mikesndbs

5 minutes ago, APOLLO said:

Send it back. Hornby's quality control has gone haywire recently.

 

brit15

Ah yes I am in the process of that now, took it down for a run in and part of the valve gear fell off, also sounds like I am running it on PWM when I am not so something amiss with the motor as well  FFS Hornby come on

So I got tempted and decided to trust Hornby again with a costly locomotive.

To me it looks like its been sat on and the front and back are bent up, looking at the front buffer beam compared to my V Trains 37 the buffers are way too high and the running plate does not look right.

Have I yet again bought a pup or is there some fix?

You can see how far I have to lift the back wheels to line up the buffers

1 hour ago, corneliuslundie said:

You say you mailed the HMRS. If you haven't received an answer to a letter from the HMRS it is because at the moment we can't access our post regularly, the Butterley site being closed by the MRT. However, the HMRS has long runs of most of the relevant magazines. The most recent list on the website (not very recent though I know that the Librarian is working on it) states re RM:

Bound vols. Vol. 1 (1949/50) through to Vol.43 (1992). Unbound. Vol. 44-57 1993 - 2006 complete, Vol. 58 2007 (complete), Vol. 59 2008 (May-Dec), Vol. 60 2009(Jan/Mar-May/Jul/Aug/Oct), 2010 (Jan/Feb/May/Jul-Dec), 2011 (Jan-Jun/Aug-Dec), 2012( Jan/May

Jonathan

Thanks, yes had a reply saying they would like them but not sure how to get them due to Covid, awaiting them to get back to me

43 minutes ago, Brian Hawkins said:

The Fell in action

 

 

Incredible machine, can't wait despite being DC only

7 minutes ago, Andymsa said:

I have asked this in the graphite thread but not got any replies, so would it be even better to use the contact cleaner then use a graphite stick.

 

a further thought occurs if you were to do a heavy clean using a polar cleaning product then to follow up with a non polar product would the the same issues still be there, like if you used the polar product only

Hi, a very thin layer of graphite is non-polar, probably a belt and braces approach would be to use the WD40 Contact Cleaner followed by a quick stroke with the graphite. Would be interesting to hear how it works out?

15 hours ago, Ravenser said:

 

 

 

 

The problem I have with the video is that if the great majority of the dirt on track is caused by arcing from the wheels, why do my layouts need the track cleaning, quite badly,  after they've been left unused for a couple of months? If no trains have run, then surely there should be no dirt - if the dirt is caused by the passage of trains

 

I fully understand the point that an electrical contact cleaner ought to be ideal for cleaning what is , at the end of the day, a sliding electrical contact . However the mistique of polar and non-polar passes me by. I do note that the trains ran immediately after rail cleaning, and I do wonder if there might be an issue with residual solvent decomposing to something undesirable  when an electric current is passed through it (as the train runs over) . I have a hazy recollection from school that electrolysis is a way of promoting chemical reactions, and hydrocarbons do contain, well carbon

Hi, to try and help you.

The oxidation continues long after the trains have stopped, in fact keeping the trains running helps slow it down.

Think of a garden tool, if you use it it stays bright, leave it unused and rust soon takes over.

Once the electromechanical process has been started, i.e. metal molecules blasted off by arcing, they continue to rust.

There is no mistique to the polar issue, it is well noted and researched just does not seem to have made it into our hobby hence the video 

To address your final point, all these solvents evaporate really fast, there will be nothing left within a very few moments, also the way I use my two pad Tidy Track, is that the front pad is the course type where the fluid is applied and the rear pad is one of the white polishing pads, therefore application is immediately followed by mop up and polish.

Hope this helps,have a great weekend.

Hi everyone

Well after my video I was contacted by a very nice chap with a scientific background and I have to say I have now switched away from IPA for all electrical contact cleaning on my models.

Here is a new updated video which not only discusses the matter but shows some evidence as well.

I have not released this video before as we wanted to do in depth testing first.

Hope it is of interest.  

3 hours ago, young37215 said:

I undertook a major wheel and track clean over the new year mostly using IPA and have noted a build up of crud on the railhead already which rather validates the science as explained in the video. I shall be investing in a can of WD40 contact cleaner to see how this works for me. 

Thanks yes lol me to years and years of it hahahah we live and learn eh

2 hours ago, Pete the Elaner said:

Great video, Mike.

Your previous video about cleaning blocks not scratching rail surfaces was a real eye-opener & dispelled the myth that many have been spreading for years.

It was nice to see a discussion based on what you observed & showed through your microscope.

After seeing that, I'll be ditching my meths in favour of white spirit.

 

Thanks very much, is white spirit not too greasy? 

Good morning, having been testing the theory for some time and getting the chance to work with a very knowledgeable chap, I have this significant update to my previous video guide that I hope others will be interested in.

If you do take the advice I'd love to hear how you get on?

I used to clean the track before every major running session, since this its around twice a month! 

Having an interest in the Southampton docks railways I wonder if anyone can help me understand how the point work that was set into the roads worked?

I mean its hard to understand how the point blades moved unless they were just left unobstructed in which case the roads would have big holes (not unlike most today) 

I have been unable to find a clear picture.

I'd also be very interested in how to model this.

Thanks

Photo from Dave Marden Collection

Hi guys

Does anyone have any links to where I can buy some ready painted crew for my Hornby Terriers please?

On 03/02/2021 at 11:37, Arun Sharma said:

Have you considered offering them to HMRS at Butterley. It sounds like exactly the sort of thing they would want as an information resource.

Just mailed them, thanks for the idea

8 hours ago, Richard Croft said:

The simple solution would be to turn the 8 pin plug round, if there’s no lights it won’t make any difference. You might find it’s already the wrong way round (which if it’s correctly wired would cause it to run backwards)

 

Another way is to read cv29 and add 1 to it

 

Richard

Hi Richard, this is just DC with the blanking plug.

Quick question please guys.

My friends one is crossed wired so that it goes in the wrong direction on DC.

Looking at the connections on the dcc socket, which wires can he swap over to correct this please, i.e. which are the feeds to the loco motor?

Thanks

Good evening all, thank you for the replies.

I have been hard at it at work so hence late reply.

Have to say I am frustrated by the legal side of this!

I wonder if someone from RM looking in might like to suggest a way forward, I can't face dumping them all but just don't have the space.

I'd imagine these could be some of the last around so it would be a crying shame to lose all that content.

Is there a list somewhere or could we work on one that shows the common materials used in our hobby.

From loco bodies to the sleepers of our track?

I am looking at this from a point of view of which chemicals are safe to use etc.

I know for example that traction tyres are now made of Neoprene.

Thanks

Hi

I am at a loss.

My father recently passed away and I have discovered his boxed collection of Railway Modeller magazines, starting in the 1950s to 80s with no gaps I can see, then more into the early 90s.

There is a wealth of history of the hobby and 'how to's' in their pages.

Really they need scanning in and a public archive made.

My problem is I don't have the time or space.

What is the best most sensitive and preserving way to pass them on?

Thanks

Mike (location is Havant Hants) 

16 minutes ago, Ben Alder said:

 

No, resisted that temptation...

OK lol keen to find out 

30 minutes ago, Ben Alder said:

 

Thanks, the Morley I tested was the Crawler and I was more than pleased with the results but the retro appeal of the 3000 was too much! I sold the Morley on to someone who had admired my older controller and he is delighted with it.

OK cool, did you ever look inside?

Hornby left, Bachmann right, Hornby look a fraction higher to me, nothing too bad however.

1 hour ago, paul 27 said:

Do these line up with the Bachmann mk1 buffers any pictures showing a Maroon one with Bachmann Maroon mk1s  please.

They look ok with mine, hang on.....

6 hours ago, Ben Alder said:

Thanks - are you referring to the Orbit? Leon Jacobs was behind that IIR, and there is a capacitor fitted across the output that he recommended, that was well before coreless.It is a lovely controller . I resurrected my 3000 after trying a Morley Vector, which worked well but I found better slow speed control with the venerable H&M. 

 

A chap called Tony Martin was my contact, yellow fronted controller with a relay delay fitted so everything was charged up etc. Ref the Vector, yes the non crawler type need a small modification to get really good slow speed control. I'll send you a link if interested? 

4 minutes ago, Ben Alder said:

As my knowledge of such things is somewhat limited, could anyone advise what type of output does the H&M 3000 issue, and the Orbit range from the 1980's.

 

OH wow you have one of those, me too, I knew one of the chaps behind them. Lovely controllers. They are OK but 'may' be a little buzzy sounding on coreless. A small value non polarized electrolytic capacitor placed across the DC controlled output will solve that for coreless without spoiling the controllability of normal motors. Look for something like 47uF at 35 volts.

3 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

They do understand. They aren't DCC fitted unless you buy them DCC fitted.

 

It's people still spreading fake news and rumours that don't understand.

 

The Hornby HM controller isn't feedback and neither are train set controllers issued in recent years.

 

 

This isn't feedback.

 

https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/15322/R8012-Hornby-HM2000-Controller

 

Gaugemaster has discontinued most of their feedback controllers apart from a couple.

 

 

 

If you've got an old train set or feedback controller sling it in the bin and buy a new one.

 

It really beggars belief that people are spending £200 on a model and trying to run them on grandad's old controller from 1950 that was found in the attic.

 

 

 

Jason

Jason with respect, you are inadvertently causing confusion.

It is not the feedback function that is the problem it is the low frequency < 100Hz  pulsed output that is the issue as it causes heat to build up that the coreless motor can not dissipate.

Sadly the HM2000 is a feedback type but again that's not the issue.

Have a read of this excellent page to understand more about the various controllers out there.

https://www.scottpages.net/ReviewOfControllers.html

But along the lines of what you have said a Gaugemaster or Morley controller will be fine.