Coldgunners O gauge thread

[ozzyo]

Hello Coldgunner,

 

if your frames are square and true without the body on, but when you fit the body the wheels lock up it sounds like the body is out of square. You will ether have to sort out the body or pack the body and frames true.

 

OzzyO.

[Coldgunner]

I took another look at the frames the other night, by applying some tactical use of a reamer on the bearings, I've managed to get them free wheeling and level. I also appears that the motor frame was also causing tightness, and thus got similar treatment. I've got a DCC chip on the way so the re-wiring is awaiting the delivery of the lokpilot chip. Has anyone got a photo of how the brackets to fix the motor in place should go? The instructions aren't very clear on this bit.

 

edit:

 

I ordered a pair of these http://www.directtrainspares-burnley.co.uk/page7.html. With the DCC chip on its way I hope to have a working locomotive again come the end of the weekend.

[Ruston]

Has anyone got a photo of how the brackets to fix the motor in place should go? The instructions aren't very clear on this bit.

 

Not sure what you mean by fixing the motor in place. I never fix the motor to the frames or body. Its only attachment is by the gearbox to the axle and I put some padding in the firebox, fore and aft, for it to press against so it doesn't clunk when changing direction . If you fix it to the frames then you're introducing another thing to align and that can possibly add more friction if not perfectly aligned.

[Guest Isambarduk]

" I never fix the motor to the frames or body. Its only attachment is by the gearbox to the axle and I put some padding in the firebox, fore and aft, for it to press against so it doesn't clunk when changing direction . If you fix it to the frames then you're introducing another thing to align and that can possibly add more friction if not perfectly aligned."

 

Just so, Ruston.  This is a very sound engineering principle and it's nigh impossible to align everything perfectly to allow it to be rigid, which is quite pointless.

 

David

aka DLOS

[Coldgunner]

Got the motor remounted and the chassis flattened out, running is much better but the gears keep slipping. I've tightened the screws but is there a reversible way of 'sealing' them in place?

[Guest Isambarduk]

"I've tightened the screws but is there a reversible way of 'sealing' them in place?"

 

Try filling a flat on the axle where the srew is to come into contact with it.  Strange this?  I have never need to resort to this on 0 gauge axles, only in much more powerful situations.

 

David

[Coldgunner]

I'll give that a try, doesn't sound like a bad idea. I was quite suprised myself when the chassis would move a few feet then stop and whirr away. I'm just awaiting delivery of the lokpilot chip and then I'll tidy up the wiring and re-fit the plungers.

[Coldgunner]

Well very good news to deliver, I fitted the lokpilot chip and she made her dcc moves today. Very happy, motor is a bit noisy but once moving and warmed up she was very smooth. The plunger pickups do catch the plastic on the wheels giving a clicking sound, but I'll pretend that is motion crank...

 

She still needs a lot of detailing, couplings fitted and the chassis filed a little for a more comfortable fit, but alas I have an O gauge loco.

[Black Sheep]

I found out about the logo.

 

My old computer was wiped, I'll not go into the reasons here.

 

Having looked at a couple of photos of Ivor I'm fairly confident in saying that I started out with a font such as Times and converted it into a vector graphic so that I could alter the shapes of the letters to suit, I seem to remember it not taking too long so would be possible to do again.

[hartleymartin]

It just occurred to me that a reasonable provenience of "Ivor" could be that he's a Sharp-Stewart 0-4-0 that was rebuilt as a side-tank locomotive, much in the manner that FR-20 was rebuilt into a saddle-tank locomotive. Squint at a picture of FR-20 and you could imagine it happening.

[Coldgunner]

I suppose I'd better add this. She is dcc fitted, but a bit of a rough runner, still needs plenty of fettling to get her 100%. She is fitted with plunger pickups.

 

[hartleymartin]

She doesn't waddle, so you've done a pretty good job. Perhaps with good lubrication and a bit of running-in the drive train will quieten down.

[Coldgunner]

Forwards is fine, although my wheels need a good scrub as they've oxidised a bit. But yeah, a bit of running and some tactical lubrication will see through.

[hartleymartin]

Try rubbing a 9B artist's graphite stick on the backs of the wheels. It acts as a lubricant but is also conductive. Helps with plunger pickups.

[Coldgunner]

Had a bit of a disaster and dropped the loco, its fine except one of the buffers broke. I might as well take the chance to swap all four of them over to sprung equivalents. Can anyone point in in the direction of suitable parts? I have some Slaters bits, but those are more for wagons, do they do something similar for this type of loco?

[Guest Isambarduk]

"do they do something similar for this type of loco?"

 

See:  https://slatersplastikard.com/others/7mmParts/locoParts/gOlocoBuffers.php

 

David

[Coldgunner]

Thanks!

 

I've ordered from them several times and somehow failed to put 2+2 together lol. Springy buffers here I come!

[Coldgunner]

Gah, fitted 3 of the buffers but lost the fourth one!!! I may have to order another set and have a surplus of 3...

 

I'm glad I opted to change them to brass, sprung buffers, much better quality and a nicer feel when shunting wagons. The chassis of the loco is near completion and just needs the detailing parts. I do feel many manufacturers need to put mor illustrations in their instructions. Saying that, the starter kit instructions are written in quite a lot of depth.

 

Incidentally, the wheels have oxidised again, is this because they sit for a long time unused, or do I need to treat the surfaces?

[81A Oldoak]

Gah, fitted 3 of the buffers but lost the fourth one!!! I may have to order another set and have a surplus of 3...

 

I'm glad I opted to change them to brass, sprung buffers, much better quality and a nicer feel when shunting wagons. The chassis of the loco is near completion and just needs the detailing parts. I do feel many manufacturers need to put mor illustrations in their instructions. Saying that, the starter kit instructions are written in quite a lot of depth.

 

Incidentally, the wheels have oxidised again, is this because they sit for a long time unused, or do I need to treat the surfaces?

I store many of my smaller components on the floor. It's so convenient.

[Coldgunner]

I still live at home, so the alternate option of a clean room is not viable

[Ruston]

 

Incidentally, the wheels have oxidised again, is this because they sit for a long time unused, or do I need to treat the surfaces?

You mean rust on steel wheels? All of my engines have steel-tyred wheels and some were built up to 3 years ago and haven't rusted and can be put on the tracks and run without any cleaning or other messing about. They have never been treated with anything. I suppose it depends how and where you store them. Mine are kept in boxes in the house, where it is dry. If you leave them anywhere cold and damp they'll soon rust.

[Coldgunner]

Its on my shelf on a piece of track, I'm a bit puzzled really. Its not causing too many issues, just need to scrub the faces every now and then. Rust on the sides look ok...

[Guest Isambarduk]

I too have steel wheels on all  my locos, some are over thirty year old and they never rust but do need an occasional clean after running on dirty garden railway track. 

 

If your steel wheels and axles are rusting, it sounds as if you have been soldering with acid flux close by - that'll certainly do it!  Clean them all up with a glass fibre brush or emery paper and then very lightly oil them with a smidgen of oil on a tissue and then try to clean most of the oil off again with a clean tissue.  This should cure the problem.

 

David

[hartleymartin]

Regular running of steel wheels creates a polished surface which is harder for rust to form. It's the same with rails. If there are regular trains over them, the running surfaces will not rust.

I find a good rust preventative is to coat the treads, flanges and backs of wheels with graphite at about 2B or 3B hardness. 6B and 9B are very slippery and greasy (good for backs of wheels to lubricate pick-ups), but at about 2B and 3B they are still waxy enough not to cause too many issues. Graphite is a lubricant, which can make hill-climbing difficult, but works well for relatively flat layouts.

[81A Oldoak]

Regular running of steel wheels creates a polished surface which is harder for rust to form. It's the same with rails. If there are regular trains over them, the running surfaces will not rust.

 

I find a good rust preventative is to coat the treads, flanges and backs of wheels with graphite at about 2B or 3B hardness. 6B and 9B are very slippery and greasy (good for backs of wheels to lubricate pick-ups), but at about 2B and 3B they are still waxy enough not to cause too many issues. Graphite is a lubricant, which can make hill-climbing difficult, but works well for relatively flat layouts.

If I know that a loco is not going to be run for a while I give the wheels and axles a quick run over with a mixture of light lubricating oil and paraffin applied with a brush. I also use it on tools that are prone to rust.