Theakerr

FYI, I have seen one 9F tender drive unit that had the dreaded Marzac rot.  Essentially it allowed/cause the wheels to go out of alignment.  I am not saying that is what it is but just for info.

On 17/02/2020 at 15:50, micklner said:

What make ? Old or new decals ? In water too long ?

Water base..  Dont think they were in the water too long because they slid off in a nice controlled manner and I did do some more using the same companies decals with no problem.  Transfers were nearly new.  Microsol is old.   I have used the same companies decals with microsol before and no problem but they were relatively big decals like loco cab numbers and BR Totems.  I prefer not to name company publicly because they were very responsive to another issue but can send you a PM.  Further, I have to suspect it was me but for the life of me I dont know what.  Very strange and all I can do is advise people to test a small length.   This weekend I have few 'scrap' pieces around that I prepared for other test purposes, I will see if I can replicate the problem.

I was going to post more or less the same thing as Nigelcliffe.  Some descriptors on Arduino friendly relay boards can be a bit misleading in that they say it is an opto isolated board but the normal connection does not use the opto isolating circuit.  In the case of the boards I use,  to use the opto circuit you do not use the header pins on the relay board but remove the jumper pins an a three pin board to the left of the header pins and connect to them.  Do you have a picture. 

21 hours ago, micklner said:

For anyone who is'nt already aware.

 

Add Microsol to the surface of the decal , it will the settle into the grooves and flatten onto the main surface of the model. Once dry then seal with the prefered varnish.

See my comment about Microsol and a (water based) tender lining decal that curled up on itself (long direction) in my post on my A2 finish

Brian.  I cant really remember the 40s but in the early 50s there was I think a passenger train (via Boston Spalding and Peterborough) that left Grimsby about 14:00 and it always had about 3 box vans with fish attached to the rear.  As I remember the 1st fitted fish train to London (via Boston Spalding and Peterborough) left about 15:00 putting it in London probably about midnight giving ample time for delivery to local fishmongers, especially if they were willing to pay a premium which I believe some did.  After 15:00 normally there would be at least two more fish trains although I am not sure if the complete train went all the way through to London.

My assumptions, when you say a single ended point you mean just one point and when you say double ended you mean two point motors.  First question would be, are you using an arduino compatible relay?  Next, are you using the Arduino to power the relay?  Next if you are using an external source for the relay are you using the opto isolator input?   I suspect you need to use the opto isolator circuit for the Arduino.  This circuit is specifically designed to eliminate back feed from the relay.  I am not sure but I think you can use the opto circuit even with the Arduino as the relay power source.  Incidentally I use something similar and I inert an auto relay to carry the CPU power and have never had a problem except burning out one of the auto relays in 20 years. 

Well after a year and a quarter I think I have finished my bargain DJH A2.  I am guessing the total cost including paint/decals, repair parts to the gearbox and a few bits and pieces I have less than  Can$150.  One annoyance was that I had to order a second set of tender decals.  I had used my usual technique of getting the decal (tender lining) into place and then putting a little 'micro set' solution to soften it so that it went over some rivets better and the decal curled into a U continuing into a flattened strip that could not be opened up.  Anyway, picture attached.

I've now watched three episodes and really not too impressed (especially by the 5 min ad from CBC for one of their shows in the middle of episode 3).  There is a chunk of PC that irritates me (check the ratio of 'powerful' women to men) although not too bad.  The 'elf' character is so wrong and the story line is basically weak.  Will watch episode 4 based on comments here but if it doesn't improve the show will be relegated to the PVR.

Could be the oil/lamp hut.  These huts were used to store the signal lamp oil and to fill up the signal lamps as well as the various oil lamps around the station.  Waltham, where my Father was the Station Master had a wooden lamp room with an extended end that had been made into a general storage room.   I know most of the small stations had such a lamp/oil hut. 

10 hours ago, rowanj said:

My latest model is this LRM N8, a pleasure to build. I'm posting it here, largely in the context of Tony's build of the Isinglass Pigeon Van, and because of the extensive knowledge base of the thread's followers. If I understand correctly, Isinglass will produce a 3D model from drawings on their list, which includes a fair selection of ex-NER non-corridor coaches. I need to know which, if any, diagrams survived into the 1950's, so my locos wont be forever towing Hornby Gresley and Thompson stock- or at least not exclusively. Any help gratefully received - by PM if Tony would rather not clog up the thread on this issue,

John

Where did you get the lining decals.  I couldn't find any red and white with the reverse curve into the cab anywhere?  Thanks

A friend is trying to fix an Heljan 04 that has a power pick-up issue, i.e. no power is getting to the decoder,  The attached shows the power board but there is no distribution identification.  Can anyone help?  FYI I have done a forum and web search.  Thanks

Ignore - Sorted.

In response to the comments,   I did cut one side of the capacitor, no difference.  The J11(Little Engines) does have a Mashima motor as does a recently added A5 and both work well.   Also, I have just added Bachmann 3 Car DMU and it works.  I did check the tender pickups and they both seem OK and the Claud has actually run more distance than any of them.   

Speaking from experience sometimes just going out and puttering,e.g moving the blocks around or even just mindlessly staring at them can help.  Good Luck

I dont have 'the usual tender wheel ratling' but a bit of (the right) grease will not hurt.  As for the front bogie de-railing again have not had a problem with either of mine but suggest you check the back to back.  Both Hornby and Bachmann have them set to close from time to time

Snitzl's Blog occupies a complete page and when I try to load new stuff I keep getting the same page over and over again with entries going back to Dec.  Got round the problem by looking at latest entries first.

The consensus seems to be what I was suspecting, that the motors in the two locos are getting hot, probably starting to bind and thus slowing down.  Would appear that there isn't a direct solution although I might try a replacement motor just to see.  To answer the question I was increasing the Guagemaster voltage into the PWM controller and I am using the PWM controller remotely as a second controller from the main control panel containing the Guagemaster.

A conundrum for the electrical genii on the forum.  I have several (cheap) PWM (Pulse Width Modulated) controllers on my layout.  They are fed from a standard 4 track Guagemaster controller.  On my Bachmann locos (B1 old and new chassises and J11), on locos powered by Mashima motors and on my Hornby Claude they work fine.  My Hornby B17 and Black 5 after one circuit (50') start to slow down and if I don't increase the controller speed they eventually come to a complete stop.  Measurement of the load voltage shows a drop.  Increasing the controller voltage gets them running again but eventually they also come to a stop.  On occasion, they will be running fine, then suddenly slow down and just as suddenly speed up.  However, they will eventually come to a stop.  When I take the PWM controller out of the circuit and apply power directly from the Guagemaster, initially they run slowly but over time they speed up and the voltage can be reduced, almost as though they are undergoing a time related self healing process.   If it was just one loco I would be replacing the motor but two is starting to push co-incidence although statistically it is possible that I do have two 'funny' motors.  My next plan is to connect an ammeter into the circuit to see if that gives me some insight.   I do have a constant 12V power source that could be used as the feed, but it is capable of putting out 15Amps, so if for some reason the load draw has increased I could very quickly ignite the built in smoke capsule.  I do have a 2amp (smallest I could get over here) but the motors are can motors and I suspect that even 2 amps might ignite the smoke capsule.  Any thoughts, especially to eliminate the problem, would be greatly appreciated.  Also from a purely academic perspective any thought are appreciated.

At the start of un-read activity for about 3 pages the reload button was doing so many strange things I can't list them.  Now as I hit the unread activity from about 3 hours ago it seem to be behaving normally.

I have not seen the layout except in video format due to the fact that I live in the GWN.  I have been to China - several times and have seen older industrial areas.  I think your background has very effectively captured the feeling of industrial China on an overcast day in a partially smog polluted area.   Also, I don't remember seeing lots of street lights on.  As for clutter and grass bits, you don't see any bits of unkempt grass here and there as you do today in the UK and Canada.   Now what I did see were a  lot of small garden plots, sometimes between the pavement and the road even.   Similarly you don't see a lot of untidy 'stuff' just lying there.  There seems to be a pride, rather akin to that of the UK in the 40's and even into the 50's, in keeping things clean and tidy.  However,  and I don't mean to bragg, but perhaps you do have to add some stuff for those who have not been to the real China

For information:  About 6/7 years ago i purchased some 3D printed, 00, integrated working 3 link couplings and hooks via MOUSA.  They were installed on various wagons and are still working well including one at the end of a 32 wagon loaded coal train.    As a result of their success and ease of installation, I purchased some more.  Complete disaster.  Everyone has failed and as per Sod's Law at the most inconvenient time or place.  My friends at the local Maker Club suspect that either the plastic was changed, the printer was changed or the designer made a small but subtle change for whatever reason.  

Andy, Perhaps a light to medium weathering using a matt black wash might tone them down so that they don't look too bad.   If using a light wash airbrushed on windows can be cleaned or not as required.  I have done this on a number of 'red' coaches.

Thought I would post a picture of my N7.  It started out as  a Wills Finecast Bodyline Kit which was given to me by  Lady who had operated her husbands layout way back.  I happened to have a Bachmann J11 chassis siting around purchased for a project that didn't work out.  I also had am incredible priced old DJH A2 kit.  However,  I had not built a white metal kit for many moons and didn't want to destroy or damage this kit.  So the N7 kit was there at the right time and price to become a learning kit.  As it was I managed to put only one hole in a side tank.  I was not happy with the first paint job and stripped it using Detol.  At some point I will decide how much weathering I will apply.  The real thing uses a series on reverse curves in the lining, but after much searching I was not able to come up with any set of transfers that colour matched the reversed curves and my skill with a bow pen is long lost.  So imagine my delight when I came up with a picture showing an unlined N7. 

Watched the Pilentium video last night, rather good.  In fact I think it is probably the best I have seen in 2019.  Normally, I dislike DCC sound and at first I thought you must have used some of the better US techniques I have seen, but then realised it was edited in.  An excellent job of editing.

Looking at the GC4-4-0 at the top of the previous page, this is an example of where 3D printing can produce a shape that conventional machining cannot.   I wonder how long it will be before the cost of metal printing drops to the point when limited runs of metal bodied locos and other rolling stock become feasible.    I know 'plastic' printing is available today but metal does have a certain presence that is very difficult to achieve with  plastic but more importantly a metal bodied loco should be able to pull 13/14 kit built coaches.

I had a bit of a unique problem with my old Single action Badger in that the attachment stem for the paint reservoir developed a leak at the stem to airbrush joint.  Not saying this is your problem but just a FYI