Finally!  I received my first locomotive this morning, didn't even have to pay tax - maybe Canada Customs are in the Christmas spirit.

It's a San Cheng J50 0-6-0T from Tower Models:





This is as received and straight out of the box.

I'm right chuffed it looks gorgeous.  I gave it a run on DC and it goes very smoothly and quietly.  The cab is well detailed and I noted that there is actually working valve gear - never seen that before.   Front two axles are sprung.  There is real coal in the bunker.

I need to get in touch with Digitrains next to organize a sound decoder.

Not sure if "workbench" is correct for this thread since I haven't any immediate plans to do kits.  This particular model doesn't need any doing to it except for weathering.  Tower only had the early crest in stock but I have transfers if I decide to change that to late crest.

John

I took the loco body off today to assess where a speaker might go.  There's not all that much room.





The decoder will slide into the boiler.

Looking at things, it seems to me that there is scope for putting the speaker at the rear of the boiler just in front of the motor.  I've sent the details to Digitrains so we'll see whatthey have to say.

John

Nice one John,
I have a J50 on my 'list' but Chris doesn't like them she thinks that they are ugly. I think that I need to find a nice scene to paint that just happens to have a J50 in it….

Oh c'mon she'll give them a complex.  They have a lot of "character".  I quite like the look of the Southern Q1 too, although it's not on my list.  Besides it was the only loco listed that was of the right size and ethnicity for my needs, not to mention price.

I've also been talking to Paul Chetter who is the guru of Zimo sound projects, so that's looking good.

Cheers

John

I have a couple of Paul's J94 sound projects to go into a J63 and ….I'm not sure, I have a Tram Engine, an LNER'ised 'Nellie' and a scratch built 0-4-2 Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Tank loco. It doesn't fit in with anything that I model but I was given a drawing and it  seemed like a good idea at the time. So I am undecided as to what to fit the 2nd chip into. - I also have a DJH A3 but that will need a different sound to the J94 (I also have a kit for a J94 in the stash so I could always save it to go in that).
I will have to start a loco workbench at some point too.

Just got a Dapol O Gauge terrier but nothing to run it on yet. Anyone got one of these superbly built models and how well do they run ?


Allan

Lots of thinking for you Rob.  Isn't the A3 4 cylinder?  Definitely different sound then.

Allan, I have my friends Terrier with a Hattons decoder (no sound).  It runs very nicely indeed but needs a nudge now and then.  It needs running in I think.  Firebox glow is a nice touch.

John

[user=565]Brossard[/user] wrote:

Isn't the A3 4 cylinder?  Definitely different sound then.

Hi John,

The A3 is a 3 cylinder engine. Gresley mostly went in for 3 cylinders using his controversial conjugated valve gear for the middle cylinder. The LNER did have a few 4 cylinder engines but they were from the pre grouping companies that made up the LNER - some of the ex GCR locos were 4 cylinder I think.

I hope to get the chip in my J63 in the next few days - I have had the (Lenz) DCC kit since August and the chips since Telford and they are all still untouched in the packaging.

Thanks Rob, my knowledge of things LNER is not great, having specialized in LMS for a long time.

I expect you'll let us know how you get on.

John

Hi John,
It sounds like our knowledge is reversed, I know very little about the LMS in real terms. I have quite a few books on LMS and constituents rolling stock and carriages but virtually nothing on locos. 

That said I do have 3 LMS locos in the pile - a Finney Duchess,  a David Andrews Streamlined Duchess and an MOK 8F. The latter I am cheating with because I am building it as an LNER 06, I have been building it for about 3 or 4 years and plan to pick it up again now that the New Year has arrived - Chris has threatened not to buy me any more locos until I get some of those that I have built so it's a good incentive since most of my locos have been birthday/Christmas presents.

Ha ha, yes a bit of knowledge here and there.  I like the learning process.

One thing I have learned from 4mm is that it takes such a looooong time (for me) to complete a loco kit - so long in fact that something has always come along to prevent me from doing so.  I have 4 part completed kits waiting to go to a buyer.

Therefore, my strategy wrt motive power is to go with RTR…for now.  As you have said yourself these kits take an age to complete. There is always something else on the workbench vying for attention.  I am tempted though and may do one at some point (the DJH Class 03 caught my eye the other day).

John

I am doing well, the postie left my Hattons package in the post box, no tax to pay.   :Happy

Very pleased with the Dapol Cl 08:







Running qualities are superb.  The loco is DC at the moment but ran very nicelsy with power from a cheap DC controller.

On DC there is a headlight at TDC which comes on for the direction of travel.  The other lights will work with a good DCC decoder.

The bonnet top unclips to reveal a circuit board designed to take a 21 pin decoder.  There is also provision for a speaker.

My only quibble is with the packaging, it is very tight and I knocked a buffer off when removing.  I did repair it but is was a nailbiter.

Top marks for this Dapol.

John

Hi John,
I saw one of these in the flesh myself for the first time last week and what struck me was how big it was. I am very much steam orientated so the size of them never really occurred to me, and that's despite seeing a 12" to the 1' version frequently at Locomotion Shildon. 

They seem to be creating quite a stir and must be a great success for Dapol. If they bring out a small northern tank next I may well be tempted - despite enjoying building kit's I have my name down for one of the Hattons/Heljan A4's when they come out.

Like you Rob, I am mostly steam motivated.  However, the 08 is one of my favorites and I find the 1st gen. diesels interesting.  Next up is the Little Loco Class 15, hoping a couple more weeks.  At least this will have factory fitted sound (Zimo/Paul Chetter).

I've been talking to Digitrains today and with their help I have defined my DCC sound needs for this and the J50.

Dapol have announced the Jinty for late 2017, is that Northern enough?  DJ Models is supposed to be doing the LNER J94 austerity tank - no word on when its due though.

I was a bit surprised that Heljan/Hattons announced two big pacifics.  I would have though that few people have room for a layout to do them justice.  That said, I suppose a lot of people have garden layouts.

John

 :shock: :shock:….a diesel !!!!!!!  ðŸ˜±ðŸ˜±ðŸ˜±ðŸ˜±ðŸ˜±ðŸ˜±ðŸ˜±ðŸ˜±ðŸ˜±ðŸ˜±

Brossard wrote:

I am doing well, the postie left my Hattons package in the post box, no tax to pay.   :Happy

Very pleased with the Dapol Cl 08:







Running qualities are superb.  The loco is DC at the moment but ran very nicelsy with power from a cheap DC controller.

On DC there is a headlight at TDC which comes on for the direction of travel.  The other lights will work with a good DCC decoder.

The bonnet top unclips to reveal a circuit board designed to take a 21 pin decoder.  There is also provision for a speaker.

My only quibble is with the packaging, it is very tight and I knocked a buffer off when removing.  I did repair it but is was a nailbiter.

Top marks for this Dapol.

John

You're gone all this time and that's all you can say!   :cheers  Hope to hear more from you.

John

[user=565]Brossard[/user] wrote:

You're gone all this time and that's all you can say!   :cheers  Hope to hear more from you.

John

You won't hear much on this subject from me John…I know nothing about this larger scale. But I'll continue lurking😎

I knew nothing either a few months ago but I'm on a learning curve and the adventure is great.

John

Yay  :chicken, got my sound decoders today:



The one on the left is for the J50 which needs to be hard wired.  The other is for the 08 and that's a 21 pin plug in.  You'll note the capacitor for "stay alive".

John

Hi John,
What's in the ESU packets,  are the the speakers? - I can't quite make it out from the photos.

If they are, they are a good bit bigger than the sugar cubes that I have used so should sound great. - the sugar cubes are excellent for their size but I may need to reseal one of them because the sound keeps fading. It comes back if I push the cover back on. 

I read someone on RMweb suggesting running some pva around it because it's stays flexible at least if it doesn't work I will be able to peel it back off because it won't stick fast to the plastic cover.

I am going to have a go at fitting the other sound chip to the Y6 tonight now that I have worked out where it might fit.