GWR/LMS OO Gauge DCC RR&Co

[user=1338]Ed[/user] wrote:

Following along John, always enjoy your posts.

I may have gone Diesel and Electric on Latton Fields but I'm still a big steam fan, and what a loverly little loco (even if it isn't LNER)  

Hopefully you now have the running problems sorted  :thumbs



Ed

Hi Ed

Good to see you are still interested in Granby, despite your conversion to catheters (that may have been mis-spelt………the only overhead wires I ever understood were the contraptions that moved money about in old fashioned department stores)

Glad you liked the 14xx…….its running continues to improve……….its the first time I have ever run a coreless motor (and I dont know what that means either :lol:), it looks as though they require far more extensive running in than the norm

Best wishes

 

A lovely loco there John;-)
I have a coreless Portescap fitted to the kit built 43xx I posted some time ago, not like any other motor I have as the wheels can be moved with your fingers…good for cleaning!

Here's something I read regarding what a coreless motor is.



The (magnet) is NOT attached to the (windings). The windings are held together by adhesives and plastics rather than tightly wound around an traditional iron core. Hence, the coreless tag. Without the iron core to act as a heatsink, the winding's thermal abilities are MUCH lower, so damage can occur more easily. That is why coreless motors should not be allowed to get too hot.

[user=434]John Dew[/user] wrote:

Thanks Tony glad you like the layout. There has always been lots of grime on Granby with the exception of the pristine locos. A glance at any post war photo shows how unrealistic that is. Nevertheless it took great courage on my part to attack all my lovely, shiny (and expensive) locos.

Probably more courage than having the eye op :lol: ……still glad thats over.

I admit to being worried about the running of the 14xxs its a long way from Vancouver to Liverpool. I was never overly concerned about the various detail gates……..although I now admit that proper etched plates do look better.

It did need a lot of patience to get them running acceptably and even now they are allocated to "easy " routes although I have ambitions to use them on the more complex routines……there will be another DVD when I achieve that milestone.

Interestingly the more I run them the more reliable they get……….who knows in time you may even change your mind

Best wishes

John

Hi John.


I don't have any personal problem with the 14xx because I didn't get one.
After the Beyer Garratt fiasco I became very cautious in connection with anything produced in association with Hattons.
I was always a big fan of Hattons over many years but they have changed & I think not for the better. These days I prefer a wait & see approach.


Tony.

[user=753]Phil.c[/user] wrote:

A lovely loco there John;-)
I have a coreless Portescap fitted to the kit built 43xx I posted some time ago, not like any other motor I have as the wheels can be moved with your fingers…good for cleaning!

Here's something I read regarding what a coreless motor is.



The (magnet) is NOT attached to the (windings). The windings are held together by adhesives and plastics rather than tightly wound around an traditional iron core. Hence, the coreless tag. Without the iron core to act as a heatsink, the winding's thermal abilities are MUCH lower, so damage can occur more easily. That is why coreless motors should not be allowed to get too hot.

Thanks Phil………..that's good to know……….in my enthusiasm for to run the new loco on frequent schedules I had better exercise some caution!

Cheers

John

I've got an old 14xx with the open frame motor. It had traction tyres when I got it and picked up on one pair of drivers and the carrying wheels under the bunker… it ran like a hairy Goat. I splashed out on Ultrascale wheels with no tyres and it's never looked back. It pulls what it should and doesn't stutter over my electrofrog points with it's now, six wheel pick up.

Most of the issues with coreless motors are due to cheap decoders. Stick with ZIMO, ESU, etc., they're designed to run coreless motors. US decoders in general are still designed for can motors. The heat issues are not issues as long as there is a decent heat sink surrounding the motor. Where it's a retrofit and the old open frame motor was surrounded (mostly) by air, it's worthwhile getting some heat sink silicone or thermal glue and attaching a finned heat sink. Plus making sure there is plenty of open space for heat dissipation.

Nigel

Almost two months since my last post……..thats pretty bad even for me ………I will never get on the sidebar with that sort of record :oops:

Semblance of excuse……Wife, daughter and two grand daughters spent the month of May in the UK leaving me to look after the garden and dogs….not much time for modelling. The day after they came home I went down with a really vicious flu virus…..only got out of bed last week……not fun at all.

I did get some stuff done however.

Here is 5801…….Kadees apart…..straight out of the box with rather bland factory weathering




I took the roof off this time in order to put the crew in




Very impressive backhead detail…….although in truth with crew and the roof on very little is visible




On Cynwyd shed with crew, fire irons, coal, hopefully more realistic weathering and of course head lamps.

I have never worked out which is worse……..working a train without head lamps or photographs highlighting them fore and aft







I guess more careful choice of camera angle helps :lol:





Here is a shot you don't often see……..the lower level Cynwyd branch with the Mold autotrain being pushed out of the station by 1407 while the B Set for Granby waits in the bay.





7



The really good news is that the running performance of both locos has improved so much that I can now schedule them on the branch turns (where they belong) rather than the the safer, more conservative, out and back runs on the main line

The Mold auto shuffle involves running on very shallow hidden lines under the main engine shed……stalls are an absolute no no…….. recovery with a hook and pole is no fun at all. Its great to be able to have 1407 run this on its own power without having to be hardwired to autocoach

The B Set routine involves a run around at Cynwyd and a Loco exchange at Granby……all automatic. RR&Co does everything based on time and distance calculations……a stall or even a momentary hesitation screws all this up ……so I am a very happy camper that 5801 passes the test






I didn't originally order etched plates for 5801 but there is no doubt they look so much better…….just need a little more weathering








Best wishes from Vancouver

Very nice, John.

Worth the wait.   :thumbs

Great stuff   :thumbs


Ed

Very nice John  ;-)

There's something about those little tanks, whatever area you talk about. I do like yours though John.

Thanks for all the kind comments guys. Glad you enjoyed the photos

Best wishes

John

Top shelf, as usual,

D

Sorry to hear the flu got you John, hope you are well on the way to recovery.
Glad the 58xx works as advertised. Nothing more disappointing than when they don't. 

Great photo of the branch with the town and new factory at the end, really shows the effort you've put in.

Cheers

Marty

Hi John,

Sorry to hear of your flu virus, but happy that you're fit and able to enjoy things again and thankfully, your staff returned in timely fashion to nurse you back to health. 

It's good to see that both of your DJM 0-4-2s perform so well, as posts on RMWeb seem to have put some modellers off, as may well be the case with Oxford's Dean Goods, which I'm looking forward to receiving in due course.

My copy of 4825 incidentally, ran superbly right out of the box as well :)

Best,

Bill 

[user=312]Chubber[/user] wrote:

Top shelf, as usual,

D

Thanks Doug……much appreciated.

I think I should add to my signature bar :  " Graduate of the Chubber school of card modelling"  :lol: :lol:  I often wonder how different Granby would look if you had not converted me to card so many years ago :thumbs

Best wishes

John

[user=19]Marty[/user] wrote:

Sorry to hear the flu got you John, hope you are well on the way to recovery.
Glad the 58xx works as advertised. Nothing more disappointing than when they don't. 

Great photo of the branch with the town and new factory at the end, really shows the effort you've put in.

Cheers

Marty

Thanks Marty

As Bill mentions there was an awful lot of adverse comment on other forums about Hattons 14xx initiative…….normally I ignore this stuff but the bad running comments did unnerve me…….fortunately all is well……and the critical comments have ceased.

Glad you like the photos of the branch….I have kind of ignored it on here……hopefully a few more to come later today

Best wishes

John

[user=1814]Longchap[/user] wrote:

Hi John,

Sorry to hear of your flu virus, but happy that you're fit and able to enjoy things again and thankfully, your staff returned in timely fashion to nurse you back to health. 

It's good to see that both of your DJM 0-4-2s perform so well, as posts on RMWeb seem to have put some modellers off, as may well be the case with Oxford's Dean Goods, which I'm looking forward to receiving in due course.

My copy of 4825 incidentally, ran superbly right out of the box as well :)

Best,

Bill 

Hi Bill

Thank you for your good wishes. You are right about the timely return of the staff because in addition to caring for the recovering patient …..who is now also recovering from a wisdom tooth extraction…..(ill health seems to come in the same sequence as London Buses :???:)…….they, well she, can look after the garden which is beginning to resemble a jungle :oops:

The guys on RMWeb have quietened down about the 14xx now but are really laying into the Dean Goods. I  suspect and hope it will be a similar story……a small minority of rivet counters making a lot of noise and rather more modeller/operators recognising the merits of a workmanlike loco that runs well. I look forward to comparing notes with you when mine arrives

Best wishes

John

                    

                                      

          HAPPY   CANADA   DAY



I thought I would celebrate Canada's 150th birthday by wrapping up my 14xx posts……showing the auto train on its regular journey from Cynwyd to Brymbo Canal St Halt.


Rolling past Cynwyd coal yard









Thence past the Cynwyd goods yard



The eagle eyed will note that with headlamp and driver the train now appears to be heading back to Cynwyd :oops:……for the sake of the story just ignore it…..I rather like the shot and it shows that after 15 years I have finally got round to painting over the bell.


Having picked up the token the train now squeezes between the Creamery and Ivor Price's Woolen Mill.









and then over the Shropshire Union Canal












Past Richard's Wharf and into the tunnel to Bersham Colliery. Apology….. any resemblance between my place names and the area around Wrexham is quite accidental :lol:.





Hopefully the next shots from the other side of the duck under put the journey into context with the main layout.





In the foreground, on the viaduct, a BSet from Ruabon approaches Granby on the main line, while below the auto train enters Bersham tunnel which is situated below Granby Shed and Carriage sidings.





Bersham is actually a hidden kickback storage siding which enables me to put Canal St Halt in a dead corner at the entrance to the train room

1407 is now propelling the auto coach back over the locks to the Halt.











 

The kickback journey may appear unrealistic but I believe there were a number of precedents on the prototype. It certainly suits my purpose because it is an ideal introduction to the railway for visitors . The routine runs completely automatically and shuttles back and forth while more exotic trains are running above on the main lines

Hope you enjoyed this…..next post something completely different

Happy Canada Day to you, John.   :cheers

I'm glad to hear that you are recovering from the "lurgies."

Excellent photos, by the way.   :thumbs