Wright writes.....

[31A]

Late to the party as ever.  Pretty clear from the illustrations that they are effectively block instrument repeaters and they are, as others have said, clearly there to warn users of the barrow crossing when a train is approaching.  

 

I suspect that one reason (apart from a possibly poor or confusing view of approaching trains on multiple tracks) for them is that unlike in many places the state of the signals will not necessarily be a good guide to the approach of trains as with relatively short block sections it is more than likely that signals for through trains would have been cleared well in advance thus not necessarily indicating that a train was in the block section immediately in rear of the crossing - that information would instead be given by the 'Approaching' indication (which would be generated by the relevant block instrument being turned to 'Train On Line').

 

Hardly a fail safe device alas but clearly better than nothing and no doubt fully understood by the local staff (one hopes).  Their presence might even be a consequence of an earlier train/platform barrow interface on that crossing.

 

PS For added clarity it should be noted that the terms used on the barrow crossing indicator do not have exactly same meaning as those used on the block instrument, thus  -

 

'Line Clear' on the barrow crossing indicator equates to 'Normal' on a ('modern') 3 position block instrument

(Train) 'Accepted' on the indicator equates to 'Line Clear' on the block instrument  (i.e the Signalman has accepted a train by turning the block instrument to 'Line Clear') , and 

(Train) 'Approaching' on the indicator equates to 'Train On Line' on the block instrument (i.e the train is actually now in the block section immediately in rear of the controlling signalbox and will therefore arrive shortly)

 

 

There were similar electro-mechanical devices at several locations on the GN - I can remember the ones at Hitchin which were replaced by BR standard barrow crossing on/off white lights indicators when the power boxes opened in the 1970s until the barrow crossing was removed.  I've also seen pictures of similar at I think Retford; however I'm not sure whether those were block instrument repeaters as per the photograph, or just track circuit repeaters equivalent to the later BR white lights ones.

[Tony Wright]

The Bachmann split chassis mechanisms have gained a bad reputation, but when I returned to the hobby in the mid 90s, they were a real revelation. I couldn't believe how smooth and silent they were, compared to the Hornby, Mainline, Lima and Airfix mechanisms of my early teenage years.

 

One of my first "new" loco purchases was a Bachmann Ivatt 2-6-2T. It ran superbly initially but did develop intermittent running after a few years. I gave it a strip down and removed a lot of the gunk from the axle bearings, and it was back to being good again. The model then barely turned a wheel for a decade as, being a split chassis case with valve gear, it wouldn't be a simple job to convert to DCC. Yesterday, feeling in an optimistic frame of mind, I tested it, stripped it down, added a decoder, put it all back together, and after eliminating a few gremlins, the running is what I'd call nigh-on faultless, being almost totally silent and very smooth at slow speeds. Apart from it being nice to get an old loco (and it's easily twenty years since purchase, never mind when it was manufactured) back into running condition, there's no sign of wear or sloppiness in the wheels, so I'd guess it'll be good for a few more years yet, given that most of my engines lead lives of considerable leisure. If it fails, it'll get a Comet chassis (assuming such things remain available) but I'll worry about that day when it comes.

 

In terms of robustness and longevity, few of my Mainline or Airfix modelled fared terribly well (I have a 1979 Mainline Collett goods which will still run, but it needs a warm-up period first), but most of my Hornby tender-drive locos were able to be resurrected after being in storage. Perhaps the most robust of all were among the supposedly crudest, the Lima mechanisms. I have a GWR railcar which has had Ultrascale wheels, but is otherwise the Lima original, and runs very well despite being 35 years old. Perhaps the best of all is a Lima Western, even older, which has had new wheels and the Lima armature replaced by a CD-drive motor, but otherwise retains the pancake-style motor bogie and original gears, and runs like a Swiss watch.  The gears were removed, gently sanded, clean in an Ultrasound bath, before being reassembled. These old Lima mechanisms are quite user-friendly in terms of being able to be stripped down and cleaned pretty easily - more than you could say for the modern equivalent, which would defeat me if anything went majorly wrong with them.

 

Alastair

 

Serendipity, as your post came in as I was editing mine.

Alastair,

 

When you next visit, please bring along a split-chassis loco which runs really well. I'd love to see it. As I've said, every one I've had has run really poorly, including one I had in an A4 (for a short time) until it split - literally. 

 

Several times at shows I've been handed split-chassis locos where one of the central plastic muffs on the driving axles has (once again, literally), split, rendering the loco useless. Is there a means of repair? 

 

I wonder how many 'miles' most model locos do on their owners' layouts? Probably not many. Some of mine down the years have done literally thousands of scale ones, usually hauling heavy trains. I'm not sure I'd subject too many RTR locos, current and from a few years ago, to such 'punishment'. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[New Haven Neil]

Slightly off topic, but I fitted a bicycle speedometer to one of my garden railway wagons, and kept it with just one of my live steam locos (45mm gauge) all one summer.  It recorded 53 real miles, which was somewhat of a surprise. I do wonder, like Tony, how many miles our 4mm (and other ) scale models actually travel.

Edited June 12, 2017 by New Haven Neil

[micklner]

Alastair,

 

When you next visit, please bring along a split-chassis loco which runs really well. I'd love to see it. As I've said, every one I've had has run really poorly, including one I had in an A4 (for a short time) until it split - literally. 

 

Several times at shows I've been handed split-chassis locos where one of the central plastic muffs on the driving axles has (once again, literally), split, rendering the loco useless. Is there a means of repair? 

 

I wonder how many 'miles' most model locos do on their owners' layouts? Probably not many. Some of mine down the years have done literally thousands of scale ones, usually hauling heavy trains. I'm not sure I'd subject too many RTR locos, current and from a few years ago, to such 'punishment'. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

Bachmann did/do sell the "muffs" for a couple of £. Bachmann Spilt chassis, my experience with them is avoid like the plague and sell asap using a large bargepole to assist their departure elsewhere. Graeme King has mended them by gluing a brass sleeve over the centre section.

 

RE r.t.r are "we" expecting far too much from them ?

 

They are made as " expensive toys" and most people think they are very lucky to have them available ( I do ) . I doubt very much that any are designed for hauling anymore than six coaches and they are normal only sold in sets with three Coaches , that however maybe also due to keeping the set price down ,so that can realistically sell them to normal buyers. I have never seen a comment from any maker as to what the expected haulage capacity is , the only thing mentioned is minimum radius . 

 

Relating to earlier comments.

 

Wiring Loco to Tender I agree a real pain on fixed wiring , not DCC ? great cut if off and wire direct to the motor. It however might however reduce the resale value . I have a number of Hornby  A3 and A4's where this has been done on repaired secondhand rebuilds . They actually work and run better afterwards.

 

Hornby A3 and A4 Motor mountings never had a problem with removal or refitting ,a very simple robust method of holding the motor in place . Self tapping screws work fine and are used on numerous chassis , unless abused they are more than strong enough for the job. Make sure you use the right length screws for the job however. Bag and mark when removing .

 

Bits falling off , people want the detail and thats the trade off unless you want to back to the old solid handrail etc Triang days.

What the big problem is most of the makers do not sell replacement parts to do the repairs to bodies. This simply isn't good enough and they should be brought to task re this. They hide behind the limited production slots excuse , they are therefore fully aware and they should be allowing in the slots for extra spares in the production. The situation with Hornby the last couple of years their spares for chassis,  are also now virtually non existent for recent locos. e.g LNER O1 as far as I am aware no spares exists at all.

 

If you buy a car or virtually anything else you can spare parts. It would appear Hornby et al ,hope you bin what you have and just buy another one (if you can find any !!).

               Heljan do sell some small body parts , DJ Models said he was offering spares?  but never seen anything on his webpage. They should be selling the whole Loco as parts including Tenders, they dont seem to realise that they are losing money at the present time, due to being very shortsighted in their sales methods and very poor customer service .

Edited June 12, 2017 by micklner

[Focalplane]

I have, in storage, a Bachmann Fowler Royal Scot with split chassis. I fitted DCC by insulating the motor in its "cradle" and put it all back together.  It ran perfectly.  Beginners Luck I am sure,but anyway, I won't be doing that again!

 

Here's the deal:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1565/entry-14968-an-old-scot-gets-dcc/

 

Edit to replace I ran with It ran!

Edited June 12, 2017 by Focalplane

[Theakerr]

Modelling the Grimsby area as I do resulted in the purchase of about 6 of the original split chassis B1s.  Over time I had weathered, added real coal, tender pickups and (model) crew as well as close coupled the tender, so they don't look too bad.   Some ran pretty well and are still running today, some were so so and a couple were awful.  So about a couple of years ago, when the A.H. Bibby B1 became available at ridiculous prices I purchased several.  My old detailed Bachmann bodies are a direct fit and the new motor is a pretty good runner although it was necessary to re-position the piston slides (they were at an horrible angle) and add weight.  I can pull about 12 Bachmann Mk1s with them now but without the added weight they would only manage 6.  I did discover that where one adds the weight is actually more important that how much and it is also interesting that a friends Hornby B1 will pull 10 MK1s right out of the box even though it weighs about the same as the Bachmann.  All down to weight distribution although of course I would never dream of saying that to SWMBO

[Tony Wright]

Slightly off topic, but I fitted a bicycle speedometer to one of my garden railway wagons, and kept it with just one of my live steam locos (45mm gauge) all one summer.  It recorded 53 real miles, which was somewhat of a surprise. I do wonder, like Tony, how many miles our 4mm (and other ) scale models actually travel.

I've never calculated how far any of my locos have actually travelled. With a layout like Stoke Summit, some 30' long, with the end curves that's, say, 60' per circuit. Though some locos were changed during a show, we tended to leave things alone, just using any spare locos as required. Each sequence took about 30 minutes to complete (more or less) and each train did two laps. That makes 240' per hour x 16 hours (the average show's time open?) x 70+ shows, plus dozens of running sessions in between. A loco like KINGFISHER, which was always on the Lizzie, must have done a few scale miles, especially as it ran on Leighford and as a guest on other layouts. It's run many a mile on LB as well now. 

 

Who's good at hard sums? 

 

Just imagine what some of Roy Jackson's great locos must have done in the mileage stakes. 

[Barry O]

What the big problem is most of the makers do not sell replacement parts to do the repairs to bodies. This simply isn't good enough and they should be brought to task re this. They hide behind the limited production slots excuse , they are therefore fully aware and they should be allowing in the slots for extra spares in the production. The situation with Hornby the last couple of years their spares for chassis,  are also now virtually non existent for recent locos. e.g LNER O1 as far as I am aware no spares exists at all.

 

If you buy a car or virtually anything else you can spare parts. It would appear Hornby et al ,hope you bin what you have and just buy another one (if you can find any !!).

               Heljan do sell some small body parts , DJ Models said he was offering spares?  but never seen anything on his webpage. They should be selling the whole Loco as parts including Tenders, they don't seem to realise that they are losing money at the present time, due to being very shortsighted in their sales methods and very poor customer service .

The Chinese don't do spares. Even for real locomotives - just ask the Nigerians! They don't make money on spares as they don't make costs savings with cheapish labour.

 

Baz

[westerner]

using your figures Tony On the Stoke Summit some 50.9 miles.

[Focalplane]

The Chinese don't do spares. Even for real locomotives - just ask the Nigerians! They don't make money on spares as they don't make costs savings with cheapish labour.Baz

It's not just the Chinese. Most foreign aid to Africa involves the donor country doing the work but not supplying any training for maintenance. The huge hydro electric plant at Iagu Falls in DR Congo, which could provide electricity to the entire continent if the transmission system was built, is often down due to lack of maintenance and spare parts. This problem is endemic and most European countries are as guilty as the Chinese.

 

I could quote many more examples but that would be considered off topic.

[richard i]

using your figures Tony On the Stoke Summit some 50.9 miles.

And in scale miles?

50x76

3550 miles only half way to a general service. Unless my maths this late at night is poor due to doing it in my head.

[Tony Wright]

This problem with spare parts for RTR locomotives (which, if memory serves, didn't exist in my youth) won't be confined to items produced by just 'opening a box' (though to get at a kit, one has to do just that as well). 

 

For instance, I have over 100 locomotives on LB I've built which are fitted with Mashima motors of all types. These motors are incredibly reliable, powerful and smooth (hence my use of them). However, over the Stoke/Charwelton/Bytham years a few (ten, perhaps) have worn out/failed, including those I've repaired/fixed for others (not Stoke/Charwelton/Bytham locos). On some it's impossible to replace the brushes, so it's a new motor as well. Things do fail, so I'm not complaining, but I now have a limited stock of Mashima motors, because they're now out of production. I've got a Canon motor, but the holes for the gearbox-mounting screws are in different positions, so it'll be a new gearbox as well.

 

As long as Markits keeps going, spare crankpins (they do wear) will still be availabele (I buy them, and the retaining washers in their hundreds), as will wheels/axles and so on.

 

As long as the kit-manufacturers keep going, then we'll have that supply of loco body-fittings, but for how long? As I've said before, if you see any bits and pieces at shows, buy them there and then.  

Edited June 13, 2017 by Tony Wright

[coachmann]

As long as the kit-manufacturers keep going, then we'll have that supply of loco body-fittings, but for how long? As I've said before, if you see any bits and pieces at shows, buy them there and then.  

How so very true. I tend to forget that 50 years ago one did this without thinking seeing as so many boiler fittings were readily available. Builders depended on brass chimneys and domes etc. The GWR 'Hall' chimneys I bought recently were brass castings! Why when they needed to be copper?  This seems to me an example of the daft way things are going............... We can replace plastic chimneys but they tops still have to be painted!

Edited June 13, 2017 by coachmann

[Enterprisingwestern]

And in scale miles?

50x76

3550 miles only half way to a general service. Unless my maths this late at night is poor due to doing it in my head.

 

Pedants head on.

3800 miles.

 

Mike.

[Bulwell Hall]

A nice bit of heavy metal for me, requiring a strong sure-footed locomotive. Thompson CK E 1241 is almost ready, requiring gangways and curtains to complete. It will make its debut in the 3.50 pm Manchester Marylebone express, next weekend at the Great Central railways model event.

Beautifully done!

 

Gerry

[LNER4479]

3550 miles only half way to a general service.

More pedantry - 1/20th of a way to a general service (approximately ... to avoid even further pedantry)

[cctransuk]

How so very true. I tend to forget that 50 years ago one did this without thinking seeing as so many boiler fittings were readily available. Builders depended on brass chimneys and domes etc. The GWR 'Hall' chimneys I bought recently were brass castings! Why when they needed to be copper?  This seems to me an example of the daft way things are going............... We can replace plastic chimneys but they tops still have to be painted!

 

Time for a little bit of magic with a battery, copper sulphate crystals and a chunk of copper?

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Porcy Mane]

Time for a little bit of magic with a battery, copper sulphate crystals and a chunk of copper?

 

Or go for daily realism and crack open a pot of very matt black with the inside rim painted medium grey if the loco had been steaming efficiently.

 

P

[Tony Wright]

I visited the Spalding Club today (what superb premises) and picked up just about the last of the late John Brown's kit-built locos. 

 

These included.................

 

 

The very last locomotive he commissioned, a small-boiler DJH Claughton. Its running was very shabby, so this evening I've rebuilt the gearbox, adjusted what was needed and it's now rather sweet. 

 

 

An old K's B2, though not with K's motor or wheels. This runs reasonably well (again after some of my fiddling), with a D11 open-framed motor and Romford gears. 

 

 

This one runs superbly. It's built from a SE Finecast kit and is Portescap-powered. 

 

Anyone interested in any of these, please PM me. The proceeds will go to a bereaved family, with 10% going to Cancer Research. 

 

I'll be taking them to the event at Quorn over the coming weekend. 

 

 

Another loco (under construction) I'll be taking to Quorn is Big Bertha. I'm building this from a DJH kit and the write-up is going in BRM later this year. Even with my mods the tender cab is still wrong, and I'm puzzling how to put it right. Because it'll be in BR condition, the tender top has been cut-down. Thus, as supplied, the tender cab then won't marry-up properly. Not only that, its roof is curved when it should be angular. Add on to that the fact that the front cut-out is the wrong shape and far too small, then I could end up cutting the lot off and scratch-building a replacement. Has anyone who has built Big Bertha altered their tender cab? 

 

I hope to meet up with some of you at Quorn. I'll be there as demonstrator/loco doctor, so, please come along and have a chat. 

[robertcwp]

 

 

I hope to meet up with some of you at Quorn. I'll be there as demonstrator/loco doctor, so, please come along and have a chat. 

Mark and I will be there on Saturday.

[Jon4470]

Hello Tony,

 

Just wanted to thank you to Mo and you for the hospitality today. Had a great day playing trains and enjoyed seeing the locos "stretch their legs".

Completely forgot all about work pressures - which is, I think, what a hobby is meant to do isn't it?

 

Jon

[Tony Wright]

Hello Tony,

 

Just wanted to thank you to Mo and you for the hospitality today. Had a great day playing trains and enjoyed seeing the locos "stretch their legs".

Completely forgot all about work pressures - which is, I think, what a hobby is meant to do isn't it?

 

Jon

It is Jon,

 

It was our pleasure. 

 

How good to see locos made by yourself, running round LB. The Q6 was a beaut, and much, much more than something straight from a box in my view. The A5 was lovely, too and that Mallard carriage you're making is going to be gorgeous. Why didn't I take any pictures? 

 

Thanks, too, for buying the W1 (and the books). I'm really pleased it's gone to a good home. As will the Claughton. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Jon4470]

Photos next time perhaps? Maybe by then there will be a full train of teak carriages!

 

Once I saw the W1 start the train out of the station with just the slightest slippage I was hooked - it's a lovely birthday present to myself!

 

Jon

[Tony Wright]

 

Fear not for the disappearance of Mashima motors. 

 

There is an alternative, at least for the medium-sized applications. I've just installed Comet's latest 'box into this O2 chassis I'm making. It's powered by a Canon motor. The result? Super-smooth, super-sweet, powerful and very quiet. It's also an easier 'box to make than those previous Comet ones using Mashima motors, principally because the motor-fixing screw holes in the gearbox front plate are (a): etched the right size at source, and (b): they're ready-slotted for perfect adjustment of mesh.

 

This'll be my standard arrangement for powering medium-sized units in future. I don't know whether Canon does a larger motor, but, anyway, this one is very powerful.

 

The cost? Perhaps a bit more than previous gearboxes/motors, but still superb value for money. What one ends up with is a drive superior to any RTR steam-outline power-unit (in OO). Yes, it has to be made, and care (particularly ensuring that the bearings are properly-fitted) is needed in assembly; but, isn't that what railway modellers should always apply?

 

I'll have it with me over the weekend at Quorn.

 

I should state that I have no connection with Comet/Wizard/MSE (other than Andrew is a mate). If I were dissatisfied with this unit, I'd just not have said anything, except mention it to him personally. I'm entirely satisfied with it, and thoroughly recommend it. 

Edited June 19, 2017 by Tony Wright

[Roger Sunderland]

It is probably that more RTR locos will get metal boilers, which is a far more satisfactory answer than chassis weights that get in the way of fitting speakers etc. I am not just referring to small locos either. A prime candidate for a metal boiler would be a GWR 'Manor' after seeing how light-footed the Hornby 'Grange' is. The worst loco I have handled for fitting sound happens to be one of the most recent releases. Of course DCC or DCC sound doesn't appeal to everybody but it would be a foolish manufacturer who did not make proper provision for its inclusion at this stage of the game.

 

A foolish manufacturer indeed coachman. I think all the major players are guilty, and not just sound, just getting a decoder into some offerings is a major enterprise - Oxford Radial and Hornby M7 to name two.

 

On the other hand I have an SEF M7, uses their chassis but has a Hornby bogie with pickups. DCC - no problem, sound - no problem, bags of room for either, and it will pull 12 bogies. The Hornby offering will pull 3 on level ground.