treggyman

Hi 5BarVT Thanks for doing the link....You beat me to it.... Cheers Bill

Hi Tony Certainly be good to meet up if you come down this way....... As regards modelling I haven't done much recently..... I've started a new layout called Condurrow on here but I think glaciers move quicker than my progress.....Steam china clayworks & station...... Cheers Bill

Hi Great set of photo's....Thanks for sharing.... It's really interesting seeing how progress was made to the railway that we now know from such humble beginnings..... Cheers Bill

Hi Well....What can I say........ A long time since any updates but other things needed doing.....16xx killed my mojo......I've had things not work before but never not been able to sort out & no reply from PM' was the last straw....... Anyway an article in....You've guessed it.....in Model Rail by George Dent about lorries got me buying a couple of Knightwing kits..... The Heritage range flatbed 40ft trailer kit & a Foden Haulmaster kit duly arrived. I've since found pics of Fodens at Par so another project..... Neither will be used here but building the trailer kit & kit bashing it to look right to my eyes has got me going again...... Although off topic a couple of pics.... Well back to Condurrow..... Thus inspired...... This evening having thought about it I decided to mock up the boiler house.... So I made a carcass up to see what it looked like.... It didn't look quite right as although it might do the job it didn't look big enough.... So.... Which I think looks more in keeping..... That was the easy bit....Now to clad it & the Linhay..... The intension is to detail the inside showing the boiler..... i've no idea if the building is prototypical as I've not found any pics of them but it's how I imagine they might have been with the coal being shovelled into a bunker ( the large opening ) & the boiler in line behind.... Any way rule 1 applies...... I also fixed the clay works control panel in place so it can be operated from the front or back as required but no pics of that........ HOPEFULLY I may now start progressing the layout....We'll see.... Cheers Bill

Hi Tony I agree with you that it is the impression I am trying to achieve rather than get the exact colours right.... I have read elsewhere on this forum about the difference between actual colours & 'scale' colours.....If I understand correctly then lighter colours than prototype are more realistic.... At the end of the day we all see things differently so the most important thing is that it looks right to the person whose model it is...... Hope you're keeping well & hopefully catch up with you again sometime now there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel..... Cheers Bill

Hi Tony Glad to see that life is getting more back to 'normal' for you..... Enjoy the new opportunities.......I'm sure there will be plenty of rainy days coming up for modelling.... Cheers Bill

Hi No problem regards the loco..... Nice to see more pictures of the layout..... The engine shed frame looks very good.... Shame the real Helston didn't last into BR blue days when a semi derelict engine shed & stored track panels would be very prototypical...... Keep the updates coming..... Cheers Granddad

Hi Nice couple of pictures.... Thanks for posting..... Cheers Bill

Hi Stu I've never noticed any difference...... & I've been using this type of coupling for over 20yrs The most important thing is to make sure the heights are all the same...I've made a simple height gauge made with a loop of stronger wire fixed to a bit of channel....Actually a station platform & canopy guide.....Though I made one for my son using a block of wood.... All the loops must buff against the loop on the gauge & all the hooks latch on to it... Hence the use of Brass wire as small adjustments can be made easily..... Hope that answers your question.... If not keep asking... Cheers Bill

Hi Stu Yes the stock is handed & can only run one way round...... ie for instance all hooks to the left & all loops to the right..... I'm not sure I'm answering the second part of the question but each item of stock be it loco,coach or wagon has a hook on one end & a loop on the other..... It doesn't matter which end they are on so long as there is a different one on each adjoining end to enable them to couple..... If two ends with the same coupling type end up together they won't couple to each other as the loop ends would have no hook & the hook ends have no loop.... Hope that answers your question Cheers Bill

Hi For anybody interested I have now started a thread on these couplings in Model musings & miscellany.... Cheers Bill Cheers Bill

Hi All I have been asked a few times how my home made autocouplings work & are made...... Indeed at exhibitions it is by far the most asked question & normally involves picking up a wagon to show how it works....... It's a relatively straight forward method the principal I came across when I was a member of Bodmin & District MRC. Two members, Nick Swettenham & Simon Addlsee (Brigiesimon) used them on their goods stock. Apparently they got the idea from Ian Rice,I assume from one of his books/publications. The principle is their's but I have developed them & the end result is the couplings I now make are different to those they made. First a couple of pics of them 'in action'.....In normal mode..... Apologies for the poor weathering........ Then in uncoupling mode..... The basic materials that I use are as below..... The hook & loops are made from 0.45mm Brass rod/wire..... I have used nickel silver in the past but the brass being more flexible enables fine adjustments/tweaks to be more easily achieved. The tube used for the pivot is 0.7mmID 0.9mmOD tube & is soldered to the hook. I have found that by having the hole of the tube larger than the wire it allows a bit of vertical 'slop' which helps overcome any potential unevenness in the track. The magnetic dropper wire is 30gauge florist wire. The square section plastic is used to provide a base to attach to the underfloor of the wagon. It can be any plastic that doesn't show below the buffer beam. It's main use is if fitting to open wagons as you don't want to drill holes in the floor & have the wire visible. Also it means that you can make the unit up & just glue it in place after manufacture. In some loco's it is not possible to use this & the couplings need drilling straight into the chassis or buffer beam...... Anyway I digress.... Next is a photo of the constituent parts of the coupling..... I hope the pictures are self explanetry.... I make the hook in two pieces & solder them together.....This is because I have found that the wire quite often breaks when bent back on itself...... The 'U' shaped piece of wire with the tube soldered to it will be soldered to the top side of the hook & a piece of florist wire is fixed to the end loop to form the dropper... I normally allow this to float free but it can be glued in a fixed position if required. Trial & error will determine the length required..... AS far as setting the hooks & loops I set them just behind the buffer heads..... This is because I like to shunt buffer to buffer....Letting the buffers do what they are designed to do.... These couplings probably wouldn't work well if you require them to push with the hook actually pushing the loop.... There would be a tendency for the hook to lift the end of the next wagon off the track.... I try & use a minimum of 3ft curves & they work fine,smaller radius would be a trial & error situation though beware of reverse curves.... Below is a diagram of them with solebars/wheels etc left out for clarity.......` As regards magnets I use circular neodynum magnets 6mm x 2mm..... They are quite small but very strong & require accuracy whilst positioning stock for uncoupling..... So you need to go as slow as possible....But it adds to the fun....... Because there is a small gap between the nose of the hook & the loop as the dropper goes over the magnet whilst being pushed you can see the hook jump.... Stop there .... Reverse & the hook rises.... Go forwards again & the delay action bar comes into operation as it sits on top of the loop...... Push wagon to required position & then reverse away.... One point about the magnets...... Make sure they are aligned so that the same pole faces up..... I have found that if you don't then after a while the dropper gets magnetised so you get the problem of same poles attracting & it won't uncouple...... The above is the basic idea.....All dimensions are how I do it but can be changed to suit your individual needs...... I've not yet found anything I haven't been able to fit one to.... Even my Hornby Ruston.....That required the coupling 'support' to be drilled into the chassis & glued in place..... Hopefully the above is of use..... Any questions don't hesitate to ask..... Cheers Bill

Hi Ian Just in case anyone else is interested I'll post the details I PM'd Ben Alder...... There is a basic description on Page 19 of my Penhallick Junction thread.... It's about half way down the page dated June 13 2014. I also sent this picture as I have amended the design slightly..... The main difference is that I now make the hook in two pieces as the wire I use (0.45mm nickel silver from Albion alloys )& solder them together as the wire tends to snap if bent back on itself.The vertical extension rests against the underside of the wagon & can be trimmed to length as required. Also I now use 0.7ID brass tube 0.9od as the pivot & fine grade (30g )florist wire for the dropper as it is easily bent . I hope the above plus the description on my Penhallick junction thread answers your question.... Sorry to hijack the thread but any further detailed questions you may have please PM me...... Cheers Bill

Hi Very nice indeed..... I especially like the patterned seats.... Cheers Bill

Hi Absolutely superb modelling.... The pictures without the trains are excellent in their own right.... The trains are a bonus..... Loving it...... Cheers Bill

Hi Good to hear from you again.... I trust you & yours are all well..... I think it might be just bad luck......Even though both the original & the replacement had the same problem...... In most batches there will be rogue loco's & with a lot of cleaning & running in it runs OK on DC.... It's the Feedback that is the issue & as the power now goes direct to the motor I would assume it's the motor or gears that are causing the problem . Any way enough of that.... Did you finish the Observation Saloon? Cheers Bill

Hi Thanks for that...... I've not read all of the thread but if I understand it in effect my Gaugemaster Hand held controllers are an adjustable voltage step down power supply as they take a fixed 16v AC supply & convert it to a variable o-12volt supply that can have the polarities reversed as required...... As I state in the Model Rail thread the main issue is when using feedback as a source of power..... Indeed 60159states in the same thread on the same page that he has a similar problem...... AS i understand it some loco's run superbly...Either on DC or on DCC but some DON'T... Rapido seem to acknowledge this,certainly as regards DCC with their replies on the Model Rail thread...... ALL my other locos' run better on both DC & feedback on the layout than this particular loco..... As i said in my response in the Model Rail thread following their comment that if the second loco ran no better in Feedback mode then that's how it is I took the decision to mess about with it & invalidate the warranty to no avail as it would seem...... cheers Bill

Hi Will do but rather than hijack the thread I'll PM you whn I've found it or redone it.... Cheers Bill

Hi The short answer is yes... The long answer is it'sin one of my layout threads but but I can't remember which..... If you like I can try & find it or do it again...... Cheers Bill

Hi Pardon my ignorance but what is a voltage regulator circuit board? I'm happy to try anything if it works..... As stated in my communication in the other thread I have now completely removed the PCB & the power goes direct to the motor from the wheels.......No difference either better or worse.... It worked when I had a similar problem wit a Bachmann '66....But not here.... The other point is the main issue is when using a Feedback controller.....Which I explained in my comments in the Model Rail thread..... In ordinary DC it works OK but nowhere near as well as my other loco's Cheers Bill

Hi All I can say is absolutely fantastic modelling..... AS jccredfer states you've really caught the area....... Really looking forward to the next 'episode' Cheers Bill

Hi Well a month since I updated..... In truth not a lot has happened to the layout........ My Model rail 16xx arrived....... A nice looking loco....... & a pic comparing it to the old Mainline 57xx.....Which now sits on a brand new up to date Bachmann mechanism & runs like a dream...... However the Model rail one doesn't......Well not a nice dream anyway...... This pic is of the first one......The second is no better..... I've commented in depth my thoughts on the loco in the Model Rail announce GWR Class 1600 o-6-0PT via Rapido thread in the Rapido section so am not going to repeat myself except to say I've spent several hours trying to get the first & now second loco to run acceptably.........This one now runs OK but nowhere as well as the other loco's I've got for this layout.....A lot of money for a nice looking loco that just runs OK not well...... Anyway this evening I put some real coal in the bunker having fitted my 'Automatic couplings' having had a bit of a play..... A crew is ordered as will numberplates when I decide on it's final identity...... As an aside I've been thinking about a slight change...... As it is the layout is a terminus.It bothering me that there was no room for an engine shed & difficult to portray where a demolished one might be shown to have been..... SO.....I thought that if I put a level crossing at the terminus end it could imply a truncated branch where a passenger service no longer went further than Condurrow.... Also if I leave the track in situ then longer Loco's could be used as the extra few inches would allow them to run round. Operationally working level crossing gates would add extra interest & could imply that the line was still in use for the occasional freight servicing a small dry further down the line...... The signal box would also need to be moved to that end but it would mean that the station building wouldn't need to be as big...... Anyway that's all for now & hopefully now the 16xx saga has been decided I shall feel more like progressing the layout..... Cheers Bill

Hi Good to see some progress...... Cheers Bill

Hi Mike I agree with your final comment ref the shortcomings..... I've been buying 'Trains' for fifty years & this is the first item I've ever returned to the supplier !!!!!! I put informative /useful as I too have several kitbuilt loco's with Portescap's in them so must try them with the feedback controllers .... Cheers Bill

Hi 60149 I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one with a feedback issue.....But obviously not..... My problems are identical to yours with both the original & replacement having the same issues......See my post above.....With the advice given from Model Rail that if the second loco didn't work properly then that is how it is....Which ain't good for an expensive loco...... I too have replaced the couplings with a wire loop at the front & my own design auto coupling hook on the back......See photo's attached.... The coal load has been removed (with a bit of force it just pops out ) & a plasticard replacement base glued in place roughly painted black awaiting real coal to be applied..... How are you going to manage at exhibitions? I have a similar problem in that I use feed back for my layout at both home & exhibitions...... Cheers Bill