petertg

I used to say I was 40 years awaiting retirement. Now I have been 20 years into it. Enjoy it as best you can!

Further to my post of last Friday, I have received the new material, the Jinty was pre-owned and i decided to have the chip hard wired by Hattons themselves since it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to handle very small parts like the screws used to hold the bodies in place on the chasses and other small accessories. I fitted both the autotrailer and the locomotive with kadee couplers, put a composite brake coach between them and set them running. The whole outfit runs very smoothly. I only have to give the locomotive an apprpopriate address now.

Good evening all!. I have just seen that it is nearly 4 months since my last post. Since then there have been events such as I got the Fowler tank to run but, as mentioned on the Forum, I cannot get it to run well through the points. In November I purchased a new Hornby R3553 and in December part of the crank mechanism fell apart. Since sending it back from here for repair under guarantee would have cost me more than twice what it cost me to have it sent out, I used devious means to have it taken to London and forwarded on from there. I assume (and hope) it is in Hornby's hands and I await news. For m herey 85th birthday in February, my four children gave me money to spend on railway modelling and yesterday I placed an order for an 0-6-0 tank and an autocoach and other minor items. To-day I decided to do something of which I have done very little in the ten and a half years since I started the layout and it was play trains. I got out my vintage City of Glasgow (purchased way back in 1975) and the four Hornby BR coaches I have and got them running with some success. However, a four coach train is a bit long for my particular 8x4 layout because it won't fit in any of the six sidings that the layout has. I could remove the sleeper car or the buffet car, but it would always be biased towards 1st class passengers, Perhaps it would be better to run the new locomotive with the composite brake car and the autocoach and the DMUs which will fit everywhere. Apart from that, the layout needs tidying up, some repairs and completion of all the scenic work.

My track is set track, but there is no shorting since, otherwise, the controller would cut out. I have noticed the play on the front pony truck. However, this afternoon I readjusted the faulty pick-up (not that that was causing any problem) and had another go on the layout and this time the loco did go through the points, albeuit with hesitation on certain points. I repass the whole track to make sure it is completely clean and then have another go. Thanks for all your comments.

I have had another long session this afternoon but clarified nothing, rather I have discovered a mystery. Firth of all I would state that this model only picks up on the front and rear driving wheels, the centre wheels being flangeless and provided with a non metal tyre. There is no pick up on the pony truck or bogie. Slso, I found that the b2b on one pair of driving wheels was slightly narrow and corrected this fact. I would also add that this loco is fitted with a hard-wired Zimo decoder. My eyesight is not good and I have difficulty in distinguishing dark things against a dark background, sometimes even with a bright light. I say this for what follows. I turned the loco upsidedown and applied current to both wheels on one same axle on both axles and then diagonally across axles and in both directions of running. and in all cases it worked. Then, using my NMRA gauge as a reflector to throw light upwards and looking behind the wheels I discovered than one pick-up was not touching its wheel and yet this wheel conducted when current was applied to it and there was no short since, when a short occurs, the controller cuts out. So, I dont know what to make of it. (Sunday) I have checked my affirmation above that the wheel was conducting without a pick-up by placing just that axle on the end of a piece of track and applyinf current and the motor turned.

I come back to this thread because I have recently been trying to get the R505 to run, since in November last I purchased a new R3553 Princess Coronation in LMS livery and in December part of the crank gear fell apart, for which reason I have returned it to Hornby. I have the NMRA gauge and the back-to-back on the R505 is right. I did have problems with one of the pick-ups but seem to have solved that problem. While not perfect, the locomotive runs in reverse through the points but not when running forward. I had fitted a kadee coupling to the rear end and it did cause problems because it was too low, but I fixed that. However, there is currently no coupling at the front end, so that cannot be a reason for stopping at every point. I don't think that it is a problem of a break in dcc signal, because the loco stops when the front pony truck reaches the point and the driving wheels with the pick-ups are still on energised track. The points are Hornby insulfrog. Any proposals for a solution. All aid will be highly appreciated.

Forgive me if this question has been raised elsewhare but I have not performed a search. Are these clips really necessary when every portion of track is connected directly or indirectly (by indirectly I mean portions of track soldered to portions fitted with droppers) to the power source?.

Forgive me for reviving this matter so longer after deeming it closed. I am totally unsatisfied with the rhe results and since the blogs contain so many illustrations of successful conversions, I would like to give it another go. So, is it possible to open up the Dapol coaches witout without making an utter shambles of it or, it lor al least it it possible to remove the bogies and get then back in place again properly? Also, if I wanted to fit more appropriate bogies, bearing in mind that I replaced the original 14,51 wheels with slightly smaller Hornby wheels, were could I obtain them and would they require much surgery to refit them to the cars. As mentioned in a previous post, there seems to be no easy way to remove then from the outiside. Any help will be apprediated.

Thanks Dunignalling for the information. I have checked their website and they seem to have the lot. My problem now is to find out exactly what I need. Curiously enough, tI did not find them listed as dealerss on the Kadee US website.

Can anyone give me names and addresses of UK suppliers holding a full range of Kadee products and who supply on-line? Here in Spain they seem to sell only those couplers plugung into NEM pockets. Many thanks in advance.

I have been rather under the weather for the last three days but, while far from being OK, I can at least get out of bed and do something other than watch TV. So, after lunch to-day, I decided to have a look at one locomotive that was a poor runner, namely, the Hornby R505 Fowler LMS tank. From previous tests I hd the feeling that something was binding and blocking the motor or, less possibly, the chip settings were interfering with each other. A quick check showed that the loco answered to its set address, but I got error readings from CV29, so I reset these. I then changed the start volt reading from 25 (this being an old loco, perhaps near on 20 years old) and reset it to 1.Strangely enough, it started running, but unfortunately it did'nt take long to get back to it old habiit of jamming. I had stripped the loco down to the bare chassis, with no motor but, no matter how much I looked at it from above, below or sides, I could'nt see where the mechanism was binding. I spent the whole afternoon and then, about 21.30 (we use continental time here) I spotted something. I haven't taken any photo, but there is a curved vertical part with a long slot in it and, when compared with the other side, ithe lower end seemed to be closer in than the otherside. I took it between a pair of tweezers and bent it outward very slightly, which wasn't easy, because the overall mechanism tended to move with it. Nevertheless, a couple of tweaks and the problem seems to be solved. To-morrow, abw, I will refit the motor and chip and see what happens. Also the other day we had a pleasant surprise. It turned out that a person we have known for many years is a model railway fan with a large layout at his home and neither of us had mentioned our interest to the other. We hope you all had a good time over Christmas. This year our Christmas cake was unanimously acclaimed as the best we have ever made (there's nothing like being modest). Cheers and all the best for the New Year

It has been over three weeks since I have been able to lower the layout from the garage ceiling since the floor has been, and still is, occupied with Christmas material. Firstly, it was the boxes containing the Christmas decorations, then it was the boxes containing 37 5-litre bottles of olive oil (we buy first press virgin olive oil for all the family and friends for the whole year direct from the mill) and, after the oil had been delivered to its destinations, the floor was filled with boxes of Christmas sweets which we also buy direct from the factory (an annual outing). In view of the absence of activity on the railway front, it is perhaps in keeping to show some other modelling, more seasonal, done by my wife and our two youngest grandchildren. Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year for all. Some of the figures are hand painted clay over 70 years old fom my wife's childhood.

I live in Cubelles, province of Barcelona, not too far from Mora la Nova, but at our age neither my wife or I would like having to drive there (we could take the train, but that involves changes), although I really would like to visit the place. I agree with what is said about the dearth of model railway clubs in Spain. In the nearby town of Vilanova i la Geltru, there is a well stocked model shop (HO and N gauges, slot cars, and larger models, ship building kits, etc. and a good range of scenic material, so there must be modellers around, although the owner told me tha the only modellers' club he knows of made military models. For various reasons, I have imported most of the material for my 8ft by 4ft layout from the UK. I have also had the occasion to purchase material from El taller del Modelista en Torrelavega and from Zatatren in Zaragoza. I do have, though, both HO and OO rolling stock, although practically all the buildings are Metcalfe and all the non-railway stuff (cars, commercial vehicles, buses, etc) is UK.

It's good to see all those excellent models. I live in the last town on the coast in the province of Barcelona, bordering on the province of Tarragona and, thus, a good way from Baga. Also, these models are too good for my modest layout, which is loaded with Metcalfe card kits. Apart from the above, I believe you are misled about Spanish names and surnames. It is true that the Spaniards have two surnames, but the first is the father's which is prolonged in the male line and the second one is the mother's first surname (i.e. that of her father). Josep Maria are Christian names, even thoush Maria is a female name, the combination of Joseph and Mary is very common in Spaig for men.

I had a problem with a Bachmann 150 and the 21 pin decoder in that, after changing the address, after a while it spontaneously reset itself to the default address. I left it at that and have had no further problem with the decoder.

While the track appears to be clean, it seems that it is incredibly dirty, probably because there are parts affected by the liquid cement used to fix the ballast and which is invisible., apart from the fact that, to save money, I used some old Lima track and Peco flexitrack along with new Hornby track when I started building the layout. The Lima y Peco track seems to oxidize more easily than the Hornby track. I have started to clean up with IPA and also a track rubber, but it is an extremely laborious job. Another question: several years ago I made a compulsive purchase of a Dapol track cleaner which, in fact has had very little use. I also purchased two bottles of track oil. Now, when I wanted to use it, what I find is two bottles containing a white paste. Since the bottles were not in the place where I had kept them for a long time, I am now unaware as to whether these bottles are in fact the oil bottles. Is it possible for the Dapol oil to degenerate into a paste?

Hi again! I never seem to be able to find the right place for my enquiries, so I am unaware as to whether this is the right place for this one. A few weeks ago I bought a wheel cleaner. Yesterday I got it out to clean the wheels of a forty odd year old Lima (continental HO) 6/6 loco fitted with a Zimo MX632 chip. I placed the cleaner on the main track and the loco on the cleaner and got the thing to work, after which I removed the cleaner and placed the loco directly on the track and, lo and behold, it didn't work. I gave the track a clean up and it still didn't run properly. I than got out my portable programming/test track and the loco ran ok on it. Can anyone throw light on what might be wrong with the main track?

Hi all! This is probably not the best place to request information, but in view of its nature, I don't know where to place it. I need to have the names, addresses and e-mail adresses of model railway shops in London with good repair facilities for Hornby models. Can anybody help? Thanks in advance

Thanks for the information given up to now. I stated Peterborough-Ipswich, because Ipswich was the end of my journey. I have no idea now whether the train went on to further stations. At least , a sixty-odd year old mystery (for me) has been explained (long stop at Peterborough East for loading). But I would still like to have a list of the stations between Peterborough and Ipswich, although I realise that some may have been closed and even dismantled over the years. Also, does a similar serice exist nowadays? Thanks in advance for your aid.

I have placed this request in another part of the Forum but it has elicited no response. From other posts in this part of the Forum, I believe I may reach people with more knowledge of the matter. It concerns a Peterborough North - Ipswich working in 1952-1953, namely I would like to be recalled of the names of all the stations and discretional halts on the way. The train left Peterborough North around 14.20 and ran into Peterborough East (?) where it stood for more than half an hour for loading packages. I never understood why this could not have been done at Peterborough North. At one station where, if I remember rightly, the train was backed into a siding off the main line and the guard walked along the platform asking if anybody wanted to leave the train at a couple of places where, otherwise it would not normally stop. The train also ran into Newmarket, the engine was unhooked, did a run around to the other of the train and then ran out on the other leg of the V. It was a nightmare journey lasting about five hours

I am probably delving too far back in time for information on a local service of limited use. If I may, I would like to extend my request for information on a Peterborough North - Ipswich working in 1952-1953, namely the names of all the stations and discretional haltson the way. At one station where, if I remember rightly, the train was backed into a siding off the main line, the guard walked along the platform asking if anybody wanted to leave the train at a couple of places where, otherwise it would not normally stop. The train also ran into Newmarket, the engine was unhookked, did a run around to the other of the train and then ran out on the other leg of the V. It was a nightmare journey lasting about five hours.

Thanks for the answers. The reason why I asked was because, in Hattons´illustration, and in other illustrations they have in their catalogue that I have been looking at to-day, there seemed to be too few doors for a passenger coach. Some appeared to have only two doors, one at the very end and ther other about a quarter way towards the driving end, with a suspicious step ladder in several cases. I assume that these are coaches after conversion.

Does anybody have any information concerning a rail coach service that operated at least in the late 40's/early 50's from Leeds to Castleford via Crossgates, Garforth and Allerton Bywater among other stations and what type of vehicle was used?

Hattons list an Autocoach in their catalogue. From the image shown, it appears to me that this coach is not adapted for passenger transportation. Is this so?

Good evening all. Two and a half years after relaying the track I have finally finished the ballasting. Unfortunately, in spite of my efforts, it has not been a tidy job, in fact it is rather messy, but it is the best I have been able to do. Some of the earlier work will need touching up but, after a clean up, I can start start fixing down certain buildings and other scenic items now that they don't represent an obstacle for working. The engine shed will not be a fixture, since it will surely have to be removed from time to time to clean the track. However, it has been modified in such a way as to prevent it from being accidently moved by a slight nudge. There is still a lot of general detailing and some repair work to be done, but nothing that prevents trains from running. I have a question which I don't know where to place on the Forum. I am considering purchasing the autocoach listed by Hattons, but it does not seem prepared for passenger transport. Is this so?