Kernow GWR steam rail motor

[stephennicholson]

Has anyone enhanced the interior, ie painted the seats. I was going to try and approximate the interior based on the preserved example.

[didcot]

1 hour ago, melmerby said:

have trimmed the top speed back to 50 max. I have also dimmed the front and rear marker lights, so they are less like searchlights

Would you mind sharing the CV settings?

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, didcot said:

Would you mind sharing the CV settings?

It will depend to a certain extent on the make and model of decoder. I have used a Lenz Silver + Plux 22.

I have set Vstart to 1, reduced Vtop from 255 to 200 and set Vmid to 95. This gives an almost straight line linear speed response.

(I normally find that the 3 point setting is OK unless the model is particulary akward for some reason, then I resort to the 28 point speed setting )

 

The light intensity has been altered by reducing the relative CV from 255 to 64, it's probably still too high🙂.

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, stephennicholson said:

Has anyone enhanced the interior, ie painted the seats. I was going to try and approximate the interior based on the preserved example.

I found the body difficult to remove and even more difficult to replace*, so fitting the decoder will be the limit of intervention.

 

*IMHO the PCB could be made a little narrower which would ease the process.

[stewartingram]

Anyone checking on tracking from Kernow, don't rely too much on it. Having been accustomed to Hattons methods, the Kernow method is a tad unreliable. (Not an accusation at Kernow, just an observation, my method is "It will arrive when it does".

Last week I I received my pre-order LMS Model Rail shunter from Kernow. Unexpected, and still showing on the orders page. I had however received an email quoting a despatch, but with the order number relating to an Oxford car. (Still showing despatched, but none received). Time-wise this was tracked by Royal Mail, and coincided with the shunter, so they mixed up the orders!

Previously, when the Hornby A2s were released, I had 2 pre-orders sent (separately), which are still shown as outstanding orders though I have received them. Yet other orders have had reliabily, showing tracking and order completion.

As I said, not a complaint, service from them otherwise is great.

 

Edit to add:

I had a recent conversation with them, concerning combining the postage of the MR loco and a normal shop item, I was in no rush and thought the postage would be cheaper. Their reply basically said "No Can Do, 2 separate businesses" Fair do I suppose, but then they seem to have combined my orders for the Oxford & MR loco in the process!

Edited February 11 by stewartingram

[stephennicholson]

1 hour ago, melmerby said:

I found the body difficult to remove and even more difficult to replace*, so fitting the decoder will be the limit of intervention.

 

*IMHO the PCB could be made a little narrower which would ease the process.

As I am waiting for the sound fitted version, I may have made a rod for own back as I have a set of painted modelu figures to add!

[Free At Last]

Mine is having a problem with a facing PECO code 100 single slip when approached from the curve of a trailing point.

Half way through the straight route it jumps to the curve and derails. It is as if the front driving bogie is not straightening up after the curve. Looking closely it looks like part of the valve gear is catching on the solebar. Turning the railmotor upside down and turning the bogie you can hear something catching.

I can't make out from the small exploded parts drawing how the body fits on the bogie and if it can be shimmed. Or should  I return it.
Other than that it runs smoothly and sounds great, I've done the various cv adjustments to my liking and dimmed the directional lighting so it is not like Big Bertha which the included paperwork says can't be done.

Quote

Lighting Adjustment
Your model is fitted with bi-colour lamps at each end, operated by FKey0 directionally.
The directional lighting cannot be dimmed

 

[didcot]

 

Would it be this piece of the valve gear. This is my first 97. This was catching as you described. I had other problems as well so it went back. The same piece wasn't as bad on my replacement, but it did move up and down slightly. I thought I could see daylight as it moved up, but it was the light reflecting of a tiny location pin on the top slide bar. I stopped it in the right place and could see the pin using a magnifier.  I applied a tiny amount of glue with a bit of Peco signal wire to the pin and eased the end back down. It's much better and the valve rod doesn't move up and down. I suspect it may have failed if I hadn't. 

[Free At Last]

15 minutes ago, didcot said:

Would it be this piece of the valve gear. 

Yes. I'll have a closer look tomorrow and see if it needs something similar doing to it.
I don't really want to have to return it as it runs smoothly everywhere else.

[sjrixon]

15 hours ago, stephennicholson said:

As I am waiting for the sound fitted version, I may have made a rod for own back as I have a set of painted modelu figures to add!

They will have opened it to fit the sound. So should be a little easier as it's been done already..

[Harlequin]

10 hours ago, didcot said:

 

Would it be this piece of the valve gear. This is my first 97. This was catching as you described. I had other problems as well so it went back. The same piece wasn't as bad on my replacement, but it did move up and down slightly. I thought I could see daylight as it moved up, but it was the light reflecting of a tiny location pin on the top slide bar. I stopped it in the right place and could see the pin using a magnifier.  I applied a tiny amount of glue with a bit of Peco signal wire to the pin and eased the end back down. It's much better and the valve rod doesn't move up and down. I suspect it may have failed if I hadn't. 

 

The black moulding is the valve stem and valve stem guide. It should be exactly horizontal (assuming the bogie is sitting on level track) and in the prototype the stem guide is fixed to the upper crosshead guide.

 

It's interesting that it more frequently seems to be the model of No. 97 that shows these problems. Maybe that's just because that version is more popular than the others.

 

Edit: Nope, You can actually see the part bending up and down in AY Mods' video of No. 61 on a rolling road:

 

Edited February 12 by Harlequin

[Seaniom]

My railmoter arrived safely, and I have to say I am exceptionally impressed by its really lovely model. Well done, Kernow!

[D J H]

On my SRM several parts of the valve gear only just clear the underside of the body. How they made all those fine parts work amazes me, I can barely see them.

 

Doug

[Michael Hodgson]

On 10/02/2024 at 15:56, melmerby said:

And they were overly heavy for the number of passengers carried, once ICE engines started to be trialled the SRM was effectively on life support, being much lighter and more efficient, the article in Lewis emphasises that, with the weight per passenger being half (or better) that of an SRM

Perhaps SRMs should come back again, as the weight of passengers has increased by the corresponding amount 😁

[melmerby]

19 hours ago, Free At Last said:

Lighting Adjustment
Your model is fitted with bi-colour lamps at each end, operated by FKey0 directionally.
The directional lighting cannot be dimmed

 

If it come off a function output on the decoder, unless the decoder is seriously deficient in adjustability, it normally can be dimmed.

It should also not need any intervention to change the direction effect.

I would suggest KR models need to up their game.

[Coppercap]

50 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Perhaps SRMs should come back again, as the weight of passengers has increased by the corresponding amount 😁

Ah, but your new SRM would then have to be bigger, on account of the passengers not only being heavier but also wider, thus requiring wider seats, so needing a bigger SRM for the same number of seats... or maybe add a trailer! 

[Coppercap]

6 minutes ago, melmerby said:

 

If it come off a function output on the decoder, unless the decoder is seriously deficient in adjustability, it normally can be dimmed.

It should also not need any intervention to change the direction effect.

I would suggest KR models need to up their game.

Are KR Models doing an SRM as well? 🤔

[Kaput]

Anyone actually had a sound fitted one to report on yet?

[Free At Last]

Managed to get one side to sit on the little pip on the slidebar but can't get the other to sit the same. Can't see if it is fully home or whether it needs more force on it which I am reluctant to do.

 

[didcot]

I would say mine is similar in that one side is better than the other.

I wonder if the position relative to the pin is slightly out.

Edited February 12 by didcot

[Chuffer Davies]

1 hour ago, Free At Last said:

Managed to get one side to sit on the little pip on the slidebar but can't get the other to sit the same. Can't see if it is fully home or whether it needs more force on it which I am reluctant to do.

 

Oh Err Missus,

something looks very wrong in the bottom photo.  The valve spindle should be horizontal rather than leaning up at a jaunty angle.  I can’t offer any advice on how to sort it though.  
If it were me I’d be returning it under warranty rather than risk damaging it.
Frank

[Free At Last]

12 minutes ago, Chuffer Davies said:

Oh Err Missus,

something looks very wrong in the bottom photo.  The valve spindle should be horizontal rather than leaning up at a jaunty angle.  I can’t offer any advice on how to sort it though.  
If it were me I’d be returning it under warranty rather than risk damaging it.
Frank

Thanks for pointing that out, I hadn't noticed it.

[Pre Grouping fan]

Looks like the top valve chest of the cylinders could be a separate part and isn't seated down at the back properly causing the spindle to point towards the solebar.

[Free At Last]

I've a feeling that this bit (circled) is too long, so although fully home on the slide bar pip it is sitting too high.

[melmerby]

Here's my #97

 

RH side:

Pretty well horizontal.

 

LH side:

 

That looks worse on the camera than it looks in reality but definitely an uphill slope.