Sheffield Exchange, Toy trains, music and fun!

[Clive Mortimore]

7 hours ago, jimwal said:

'New competition on Shef-Ex toybrains etc' 

 

What is the maximum number of bits Clive can cut to make a coach side?

 

I believe I counted 21 pieces in one of those, but I may have lost count part way along!

Hi Jim

 

I think it is 22, It would be less had Hornby made the corridor windows 18mm wide not 16mm. I could have opened them out by 2mm rather than chopping two windows down to 9mm each but that wouldn't have left enough material for the divisions between the windows. Which in turn would have meant lots of 1 to 2mm wide bits of coach side resulting in a wobbly coach side. Hopefully despite the number of bits they are long enough to make a flatish side.

[Clive Mortimore]

9 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Well, if we're doing blondes, here's my pin up girl from back in the day, unsurpassed ever since IMHO;

 

 

Mike.

Hi Mike

 

I think I have posted another video of this song before, it is a wonderful pop song.

 

Anyhow I weren't doing blondes, Lauren Tate from Hands of Gretel  in the video I posted has dyed blonde hair one side and black hair the other.

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 minute ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi Mike

 

I think I have posted another video of this song before, it is a wonderful pop song.

 

Anyhow I weren't doing blondes, Lauren Tate from Hands of Gretel  in the video I posted has dyed blonde hair one side and black hair the other.

 

TBPH I didn't watch it!

 

Mike.

[cheesysmith]

Dr frankenstein here, i wish to report that my home bodge motor bogie is running round doing some endurance testing now. The only problem, as I suspected, is not power, but grip. It will quite happily spin the drive wheel, even with the mass of 2 Hornby mazac class 31 chassis sat on the coach chassis. When tested using my speed wagon i could have a 8mph crawl, and a max of 70mph, but that is due to lack of grip. 

[Clive Mortimore]

Today I have received a new Heljan type 2 Bo-Bo from John Dutfield's in Chelmsford. I have moaned on the thread concerning this model about what I considered wrong with the "engineering prototype", too flat a front, and cab doors windows not are deep enough. On opening the box these features remain, plus the cab door handrails do not look right, you couldn't be pear shaped like me and get in the cab as the bend inwards. I think if I can be ar$ed they can be sorted. It is very well finished and comes with four little bags of bits. Two of which I will not be using, the snow ploughs and the train heating boiler grill and foot step blanking plates, wrong for my period of modelling. The other two contain the tension lock couplings in one and more buffer beam additions in the other. I need to check what should and should not be on the buffer beam for a mid sixties loco as I feel Heljan have added stuff that weren't there, in my modelling period. Comparing the livery with other manufacturers and my own two tone green locos.....how many shades of Sherwood Green are there? None matched the Heljan version, or each other, so that is acceptable.  

 

I had a small fight to get the couplings on (why aren't they factory fitted?) owing to the pipe work already fitted. I ran it light engine in both directions, it runs very smoothly at all speeds. Its top scale speed is about 80 mph, which is about right for the class. I then ran it with a set of coaches. There is a big operational problem the couplings, they drop, which means they will not couple up to the coaches without human intervention. This is something I feel is important for one man operation on a largish train set. I have other Heljan locos that have a similar problem or it might be interference from the dangling buffer beam pipes, this will speed up my investigations as what it should have on the front. It negotiated the station throat OK. I drove it into platform six and ran round its train for its return journey to the fiddle yard. After getting coupled to a train it ran lovely and looked like a Sulzer Bo-Bo as it sped round the layout a few times.

 

It will be a good addition to my operating fleet despite my thoughts on its appearance.

[5BarVT]

Hi Clive,

Although I use different couplings to you, I have some Heljan droop, but not as bad a Dapol droop.  Try plasticard off cuts in the NEM mount under the coupling prongs to lift things up.  Start at 10 thou and increase as required.

Paul.

[cheesysmith]

I am happy to report the death of the monster Mk1. Mk2 is already under construction, with other drives in thinking mode (Mk4 in the brain so far lol). If it appears strange that I am happy over the death of Mk1, you misunderstand. Mk1 was always going to be tested to destruction, and survived about 1.5 hours before expiring. It failed due to how I had made it, not any parts used, and is easily repairable.

 

Photo report to follow when i CBA.

[cheesysmith]

I am lucky in that I have resisted the little type 2 from derby models so far, except where i have been able to pick up some cheap examples.

 

Of course, with the SLW version now on the market, might change my mind.

[woodenhead]

30 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

There is a big operational problem the couplings, they drop, which means they will not couple up to the coaches without human intervention. This is something I feel is important for one man operation on a largish train set. I have other Heljan locos that have a similar problem or it might be interference from the dangling buffer beam pipes, this will speed up my investigations as what it should have on the front.

This is standard fare on a Heljan, my 33 was the same, plasticard shims to fix.

 

But the chassis though are really good aren't they, run so sweet, a bit like my Farish locos when not splitting gears.

[TheSignalEngineer]

On 23/02/2021 at 15:59, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi Paul

 

As a S&T man I bet on cold days there was always that little job you had been putting off in the nice warm power box. Funny how those jobs became urgent.

Not always unfortunately, although I was spared a very cold Sunday on a relaying job where the snow had started to melt and then froze in the ballast. It was supposed to be a deep dig and relay a mechanical turnout for higher speed, therefore all new holes on the ground for cranks. Fortunately the Pway called off early when they started up the crane and found that the hydraulics were frozen.

Another bad place was Rugeley Power Station. The flood plain location and cooling towers created a micro climate prone to freezing fog.  I went to examine some equipment on a signal that had to be modified and when I climbed it my gloves froze to the ladder.

[john new]

1 hour ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Today I have received a new Heljan type 2 Bo-Bo from John Dutfield's in Chelmsford. I have moaned on the thread concerning this model about what I considered wrong with the "engineering prototype", too flat a front, and cab doors windows not are deep enough. On opening the box these features remain, plus the cab door handrails do not look right, you couldn't be pear shaped like me and get in the cab as the bend inwards. I think if I can be ar$ed they can be sorted. It is very well finished and comes with four little bags of bits. Two of which I will not be using, the snow ploughs and the train heating boiler grill and foot step blanking plates, wrong for my period of modelling. The other two contain the tension lock couplings in one and more buffer beam additions in the other. I need to check what should and should not be on the buffer beam for a mid sixties loco as I feel Heljan have added stuff that weren't there, in my modelling period. Comparing the livery with other manufacturers and my own two tone green locos.....how many shades of Sherwood Green are there? None matched the Heljan version, or each other, so that is acceptable.  

 

I had a small fight to get the couplings on (why aren't they factory fitted?) owing to the pipe work already fitted. I ran it light engine in both directions, it runs very smoothly at all speeds. Its top scale speed is about 80 mph, which is about right for the class. I then ran it with a set of coaches. There is a big operational problem the couplings, they drop, which means they will not couple up to the coaches without human intervention. This is something I feel is important for one man operation on a largish train set. I have other Heljan locos that have a similar problem or it might be interference from the dangling buffer beam pipes, this will speed up my investigations as what it should have on the front. It negotiated the station throat OK. I drove it into platform six and ran round its train for its return journey to the fiddle yard. After getting coupled to a train it ran lovely and looked like a Sulzer Bo-Bo as it sped round the layout a few times.

 

It will be a good addition to my operating fleet despite my thoughts on its appearance.

 

What I can't understand about tension lock couplings is how they have steadily  got worse over time. Triang-Hornby made some thinnish one's in metal that worked and were screw fitted. The hook was also a rivet fit so didn't fall off! If I could buy more now they would be my fit of choice. 

 

Then over time we've had the Volvo bumper style, more obtrusive so a backwards step, and now thin sticky out things that look very obtrusive to me, don't couple well on curves (too small) and due to push fits can be sloppy. Also the new naff plastic hooks are too easy to knock off.

 

Obviously a personal view but the older t/l metal style with the thinner wide bar spread out the visual intrusion and your eye accepts that as part of the buffer beam.

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by john new
Extra note added for clarity

[Clive Mortimore]

12 minutes ago, john new said:

 

What I can't understand about tension lock couplings is how they have steadily  got worse over time. Triang-Hornby made some thinnish one's in metal that worked and were screw fitted. The hook was also a rivet fit so didn't fall off! If I could buy more now they would be my fit of choice. 

 

Then over time we've had the Volvo bumper style, more obtrusive so a backwards step, and now thin sticky out things that look very obtrusive to me, don't couple well on curves (too small) and due to push fits can be sloppy. Also the new naff plastic hooks are too easy to knock off.

 

Obviously a personal view but the older t/l metal style with the thinner wide bar spread out the visual intrusion and your eye accepts that as part of the buffer beam.

 

No problems with Triang or Lima couplings. Look really 'orrid but they work.

[Gibbo675]

9 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Well, if we're doing blondes, here's my pin up girl from back in the day, unsurpassed ever since IMHO;

 

 

Mike.

Hi Mike,

 

Is this her sister having her boots polished up ?

 

 

Gibbo.

[cheesysmith]

is that where they get their beaver badge? Or just a hairy rat?

[Clive Mortimore]

3 hours ago, cheesysmith said:

is that where they get their beaver badge? Or just a hairy rat?

 

[ian]

 

[Clive Mortimore]

Steve (31A) altered me to this nice video, well that is until the class 66 turns up towards the end. They ruin all modern image train videos.

 

[St Enodoc]

8 hours ago, Gibbo675 said:

Hi Mike,

 

Is this her sister having her boots polished up ?

 

 

Gibbo.

Cor!!!!!

[cheesysmith]

I will have you know that I cannot deny or admit to being a dirty old man, but my thought on seeing the photo the second time was "is that the shoe shine rag, or her knickers?"

[Gibbo675]

11 minutes ago, cheesysmith said:

I will have you know that I cannot deny or admit to being a dirty old man, but my thought on seeing the photo the second time was "is that the shoe shine rag, or her knickers?"

My dear David,

 

You are a deep and bountiful oasis of blokey humour in what has become the barren dessert of perniciously politically correct faux virtue.

 

Gibbo.

[cheesysmith]

Politically correct? Is that the same as the non discrimination policy at work? That is easy, just hate everyone, problem solved.

[Enterprisingwestern]

6 hours ago, cheesysmith said:

 That is easy, just hate everyone, problem solved.

 

Pre-requisite for a Yorkshireman, it's not our fault everybody else is inferior is it?

 

Mike.

 

[Gibbo675]

2 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Pre-requisite for a Yorkshireman, it's not our fault everybody else is inferior is it?

 

Mike.

 

Hi Mike,

 

I must have somehow misread all you Tykes in that I thought that you all had a chip on your shoulder for quite the opposite reason.

 

Oh well, every day is a school day !

 

Gibbo.

[Enterprisingwestern]

Just now, Gibbo675 said:

Hi Mike,

 

I must have somehow misread all you Tykes in that I thought that you all had a chip on your shoulder for quite the opposite reason.

 

Oh well, every day is a school day !

 

Gibbo.

 

We're a perfectly balanced breed, we have a chip on each shoulder.

 

Mike.

[Clive Mortimore]

18 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Cor!!!!!

See the Steptoe and son video, please.