RAILS ANNOUNCE CALEY 812 CLASS 0-6-0s

[60159]

Hi JohnR, apologies for delay in responding, I haven't been on RM web for a couple of weeks.

 

I vary between using 0.8mm and 0.6mm brass wire. 0.6 is obviously less obtrusive but not so good if the loco is to be used for propelling. In the case of the 812, I used 0.8mm wire as the length of the front loop was such it needed greater rigidity and I anticipated it being used in shunting moves. I chemically blacken the wire with Brass Black.

 

To fix the front loop, I drilled a hole either side of the NEM mounting. I can't remember if I used superglue, PVA, or a touch of epoxy - it doesn't need much. Superglue is usually what I use but it can grip pretty fast. You've really got to get both sides of the loop in the right amount for the correct protrusion pretty quick as there is almost no time for adjustment. Other glues are more forgiving in this respect. For the rear loop on the tender of this loco, I fashioned a loop that where the two ends would sit in the NEM socket with just a little bit of compression. I filled the socket with epoxy and pushed in the ends of the loop with then plenty time to get it set to the right length and sitting even. This has worked well for me in some cases eg on the front (bogie) of a Bachmann B1 and on both ends of a Hornby 08.

 

Can do pics of these and others if you wish.

 

Mike

[26power]

On 06/03/2022 at 20:04, 46444 said:

Bit of a sneak peek of my Caley 812. I need to finish the weathering off. 

Here's a snap of the tender with modified flairs.

 

 

I'll write a blog entry shortly discussing my modifications. 

 

Cheers, 

 

Mark

 

Hi.  What or where is your blog?  Interested in what you have done to the tender flairs.

[46444]

8 hours ago, 26power said:

Hi.  What or where is your blog?  Interested in what you have done to the tender flairs.

 

Hi 26power,

 

Apologies. Life has caught up as usual but the snaps have been taken so a blog should not be too far away. 

 

Watch this space...

 

Cheers, 

 

Mark 

[46444]

9 hours ago, 26power said:

Hi.  What or where is your blog?  Interested in what you have done to the tender flairs.

 

Here you go....

 

 

Hope that's of some help?..

[drt7uk]

On 18/02/2022 at 19:32, mow said:

The Caledonian Railway Class 812 No. 828 will be at The Spa Valley Railway for most of 2022, for those of you who want to view the real thing.

 

https://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/product.php/297/scottish-steam-up

 

Thanks for alerting us to this, I had a great time. Tender far to thin though ! 

[sixoh8sixoh]

I've just had the chance to unbox mine, and try it on my short straight. I chipped it with a DCC Concepts Zen V12 Blue+ decoder. Most engines I've tried have run very smoothly from the box but this one is quite stuttery. I'll run it in, but it's unusual in that respect. Looks very pretty, lovely looking loco. Could just do with some nice RTR carriages to run with it!

[mow]

On 02/04/2022 at 21:19, drt7uk said:

 

Thanks for alerting us to this, I had a great time. Tender far to thin though ! 

 

[mow]

Thanks for posting your photographs of the two CR locomotives, I would have loved to have travelled over to see them this weekend. Hope you had a good day out.

[adb968008]

On 02/04/2022 at 21:19, drt7uk said:

 

Thanks for alerting us to this, I had a great time. Tender far to thin though ! 

Snap, I must have been right next to you as I took the same.

 

2890 looked quite the suitable imposter coupled up to 828. 

Edited April 3, 2022 by adb968008

[No Decorum]

12 hours ago, adb968008 said:

 

 

Thank you for posting that lovely pic. One locomotive does not a railway make. Oliver at Rails keeps an eye on here, doesn’t he? HINT!

[drt7uk]

Side by side. What a beautiful engine.

[Legend]

I know I'm biassed but it really is a handsome engine  and the colour is gorgeous !   Interestingly you obviously show the real loco as preserved  but I think thats the model loco in its lighter CR blue livery . Unable to choose I eventually got both !

[Pre Grouping fan]

58 minutes ago, Legend said:

I know I'm biassed but it really is a handsome engine  and the colour is gorgeous !   Interestingly you obviously show the real loco as preserved  but I think thats the model loco in its lighter CR blue livery . Unable to choose I eventually got both !

 

I think that's the in service version of 828 vs the preserved model version. 

 

The amount of blue pigment in the mix apparently reduced over the year as it was very expensive so the colour got lighter over time. 

[Michael Hodgson]

5 hours ago, Pre Grouping fan said:

 

The amount of blue pigment in the mix apparently reduced over the year as it was very expensive so the colour got lighter over time. 

I thought the fading of blue paint over time was after it had been applied

[JonathonAG]

Has been written before by myself and others on this thread,

 

The two different shades of blue shown above on No. 828 in model form are representations of two different Caledonian Railway liveries.  The darker blue is an earlier livery, whereas the light blue was introduced alongside the 903's by McIntosh.  

 

The whole story behind diluting of the blue paint, typically suggested to be by Perth shed to make the paint allocation stretch further, is a myth that has been thoroughly debunked in the book 'Caledonian Railway Liveries'.  Indeed, each of the two shades above, are impossible to recreate from the other by purely reducing blue concentration/adding white etc.

[drt7uk]

I just got the most recent Hornby Caledonian Spinner to go with my 812, mostly because I was after the coaches. It's a smart model but I do dislike the front bogie...

 

Has anyone else modified theirs to get rid of the hideous gap, and make it look a bit more realistic?

 

Photo below 

[Butler Henderson]

Compare it to the original and the problem looks like the bogie has too small a wheelbase and the wheel are of too small a diameter. Also shows the step below the running plate is wrongly positioned and should be in front of the rear (more rearward than on the model) bogie wheels.

[Michael Hodgson]

17 hours ago, Butler Henderson said:

Compare it to the original and the problem looks like the bogie has too small a wheelbase and the wheel are of too small a diameter. Also shows the step below the running plate is wrongly positioned and should be in front of the rear (more rearward than on the model) bogie wheels.

All of those would help it cope with gradients and tight curves.

[sjp23480]

I received CR 828 as a birthday gift from my dad.  Putting it on my rolling road, it runs like a bag of spanners.  It sounds like the gears are not meshing, they also seem to slip at times.  It judders when running, forwards and backwards and the motor has a loud buzz at low speeds. 

 

I saw the earlier reports that it may need lubrication.  So  I have done the axles per the instructions and the little stubs on the side of gear tower.  I have it running-in now, but I am not seeing much improvement after almost 1/2 an hour at 1/2 speed.  See video below.

 

The CR versions are sold out at Rails, so I am wondering what to do?   It is a lovely looking engine, but the running quality is so poor I am inclined to return it to see what can be done? 

 

Any advice welcome?

 

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by sjp23480

[sjp23480]

For comparison, see a recently acquired Compound running on the same set up (I will have to fix that annoying click !😒):

 

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by sjp23480

[E100]

32 minutes ago, sjp23480 said:

I received CR 828 as a birthday gift from my dad.  Putting it on my rolling road, it runs like a box of spanners - it is not much better when run on a short piece of track.  It is very noisy, it sounds like the gears are not meshing, they also seem to slip at times.  It judders when running, forwards and backwards and the motor has a loud buzz at low speeds. 

 

I saw the earlier reports that it may need lubrication.  So  I have done the axles per the instructions and the little stubs on the side of gear tower.  I have it running in now, but I am not seeing much improvement after almost 1/2 an hour at 1/2 speed.  See video below.

 

The CR versions are sold out at Rails, so I am wondering what to do?   It is a lovely looking engine, but the running quality is so poor I am inclined to return it to see what can be done? 

 

Any advice welcome?

 

 

I'd recommend taking the actual base keeper plate 'off' and doing the exposed gears within there with grease was the key for me (unless you already have and I misread). Also any other moving parts you can get to. Failing that backing off the connecting rod nuts if overtightened could the next best step I can think of. It did take a good hour in each direction for me to improve.

[Ben Alder]

Try cleaning the back of the drivers and their treads with Deoxit. I got a lot of gunge off the one I had on trial which improved the running quality no end, but wasn't impressed with its start and stop control with straightforward DC compared to some of the Hornby 0-6-0's, but my resurrected H&M 3000 with its adjustable sliders managed to get  a more responsive action.

[MikeParkin65]

On 02/05/2022 at 23:32, sjp23480 said:

@Ben Alderthanks for the tip, but the pick ups seem okay its the grinding from the gear tower that bothers me.  Have taken @E100advice and lubricated the gears under the base plate.  Will keep update tomorrow.

Usually easier to lubricate the gear tower from the top and let gravity take the grease down. Also a small spot of suitable oil on both motor bearings quietens down a lot of things (transformed a class 40 of mine in fact!). Good luck

[sjp23480]

Everyone,

 

A quick update on 828.  Spoke to Rails who asked me to return it to them, even though it was delivered in December.  They also sent me a label to send it back, so I didn't have to pay postage.  Hats off to Rails for their customer service, they told me they would have to send it to  Bachmann for a warranty repair as they couldn't replace it.

 

They tested it on receipt, but could not recreate the issue?  Transpires that the problem is not in the loco, apparently the coreless motor does not like my Gaugemaster Feedback controller.

 

828 is now on its way back to me, I have another controller and i am looking forward to seeing it run as it should.  Just need to remember to disconnect my high frequency track cleaners, as they fry coreless motors I believe?

 

Big thank you to Rails for their excellent service.

 

Steve

 

[turbos]

3 hours ago, sjp23480 said:

Everyone,

 

A quick update on 828.  Spoke to Rails who asked me to return it to them, even though it was delivered in December.  They also sent me a label to send it back, so I didn't have to pay postage.  Hats off to Rails for their customer service, they told me they would have to send it to  Bachmann for a warranty repair as they couldn't replace it.

 

They tested it on receipt, but could not recreate the issue?  Transpires that the problem is not in the loco, apparently the coreless motor does not like my Gaugemaster Feedback controller.

 

828 is now on its way back to me, I have another controller and i am looking forward to seeing it run as it should.  Just need to remember to disconnect my high frequency track cleaners, as they fry coreless motors I believe?

 

Big thank you to Rails for their excellent service.

 

Steve

 

Get rid of feedback controllers and HF track cleaners, 20th century control equipment is not suitable or worth the risk around 21st century model locos.

 

Brian.