The son of Triangman

Like all old locos a full service before use is needed especially if it hasn't been used for some time. It's doing 3 to 4 laps, so sounds like a weak motor magnet at a guess. Other culprits are motor brushes, dirty commutator, weak brush springs, motor armature coil on the way out, slipping traction tyres and dirty wheels. A multimeter test will reveal a lot first.

A fresh computer (I usually buy 3 month old ex-corporate ones that are reconditioned by the original manufacturer, saves £100's and you get an up to date spec machine). I needed something beefier to run Windows 11 and a new 3D printer, the bed on my little 3D printer isn't big enough for some of my model railway projects so an upgrade was needed. I will be looking for a new decent 3D printer in the new year.

It's complicated. The X.04 was phased out starting in 1974, being replaced by the short lived budget cutting X.03. The X.03 was phased out from 1978 onwards, the tooling that made the brush diaphragm (brush holder) was worn out and it was getting an expensive motor to make, the X.03 continued for a little while longer in the SSPP chassis and the then new 4P 2-6-4 tank loco, turntable, and a few other models used the motor into 1982 to use up stocks, but X.03 motor production had ceased in late 1978. 1982 saw the start of the type 7 cheapo motors coming in. The Johnson style motor came into cheap 0-4-0 models in 1974 to replace the X.04. There had been a previous attempt with can motors in the 1970-1972 short lived play series models, this experience was no doubt filed away for future use in 1974. First real failure of the new cheapo type 7 style motors was the early class 58's, the motor in them couldn't pull a skin of a bowl of rice pudding and many modellers fitted a second power bogie to overcome this issue. The motors were soon uprated with stronger magnets.

Hello Bee, of course, will be delighted to post a video of it once it's ready.

Work progresses on making an easy fit off the shelf motorising unit for Hornby, Wills and Peco level crossings, lots of design done, electronics are done more or less and they work. The case is just basic for testing purposes, a purpose built case and single gate are at the cad stage. A four gate motoriser is also being worked on. Mod note - image cropped and rotated.

Be very carefull when cleaning this wagon, the white plastic yellows and goes like this. There may be some film on it, but the majority could well be ageing of the plastic.

I concur it looks like a K's/Keyser product, one of the makes I had on my list, the chassis construction looks like a Keyser product. Good luck with getting it running, the rear pony truck really needs changing to a 2 wheel unit to match the pony truck frame, but get it running first is key, lots of valve gear is missing so you will need to track some down for it and a cylinder block, tender wheels etc.

Another option is the J94/Austerity 0-6-0, Hornby have made it in LNER Livery and Graham Farish have made it in N gauge in LNER livery.

Graham Farish did their general purpose 0-6-0 tank loco in LNER livery in their N gauge range, the loco looks a bit like a jinty. Hornby did their jinty in LNER livery. Both loco's of course never carried the livery in real full scale service, but it's an option.

The bottom gear drive for the level crossing motoriser prototype, I have to increase the size of of the bottom gear, but it works fine. Ratio is 3 to 1, but I am going to increase that. The gearbox design has started, the final reduction drive gearing should reduce rotational speed down to 50 to 1, which should be slow enough to move the gates sensibly.

Now for the maker? A few commercial ones come to mind, but nothing definite.

Definitely a P2, too long for an A4, W1 maybe but the chassis is for a 2-8-4 in stead of a 4-6-4/4-6-2-2, the pony truck frame beneath the cab is totally wrong for a W1. That leaves SNG's proposed 2-8-4 P2 style loco or a 2-8-2 P2.

It's an LNER P2, it seems to have a trailing pony truck with an extra wheelset making it an 2-8-4 instead of a 2-8-2. Obviously the rear pony truck is wrong for a P2, but may have been a solution by the previous owner to cure an issue. As for make, that will take research, and you need to post more photos of the model, particularly ends and inside.

Best wishes to you and your family, Alberto. I hope 2024 is better for all here.

Website has a message now saying it's not up for sale.

More on producing commercial motorising units for the Hornby level crossing gates. The gears have arrived, using off the shelf gearing means the units will be easier to repair.

Here are the motors fitted to Hornby Jinties.

Hornby jinties don't have ringfield motors. The former Tri-ang model had the X.04 motor in. In 1978 a new mould was made which is still in use today. Early 1978 first issue ones had the famous X.03 motor, later ones the type 7 M series motor.

It looks like the stand may be factor, the tube the hot element sits in, may well be transferring heat to the black plastic collar on the element.

I would return it or ask for a refund. Never had this with an antex iron that's been on a stand. Could be a faulty element

I'm in no hurry. It takes whatever time it takes. Every prototype will be tested to destruction. As it will be a commercial product, accuracy and reliability is key.

It's a way off yet TC, but you are most welcome to view progress. I will post now and then as it progresses. It's one of those as and when projects. I have the motors, now gathering all the data and measurements I need, then a test rig will be 3D printed in my little 3D printer to test gear ratios for the gearboxes.

Here's where our designs differ TC. Mine is going to be an off the shelf easy fit item. The buyer buys it from a shop, does a simple easy to do modification and the unit fits to the level crossing. A simple off the shelf solution. That's the plan, but there is a lot of measuring and design work, then off to CAD and prototyping. The prototypes will be tested to destruction. Accuracy is key for the product as it's going into CAD and it has to be a 5 minute fix product for the end user.

More work on the level crossing motorising unit. Accurate measurements are being taken. Some of you may recognise a DTI, this will be set up on my exactly level workbench today to test flatness of critical areas on the Hornby product to determine areas on the prototype drawings. The depth gauge is for determining hole depth and these measurements are also verified by the vernier caliper.

Indeed, a good period for locos, probably the most notorious from that time period was the NBR Wheatley 4-4-0 number 224.