jimwal

Feedback controllers appeared many years ago to give improved slow running control of the fairly basic motors of the time. Coreless motors with a gearbox for model railway locos arrived, for which the feedback controllers were incompatible with. Virtually all recent locos have 'can' motors of various types, these are generally better than the old motors, but cheaper and more durable than coreless types. Can motors are normally better without feedback control, I believe it can shorten brushgear life in some cases. So coreless or can types, no feedback! Jim

This was made some years ago at Mangapps Railway in Essex. http://mangaapps.co.uk

If you have a local model shop, ask if they do repairs. Given the cost of the loco new it should be worth repairing. I do repairs for a shop here in deepest Essex and have indeed fixed a Dapol 9F valve gear. If all else fails you're welcome to PM me. Jim

Just caught up with this. Yes please I will add my interest in buying when available. Have had a dublo crane for years, apart from the match truck and jacks the crane sort of 'looked right'. Checking with the Tatlow book shows the carriage and crab to be pretty accurate. The relieving bogies are the correct wheelbase, but are a bit too long and a bit wide. It may be possible to lengthen the jib by grafting a bit to each end but I've not looked at it in great detail. The jib needs doing in some way to suit a new match truck. But if you cover the 'fiddly bits' with your work Jon, it will be most welcome. Regards, Jim

For the depot layout owners the North British loco sound chips should contain an 'under repair' function given the unreliability of this manufacturer's locos. Clive can just play some suitable punk!

Given the programmes have aimed to a wider audience beyond those of purely railway inerest, I found them most enjoyable. However I missed the first two or three so I'm hoping the series will be repeated. Jim.

Rusty steel wheels and rail on the real railway lead to slipping, on the model rust results in poor electrical pick up and the rust scales are overscale!

Hi Clive, There were two, one had been altered with extended sides and was in a poor state. Parts were recovered and the rest cut up. The second one was in reasonable order but saw little use as it wasn't a typical East Anglian branch line goods wagon so it got moved on. See you at GCR tomorrow. Will we see Mike F on Tonbridge west yard?

Hi Baz, You may have started something you may regret! Seriously, I would be interested in a few LMS ore hoppers as I know a friend will be. They seemed to have lasted well with some I believe at preserved railways.

Lincolnshire earthquake. Nothing to do with you Clive. Maybe aftreshocks from running my locos on Tony Wright's 'Little Bytham'!

I now have embarrassingly heavy locos as Tony Wright discovered recently. Growing up on Hornby Dublo, layouts with gradients and wanting decent length trains soon made me realize weight was the answer! Things have moved on, I now have a flat layout on which a 60 wagon coal empties train can be hauled by most any of the RTR 0-6-0 locos.

Hello Tony, Many thanks for hosting Keith, Colin, Richard and me on Monday. As I was operating the pick-up goods I can vouch for the reliability of the shunting with the neo magnets, no pulling on axles, just consistent reliability as with the rest of the layout. Magnetic strength falls away quickly as the distance increases, they won't affect the motor magnets either. I appreciate your interest in the stock I brought along, the tarted up Hornby-Dublo gangwayed brake looked at home on LB. I will bring some items (minus autocouplings!) for your camera when we see you at Southwold, probably Saturday. If you should get time with Bob Bishop while you are there ask him about the locos; he knows the story; he did have something of a hand in it.

Just seen this so not checked spares/junk boxes; Airfix 4F/2P tender drive?. These do have the pinion inboard of the bearing.

If Simon's suggestions don't work then its likely the commutator insulation is breaking down, hence the glowing parts. In which case it will be a new motor.

Agree generally with you but in 4mm at least, Lincs couplings are difficult on bogie stock. Maybe any coupling type with an inner counterbalance arm would be the same. Because of the angled hook Lincs will couple with pretty much any other type, though not automatically of course. As well as some stock with Lincs, I have older items with Peco/Dublo type and kitbuilt/converted/scratchbuilt stock with scale couplings but not long wheelbase or bogie vehicles. This due to buffer locking issues. These and most newer stock have small tension locks. This mix does require a good number of converter vehicles for flexibility. Jim

Clive, in keeping with the spirit of this thread and to inform the steam followers can you please identify the 'loco' in red Anyway you're doing a grand job with your layout. Jim

Hi Clive, Well done for the progress on your new big roundy roundy layout! With reasonably free running rolling stock you may be suprised at how well your locos haul on a level system. Since refurbishing the old club layout and levelling up Keith's setup we've noticed a big difference. Like the real thing, model trains do not like hills! Jim

Hi Mike, You may be on to something with soft brushes as there doesn't look to be a lot of meat on them. Somewhere on Rm Web pencil lead was suggested, HB I think, maybe worth a go. Jim

Hi MIke, Looking at your photos, is there any insulating washer between the commutator and the bearing?. As we can't see what's going on when these fully enclosed can motors are running there could be arcing between segments via the bearing, this may reveal itself by heating at the bearing. Hope it can be sorted, the K's motors run nothing like as smooth or quiet. Regards, Jim

Just found this thread, I purchased one of DJM's J94 locos 'with faults' from their stand at Warley. Apart from the fault being different to that labeled it ran ok. Having said that it did seem a bit 'gutless' so I removed the body to discover a motor of just 6mm diameter! this has a brass worm almost as big. I believe this combination is leading to the lack of tourque mentioned. The J94 also has gear drive to all axles and probably shares the same motor type as other DJM locos. Regards, Jim.

Hi Mike, Have you tried lubricating the motor bearings? as they often dry out in storage. Your video showing an increase in current draw with speed reduction suggests dry or near seazure of the bearings. Also check for end to end movement of the motor shaft, there should be just a little slack. Regards, Jim.

It might be worth trying Peco 'Eletrolube' but don't use too much. I've found these chassis tend to get a build-up of a sort of 'scum' on the axles and bearings which inhibits pick up and needs cleaning off. I normally apply just a small amount of oil.

Further evidence of being a breakdown tool & packing van in photo 1 is the handbrake wheel midway below the solebar, also just visible in silhoette behind, what looks like the long diagonal box for heavy pieces of equpment. In photo 2 at the roof top can be seen edges of roof windows often added to these conversions for light. The original windows being panelled in solid and the interior lined with tounge & groove board. Mangapps Railway Museum has a coach that had been converted in exactly this style. However it is not this one as it retained an internal handbrake column. It is 1910 Doncaster built GNR brake first no 43178 believed to have been converted to breakdown use in the early fifties, renumbered DE320651 and at least for some time allocated to Frodingham. It is now back in use as a passenger vehicle. Regards Jim

Also well set up and adjusted sound. A excellent all round show enjoyed by three friends and myself. Plus good refreshments reasonably priced. I fit DCC for others but do not get involved with any of the settings unless requested to, then usually only the address. For some people DCC adds another dimension to the hobby, to tweak every 'configuration variable' to how they want it. Some of the sound decoders seem to have a cosiderable number of these. Add in smoke, various lighting functions and accsesory decoders, it can be very involved. DCC expands the hobby and can bring new people in, particularly younger generations, but it is still optional. My own layout is DC only, I have not the interest or finance to do my own. DCC has its own test track and controller. Seeing the 4MT loco further back on the thread with more smoke than any I've seen or fitted, might smoking locos be banned in public places?. Jim

Look good, but would like to have seen heavy type W irons (as on Hornby's newly announced coke hopper) on the 20ton verson rather than the identical chassis to the 14ton wagon. Bachmann's iron ore tipplers and hoppers need a similar upgrade to their chassis. It's good to see wagons now starting to get recognition from other than Bachmann who have generally served us well.