Erixtar1992

CMAC class 378 now with chassis/bogies.

thanks to Charlie as always for being a top lad

14 hours ago, roythebus1 said:

It was a centre pivoted bogie. I started making a live steam version back in 1974 but had to leave it in 1976, bus restoration and family got in the way! There's odd bits I remember from the official LT works drawing. I converted a Triang M7 into an E class back in the day. It didn't look too bad in those days.

What scale/gauge of live steam?

6 hours ago, Nigelcliffe said:

 

You skipped out " Purchase  ESU LokProgrammer Hardware Device and connect to your Windows computer "  

 

Its probably cost-effective for anyone in a club to arrange for sharing one LokProgrammer around the club.  

 

I skipped the blatantly obvious bit yes…

38 minutes ago, Pete the Elaner said:

 

Correct on both counts.

Surely it is good enough to be exhibited as a layout? It currently has no fiddle yard (I am sure these can easily be built). David does not consider himself a good modeller but, on the evidence of what he has built, I disagree.

I would rather be able to see it properly, not as part of a society stand.

I agree with you mate. Its a nice little scene he has done. The CMAC 72 stock looks nice also and i spotted a pair of battery locos hiding away at the back.

he is a nice chap too. 

26 minutes ago, Stuart G said:

Can anyone advise on the procedure on how to replace the sound file on a V5 decoder with one downloaded from the E.S.U. website?

 

Some of my decoders mhave very basic/generic sound files currently installed and I would like to replace them with those offered on the E.S.U. website but do not want to end up with a 'dead' decoder!!!!

put decoder/loco on programmer

Download the sound file you want

open Lokprogrammer software

click read decoder, so it imports the decoders current settings ect

open new sound file keeping current decoder settings

click write sound data, if needs be it will convert decoder type

wait

play

1 hour ago, simon b said:

 

That's the one! Thank you. It looked like some sort of shelf layout/diorama from the glimpse in the video, but I couldn't find any reference to it in the guide. An interesting bit of modeling either way.

Its been there 3 years in a row now.

David Walsh is the owner.

1 hour ago, rob D2 said:

Forget the announcements .

For the modern ones , you could have Francis Bourgeois  laughing manically at the 56 ….like he did at the Colas log one 

Would be good fun…. Ha

On 29/02/2024 at 21:30, RBE said:

No you can't pick and choose announcements. Tbh they are only on there because they could be. Me and Alex didn't actually think that it was even necessary to have any station announcements at all on a freight loco but we appear to have misjudged that one. 

One with ‘this train is not scheduled to stop here’ ect would have probs been a decent one for the more modern locos perhaps?

Im just talking in general after reading countless pages of decoder decoder decoder on here haha.

i dont know why people try shoving a random £10 one in then go on about it not working,  unless like above its just basically in there to test the model out before upgrading ect

They cant be turned off on older models where the tails are wired in with the headlights

How can people STILL not grasp the decoder thing?!?!

Stop eating crayons and think about it.

There is indeed a standard set of functions on most decoders. This is VERY BASIC.

This will ‘usually’ work the front&rear lighting directionally, then Aux1 on F1 and upwards.

If you put one of these in a high end model, such as the Cavalex 56, it will run, but you wont have access to all of the features.

If you put this in a more basic model (Hornby 56) it will also run, with the directional lighting likely working in the very basic way from 10 years ago...

If you want modern day locos to be able to turn the tail lights off for pulling a train, turn the main headlamp off for working within a yard, turn one cab light on at a time as the driver doesnt have 60ft long arms (unless he is Mr Tickles) and have fans that can spool up seperately to everything and each other rather than a rubber band,  then you will need a loco with all of this circuitry built in.

Not every manufacturers locos will have the same features, so its not something you can easily standardise anyway.

To operate a loco with all this stuff, youll need to have a decoder that is set up for it too.

If you went and bought a blank ESU Loksound decoder it would be the same thing, it would also only have the test sound file loaded with a basic diesel sound and a squeaky horn.

Suprise suprise it needs to be ‘Re-blown’ to have a class 56 sound project on, aswell as the correct function mapping.

Same with a Lokpilot (non sound) decoder, it also needs to have the function mapping set up for a 56. In the same way.

Some retailers will have the correct setup for a Cavalex 56, which they will have to load onto each decoder they sell, aslong as the customer states its for a 56.

EXACT same story as other manufacturers locos that are up to modern day levels of features.

If i went and bought a Bachmann Deluxe 47, it also wouldnt work properly with a decoder on basic settings.

ESU is the recommended decoder for these, as it is what Cavalex have set the loco up for.

You could probably set up a Zimo decoder to work in it quite happily too, if you altered the function mapping.

Most other brands of decoders dont let you alter the function mapping however, hence you wont get everything to work.

1 hour ago, NHY 581 said:

@RBE Can I just clarify what decoder is available off the shelf which when fitted by the user will allow all functions of this model to be utilised as per design, specifically without the need to have decoders customised. 

 

Plug and play. 

 

Rob

 

Nothing.

you need an ESU Lokpilot or Loksound with the function mapping/sound project to suit. They come from ESU with the functions in a very basic setup.

some retailers (and soon Cavalex) offer this, just need to tell them its for the 56.

If its not historic, the usual Bachmann panniers have ballast weights secured in the water tank either side with black tac.

they can be prized out.

mine has a Loksound 5 micro in one side, and a stay alive in the other.

9 hours ago, Fordbank said:

The coupling issue.

Feeling a bit daunted by the prospect of having to drill holes in the body of my lovely new model of 56077.

Thrilled with the running, appearance, and sound, but after extensive testing I am forced to conclude that if 56077 is to work for its living I am going to have to replace the kinematic couplings with with a brass wire bar which will necessitate the (slightly scary ) job of drilling two holes in each buffer beam of my most expensive loco to date.

I fully accept that there is no manafacturing fault with the couplings; it is unreasonable to expect a spring to be strong enough to re-centre the coupling on a heavy train after coming off a curve, but at the same time be weak enough to allow the coupling to move sideways when entering a similar curve with the same train.

As modellers we clearly want to eat our (close coupling) cake and keep it.

However I need a loco which will pull 12 Bachmann JGAs/Accurascale HYAs and cope with  a 2nd radius curve  without causing the bogie of the leading wagon to derail. Extensive testing of the kinematic coupling on the class 56 has shown that - just like the notorious Hornby class 60 - the kinematic coupling cannot deliver on a 'heavy' train.

 

I am now resigned to having to replace the kinematic couplings on 56077.  I  live in hope however that Cavalex can engineer a coupling on the forthcoming Class 60 which will not necessitate a similar modification as was required on all eight of my Hornby Class 60s.

 

Surely before chopping up a model you would first try a different coupling (something more solid than a tension lock), if not try adding some weight to the lead wagon and keep it as such?

Enjoyed our trek up north for MRS.

im suprised its a 3 day show mind you, i dont feel its large enough and a few exhibitors saying its a very long one for them ect.

we did sat&sun and had easily seen everything lots of times.

layouts were a nice quality, traders a decent mix too and a decent layout.

thanks to the organisers, we may have to come back next year :-)

3 hours ago, russ p said:

 

Why!!! I don't understand the retro type paint jobs on these 

They look fine as 56s in BR liveries but they just look messy as 69s and can't for the life of understand a western nameplate 

Misha Black will be spinning in his grave!

They look fine on a 56 but messy on a 69, aka the same bodyshell…… ok then 

Try tamiya masking tape. Its brilliant stuff and sounds like a similar kinda thing to what you are after also

Fantastic work.  I have a pair of A class locos, though i just cant get them running. Not sure what motor i have but its not the best and i think i need new wheels, the keyway bit is buggered so impossible to get them in the correct position.

how do you find the white metal F class? After owning various Harrow Model Shop kits im put off with white metal stuff due to it being so flimsy.

Glad its been confirmed! I look forward to attending.. 

Cool little project

2 minutes ago, Southwich said:

Just on this I have flown back to Australia over the weekend with three grids in my hold stored luggage and they have been protected perfectly. The cradle has worked really well and ensured there is not a mark on the loco nor are there any bits floating about in the box. Safe to say the box has done its job! 

 

Kind regards,

 

Will

You will need lots of magnets for running them upside down now! :-D

16 minutes ago, Marcoblanco said:

With the latest high spec models being all 20+ functions and very few systems being able to go beyond 20 it has become apparent that someone needs to develop a cheap control system which is app based run by tablet/smartphone for 30 functions.  

28 functions is pretty normal for most decent dcc systems no?

1 hour ago, zr2498 said:

Excellent review from Eric 👍

 

 

Thanks thats nice of you, i probably waffled on far too long!

Its pretty simple really though, plonk it on the cradle, turn it over and loosely fit screws, then locate the bogies properly before nipping them up.

If you take your time it works well

13 hours ago, JN said:

 

How do the couplings bend in the wrong direction? The couplings would go the way the coupling is supposed to: following a curve. If a curve goes to the left, the coupling goes left, pivoting at the fulcrum and returning to the alignment with the centre whether that fulcrum is on the bogie or not. Possibly a coupling does not have enough slack, but a coupling cannot have too much slack or bend away from the curve unless something odd is happening. I do not know how or why a coupling would bend away from, rather than with, a curve. Look at the two closest buffers between two cars when the cars go around the left-hand curve, the two closest buffers on each car should be on the left-hand side of the car.

Try it…

when pushed towards eachother it can force them in the wrong direction, which can lead to buffer lock.

its a simple problem solved by a fixed bar coupling rather than something loose like tension locks ect

Only problem i find with Kinematics is when double heading locos with something like tension locks ect. Round curves the coupling is forced the wrong way and causes issues.

the fix is to just use a solid coupling between the two.

otherwise i much prefer them, plus the cavalex one works plenty smoothly enough