Class 50: are you pleased with your model?

[dBerriff]

You can get strips of stick-on weights. 

https://www.roads-and-rails.co.uk/collections/sale/products/model-railway-weights

These are not lead but marked Fe, so (plated?) iron. A small weight could be sufficient for a TT wagon. I might try this out but it will not be until later today. 

Edited September 12 by dBerriff

[Silver Fox 17]

On 10/09/2024 at 16:58, david_watts1 said:

Been playing with Eddie again today, and is it just mine, but are the springs in the couplings too strong, so as the loco goes around corners it derails the lead wagon because it's too light.

Out of interest is it a Hornby or Peco wagon? 

The Peco ones are not as flexible on corners due to their moulded design and these do cause more issues than Hornby, which, I have never had an issue with.

My "50's" are under Deltic bodies so only pull coaches, but, they are flexible as per other kinematic ones anyway.

[Rallymatt]

I did thread with a couple of photos showing how the cab light wires catch the spring, shortening its effective length which raises the spring rate. 

[Silver Fox 17]

14 minutes ago, Rallymatt said:

I did thread with a couple of photos showing how the cab light wires catch the spring, shortening its effective length which raises the spring rate. 

Mine don't have cabs Matt due to the different body styles between Deltic and a 50.

Once the cab is removed then the spring/coupling mount is actually loose. By lifting it there are two tapped holes covered with tape, these holes are tapped the same size as the cab screws. With no cab I used these holes to hold the mechanism and that is when I found out screwing down fully stopped and movement. So, pushed a coupling to one side where it stayed, I loosened off the screws until it sprung back on its own and left it at that.

[Rallymatt]

Same here Garry, on this 50 I have it also has the cab wiring jumbled around so worth looking at both areas to correct the sticking/over strong KK mechanism 

[david_watts1]

I started out with a Peco wagon with a load made by MacTrains, thinking it might be the dodgy Peco non sprung couplings I then used a Hornby LNER vent van, but that derailed too. I tried the loco without the cab lights in situe, it still derailed the wagon. That's when I decided to try to weaken the spring by stretching it, one worked and the other one stressed me and got binned.

[Rallymatt]

I have tried a 50 with 21t minerals and they seemed fine and with my vent vans. I don’t have any of the Peco wagons, not into PO ones and wanted steel body stuff to suit era/area a bit, even though some stock is a real mix 🤣. I think for sanity you just have to do what works, derailing vehicles is very frustrating! 

[Baz657]

I had to put various temporary weights in some of my wagons, especially when running long rakes. The Peco ones seemed to be more perceptible to being pulled off on curves.

 

[happy tt]

@Baz657the layout looks great how  big is it 8' by 4 '  layout like this show TT120 of to  it's best .

if it was oo it would not look so good it would have to be 12'by 6' to  look as good .

someones bought a lot of trucks i bet it took a time to unbox them and put them all on the track. I can't wait to see you layout finished what is you plan for it going forward 😊

Edited September 13 by happy tt
it made more sense

[Rallymatt]

Double Bubble 

 

[LTSR_NSE]

Had a weird sense of déjà vu watching that @Rallymatt 😉 - might a spot of renaming/renumbering be on the horizon?

[Skelton Junction]

High Fell seems a natural home for class 50s 😀 

[dBerriff]

I decided to add HM7000 TXS to Sir Edward. Peachy has an excellent video on how to do this so I will not repeat the details. It was all reasonably straightforward given that I had the required tools and some insulating tape.

The firmware/sound/files/profile download had to be done twice. Something went wrong the first time but no matter - it all worked second time through. But Sir Edward refused to respond - no sound, no movement. I tried RESUME OPERATIONAL CONTROL. That fixed it - all is good.

Hornby undersells this locomotive.

Given that F00 turns head-code and marker lighting on,  F21 turns head-code lighting off, F22 turns the red marker lights off (correct when not running light), F23 turns the cab light on, and F24 turns a headlight on. All lighting is correctly directional.

I also took another look at the accessory pack. Not only do you get etched nameplates, but also the BR there-and-back arrows, locomotive numbers and (?) Western Region round plates. And a snow plough.

So another step forward and I now have a spluttering diesel-electric to add to the layout. 

Edited September 20 by dBerriff

[Rustyjt]

I agree that the full suite of options on the 50 is immense and puts many larger scales to shame. Regarding the coupling to short wheelbase stock, it's been an achlllies heel of the 50 in every sale including 1:1 with the large bufferbeam overhang resulting in a large coupling swing. Bogie stock is fine but fixed swb stock is not their natural home turf and exacerbated in model form. 

[That Model Railway Guy]

Just adding my voice to the positive experience list. I recently showed my TT layout at an exhibition and the Class 50 was the stand out star of the show for me. While all the other locos had little problems throughout the weekend the 50 took everything we threw at it without putting a foot wrong. It put in some decent (actual) miles over the weekend too as on the Sunday we started it running at 9:30am before the show opened and didn't stop it until just before the show closed at 5pm. Out of all the TT locos so far I think this is still my favourite. Thumbs up from me 👍

[dBerriff]

I am being converted to the diesel side. First the most excellent Class 50. Now the Class 08. I have fitted a basic, non-sound DCC 6-pin decoder and the slow speed control is exemplary - which is just what you need for this particular locomotive. I will add a stay-alive at some stage for completeness but on current performance it is not essential.

[Martin-369195]

On 01/09/2024 at 18:27, Martin-369195 said:

Sir Edward not so good. A strange case of stopping in random places.

All's well. Returned from Hornby with a new chassis assembly fitted.

[Stephen-1260829]

I'm still happy with my Class 50.

I have bought the alternative drive shafts and will replace the old ones with these in time.

I am thinking of buying the small DCC concepts stay alives

[Skelton Junction]

Both my 50s’ shafts were upgraded by Rich at This Way Works. It’s uncanny how now knowing they’re pretty much infallible increases the enjoyment of them further. 

[Rustyjt]

I'm quite enjoying the jeopardy of an in service failure, it will add to the realism....and builds the excuse I need a spare 50 on shed! In all seriousness I probably should get some upgraded shafts set aside in the storeroom ready for the almost inevitable day.