SimonMW

I think it needs another coat of paint dear, I can still see the rivet-thingies... WILLS KIT BUILT OO GAUGE GWR 0-6-0 PANNIER TANK LOCOMOTIVE 5757 Looks like he has picked up a job lot of kit-built GWR stock. Lots of them... amazingly, you'd think whoever built that many would have started to develop some skills. Alas, no... I think a house brush was used to paint it.

42xx x 2 now running beautifully, but it took some work. Pulled apart, fixed up wipers, cleaned wheels. DCC Concepts ZH8H (8-pin with harness), with the decoder taped to a DCC Concepts ZSSA very large stay alive, fit perfectly into the smokebox, with the plug being inserted into socket as it comes back together. The 8-wheel rigid chassis just aligns really badly with dead spots on the electrofrog diamond crossing, this has fixed it. So I now have 2 x straight 42xx, with one to now be renumbered to 4254.

If there is a fault in the loco's wiring it can fry a decoder even if all you have done is plug it into an 8-pin socket and place it on the track. Always pays to check the loco first on DC, then pull out the blanking plug and check for isolation between motor and track. I had a Hornby Castle with faulty wiring in the 8-pin socket... ran fine on DC, plugged a decoder in and it fried it. I should have checked the wiring first. Shouldn't have HAD to, but should have anyway.

Neither of my two R3222 42xx have brass bearings, both are just axles running in the chassis. As I have posted above the rigidity of the chassis is causing me issues on track that is less than 0.5mm out of level in 300mm when combined with the (electro-)frog gap and plastic insulator on a diamond, which results in 3 axles being non-conductive, and presumably the fourth not bearing on track due to sideplay. I found the footplate relatively easy to straighten, a lot simpler than I was worried it was going to be, so if anyone else has one don't be too afraid to pull it apart. A lot harder though is getting the thing to run over my diamond at slow speed...

Back to backs are about 14.15mm to 14.2mm.

I cannot get this engine to run smooth and slow over my electrofrog pointwork and diamond. It keeps stalling, or doing a sudden spurt as the decoder (DCC Concepts with a small stay alive) seems to catch up. The trackwork is within 0.5mm level along a 300mm straight edge, the wheels I have taken out and cleaned, I have ensured pickups are in contact with wheels at all times. It just keeps stalling. On my NCE if I keep throttle at 9 or 10 (28) it runs through fine, assume the small keep alive is helping it there. But running slow it will not run through. My $35 30 year old 14xx runs great through it as do other locomotives that appear more pickup and level tolerant. At one point it's got one wheel over a gap, one over a plastic insulation piece in the diamond, and a third obviously is sitting a fraction of a mm off the track - and the fourth is not picking up (no idea whay, pickup looks fine), so it stalls.

Looking so much better: It's not 100%, but a huge improvement. Except I broke the smokebox lamp iron Oh and I have straightened the slide bars bracket since this photo!

OK, so 4261 has been pulled apart today. Once pulled apart, the running plate was straightened under a bit of steam from the jug. To get it to sit in straight, I had to file down the boiler saddle fractionally (on the running plate), and the smokebox saddle (on the smokebox), primarily on the vertical locating piece that is supposed to push down INTO the running plate, but which actually seems to just push it down. Progress so far:

Big day yesterday, nice to have the time off work. Amazing how time consuming it is though, especially when you are putting droppers on every piece of track... I Installed 2 x sets of points (both of which have had the ugly Peco mechanisms cleaned out and new sleepers soldered in), a diamond, track to the future turntable, and the catch point behind the diamond (also tidied up); and setup the wiring and DCC Concepts Cobalt Digital IP motors driving them. Middle of the day: End of the day: The tracks either side of the baseboard join in the middle are soldered to stainless steel screw heads at the correct height, which holds height and position perfectly. No close-up pictures there yet - I'll need to do some camouflage to make them look a little less obvious. The points / catch point either side of the diamond are controlled via the same DCC address as a pair, and drive the diamond's frogs' polarity. All working a treat, very happy. Underneath, Cobalt Digital IPs in place and working beautifully:

Oh no! Condolences... his railway modelling has been wonderful to see. He will be missed.

I see what you did there ;-)

Thanks Joseph. I'm going to do both the interlocking and the catch I think, after the comments here. It looks odd as the diagram is not the whole picture. It does actually make sense to come off the platform 2 line. I've posted the whole plan elsewhere, I'll find the link and put it here. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/2298/entry-20636-expansion-redesign-portable-and-room-change/

Thinking about it, if I fit a catch, I can use that as the opposite polarity setting mechanism... hmm, that may be the easiest solution.

Noted on all counts. Happy to move if the answers are different, figured it may actually be the same answer regardless. Happy to hear from experts on the use of a trap - I'm far from expert there, and it would be simple to add one. If I proceed on the basis that a locomotive must not proceed onto the diamond without route / right to proceed then I think I can just use the two points to set the frog polarity as noted in my original post. What I will add is some form of interlocking to prevent SPAD (i.e. entry into the diamond when a short condition would exist).

Thanks dhjg Yes it's DCC, but the wiring is the same regardless, no? I.e. frog polarity based on route / inbound. I'm thinking you are probably right about just holding short of the diamond... BUT... what I want to avoid is a short IF a locomotive DOES proceed onto the diamond whilst route is set Platform 2 to main... I need a lockout somehow to stop the locomotive short of the crossover. Regarding trap point - I wouldn't have thought there would be a trap point set against a loco yard in a low-speed terminus, but am happy to be corrected.

Some advice on wiring the frogs on the diamond please... I have the following, all Peco Code 75 Electrofrog (it's a diamond crossing not a slip): From the left: platform tracks 1 to 3 from top to bottom (platform 3 is a dead end; 1 and 2 have a crossover) out to main (top right) route from platform track 2 to engine shed turntable (there are actually points off the t/table line to a shed, but for this purpose ignored) Points: Platform 2 outbound main/t.table (left) Inbound main to Platform 1 or 2/3 (top right) Inbound Platform 2 or Platform 3 Routes with diamond impact: Platform 2 to t/table Platform 3 to main Platform 2 to main (Sort of, this is the problem child) My preference would be to switch the diamond frogs from the Cobalts driving two pairs of points, but I can't see how that will work here. If I pair up the points on outbound from Platform 2: GOOD - Platform 2 to t/table, platform 2 outbound points drive the frog at the t/table end of the diamond; to get the opposite polarity on the other end have the inbound to platform 2/3 points set to platform 2 and take from its frog GOOD - Platform 3 to main - take polarity from the inbound to platform 2/3 points (switched to 3); and have the platform 2 outbound points switched to main to give me the opposite polarity NOT GOOD - Platform 2 to main: needs BOTH points' frogs set to the same polarity, which means the diamond will short anything that enters it. Why the last one is not good - I imagine a train leaving Platform 2 for the main line, whilst a locomotive approaches the diamond from the t/table to enter behind the leaving train - and shorts the diamond. OR - I could use an automated reverser / 2 x juicers... but some say this is bad. Open to suggestions on how to best wire this please.

Can't say I agree with that... Spitfire (the 'plane) remains one of the most beautiful forms of engineering ever. Having said that - both that and the Castle class as represented by 5071 Spitfire above would have to be perfect examples of British engineering, at the time world-leading. BOTH stunning.

Related comment - I have lost count of the times I have had to wipe almost running oil from new RTR locomotives... on the base, on the bodywork sometimes. All manufacturers seem to be culprits at times. Just SOOO much oil.

I've found Bachmann pretty good at repairing stuff in the past. My Blue Pullman started making horrible noises after about 18 months, and they fixed it for a reasonable cost.

I've just looked at mine - nothing on warranty terms on the blurb with the Oxford Rail Dean Goods.

In theory you have not invalidated the warranty unless they can prove that you weathering it or adding crew was the cause of the problem. The Consumer Rights laws say: "If you discover the fault within the first six months of having the product, it is presumed to have been there since the time you took ownership of it - unless the retailer can prove otherwise. During this time, it's up to the retailer to prove that the fault wasn't there when you bought it - it's not up to you to prove that it was." Reasonably they could extend that to say that if you have caused the fault (and can prove it) they don't have to cover it. So I think you probably have a good case to state that the item is faulty and it has been since new - and you do NOT have to prove anything. The consumer laws further say: "If an attempt at repair or replacement has failed, you have the right to reject the goods for a full refund, or price reduction if you wish to keep the product. The retailer can't make any deductions from your refund in the first six months following an unsuccessful attempt at repair or replacement." The spirit of Consumer Rights law is that you can be USING the product for up to 6 months before realising that it is faulty - this does not change your rights. Is weathering reasonable usage? I would have thought so. I would have thought you are quite within your rights to ask them to repair or replace it.

The one I have ordered is not there yet... not sure whether to be disappointed (I have to wait, which is never a good skill of mine) or be glad (my credit card has taken a hammering thanks to my railway in recent weeks!)

Makes me feel entirely justified looking at the unweathered examples on my layout haha...

1. {sighs} That Standard large tank engine is calling me to buy one. 2. That has to be the cleanest brake van I have ever seen - the roof is even white! 3. Love the 15xx. Would be great to see an RTR 00 gauge one.

That is a fine fine looking engine... and beautifully captured too. Well done.