Kernow GWR steam rail motor

[didcot]

Might be worth checking the fit between crosshead and slide bars as my 97 is slightly stiff at the end of its stroke at the motion bracket end on one side.

[stephennicholson]

3 hours ago, mikesndbs said:

Keith thank you, very helpful.

The dcc blanking plate just has four diodes on it! I was looking at R14 on the pcb (200R) but I think this is more to do with the coach lighting than the lamps.

Because we have this weird white pcb its very hard to trace the tracks to see what's going on. I've asked Kernow if they would share the diagram for the lighting at least. 

There must be a simple change that could reduce the brightness and protect the LEDs but so far I can't see it and of course all this SMD makes life very hard.

 

Another option (albeit more expensive, presumes you have the means to get a decoder programmed but perhaps less risky) would be to fit a decoder programmed for DC running and apply the relevant dimming cv changes.

[mikesndbs]

30 minutes ago, stephennicholson said:

Another option (albeit more expensive, presumes you have the means to get a decoder programmed but perhaps less risky) would be to fit a decoder programmed for DC running and apply the relevant dimming cv changes.

 

I never even knew that was possible! thanks. Got one more simple fix to try

[sjgardiner]

Well, they must be plowing their way through the remaining decoder fittings for sound. My end of August 2023 order shipped today (notice of shipping email came in this morning). Now to hope the Royal Mail/Canada Post types manage to get it to me without incident!

 

Glad its shipped now, was actually slightly worried that if it slipped much longer it might arrive in Canada while I’m in the UK after Easter creating mail pickup headaches!

 

Stephen Gardiner

Toronto, ON, Canada

[melmerby]

8 hours ago, mikesndbs said:

Keith thank you, very helpful.

The dcc blanking plate just has four diodes on it!

 

In that case as you say, the resistor(s) must be somewhere else.

Seems logical as they must be there for DCC use as they aren't on the decoder (Should've realised that.

[JSpencer]

Mine arrived yesterday and is the sound fitted version. I tested it under DCC yesterday evening and there were no issues. She is quite fast even on 1/4 speed settings. I never cranked her up to full speed.

 

The manual shows this to be a very impressive set up. Some sounds have random settings leaving you to concentrate on the main ones. Other sounds have several choices to choose from which can be changed by the CVs.

For example two types of station announcements (Liskeard and Looe) are set by default but there are about a dozen to choose from by changing the CVs.

The lights were fine (interior & exterior), about the right brightness under DCC. In fact I was surprised to find interior lighting so passengers and crew will be a nice addition eventually.

 

The first thing to strike me taking her out of the box is her length. Nearly as long as a Mk 3 shown below. The box is the same length as Accurascale's Detlic, though half the width and height.

I've been giving some thought recently to a shunting plank micro layout  (to be mixed with OO-9) and this model has me thinking about maybe a small terminal.

[Andy Keane]

Certainly I have found the railmotor is the item of rolling stock that most tests my clearances - I have a bridge that my Deltic was quite happy with but which I have had to rebuild to allow the railmotor through. I also had to replace the extra wide valve gear protectors fitted as standard for the narrower and nicer looking / more prototypical ones supplied with the model. Fortunately I have nothing tighter than third radius to deal with.

Edited February 28 by Andy Keane

[mikesndbs]

How I reduced the brightness of the head/tail LED on this remarkable model.

This will be a technical discussion for those with some electronic knowledge and I am not recommending you undertake any of the actions I have done, however I have sought to minimise alteration to the original model design.

I can’t say it’s my best ever work but you will understand the reasons why as the video progresses.

I had to send back my original model seen in the video here due to failure of the LED head and tail lights, as you can see here the white light had already failed and the rear red was massively bright heading for oblivion.

 

Be most interested in your thoughts? 

 

 

[melmerby]

14 hours ago, JSpencer said:

The first thing to strike me taking her out of the box is her length.

Yes 70' over mouldings, 3' longer over buffers. Once a common size on the GWR with coaches not intended to wander off the system.

There were severe restrictions with only certain lines away from the GWR available to them.

 

The widest coaches at 73' 0" x 9' 7" would not be accepted anywhere off the GWR.

The only other line which had 9' 7" wide stock was, surprisingly, the Metroplitan but much shorter lengths.

 

 

Edited February 28 by melmerby

[darthmh]

I don't suppose anyone has a picture of the SteamMotor in Lake with a Dapol Lake Toplight coach attached.   I know totally unrealistic but I was intrested in any difference in the shade of Lake used.

Edited March 1 by darthmh

[GWR1890-1908]

I corresponded to Kernow re the black doors on the fully lined model, and they  confirmed that B&W photos had been used as a colour reference for this version. Given that it is well known by all branches of historical modelling that you CANNOT use this method to determine colour because of ,if nothing else, the type of film used then ( we all know about orange lining being almost invisible, and in photos of WW1 aircraft, yellow appears BLACK), I was very surprised.  Also, the prize monogram was not applied to all stock, and was very short lived. Given John Lewis book on GWR SRM's, I could not understand how such an error could be made. I pointed this out to Kernow, and also the fact that all other livery options had body colour on the doors, so why should that one be different? It was noted for future production. Given that the models were delayed at one point to ensure the liveries were correct, it is also a head scratcher. Despite this relatively minor concern, the model is exceptional. I have only test run mine as the layout is bare baseboards, but it appears to be trouble free. We are lucky that someone has taken the plunge with such a subject. Could we be lucky enough for them to tackle a Dean loco next?

[Harlequin]

2 hours ago, GWR1890-1908 said:

I corresponded to Kernow re the black doors on the fully lined model, and they  confirmed that B&W photos had been used as a colour reference for this version. Given that it is well known by all branches of historical modelling that you CANNOT use this method to determine colour because of ,if nothing else, the type of film used then ( we all know about orange lining being almost invisible, and in photos of WW1 aircraft, yellow appears BLACK), I was very surprised.  Also, the prize monogram was not applied to all stock, and was very short lived. Given John Lewis book on GWR SRM's, I could not understand how such an error could be made. I pointed this out to Kernow, and also the fact that all other livery options had body colour on the doors, so why should that one be different? It was noted for future production. Given that the models were delayed at one point to ensure the liveries were correct, it is also a head scratcher. Despite this relatively minor concern, the model is exceptional. I have only test run mine as the layout is bare baseboards, but it appears to be trouble free. We are lucky that someone has taken the plunge with such a subject. Could we be lucky enough for them to tackle a Dean loco next?

 

Lewis says that 'it seems' the prize monogram was used on SRMs 61-72 and 73-80 when first built.

 

So the fully lined, chocolate and cream No. 61 is probably historically correct (black doors excepted) and an interesting variation for the modeller - although, as you say, it was short lived in that livery.

 

[GWR1890-1908]

Yes Harlequin. I would have thought normal livery would been a better seller. A tricky process removing the logo to replace with another, not knowing if you are going to damage the model. I am not sure if there was a survey done prior to commencement, but it may have helped.

[KeithMacdonald]

6 hours ago, GWR1890-1908 said:

they  confirmed that B&W photos had been used as a colour reference for this version. Given that it is well known by all branches of historical modelling that you CANNOT use this method to determine colour

 

That reminds me of my earliest days here on RMWeb. One of the "senior inmates" was pompously telling us he knew exactly what colour the original was 60 years ago, and he had a black & white picture to prove it. I had the foolish naivety to ask how he could tell from a black & white picture. I got a hissy fit in response.

[Penrhos1920]

Well my railmotor has finally arrived. It runs flawlessly backwards, forwards, with sound, up and down the hills and around the curves.  its brilliant. Except there’s a rattle.   Clearly, somewhere inside,  there is a piece that is moving around and I damned if I can find it. So what do I do?   Send it back or keep it?

 

It probably doesn’t matter what I do with it because it’s scheduled to become Barry Railway steam rail motor number one. And that requires cutting 10 foot out of the middle of it, changing one of the bogies and changing the roof.   Not a small job but then again not a big job either.

 

The question is will I be the first to do a cut and shut on this lovely thing.? 

[Andy Keane]

9 minutes ago, Penrhos1920 said:

cut and shut on this lovely thing

That will require real bravery - they are so beautiful as they come.

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, Penrhos1920 said:

Well my railmotor has finally arrived. It runs flawlessly backwards, forwards, with sound, up and down the hills and around the curves.  its brilliant. Except there’s a rattle.   Clearly, somewhere inside,  there is a piece that is moving around and I damned if I can find it. So what do I do?   Send it back or keep it?

 

It probably doesn’t matter what I do with it because it’s scheduled to become Barry Railway steam rail motor number one. And that requires cutting 10 foot out of the middle of it, changing one of the bogies and changing the roof.

Don't forget changing the sides and changing the doors............😁

The power bogie is the same wheelbase and wheel size but has piston valves v slide valves.

[rprodgers]

11 hours ago, GWR1890-1908 said:

Yes Harlequin. I would have thought normal livery would been a better seller. A tricky process removing the logo to replace with another, not knowing if you are going to damage the model. I am not sure if there was a survey done prior to commencement, but it may have helped.

Surely pre 1908 none of the SRM in chocolate and cream with different insignia were that long lived.

Weren’t the diagram Os (53-58, 61-72) ordered in 1905  and the diagram Rs (84-99) not built before1907?

 

SRM 61 was recorded new in a photograph  sporting the prize monogram.
 

The SRM then started to be repainted into the all brown from 1908 due to difficulties keeping them clean.

 

The 1922 chocolate and cream would be popular.

I am surprised that Kernow have some of the long lived crimson lake versions still for sale.

 

It’s difficult to say how popular the 1906 prize monogram livery was but it has sold out at Kernow.

 

 

Edited March 2 by rprodgers
Correction

[rprodgers]

13 hours ago, Harlequin said:

 

Lewis says that 'it seems' the prize monogram was used on SRMs 61-72 and 73-80 when first built.

 

So the fully lined, chocolate and cream No. 61 is probably historically correct (black doors excepted) and an interesting variation for the modeller - although, as you say, it was short lived in that livery.

 

SRM 61 is correctly shown with the prize monogram (introduced 1906)*.

It was part of order 1100 dated 13/06/1905

 

*See page 84 for photo in John Lewis’s book.

[GWR1890-1908]

I don't actually have the Lewis book (probably the only GWR one missing from my library!), but your information is helpful. Given my preferred time range, I can live with the prize monogram. Like the railmotor itself, it will be apoint of interest amongst my other stock. The black doors i WILL have to do something about!!

[mikesndbs]

Here we see the Kernow GWR Steam Railmotor having it’s showcase run.

This is my second model as the original had failed head/tail lamps. This new one looked like going the same way so I dimmed them down (video guide already up)

Enjoy seeing this beautiful model running with real sound and music.

 

[StuartGWR]

Having had a little while to get used to my no. 61 DC Railmotor, I simply must pass on my admiration to Kernow. It is so rare (over the last 35 years) to get any OO locomotive which runs so perfectly as this, let alone one constructed with such watchmaker-like precision.  And just to single out one feature: never since the days of Hornby-Dublo has any manufacturer produced a valve gear which moves correctly.  Most cannot even get the expansion link moving properly.  But here, the radius rod also moves as it should, actuating what looks like a proper valve spindle into the steam-chest.  And the scale of these items -- wow!   Of course these  were so over-scale in Hornby-Dublo days.  The whole effect is stunning, and a great credit to you all!  One slight disappointment is the very bright leading/tail lamps, and the very dim interior lighting (in normal lighting conditions) - even though this feature is prototypical.  I wish there was an easy fix on DC.  I am quite good at electronics but my hands weren't designed for surface-mount resistors!  (I have built exceptional feedback controllers which even a 14xx fitted with a Portescap 1219 has been happy with over a number of years).

 

To sum up, we have all got used to looks, features and so on moving forward, but wherever you look on this model it is truly exceptional. I don't think the on-line reviewers praised it highly enough.  Even the "non-opening" cab vent which Sam marked down actually does move...............

[4069]

It is indeed a very pretty model, but the gross distortion of the bodyside windows and panelling is, for me, impossible to ignore.

[cctransuk]

22 minutes ago, 4069 said:

It is indeed a very pretty model, but the gross distortion of the bodyside windows and panelling is, for me, impossible to ignore.

 

That's OK - I don't expect that you will be buying it!

 

CJI.

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, 4069 said:

It is indeed a very pretty model, but the gross distortion of the bodyside windows and panelling is, for me, impossible to ignore.

The Grand Order of The Golden Rivet goes to.................