DCC Sound, Getting you started

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Running in a new Loco

Hi All. I have been considering the purchase of a rolling road ever since I returned to the hobby in 2015. But I was advised against such a purchase . Now I have seen the “ O gauge Pannier Tank “ C/ o of Two Bolt, on YMRC,  â€œ Strutting its Stuff?”I thought if it is good enough for an O Gauge Pannier ? Then it will certainly work on my “ OO Pannier with Sound “ 
Even my 08 diesel shunter .   Any comments please, best wishes. Kevin

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Hi Kevin,

Essential if you build or bash, especially for quartering steam locomotives or determining where a tight spot is with rods. Or where that wobble is coming from. Good to have anyway even if all your stock us RTR. Mine get used mostly for setting up DCC speed tables and sound volumes (main, bell, whistle, etc.).

Not sure about running in, if it is tight it was designed (or built) with improper tolerances. The only area I could determine that gets better is the brush-commutator, where the end of the brush may not be fully in contact or there is dust and crud after a lack of use. Bearings and gears wear out, not in. 3D printed gears seem to me have less than ideal surfaces as well.

Back in the day when the new car arrived there were strict instructions to drive gently and change the oil and filter after a thousand miles or so, mainly to get rid of all the metal that came off the cylinders and rings (Austin/Morris mini's excepted, the short blocks were run in at the factory). If model locomotives need running in should we strip them down, clean and relube after doing so?

Nigel

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Hi Nigel.   Thank you.  As I purchased both the Loco s in question  two or more years ago it is not so much of the running in, but I could put them through their paces without them trying to run off the end of a four foot plank.The other choice ? An hinged board with a circle of track( damage situation ?) or a one piece board ( also damage situation ). And house prices ? Without moving out of town or across the Channel ? are beyond reach and getting further out of reach.   Best wishes. Kevin 

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Hi Kevin,

Ideal for burning off the crud. Set it running, put the kettle on, tea and a couple of digestives, put it in reverse, have another cup of tea. Only needs a foot or so of track.

Get one with angle support pieces rather than rollers for the tender.  Much less fiddly if you have power pick-up from the tender. Put the engine on the angle supports with tender drive.

Nigel

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If you have a continuous run, a rolling road becomes less 'essential' but is still a very useful piece of kit to add to the arsenal of tools for maintenance of your model railway.

I do use a rolling road for initial running in purposes anyway, as it means I don't have to monitor the loco s it runs around the layout, with the potential for derailments or other disasters (Murphy's Law says it will happen if left unattended for more than 10 seconds!). Using the rolling road, I can set the loco or unit running and just leave it for half an hour (often longer, if I forget I have left it running - one recent loco got three hours in one direction!), pop back in to reverse the direction and leave again. 

As others have said, the rolling road comes into its own if you have to troubleshoot problems like sticky spots or poor pickups.

None are particularly cheap but they will all last you a good while. Mine came from DCC Concepts, but it may be worth digging out reviews if you can find them. One of the magazines did a comparison last year, from memory.

Jeff Lynn,
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Hi Jeff.  Thank you for your reply. I don’t own my property alas, if I did there wouldn’t be a problem. That is why I have my Shunting Puzzles, fold up and stow away, just like a suitcase . Like you say unsupervised running can only lead to accidents. I did google “ Rolling Roads for Model Railways” if only to avoid those adverts for garages? Everything is on hold at the time of writing , with the builders fitting a new bathroom . But I will buy a rolling road soon.   Best wishes. Kevin

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Hi Kevin,

All you need for a `rolling road` is a length of ready made track and a set of these `rollers`
https://wicknessmodels.co.uk/product-tag/rolling-road/

Thats all I did for mine.

The rollers are designed to pick up power from the track supply.

I use mine to clean heavy 7mm loco wheels  and setting up the sound files for DCC.


Cheers

Twobolt John

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Hi John     Thank you.  I got mine, on a recommendation from DCC Concepts, most of my Locos only have two, three, or four axles. I am not clever enough to do my own sound files. You do a good line in videos. Best wishes. Kevin

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Hi Kevin,

Here's mine. IBacarus is the brand. 5000 series, HO-OO/EM/P4/S gauges (infinitely adjustable). Roller bearings for drivers, short plain sections for trucks and bogies, long plain sections for tenders. Reverse rollers and long plain section for tender drive locomotives where you just want pickup from the engine.

Nigel





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Hi Nigel.   Thank you. , in my stable, the only one that four sets wouldn’t be enough for is the Hornby Schools, and that is because of the Tender drive.  0-4-0’s, 0-6-0’s , even the class 71 Southern Electric will fit.Best. Wishes Kevin

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