Ruffnut Thorston

There are certainly some appliances that are frequency sensitive. Some washing machines, microwaves, etc. will not work if powered from a generator or inverter that is not able to supply a stable frequency within the tolerance of the appliance. Some appliances use the 50Hertz (UK) frequency to work timing circuits. Frequency is why UK generators (NOT the newer Inverter Generators) have to rotate at, usually 3000 rpm, or 1500 rpm. As some other countries use a different frequency, (e.g. USA, 60 Hertz) their generators would have to rotate at different speeds… Inverter Generators use a low voltage dynamo to power an inverter. Using this technology enables the engine revolutions to vary, while the electrical output is more stable. Clever examples can have the engine speed determined by the load factor. Eco mode. People living in rural areas and off grid get to know about electrical things!

L Gauge…..Lego Trains. It is far more advanced than I thought….a whole different hobby! From the Collectors Gazette…19 March 2021. https://www.pressreader.com/uk/collectors-gazette/20210319/281595243296149 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego_Trains https://www.holgermatthes.de/bricks/en/train-systems.php

Ooops!

Tri-ang Railways “Standard” Track, (named thus in 1958, originally known as “Universal track, to differentiate it from the original ROVEX track system) the first type from 1952, with a moulded base suffers as the earlier sections are made from less stable Cellulose Acetate plastic, changing the gauge and warping. Polystyrene plastic Standard Track was made, from around 1956/7, but is far less common. http://www.tri-angrailways.org.uk/OONew/TrackSCat.htm Series 3 track, introduced in 1958, uses the same geometry as Standard track, but has no base. The sleepers are “open”. These track sections and everything since are all made from more stable polystyrene plastic. The sleepers are widely spaced, the same as the moulded base sleepers of Standard Track. (Below from 1962 catalogue) http://www.tri-angrailways.org.uk/OONew/TrackS3Cat.htm http://www.tri-angrailways.org.uk/Tri-ang 2011/Tri-ang 2011 Specials X.html Both use curves of a sharper radius than later track systems. There are two radius of curves, to enable double track. These curved track sections are shorter than the later track system “double curves”. This makes for more track joints, and this is one of the problems with Series 3 track. Electrical continuity relying on the fishplates (rail joiners). A big problem with Standard and also Series 3 is the very wide Spacing between tracks, due in part to the sharp radius of the turnout curve. This makes for space problems. Super4 track was introduced in 1962. http://www.tri-angrailways.org.uk/OONew/TrackS4Cat.htm This is arguably one of the best RTR set track systems for Train Sets that has been made. It is robust. Looks good despite the deep rail section, the same as used previously in Standard and Series 3 Track. The geometry of Super 4 Track is that now used by most UK outline Set Track systems. The track spacing is far less than the previous track systems, due in part to the use of the second radius as the turnout curve. From a Beatties track plans leaflet. A “Y” point was also made, as well as Left and Right handed Diamond Crossings. This enables quite complex junction layouts to be made. As well as single and double track straight level crossings, a double track curved level crossing, for first and second radius, was made for a time. A late introduction to Super 4 track, and thus less common, is the third radius curves and double curves, enabling a three track layout to be easily constructed, or double track using second and third radius curves to be constructed. It is possible to use the longer super 4 rails threaded onto Series 3 track sleeper bases, to lessen the number of rail joints, but this is a bit more involved, and only suitable for a fixed down layout. All these track systems suffer from a large plastic dead frog/ crossing, making slow running with the existing pick ups on the Locomotives problematic . Tri-ang Track Systems. http://www.tri-angrailways.org.uk/OONew/indexTrack.htm Tri-ang Railways Series 3 track (and TT) suggestions. http://www.tri-angrailways.org.uk/OONew/layout Instructions.html Hornby Dublo Track sections from a late 1960s catalogue.

I take it that you are referring to the hopper wagon….behind the autocoach.

The Wrenn, and Hornby Dublo, Half inch motor comes to pieces well… The shroud or bearing support comes off, it is secured by machine screws. Parts and whole motors are available… https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324731157849? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313621991460? The Hornby Dublo 0-6-2 (N2) Chassis. The Wrenn modified R1 0-6-2 (N2) chassis. An adaptor casting is attached to the R1 rear coupling fixing hole… https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353610964267?

That’s quite something….Hornby Steampunk, eat your heart out!

That and the original Tri-ang Railways Blue Pullman units and coaches. Like the Mk3 coaches, these used a clear plastic strip for the white band around the windows, painted white around the windows. Grey in the case of the Mk3 coaches. When the Blue Pullman livery changed, the windows were re tooled to be a part of the body, with recessed glazing…

Tri-ang Railways, Tri-ang Hornby, and Hornby Railways open frame motors. The X.01 motor would be the original Rovex motor, used in the Princess loco, originally bought in from Zenith. Lines Bros, Tri-ang, later bought out Zenith. This motor had a built in gearbox, and used a vertical disk commutator. The motor cannot be removed without taking the frames apart. The X.02 was the first Tri-ang Railways motor. It was also trapped between the frames, but used a horizontal drum commutator. The original X.03 was the first easily removed motor, and started the familiar design of being slotted into the frames at the front or worm end, and held in by a screw through a hole in the rear of the bottom pole piece into the chassis. These motors evolved, earlier versions had no oil pads, and a plain rear bearing formed as part of the brass back plate between the armature and magnet. The front bearing arrangement also varied. Some having the plate around the front bearing fixed vertically, later the fixing lugs became standardised to be horizontal, access to the bearing for lubrication then being easier from above. Later original X.03 motors gained an oil pad around the front bearing. Still later versions gained a separate bearing of oil retaining bronze fitted into the motor back plate, finally also being fitted with an oil pad around both bearings. The X.04 motor used, I think, a different type of magnet from the late original X.03 motors. Otherwise, the first X.04 motors carried on from the last X.03 motors. The X.04 motors do have a few versions. A motor with different mounting points on the pole pieces, and a single start worm was used in the MK1 R.45 Turntable. No.010 Turntable Set R45.pdf The original R.55 T.C Series Diesel motor bogie also used a version of the X.04 motor, with a shorter shaft, fitted with a driving gear to drive the twin worm lay shaft used in the motor bogie. Later motor bogies had the motors built into the bogies, and are not covered here. The first real difference in X.04 loco motors was the use of a shorter armature shaft. This enabled the use of the same armatures in both the X.04 and the Scalextric RX Series motors. 000W581 RX Motor.PDF The shorter length shaft made it necessary to fit the brass worm onto the X.04 backwards, as the tapered hole wouldn’t grip properly onto the shorter shaft. This doesn’t affect the operation of the motor. The last X.04 motors also lost the oil pads around both bearings. The X.05 Motor was the OO version, used in the Lord of The Isles and Caledonian 123 locos, of the XT.60 motor, also known, confusingly, as the Mk1 TT motor when it was really the Mk2 TT motor. This was originally designed for the later Tri-ang TT gauge locos, like the Merchant Navy Class, and Britannia BR Class 7MT locos. The difference being the use of a different worm. TT using a single start worm, OO using a two start worm. No.021 Mark 1 Motor - T.T. Gauge.pdf The earlier TT motors were fitted into the frames, similar to the very first Tri-ang X.02 motors. No.015 Chassis and Bogie T91.pdf The X.05 motor was also used in the R.405 Mk2 Turntable, which also used the same driving gears as fitted to loco axles. Later turntables also having black plastic driving gears instead of brass gears. The X.500 motor was the small motor used in the Rocket loco, and a version with different a brush holder was also used in some Minic Motorway vehicles. All the above motors used brass worms. The driving gear on the axles were also brass at first. Black plastic driving gears being introduced in, I think, the later 1960s. The X.03 reference was reused by Hornby Railways. The Hornby, new type, X.03 motor used the short shaft and had no oil pads, the same as the last X.04 motors. The worm was, however, now a black plastic single start worm. This required a new driving gear for the axle. To differentiate these from the X.04 type black plastic driving gear, these new type gears were originally made from a silver grey plastic. Other colours were also used, and some were even made in black plastic, confusing the issue! Black plastic worms and silver grey drive gears were also used on the last of the Lord Of The Isles and Caledonian 123 locos, before the new China made locos, which use a different chassis and motor. The R.411 electric conversion kit for the R.410 Mk 3 hand operated Turntable also used an X.03 motor, and silver grey driving gear. R410 Turntable and R411 Motorisiing Unit.pdf

Aha….what you mean is to use a “sniping” system, that only bids up to your limit in the closing seconds of an auction…. Yes, you can be open to that what you said, if you put your bid into the eBay system…. But that’s fine….if I get overbid, I can live with that….

Can I have a return please? Where to? Back here of course!

Weird, but Ebay already does that…. Put in your maximum bid, and the eBay system will bid up to that amount if you get over bid… No one knows your maximum bid on this system either, and it costs nothing!

Probably the Streamline Princess Coronation Class…rather than the already done Conventional, not Streamline, Princess Coronation Class?

Yes, I have found that for some items, the P&P can be cheaper via eBay than the same sellers website, even at times offsetting the sometimes slightly higher item prices on eBay, probably charged to offset the listing and other fees. Promotions can also help. And you can, subject to certain conditions, use Nectar points to purchase via eBay. It certainly can pay to check both sources before ordering.

The plastic inserts were used with some older metal wheel sets to give more detail to the spokes, which were not very good as supplied. I can’t remember the brand….1960s, possibly 70s I think.

Ebay can be a little annoyed if people advertise their own websites in their listings. And frown upon those who include telephone numbers, and other means of contact outside of eBay’s own systems… Especially those whose prices may be lower if you go to the seller direct, and not via eBay. It can be interesting to compare prices and postage costs on items sold by the same seller, on eBay and on their own website pages….

That’s a lot of woolly jumper sleeve to roll up, far enough to get the jab in above the elbow, just below the shoulder! Much easier if you are wearing a very short sleeve T shirt or top.

Now, if the above is NOT a joke, but really happened, then change my reaction to Friendly/ Supportive.

At least the Hornby and Rapido models should include motors!

Looks like an ok buy to me!

Oh, I thought that was just me…. Waves both hands apart, like Moses parting the Red Sea, just as the doors open!

Our 2 Rail Hornby Dublo 8f, 48109, is from the goods train set. The set came from EBay, in a lot of other HD stuff. The chassis was seized. Solidified lubricant. Some use of easing lubricant, with the motor removed, got the axles and other bearings free. When free enough to roll down a good gradient, and the motor refitted, it ran lovely. It is in storage just now…

Quite possible that the sign was imported from the USA or somewhere?

Quite possibly where Chester Model Centre got the idea… I did see that example before I saw the Chester example….

I know that I can get my left and right mixed up… I once pointed right, and said turn left. Confusion reigned!