atom3624

I believe mine is OK, but take care - class 31's were/are famous for the MAZAK rot - chassis starts expanding and crumbling. I hope yours is fine too. Al.

Not a bad price for a sound DCC locomotive.

That Dapol 52 was completed, metal 'hoses' realigned, but she's still quite a smooth, free-running but noisy runner. One 'old favourite' I've pulled out pending the anticipated-soon receipt (within the next month) of an AccuraScale Class 66 - I've purchased 66 779 Evening Star - is my Hattons' H4-66 Patriot. It has the 'well-known' wobble but otherwise is a superb runner; heavy, super smooth and very powerful with a huge speed range. The 'wobble' is due to the rotating axle boxes being a quite snug fit in the bogie surrounds, but are misaligned slightly. I located the 'culprits', removed, cleaned out, and simultaneously opened out the bogie surround holes, then relocated, glued, aligned, let set .... all seems as good as it can get now. She's running at the moment - haulage capacity is probably the highest of all locomotives I own, if I tested this. Al.

They couldn't even wait for 1st April - pity!! Had me curious for perhaps ... OK it didn't, not even before I pressed PLAY, but funny just the same! Al.

Cruising the normal YT channels for something interesting ... I came across this!! Great discounts as well, and what a perfect partnership as well!

Just received 3 as new Hornby BR rhubarb and custard coaches today, to make my rake up to 8, a more-reasonable-looking rake for the ex GWR 'heavies' and that Dapol Western I recently received - all looks good and with a little fiddling, are free-running. Strange but I'm often finding Hornby super detail (premium quality) coaches with misaligned brakes - that more than deformed bogies. Surely it's not that difficult despite the 1,000's made to have a simple roll test - beyond a certain point it passes, before it gets checked and corrected / rejected? Al.

Very interesting!! 100% agree with ensuring both bogies perform well and similarly and then 'optimise the pickups' - linking them together. Al.

Exactly! Imagine leaving a train running for several hours at a time? Oh, I did do with that class 60! I'll normally run whilst I'm in the garage, tinkering with something else. Sometimes there might be a locomotive I'm trying to get to run more smoothly, so may run for a while. Other times, tbh, a locomotive has surprised me, performing miles better than anticipated, so I'll leave her on the tracks .... like that class 60. Favourites of mine are Hornby or Bachmann super detailed 08 shunters I've left running for hours on end! In reality they're probably the most frequently operated but over the shortest distances before being assigned totally different tasks. If I've a higher speed / power setting train, I won't leave running for long - got the t-shirt on that (too many motors I've changed - just part of the hobby I guess!!). Also if it's higher speed, I'll like to be present as a 'minor derailment' can quickly become a very major one!! Al.

Same result. Got to keep it approx., and agree, easier to measure over multiple sleepers / ties. Don't think 'we modellers' could ask any more from the suppliers - very impressive that I had to 'up the ante' to a Hattons class 66 to equal it - shows what an excellent job Hornby did with the class 60, speed moderation included. Al.

Definitely need to go to Specsavers!! Just over 6mm in 20". Recalculated is still very slow!

I watched the video again - there's an error. It's ~5mm it travels when I count to 20, not 3.5mm, approximately. Replacing the 3.5 with 5mm I now get 'just under' 0.05 mph, or less than 0.1 km/h. I've kept it 'vague' as they're not precise measurements. Al.

WatB - certainly was wasn't it? !! I tried an excellent-running Hornby 56 - too-high geared - it was surging. I tried a Bachmann class 70 - wasn't consistent, but could get close. Apart from running that Superb CavAlex class 56 again, only the H4-66 class 66 I have can perform similarly, perhaps even slower, but I'm not going there. The original performer, the Hornby class 60 was and still is an incredible performer. I actually hadn't used her that much through the coupling pulling off the leading bogies of some trucks on occasion - resolved with the help of some Pb in the truck. Dimension: Only approximately as too tight for my callipers. Looking at the steel rule I have it's ~3.5mm in 20 seconds. (3.5 x 3 x 76.2 x 60) / (25.4 x 12 x 5280) = 48,006 / 1,609,344 = 0.03 mph !! (mm full scale per minute, then x60 for 'per hour' divided by 33 --> inches x12 for feet, x5,280 for miles) I think that's right - amazed I could detect it - but we all can see it, just! Al.

RO = reverse osmosis. We use this as a generally prepared 'purified water' source in our laboratories (minerals and commodities analyses), but there are also other process involved, changing the pH, etc., ... Conductivity is then measured routinely in the laboratory to monitor - more conductive = more ions, ... We generally prefer <5uS/cm conductivity for routine laboratory operations - higher purity has additional processes, which we also require on some. I'd agree that RO with distilled should provide a very decent deionised water quality (with very poor conductivity - preferred). Al.

'The Cloud' helped me out, so here's a small video of that Class 60 crawling. I counted based on watching the screen on my 'phone whilst filming - 20" in-between Hornby branded track!!

Well I've still got my Hornby EWS 60 048 hooked up to those bogie tanker wagons and slowed her down to 'Gaugemaster #22' setting - she was still just moving, and consistently ... The '60' was doing one Hornby sleeper per 20-25" smoothly without hiccup, intermittency or anything - super smooth, super crawl. I kept her going whilst searching my 'phone to film, and she was still progressing when I returned - don't have a cable at home to download and our company's network settings aren't permitting transfer anymore ... have to wait a while, but she continued moving for at least 5 minutes ... before the paint dried ( metaphorically speaking ) and I increased the throttle to a more-normal 40-45 which gives about that as mph scale speed. Al.

Very impressive for the 08, 'though they are relatively low geared but very decent. That OO-Scale CavAlex 56 performed it's 'feat' around a 'full loop' of 12' x 5' without me touching the controller! That's what was more impressive for me. Al.

WATB TBH I don't think I have the patience! I could slow her to perhaps one Hornby track sleeper every 2 seconds, which she'd maintain. This really is one excellent locomotive!! The Hornby 60 runs it close I must say. There again, that new-to-me Dapol class 52 Western is pretty good too. Al.

I'd mentioned in the 'on your workbench' thread I'd been fitting the detailing to the Dapol class 52. Whilst doing this I had the CavAlex class 56 hauling the 14 Bachmann bogie TEA oil tankers + 3 4-wheeled tankers - decent, but well maintained rake. I suddenly 'pinged' a small step I was locating in the 52, which could go anywhere, but strangely my eyes followed the step to the track - located!! I quickly had to reduce the 56 rail speed from ~60 mph scale to zero, but ended up reducing to ~21-22 on my Gaugemaster model D, when I recovered the step. I realised it wasn't down to zero, then looked again - despite the long, and heavyish train, it was crawling, smoothly passing each sleeper, ~one per second .... which it continued to do without any issues for a complete loop - absolutely fantastic!! These things perform as well as they look, which is superb! I tried similar with my smooth, fast Hornby SD class 56 - nearly but no cigar. My SD (super detailed) Hornby class 60 succeeded, but did increase / decrease a little more - extremely impressive - got to be one of Hornby's best. Quite fascinating to watch. I did post on the relevant RMWEB CavAlex thread and they say there's no risk to overheat / strain the motor as this was included in the design brief - perhaps ... but it was supremely impressive to see! Al.

Most detailing is now fitted to the Dapol 52, black tack on the metal number / name plates, and the extra bogie detailing are now fitted. Next to complete the hoses and consider those lifting loops - not certain I want to TBH! Very nice locomotive and fortunately - famous last words - running reliably. Al.

I'm 100% with T57 on this one - looks fine, just the paint's worn off. MAZAK rot will deform the affected area, where it will crack and crumble - yours appears dimensionally correct. Does the body fit without issue, or is it tight or even impossible to fit? Al.

The spring used to be there as well I'm fairly certain. Totally agree with CB's comments. I normally check the B2B, then I'll slightly bend the T-mount bracket to bring a tiny bit more weight / less possibility for the wheels to leave, but without them lifting the drivers off the track - take care here or you'll lose traction. How are the wheels of the pony truck - do they clear the tracks when the body swings on curves? Some catch the tracks and can take the locomotive off this way. Al.

I recently received a Dapol 'Western' Class 52. Looks superb, goes well, but makes a strange 'whining / grinding noise' - so not amazingly happy. Power required and performance more than good enough, particularly for a larger Dapol locomotive. A check on YT, and there are several, all with similar noises. All has been cleaned and lubricated - transmission bushes and motor included, but the noise persisted. I observed a 'couple of cables' fitted to the bogie surrounds, which are actually wire, and moved them out of the way of the wheel they're alongside - one pair each bogie - and hey presto - MUCH quieter!! I'd already verified it wasn't actual cabling, and Dapol's job is really extremely thorough and neat - one of the best I've seen internally tbh. Once I've relaxed enough I'm going to work on fitting the 'lifting hooks / loops' onto the roof - going to be great fun .... but others have succeeded, why not me? !! Al.

I'm sure there was an 'official Hornby reply' to the same question by somebody else stating it CAN be run dry - without water - as it does not use a heating element unlike earlier models. Others can confirm. Hornby are famous for not proof-reading their documents. Al.

I would propose distilled water (battery water if still available?) else as 'soft' as possible - limiting deposits over time. Probably doesn't matter much to start with. Al.

That N-Class recently purchased has been checked over - pretty much in perfect condition. Odd little dab of oil here and there and running lightly around the tracks. I was thinking it may be a split chassis, but it isn't. There was no room for added weight - boiler filled as standard and she weighs quite a lot. Haulage capacity seems the same, or more than the 8F I recently cleaned up, which has as much extra weight inserted as possible - quite impressive. Only thing is the Bachmann motors are quite small, so cannot run for extended periods, without 'rest'. Al.