notlob

I have acquired a few old Jouef (SNCF) diesel loco's that are a pig to run. Does anybody have any advice on improving the electrical pickup arrangements, I have stripped the pickup bogie and cleaned the current  assembly but it's still poor, motor runs fine if power added to the internal connections

On 26/12/2019 at 10:52, Stubby47 said:

These are more from the same pile of books.

I allways thought Southern Emu's looked like this

On 05/01/2020 at 09:41, KNP said:

Funny what you end up building.

Looked after my grandson last night whilst the rest of the family went to see Cats.

 

Made of thick card that just pushed together.

760mm tall and separates into the three Saturn V stages complete with lunar module in stage 3.

Fun to build but will not be ending up on the layout.....

 

 

Not sure exactly how much of this my grandson built....?

Just out of interest --- where are you going to put that on the layout? and then explain its appearence to the village council?

just found this thread and cant believe the standard of modelling you have created. just 200 more pages to peruse through

19 hours ago, sagaguy said:

Have a look here,

 

            https://www.roxeymouldings.co.uk/product/1137/4mb013-lms/br-oval-loco-buffers/

 

          File the peening over on the back of the old buffer & it should pull out with a wiggle.

 

                                    Ray

Thanks Ray will give those a try

Hi All

Has anybody any recomendations for new buffers for old dublo loco's e.g. the 2 rail 2 6 4 LMS, I would like sprung if possibly available but any replacements would help.

Does anybody have/know of a walkthrough on how to do this also?

thanks

David

As much as I'd like to agree with your comment about investment in trains and the cost -- some of us are on a very tight budget and £300+ for a controller is way too much. Most of my traction is sourced via ebay and fettled if its not 100% ok, as is pointwork. investment in time, for me, is a cheaper option. I know everybody has their strengths in one field or another I just prefer to refurb what I can or build from scratch if its feasable for my limited talents.

Thanks for the reply

I tried a search on here for 'DCC++' but no luck 

have you or anybody else any experience with 'DCC++'

I've downloaded all the files from Github and will see if I can make any sense from them 

Hi All

Has anybody tried the 

'Low Cost DCC Controller 2amp or 10amp with CV programming and BlueTooth' 

software and built the controller based on the PDF that is downloaded from the Link in the advert?

just wondered if it was worth the cost or if its a complete NoNo

Thanks

https://www.joom.com/en/

 

'Joom' is a website (and app for those with a smartphone) that ships discount everything from China. Delivery is free and takes about 3 weeks so you'll probably forgotten about what you've ordered when it arrives. Its so cheap you won't mind. On the website, all prices are in US Dollars but is in pounds if you get the app. Bear in mind 1USD = about 75p

 

Here are some things with modelling applications:

 

https://www.joom.com/en/products/1483334037888607245-253-1-26312-10107695

- almost a lifetime supply of heatshrink for just over £3

 

https://www.joom.com/en/products/1466072164351162340-132-1-582-2502787276

 - could be a riveting tool?

 

https://www.joom.com/en/products/1491635350890471713-146-1-582-2818011524

-  Drill bits

 

https://www.joom.com/en/products/1483602567760374864-165-1-26341-3086000481

- knives 

 

https://www.joom.com/en/products/1500688577463339304-176-1-26193-1113522675

- Electrical breadboard

 

https://www.joom.com/en/products/1475743590600028847-214-1-26312-1850881526

 - under 50p per tweezer

 

https://www.joom.com/en/products/1493868414284728065-31-1-709-2163820542?similar=product

 - Resist the temptation (I apologise)

 

Edit: Keep finding things...

Damn succumbed to the resistors Oh and the drills dont tell HWMBO please 

When that 5^th one is disconnected, all the other 4 work ok. I am a total novice re electrics so not sure what the problem is.

Just out of interest

what happens if you disconnect 1 if the other 4 that work and connect number 5 in its place? then if that's all ok, reconnect the other 1?

It's a nice idea, and a shame I haven't got anything suitable planned to try it on. I'd use radio control to avoid having to work out the wiring though .

now are you saying that nobody else has put this forward as a solution to the squashed oval all on 1 level?

Having perused many plans from Mr Freezer both in RM as youngster and the many 'Plans for xx' books he published, I wanted to do the squashed oval but didn't want the multiple level issues as a  flat board is more to my skill level  - at the moment   but still wanted the round and round tail chaser for the Grand kids to watch

Of course, the only problem now is that this takes up a lot of space.  i suggest you buy lots of DMUs instead, they don't need to turn around 

thats doubtfull 

its only just over 4ft so will fit in a far corner of the loft - leaving 3 other corners to fill with more interesting stuff!

 

In any case, r-t-r points are 2nd radius, so everything is likely to line up better if you make it all 2nd radius.

 

John

Thanks to BG John's Scarm layout diagram I downloaded Scarm and it works very well with Hornby 2nd radius curves - the 2 returns are flexible track

To run round a reverse loop with DC control is quite easy, a section of the loop is fed through diodes. This only allows the current to flow one way, while the loco is on this section reverse the controller, the loco will continue in the same direction - which will be correct when it gets off the reverse loop. 

this is for a single track reversing loop I guess. what I meant/require is the squashed oval to simulate double track, so the current doesn't change polarity at all

If you're using Hornby or Peco for the rest of the layout, I don't think you'd get any benefit from handbuilding track using a Templot plan. I've drawn it in SCARM using Peco Set Track, plus a bit of flexi track, and I don't think you'll do better than this. I've used 1st radius curves and it takes up four feet. Use a larger radius and it would obviously be bigger. If you wanted the track as you drew it, you'd need a larger radius for the outer track, and the diamond crossing would make it even bigger. I'm assuming your trains will go round 1st radius curves!

 

I used flexi track for the curves from the double track, which I set at normal Streamline spacing. The Set Track loop doesn't quite join up in SCARM, but presumably would in real life. I'd attach the SCARM file if I was allowed to. If you want it, PM me your e-mail address.

 

Reverse Loop with Peco Set Track.png

thanks, that looks like what i wanted to achieve

will try to create it on a test board

Two reversing loops would give you continuous run. I know a diagram would be helpful but I don't have any plans at hand.

I understand what you are saying

but I was looking to have a circuit of the loft without having to do gradients i.e. 1 return loop above the other

so yes i could have 2 return loops and that would create a continuous run but i wanted to be able to do a continuous run round and round, and also have the ability to go somewhere and return from said somewhere!

Ideally you would have one return loop at one end with another on the opposite with a line (or two) in the middle maybe leading to a station or a couple of industries.

yes but i wanted a continuous run - to watch the trains go by - and a return loop when i want them to go to, and come back from somewhere

JDW - thanks for the input - and yes it might be simpler to lose the inner road and the 2 points

Ray - will look into the Templot tutorials, but the rest of the layout will probably use peco/Hornby points for simlicity

thanks to you all for your feedback

the attached is what i was thinking - excuse the bad drawing - done in paint 

Hi Ray

It will be DC to start, maybe down the line i will try DCC

Hi all

as a newbie - returning after a few !! years out of the hobby, I need a little help with an idea

is it possible to create a continuous run but also have it as 2 reversing loops?

so i want to have a squashed oval to create the 2 loops but instead of these being at different levels make them into a combined loop on the same level

so what i was thinking was i need the attached rough sketch

is this viable? and can anybody do a sketch of the point work in templot so I could attempt to build it?