do you drive your car with the interior lights on?

 

OzzyO.

[Mod3]

Gentlemen,

 

Please try and keep to the topic, arguing about cab lights is not really relevant to a 7mm class 40 and I'm sure the original poster does not want his thread littered with this.

[ozzyo]

Hello Lee,

 

IIRC the consoles were in a gloss gray with most of the dials in white / black or black / white.

Any chance of a photo of the coupling now its all blacken up?

 

OzzyO.

 

PS. sorry to have gone off track with the lighting.

[HealeyMills]

Hi Ozzyo,

 

I think on the whole you do remember correctly, however, 40118 retained its green consoles both ends. Have a look here: 40118-web.co.uk The rest of the cab was painted the usual 'cab' interior grey.

 

As soon as I get myself sorted out I shall post a few more pics for you - I'm really hoping to make some headway on the loco this (and next) week.

 

At the moment I'm fearing the worst as on the 4th June its the O Gauge Guild meeting at Halifax, West Yorks. JLTRT will be there and I know exactly what the outcome will be once I end up chatting to them (for my wallet at least).... I really need to get this loco to a point where I can finish it rather than keep faffing about.

 

Cheers

Lee

[ozzyo]

Hello Lee,

 

look forward to seeing some more photos.

I'm hoping to get to Halifax, normally in the upstairs bar about 11 o'clock, we try to get the first cluster of seats to the right of the door as you come in. Come and say hello, I look just like I do in my avertar.

 

OzzyO.

[HealeyMills]

Ozzyo - ok I shall look out for you as it would be nice to meet up (and that goes for anyone else that is attending Halifax too) - I shall print off an A4 picture of your avatar and try to find you

 

Anyway, today I've had a rather productive day after such a long time of getting very little done. I started by sorting the LEDs out for the tail/ headcode lights and cab lighting. I soldered a few resistors onto some veroboard which will be stuck behind the cab bulkheads so that I can take a feed to/ from the decoder:

 

 

Once that had been tested and was working correctly I placed the looms into the loco to check the fit and make sure that nothing was obstructed:

 

 

I do however need to feed the thin wires for the tail and headcode lights down the insides of the cab, making two small receses in the bulkheads so the wires can pass through to the resistors on the veroboards (mental note to self - don't forget to do this!). Fitting the cab lights prior to spraying the cab was straight forward and I hope not too unprototypical in the LED placement:

 

 

As the next major job is going to be building the loco body I set out the parts needed and had a trial fit to see how things go:

 

 

 

I must admit I'm not looking forward to this part of the build as one small error will cause untold grief and really ruin the model. I guess lots of trial fits and checking alignment before I let loose with the adhesive will be the only way to get this bit right.

 

..and just for Ozzyo, here is one of the blackened couplings (sorry about the poor piccy):

 

 

Not too bad but they need a touch up in places where the adhesive on the surface of the metal prohibits the blackening solution making contact. I'm not sure why there is a small area of brass showing through on the hook though

 

With a bit of luck I should make more progress tomorrow.

 

Cheers

Lee

[ozzyo]

Hello Lee,

on the coupling use a fine nail emery board to burnish the part where the blacking has not taken, then apply the blackening on a cotton bud.

 

Looking forward to meeting you with some of yous at Halifax.

 

OzzyO.

[two tone green]

I'll be at Halifax, hope to meet you there.

 

Will be hopefully collecting ABC Gears power bogies with worm drives for a 40 and 45.

[HealeyMills]

...what is it they say about best laid plans? Work has just gone 'bananas' at the moment so I haven't had much time this weekend to get everything done that I wanted to. However, I have managed to paint both of the cab bulkheads (which was rather a relaxing task if I must admit):

 

 

The AWS cylinders need another coat of satin white and then attaching to the bulkheads. Once this is done I can also add a little more in the way of connectors/ pipework just to add a bit more detail...and I've just realised that the engine room window surrounds need to be done too

 

I was really hoping to get the cab interiors sprayed but this is on hold until the wind dies down a little. As soon as I can I shall get the cab interiors sprayed up, after masking off the roof mounted cab lighting, and then start the assembly job. I dare not start constructing the body sides and roof until the cab bulkheads are in situ as I feel this may lead to a little distortion and wonky rear cab surfaces. If anyone has advice on this please feel free to post - as always any help is always gratefully received

 

Two Tone Green - I hope to meet you at Halifax, see you there.

 

Cheers

 

Lee