What's on your workbench?

[ellocoloco]

2021's projects are underway and may even be finished by the end of the year if I can get my act together and order up paint and decals.....

EMD JT42CWR

EMD J26CW-SS

[Twintop]

I have changed the wheels on an R122 Tri-ang Cattle wagon as I had two spare wheel-sets and it runs through the PECO slip just fine now, so I will get wheels for the other 8 I have to do.

The question is, which version - do I get spoked, 3 hole disc or solid disc ?

I have also been cleaning the wheels on some of my Lima Mk I coaches, amazing how much is encrusted on them, but I may never have done them before and some will be 25 years old. I scraped it off onto a white sheet of paper and there was such a lot. Also oiled the axles and cleaned the roofs as they get so dirty up in the loft and replaced a coupling hook, borrowing one off a Lima wagon I must have picked up from somewhere years ago. I have brought all my coaches and wagons down from the loft and won't take any back until they have been inspected. mended and cleaned up.

[Twintop]

i tested the cattle wagons again and a few more are fine through the slip, so managed to run a cattle special of 5 wagons. the wheels must have been changed at some point. Very odd though is that one of the two diecast chassis models with the axle boxes goes through the slip fine ? I will have to try the 2 Tri-ang horse boxes I have, they look reasonable enough to me.

The new trackwork now has the rail sides painted, so just ballasting to do now and full services are restored.

Next task is to lengthen the island platform that forms platforms 6 and 7 to take 7 coach trains instead of 6, the new slip arrangement means I have gained close to a coach length. I have enough spare Superquick sections already so won't be a cost. However when doing that I might as well change the track formation at the West end to go from 3 to 4 tracks. A bridge needs demolishing to facilitate this though and so is more involved. In essence it just needs about 3 feet of track, but there will have to be points as well to enable switching between the tracks.

[96RAF]

Just when you thought you had it almost finished Twintop, some bright idea pops into your head and off you go again reworking things. A fun hobby and always stuff to do, if not one can always make some.

[Twintop]

Yes, all good fun, trackwork is what I enjoy the best and the wiring for analogue, cab control. The changes should only be for minimal cost as I only need 2 metres of track at the most.

There will actually be 2 less points as the previous formation went from Up main and Up loop, to just Up main and then split again for Up Main and Up relief through the station. I will now just have UP main and Up relief, so all plain track as the entrance to the old loop can be the splitter.

The engineering work has started, with some track already lifted, signals removed, end sections of platform removed and an embankment excavated. Hoping to get an hour or so on it most days as at the moment only the Down relief is intact, so services are much curtailed !

[atom3624]

Decided to lift out one of my favourite Bachmann diesels the other day - a weathered B.R. green, 'small yellow ends' 10001 Co-Co diesel (one of 'the twins' - I've just got one).

Unusual for a Bachmann diesel, it ran like a dog!

I saw the pick-ups were simply shaped fingers touching the wheel bushes - current picked up is passed through the wheels ... simple.

Bit of running will sort it out, I thought - not a chance!

I got the body off - 8 small screws - then inverted, removed one bogie surround, then each axle, then used some brake caliper spray cleaner - no IPA (iso-propyl alcohol, not the beer) available - and removed, wiped around the wheel 'tyres' and cleaned inside, then replaced each axle (eventually - sometimes not easily replaced but all's well).

Decided I'd oil up all bushes, as well as grease the gears, including the motor, so removed each bogie, then the plastic chassis, then 4 tiny screws to remove the motor brace, to permit motor bush oiling ...

All went back together perfectly.

I noticed it was only picking up on one bogie - should be both of course.

The same copper contacts touching the wheel axle bushes push up through the top of each bogie, sliding on brass fingers ... I simply bent the fingers slightly - sorted!

End result ... BRILLIANT - as it should have been.

Back to a superb-running and looking locomotive.

I love putting it alongside a Britannia and asking my lads which came out first .... !!

Al.

[Bulleidboy]

I have just added lighting to a Hornby BR Maunsell Rebuilt (Ex-LSWR) carriage. I just ran a strip of 12v LEDs along the inside of the roof - I gave every LED a good coat of Tamiya Yellow Lacquer - soldered two wires to the strip and ran the wires, via a couple of resistors, through the bogie mount and attached them to a DCC Concepts power pick-up mounted under the bogie. I then painted the inside of the coach body with a Tamiya Red Brown (Mahogany??) - you cannot see this, but it does stop the light bleed through the sides of the coach body. I think it has turned out quite well. Now to add some passengers and complete the second carriage.

[atom3624]

I have a load of 1/64" brass round-headed pins.

I've not had any reply from Hornby wrt my £180 fiasco of A2/2 - super-smooth runner and one of the better ones admittedly - which popped a valvegear pin.

I trimmed one of the new pins and trialled it this morning, and it 'just fits' perfectly - so I may have it running without Hornby's assistance - it's a simple fix, but communications should be better, and no excuses now. ... OK I did have a little rant, I'm better now!

Al.

[Brew Man]

@BB

That looks really good. What would you say is the best way to remove the roof of a carriage without totally wrecking it?

[Brew Man]

@atom3624

I feel your pain, Hornby are hopeless at customer communication. I'm sure they owe me a couple of responses that I've more or less given up on.

[Bulleidboy]

@BB

That looks really good. What would you say is the best way to remove the roof of a carriage without totally wrecking it?

 

 

The body, including the roof is one piece. There are four clips, one in each corner (same on many carriages), these clips are part of the glazing , so clear plastic. They just need moving very slightly - I used a small flat-bladed screwdriver, and the body came away at one end and then you do the other end. These clips are very fragile - all four on the carriage shown in the picture, broke! Luckily the body sits flat on the chassis - there is a single clip in the middle of each side which helps keep everything in place. I have the broken pieces, so may try super glueing them back on. BB

[Ruffnut Thorston]

I have changed the wheels on an R122 Tri-ang Cattle wagon as I had two spare wheel-sets and it runs through the PECO slip just fine now, so I will get wheels for the other 8 I have to do.

The question is, which version - do I get spoked, 3 hole disc or solid disc ?

>Snipped

 

 

Most wagons would use either the spoked or 3 hole disk wheels.

The holes are used to insert sprags, a rod that wedges against a part of the chassis, to prevent the wheel rotating. A form of hand brake.

Sprags were originally used with spoked wheels.

Solid disk wheels are usually used on coaching stock.

I think that 3 hole disk wheels would probably be the best on these cattle wagons.

[ellocoloco]

I've made a start, and the correct paints are on their way. I used Humbrol 147 as undercoat which sprayed on evenly and looks about right as a base.

[atom3624]

My Bachmann 10001 ex LMS diesel Co-Co was running erratically - highly unusual for a 'big Bachmann diesel'.

Opened up, I found the axle bushes touch brass/bronze contacts which reach above the bogie on both sides, scraping against 'fingers' like normal wheel fingers / wipers - unusual.

I soldered wire to each side, with some slack to permit removal, but also cleaned all wheels.

Much better.

Another, conventionally set-up big Bachmann diesel was giving similar problems - a 47.

I cleaner the wheels - 'tyres' and inside, plus the pick-up wipers, but notices half of the wipers were poorly adjusted, not touching the wheels half of the time - readjusted - not too hard but enough to ensure contact when the wheel's furthers away.

MILES BETTER - as it should be.

Got the Hornby Crosti circulating as I write - pulling 13 carriages, quite easily!

Al.

[Twintop]

Thanks for the advice, spoked wheels it will be then for the cattle wagons. Another question though, on the same era Tri-ang horse box would they have disc wheels, being used in passenger formations at times ? Or would they be spoked too ?

Off into the loft soon to lay track. The new Up relief will be first then I can work inwards on the Up main and Down main. Down relief is still working but will be relaid too so I can extend the platforms.Should not take long, just about 5 feet of track to lay on each of the lines. I did previously use Peco style prototypical spacings for the 6 foot, but my Lima coaches snagged a little when passing each other, so I am going to widen the gap a little on the two feet radius curve.

I have been inspecting and cleaning a rake of 9 x 5 plank open wagons in bauxite. 7 are Hornby, but two that are identical are actually Airfix with 1977 moulded in the underframe. The printing is however much superior on the later Hornby wagons.

[The Doc]

My second Easter holiday project has been an ex-LNER J69. A few years ago I snapped up a South Eastern Finecast (ex-Wills) white metal kit of the body, already made, off ebay. It was far from perfect, but probably as good as I could have made it. I then hunted around for a suitable ready to run chassis. The Bachmann J72 is the best match in terms of wheel size and spacing, but older ones are often very poor runners with split axles. The biggest problem, however, is that the original model (previously by Mainline Palitoy) had a split chassis with thick heavy castings to add weight. No problem with a plastic bodyshell but if these came into contact with the white metal loco body they would cause a short circuit. The most recent J72 from Bachmann has a much newer chassis, DCC ready etc. but as the model costs over £100 I didn't want to spend that much just for a good chassis.

Then I saw a company selling 3D printed J69 bodies on ebay to fit to the old Hornby (ex-Dapol) Terrier chassis, which gave me another idea. I bought a secondhand Terrier for less than £40 that was described as a good runner, and lived up to its billing. Selling the body for a good price I now had a decent chassis for only £25!

Two problems that I can live with: 1) the wheelbase is a bit short for the J69, and 2) the body sits about 1 mm higher than it should. This is because the whitemetal footplate is quite thick, and even though I have thinned it, I can't lower it any further or it will short out the front pair of driving wheels. Presumably the 3D printed models available on ebay don't have this problem.

A few jobs still to do: add coal, add buffer beam details (a coupling hook and vacuum pipes) + a Westinghouse pump (a 3D print bought off ebay).

The photos are deliberately over exposed so that detail can be seen in the all black livery - which means all the blemishes in the white metal kit are visible. When running on my layout these are not noticeable. Plain black is a great colour for hiding faults!

[atom3624]

I've another Bachmann diesel being cleaned up - wheels were dirty and contacts required adjustment - a Class 70.

It had acquired a rattle, and after a quick look, I realised it's one of the small 'rear facing' cab windows.

Access is curious - once the body's removed, 2 tiny screws need to be removed and the cab slides up and off the main body!

Lighting, via cables and sockets is generously provided for, but the sockets easily removed.

Traction of the model is really quite good, but considering the real-life one is an absolute beast, it needs to be better. Trying to find how to add weight is difficult!

Most larger Hornby diesels weigh in at ~600g, this is a paltry 450g. There's room for perhaps 50g of lead which brings it up to the Bachmann Class 25 weight!

Al.

[sagaguy]

In all my years, I've gone through most Gauges and scales but I've gone back to my childhood with my Hornby Dublo 3 rail layout. I've just recently 3 railed a Hornby Channel Packet and I am so pleased with it that I've ordered the new wartime black model.

Ray.

[Twintop]

I am slowly working through my wagons and coaches cleaning, removing axles, oiling and scraping off copious amounts of dirt encrusted on the wheels. Minor repairs too, a few coupling hooks, some painting of rusting couplings and glueing on an odd buffer. I did 7 Lima MK1 blue and grey yesterday plus some container flats and open wagons.

I have found some wheels for the two Tri-ang Horse boxes and will see how they work through the PECO single slip.

On the layout the Up Main and Relief and Down Main and Relief are all laid. I modified the PECO track spacing tool by cutting a notch in it to get an extra 1/4 distance in the 6 foot and that has stopped the Lima coaches touching as they pass.

I have modified the end of the Superquick platform to gain about 5 inches on the Down Main and so I can now get a 7 coach train on both the Up and Down main lines. The Up relief and Down relief will have to stay as 6 coach capacity. No idea why, but 7 coaches looks far better than 6.

I have put some buildings back and started to replace ballast. Next I need to sort out a bridge for the single line disused track that forms a scenic break as the 4 lines disappear to the rear of the layout. I will likely use 2 Dapol girder bridges to get the length . I need a trip to a model shop to get these and some spoked wheels for the Tri-ang cattle wagons plus some PECO flexible track to replace the 2 metres I lifted from a siding in my haste to get the new lines laid !

Lord Rowallan 70045 is also on the bench. I realised it would not go backwards, but ran perfectly forwards. Then it suddenly stopped going forwards, so yet another loco is under repair. It is a DCC fitted loco, bought new knowing the decoder was faulty and it has run fine on DC for maybe 10 years - until now.

[Twintop]

I took the body off Lord Rowallan and with nothing to lose put current directly to the motor. The wheels turned fine, but the decoder was not amused and it smoked, and smelt the same as it had before so I guess that was the issue in the first place.

I will remove the decoder gubbins next and just wire straight from the pick-ups to the motor via the capacitor - probably not the thing to do, but at the moment I can't see why it would not work - no doubt someone will put me right. I have left it for another day when I am fresh.

I have also been working on my Black 5 that had one set of valve gear seize up and distort, no idea why. It took a while but I have straightened it and it has test run on the loco cradle OK, but I am mindful that once bent, the gear will be weak and may fail again. Nothing to lose though, so a running in turn beckons.

I have also still not put a Bman peak = green D193 back together again. I know it will be fiddly, so have been putting it off.

More wagons have been looked at, mainly Tri-ang, and I have found a few cracked wheels, so have replaced for now with like for like and I will see how they run over the single slip. Most need the couplings painting as they are rusty.

Off to a model shop tomorrow to try and get wheels, PECO track and PECO girder bridge sides. Looking forward to that of course.

[threelink]

An early Triang Britannia and Triang Steeple cab bought as part of a "barn find". Accurately described, too. Everything stank of cow and had obviously been in water (or worse) for a very long time. Both locos were bright rust red all over and stuffed with mud and corrosion products. Everything was seized solid, requiring the application of pliers and brute force just to seperate motors from chassis blocks. The Brit valve motion and the steeple cab overhead collector dissolved in the rust remover. Incredibly, after further brute force to free off seized bearings and much cleaning and oiling, both motors ran perfectly, requiring only one replacement brush and two replacement insulating sleeves. Both chassis cleaned up nicely (albeit that the rust remover did strip off all the paint). The valve motion and oh collector were easily replaced from the spares box. The bodies cleaned up perfectly but again some paint was stripped off and had to be touched in and the Brit cab needed repair where it appeared to have been trodden on by a cow. Both now run very quietly and are controllable down to a crawl. I only started the job as a challenge and did not expect any worthwhile result. That these 2 locos still run and look so well after such abuse is eloquent testament to Triang's bomb proof engineering.

[Rana Temporia]

Great stuff Threelink. I have had a few of these ‘no hopers’ that I have acquired from various places and usually been able to get them going with a few replacement parts and a lot of cleaning. As you say, they were well designed with the intention of being repairable.

[atom3624]

I've a rake of 9 new-tool Coronation coaches, which my weighted new-tool Coronation can pull, just - not too pretty but still looks great.

Thing is, with the load, the centre axle gear broke free of the splines on the axle.

Repositioned, with the aid of a little superglue, it seemed to hold, but an older-tooling streamlining 'donor' locomotive I have for spares had it's wheels removed in preparation.

Just set the new Coronation going again, and 'it happened' - free-revving motor.

Never mind, I'll simply replace the axle / gear set with the old one.

I very carefully removed the wheels off the axles of both, taking care NOT to rotate, to keep as 'new' as possible.

New wheels don't fit on older-tooling axles - splines are different!

Plan B: New tool axle with older tooling gear wheel - works - holds tightly.

Dimensionally they appear identical - admit I didn't measure, but all's OK.

Quartering now!!

I don't have any fancy devices, only my eyes and a little patience!

When all's reassembled, it's like an internal combustion engine 'hunting', so obviously incorrect.

I checked the other 2 axles, in case they're both slightly out - they're not.

I realign the main axle drivers again - reassemble again.

All appears OK.

9V battery check time ... SMOOTH! Phew!

It's pulling it's rake again, occasionally. More for display than regular use.

Just a little warning for anyone doing the same - those gears are a weak point.

Al.

[atom3624]

Following on from last weekend's episode above .... not sure I can really!!

I lifted out my Bachmann V2 4771 Green Arrow - lovely, if a little older model - still quite a recent one 'though.

I set her off with 8 super detailed Gresley teaks - no problem - but it kept coming off on points, and virtually everything else besides - not happy!!

Problem was the phosphot-bronze spring on the front bogie wasn't springy enough.

I increased the pressure, hoping not to lose too much traction, helped a little, but now coming off differently as the bogie wasn't pivoting.

I'd incorrectly profiled the 'springy bit' - needs to be perfectly flat for a bigger distance from the retaining screw.

Tried this, thinking it might work, but .... PERFECT, instantly!

Loco runs perfectly, pulling a decent rake without issue.

Don't understand why they can make this work perfectly, yet the Jubilee's have the hauling power of a gnat!

Al.

[Bulleidboy]

Replacing blown LED's under the station canopy - a real pig of a job. They were installed during construction of the station. The moral of this story is that when re-wiring under the baseboard, remember to re-connect the wiring to the same place that you dis-connected it fromcry