GWR/LMS OO Gauge DCC RR&Co

I'm with the others John with this inspired build. So much more than a kit bash, which will do Granby proud!

Best,

Bill

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

Masterful!

D

Wow……. thanks Doug, that is praise indeed. I fear you are flattering me somewhat. I am sure you have spotted various defects but kindly omitted to mention them.

There remains a huge unattainable gulf between our modelling. Nevertheless I do take great pleasure from applying some of the techniques you have taught me over the years……..I guess it must be a decade since you first bullied me into attempting to model with Corn Flake packets.

Again, many thanks for your kind words.

John

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

An impressive building John, I wouldn't have thought you had room for it :)

Thanks Phil…..much appreciated. 

You are right about the space…….I think I will need to convert some fresh air into real estate:shock:

Watch this space!

Cheers

John

Maybe knock a hole in a wall to take things into a bedroom :)

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

I'm with the others John with this inspired build. So much more than a kit bash, which will do Granby proud!

Best,

Bill

Thanks Bill…..that is very kind of you……there is still a long way to go,

Fortunately, unlike the Loire, our temperatures are quite conducive to modelling…..Very low 20s.

Your temperatures sound unbearable…..I am sure you are right to do very little during the day

Best wishes

John

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

Maybe knock a hole in a wall to take things into a bedroom :)

The room next door has hush a hole ………unfortunately Mrs D made a swift pre-emptive strike and the room next door became a sewing room:sad:

I am going to have to be somewhat creative within the existing envelope:roll:

Cheers

John

Hardly breaking news …….but there are now prairies in Canada






No broken bits, I think the whistles are straight and she ran fine on the DC rolling road. I dont have a decent run of DC track so the big test will come when I plug in a spare Lenz decoder into what will become 4121

Lots to do, the other loco (4124 to be) is still to emerge from its chrysalis…….more to come

Modelling time last week was spent mostly admiring and worrying in equal measure about my two new Prairies



There is much to admire about the model. The visual appearance is generally excellent. I guess one could quibble about the body colour but Hornby's interpretation of GWR green has rarely met with universal approval! When weathered it will comfortably pass muster on Granby.

Some of the detail is quite exquisite. The wheels and motion are particularly attractive. Visually …..high marks

But for me the acid test is always… how does it run?

Pick ups did not need adjustment but the wheels needed a thorough clean. Both locos then performed satisfactorily running in on the rolling road, although I had a suspicion that they needed a bit more power to start than is normally the case .


To test on the layout I had to remove the body and plug in a temporary decoder




There were two reported running issues.  Leading pony wheels derailing on turn outs and secondly, stalling at low/medium speeds ……see Sam's review for an example of this.

I have never pretended that my track is perfect….there are a couple of turnouts, naturally in crucial positions, which cause issues for some locos.

Hence the worrying and trepidation. In the event this turned out to be unfounded. Both locos cruised through the suspect turnouts ……….and then promptly derailed on a turnout in constant use and previously without issue! Fortunately traveling bunker first was not a problem and I was not planning to turn the locos on the out and back routines.  So problem 1 solved without yet either using a longer pivot screw or filing down the pivot mount. I will hold these remedies in reserve

Now to problem 2……….inconsistent running

And inconsistent it is………even with an indifferent TCS decoder both locos ran smoothly and powerfully and then in the lower mid ranges they would suddenly stall….sometimes they would recover after a momentary hesitation other times fingerpoken was required. I get the sense that they are very sensitive to the slightest unevenness in the track.
Other than the Oxford Dean Goods I cant recall a recent loco purchase that performed quite like this and for a while I seriously contemplated returning them.

Eventually they were handed a reprieve because:

Biggest factor…I will be fitting a Zimo decoder plus Youchoos Supercap stay alive.

When they do run they are a delight……it seemed that the longer I ran them the less the incidence of stalls (possibly wishful thinking?)

They are relatively light and there are reports that the addition of mass has improved performance. I will hard wire the diminutive Zimo so the space left for a decoder can be filled with lead

.



Lots of space in the bunker




for the stay alive:





So …..perhaps next week I can show a video clip of the Prairie crawling over my Code 100 double slip (complete with insulfrogs).

Regards from Vancouver

John

Aha!  I was wondering whether the Prairie was new or you had been rescuing older engines.  It does look smart and I have no doubt that once you have done the necessary wiring and your usual cosmetic magic, they will look as if they have been steaming around for years.
Looking forward to that video!

Michael

Hi John,

Check the pony b-to-b and the springing tension. May need more weight. Check wheels for wobble.

Do they both stall with DC? If so they binding somewhere, or the motors/wiring are defective. Probably worthwhile checking the quartering/rod journal fit. Slightly out or too tight and it will result in cyclical stalls. If a known good runner doesn't stall with the NCE decoder it is doubtful that the Zimo will make any difference. 

NIgel

Shame about the Prairie have running issues John at least fitting the supercap should resolve the running issues.
 Manufacturers today seem to spend more time making models far more detailed than actually ensuring the running abilities of the loco are really good perhaps they are more interested in the collector market than modellers that actually want to run the locos.

P.s i have uploaded some Itrain videos on MRC that introduce how to implement the software package if you want to see how the set up is more to go in the series yet.

Brian

[user=2137]Briperran[/user] wrote:

Shame about the Prairie have running issues John at least fitting the supercap should resolve the running issues.
 Manufacturers today seem to spend more time making models far more detailed than actually ensuring the running abilities of the loco are really good perhaps they are more interested in the collector market than modellers that actually want to run the locos.

P.s i have uploaded some Itrain videos on MRC that introduce how to implement the software package if you want to see how the set up is more to go in the series yet.

Brian

Thanks Brian

I agree it is tiresome. I suspect Hornby tested on perfectly laid track without complex point work. However, as you will shortly see, Stay Alive has solved most of the problems.

Thanks for the tip about itrain videos. I watched a couple on Rmweb but they were right at start so a bit basic……I wouldnt mind watching some later ones

Best wishes

John

I guess I am a week late with the promised video.

I got diverted re wiring the point ladder which exits the down storage sidings……….the trials and tribulations of a mature (2008) layout! More on this in a separate post

Meantime, back to the Prairies:



The plastic coal pops out quite easily, exposing a correctly shaped bunker which should look rather good when weathered with a smaller load of real coal

Getting the crew in will be a bit of a challenge, the cab doors are fixed. Some owners have cut an aperture into the body floor others have been able to remove the roof. I think I will settle for feet first, tweezers gripping the collar …….the air may well be blue.

Its hardly surprising that I have been looking forward to this release. In 1947 there were 10 of the class allocated to Birkenhead…..numbered sequentially 4120-4129



Engraved plates do make a difference.

Still have to change the buffer beam numbers……in an ideal world Fox's transfers will match Hornby's?

Cant wait to start weathering all the bunker detail.

Finally here is a short video of 4124 crawling back and forth over a not very well laid insulfrog double slip. Stay Alives certainly make a difference.

 
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[user=434]John Dew[/user] wrote:

I guess I am a week late with the promised video.

Hi John,

Better call the breakdown crane. One of the Esso tankers has come of the track!

Amazing and very relaxing video!

:oops::oops:   
Grrr…..missed that one…..thanks Claus….too late now I am afraid

Cheers

John

That's superb John - nobody would ever want to run more slowly than that. 

A hard wired decoder ?


Loved the fade to BW at the end.  :thumbs

Great result John the supercap is really working very well the youchoos ones you use do  the business i have bought some small capacitors with the other bits needed to try and make up some smaller stay alives which i saw on a you tube video but as always to many projects on the go at once. The good thing about the Zimo decoders you are using  you know exactly what pad you have to solder the supercap to on the decoder finding out where to solder on older decoders is often not easy to find.

I have got links up to Itrain Video 15 on Mrc now starting to get more complex at that level


Brian

Wow, what a brilliant paint drying video John! You must be very pleased that potential doubts on running abilities have been dispelled.

 Very impressive work and I'm looking forward to your bunker detailing.

Bill

What a super little video - it must be very satisfying to have the loco running so well and at such low speed.  It certainly looks the part on the layout and I can't wait to see your weathering and detailing (might it include a little "how to"?) Hopefully we will see a video in automated action at some point too.
I too like the classy fade to black and white - you are quite the Cecil B DeMille!!

Michael

 Gentlemen……….thank you all……..so glad you enjoyed.

Apple have just upgraded the Imovie app that I use which was fortunate ……fade to black and a much wider choice of sound tracks. The supermarket "we are about to close " track that I normally use wouldnt have worked too well!

Next job is to finish chipping the second prairie, weather them both and then set up some routines with the 4 carriage non-corridor D set on the Birkenhead-Granby run……..that should make a more interesting video

Cheers

John