Brian D

The new multimeter has been used to check for gremlins on the Hornby Class 110 DMU. No easy fix was found so the motor was condemned and a Strathpeffer Junction replacement CD player type motor kit purchased and the ringfield motor replaced - see below. All pretty straightforward to fit and the DMU set now runs nice and smoothly. The kit is therefore highly recommended. I didn't bother with any form of voltage dropper so I will take it easy with the "throttle". The DMU can be seen running here... ...so I'll leave you to judge. Regards, Brian.

Apologies for the extreme delay in posting any updates on my progress with this kit. There is a simple reason - basically I got fed up with it. Nothing in this DJH kit seems to go together without a disproportionate (to my eyes) amount of fettling. The fit of some parts is very poor and the smaller cast white metal parts are covered in flash. Anyway, I decided to grit my teeth and get on with it. So, continuing my concerns about haulage capacity (especially up the severe gradients on my layout) I decided to focus on the tender because several more parts (side rails, etc) and corresponding more weight had yet to be added. This has now been done bar handrails and a couple of minor detail cast metal parts - see below. I added a coupling for the haulage test and, initially, the results were very discouraging, the loco almost refusing running uphill light engine just showing how heavy the tender is so I adjusted the loco to tender draw bar so that some of the tender weight was transferred to the loco without causing any derailment issues. This resulted in a vast improvement light engine so a single vehicle was added behind the loco. Again, uphill running was successful - see video. Further testing will take place shortly. I wanted to fit the hand rails to the tender but, guess what, there aren't enough hand rail knobs in the kit to complete all the hand rails on both loco and tender, bl**dy typical, more on order. Not sure I will bother with any further kits from DJH but, if I do, I now know what to expect which I suppose is part of the learning curve. By for now. Regards, Brian.

Wow Tom, how have I missed this. Fantastic standard of modelling. The station building, overall roof and tower will look amazing when finished. Correct me if I'm wrong but is South Shields now "served" by the dreaded Metro? Keep up the incredible work - now following. Regards, Brian.

The latest addition to the roster (thank you Santa) has been tested... ...and pressed into service on an oil train. This is a Bachmann Class 25/3, lightly weathered, full yellow end, no train heating boiler so mainly for freight. A second hand acquisition from flea bay allegedly barely used by the previous owner. The usual sweet Bachmann mechanism so all is good. Santa also came through with this... ...so I should be able to get to the bottom of the Hornby Class 110 electrical gremlins in due course. More news in a day or two. This pic was taken with the probes connected to the rails to monitor the voltage of a departing Hornby Class 101 so at "cruising" speed it was consuming nearly 4 of the available 12 volts DC. Regards, Brian.

As it's the time of year... ...and for goodness sake I hope the New Year turns out a lot better than this one! All the very best to you and yours, Regards, Brian.

You have my deepest sympathy Scott. I know how you feel, my Dad passed away many years ago rather suddenly (heart attack) so I didn't get the chance of last farewells, not sure how I would have coped with that emotionally. All the best for Christmas and the New Year which surely can't be any worse than this one. Best Regards, Brian.

Thanks for this Ian. I guess if I keep the controller knob well away from the the full maximum, there shouldn't be a problem. I tend to drive everything on the layout quite slowly so I doubt very much whether I ever get the voltage above 6v. I could always fit a speedo (voltmeter) I suppose . Thanks again for your interest. Regards, Brian.

Thanks 9C85. I see what you mean by the simultaneous arrivals (Deltic + Class 25 & hoppers). Other than testing the driving skills and concentration of "The Fat Controller", such a movement is entirely feasible. I missed a trick there. Thanks again for your interest. Regards, Brian

I've had another thought about the failed BRCW dmu. The longer platforms on Deneside could accommodate a 5-car unit so I could possibly acquire another 3-car set to create a 2-car + 3-car arrangement leaving a redundant centre car which could donate an unpowered bogie to replace the faulty power bogie. If the problem is not a quick fix, I might go down this route. Food for thought. Regards, Brian.

Thanks for the advice but that sounds like a lot of diodes to me and I'm not sure there's room. Is there not a bigger diode that does the work of these 10? I know very little about electronics but I have used resistors to drop the voltage for the LED colour lights. Would a resistor do the trick? Thanks again for your interest. Regards, Brian.

Thanks Sandhole. Once Santa has delivered on the multimeter all will hopefully be revealed. Glad you are motivated to do likewise. I personally think that adding the various missing bufferbeam details makes a huge difference appearance wise. Thanks again for your advice and interest in my ramblings. Regards, Brian.

Thanks Ian. As you are no doubt aware there are no NEM sockets on this model which makes life difficult so I will leave the couplings as shown for now although I do have some Kadees somewhere which would be less obtrusive. The unit has to traverse some curves circa 28 inch radius or less on the lay-out so I can't over do the close coupling. I too have been looking at CD drive motor kits but understand that they are 6 volt rated and may require some sort of voltage dropper. How have you addressed this issue? I'd be pleased to hear your advice. Regards Brian

Sorry to hear your news but it sounds like the medicos have a plan which will work for you. Best wishes for the op and recovery and Season's Greetings to you and yours. Best Regards Brian

Thanks guys, I will definitely check the Brushes as a next step. I just can't understand why the unit ran perfectly until I started prettyfying it. Gremlins no doubt Regards Brian

There's good news and bad news regarding the Class 110. First, the good news. The corridor connectors/closer coupling has been sorted... ...as has the addition of "gubbins" to the driving car buffer beams and "destinations" inserted in the "blinds". The bad news is that the unit is dead to the controller. My existing multi-meter has also recently died (Santa is bringing a replacement) so I can't immediately identify the fault but the motor doesn't seem to be drawing any current, see below. So, this will have to wait until after Christmas to sort out but I have been researching Ringfield motors on the internet and it seems that the motors can be easily replaced and a number of kits are available so watch this space. I've had the power bogie out and the mechanism is not jammed - I can rotate the drive gears easily enough which makes the wheels go round. A shame though. By for now. Regards, Brian.

Thanks Tom. Unfortunately I don't have a guitar string to hand. Thanks for the tip though. Regards, Brian.

I have been researching jumper leads/vac pipe details for the class 110 and found this pic. This arrangement is not dissimilar to what I did on my class 101 (Metro Cammel) dmus (apologies for the poor phone pic)... ...but the Craftsman Models items I used some years ago are no longer available so I will have to improvise somewhat. I will likely use Bachmann class 24/25 loco parts for the central vac pipes and screw link coupling and fashion the other parts using either wire or fishing line and plastic strip. Stay tuned. Regards, Brian.

The latest video can be seen here... ..and is another "railcam" style video utilising a single camera position/viewpoint. Regards, Brian.

Thanks Andy. I've recently uploaded another one, I'll put the link on here shortly. Regards Brian

I must admit the interiors do look very light in the pics.

"rowanj" of this parish inspired me to look again at my 2005 vintage Hornby class 110 not run on Deneside before or not even in the last ten years. Needless to say it was a bit hesitant to run but after a bit of wheel cleaning and running in trips it now runs OK... ...but needs a lot of work on the "naked" buffer beams, close coupling and corridor connectors added. I've also got some magnetic couplers which I'm anxious to try out so it looks like another mini project coming on. Regards, Brian.

The Class 110 pic prompted me to dig out my own set purchased way back in 2005 and never run on Deneside and probably not run much at all in the last ten years. First application of the controller brought no response at all but a shove improved matters and a wheel clean and a few running in trips back and forth brought about acceptable smooth and responsive running, see below. I had already cut off the big couplings but the bare buffer beams need loads of pipework fitted and I need to close couple and add paper corridor connectors. Thanks for inspiring me to look again at the 110. Regards, Brian.

The latest video is available here. It is in the style of a "Railcam" i.e. a camera in a fixed position watching trains come and go. Enjoy or otherwise. Regards, Brian.

Good idea Andy. I had to do the same in OO gauge on Deneside. Regards, Brian.

It's great to find another North Eastern Region layout on here and, unlike mine, a model of a real place - great work. Space limitations prevented me doing likewise so mine is a fictional location. I also have too many GER/GCR locos but am loathe to dispose of them. Anyway Rule 1 applies until such time as I build a more appropriate layout . I have no qualms of employing the former Lima now Hornby 3 car class 101s on my layout. I chop off the aweful couplings and add pipework to the end buffer beams, close couple the intermediate car to its driving car neighbours and add (black paper) corridor/gangway connectors -see below. People say there is a lot wrong with them but the upgraded Hornby mechanism is quite smooth, they can be acquired quite cheaply and from normal viewing distances I think they look fine - see pic below. It sounds like we are of similar ages, my train spotting youth was spent mainly in Essex but sometimes in Easington, Co Durham where these green diesels ruled the roost, not only in my part of Essex but also on the Durham Coast Line on the Newcastle - Middlesbrough services. Strange that I hated dmus at the time but I think they look great now on my layout. Fantastic looking layout (now following) and apologies for the intrusion. Regards, Brian.