Chuffnell Regis

[Graham T]

22 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

 

I try a cocktail stick for something like that.

 

I do like the idea of a sepia wash as suggested further up the trail.

 

Cocktail sticks are for applying olives to martinis, aren't they?

 

Actually, I find them incredibly useful (along with my large box of coffee stirrers).

 

Sounds as if Sandy will be getting disturbed and going under the brush again, but I'll let him enjoy his tea first.

[John Besley]

It's s lot easier in 7/8ths 

[Graham T]

And now for something completely different.  I've got a DCC-fitted Hornby 2732 pannier, which I'd like to use as a test-bed for detailing a loco (there's lots of scope).

 

But I've run into a bit of a glitch, unfortunately.  I bought the loco from ebay a few months ago, and it ran fine for some time.  But just recently it will only run for a few moments, and then stop.  If I reverse direction it will again run for a few moments, then stop.  There was quite a lot of oil about when I stripped it down, so I cleaned it out with some Nigrin contact spray, and left that to dry out overnight.

 

Everything now looks nice and clean, and is ready for some lubrication to be re-applied.  I have some Faller oil with a needle applicator for that, which I'll add (sparingly) to the axles and con rods.  Should I add some to the motor, and if so, where?  There is also the main gear sticking through the bottom of the keeper plate, which I guess should also have a little bit of oil applied?

 

Or is there something else that I've missed?

 

[Neal Ball]

Definitely not to the motor 🙂 

 

But definitely to the gear if that is what is showing underneath.

 

I would be inclined to cut off the capacitor as well - but cant see if anything else is connected there.... I can see I blob of solder, but not where it connects to!

 

If you could take a closer shot of the wires on the far right I will talk you through it and from there its a case of fault finding one step at a time.

 

However, if there was a lot of oil around, the issue might be the pickups or the backs of the wheels. Have you cleaned them? 

[Graham T]

Thanks Neal.  A few little drops of oil and the motor is now spinning freely.  But the loco is still a bit intermittent on the track.  I'll check the pick-ups and wheel backs, and also clean the wheels themselves, although they look ok.  Will also check the back to backs.  Moving in the right direction anyway!

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

Thanks Neal.  A few little drops of oil and the motor is now spinning freely.  But the loco is still a bit intermittent on the track.  I'll check the pick-ups and wheel backs, and also clean the wheels themselves, although they look ok.  Will also check the back to backs.  Moving in the right direction anyway!

 

Do you have any IPA? Try some of that on the back of the wheels and the pick-ups.

[Graham T]

39 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

 

Do you have any IPA? Try some of that on the back of the wheels and the pick-ups.

 

I do like a drop of India Pale Ale, I must confess 🙂

 

I do also have a large bottle of isopropyl, which is admittedly not so good to drink...  However, I did clean the pick-ups, and the backs and treads (probably the wrong word) of the wheels with it.  Now I'm pleased to say that the loco is running very smoothly on my rolling road, I can even run it so slowly that the wheels are hardly turning.  So, pleased with the progress so far, and have just ordered a Zimo MS480 with stay-alive and sugarcube speaker from YouChoos.

[BroadLeaves]

Is this a pickup for the middle axle? 

[Graham T]

No, I don't think so.

[Neal Ball]

20 minutes ago, Graham T said:

 

I do like a drop of India Pale Ale, I must confess 🙂

 

I do also have a large bottle of isopropyl, which is admittedly not so good to drink...  

🤣🤣

 

Yes it’s probably not a good idea to drink. Lol 

 

I’m certainly looking forward to getting a nice pint of IPA; Harvey’s Best Bitter (other real ales are apparently available) when we are in the UK in the summer.

[Andy Keane]

On 09/04/2022 at 18:01, Graham T said:

In between going quietly batty fiddling around with minute 3D prints, I've been trying the grotty horsebox in place on the layout.  The windows dried out more or less clear, although they did manage to pick up some dust.  I don't think that's really a problem though, as I don't expect they were exactly kept sparkling clean!  

 

The doors should probably be on the track side of the box, I suppose, but it's nice to be able to see them from the normal viewing position.  I'm also still wondering exactly where to plonk the horsebox - anyone got any bright ideas please?

 

 

Graham, not sure if you have described it earlier but how did you construct your ash pit? Did you use one of the standard kits like the Peco one? I want to build one with code 75 bullhead rail.

Andy

[Graham T]

15 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

Graham, not sure if you have described it earlier but how did you construct your ash pit? Did you use one of the standard kits like the Peco one? I want to build one with code 75 bullhead rail.

Andy

 

Andy, I just used the Peco kit, yes.  Couldn't get bullhead rail secure enough in there, so just used the flat bottom and hid it as much as possible with loads of ash and dirt!

[Andy Keane]

1 minute ago, Graham T said:

 

Andy, I just used the Peco kit, yes.  Couldn't get bullhead rail secure enough in there, so just used the flat bottom and hid it as much as possible with loads of ash and dirt!

Thanks, that confirms my thinking. I have also tried bullhead and found it not secure so it’s either flat bottom or a full scratch build.

[Graham T]

I've been (slowly) adding the photos back on here, I think the ashpit is on about page 93, if you want to see how it looks with the FB rail.

[Andy Keane]

On 21/02/2022 at 21:55, Graham T said:

Some slow but steady slow progress at Chuffnell R this evening.  The turntable approach track has been fettled.  The table still works, albeit the power to the deck is occasionally a bit temperamental.  I'm just going to have to live with that.  Another lesson learned - don't try to modify a Franken-table!  I've also started to cut away the surround where the buffer stop will sit, and trimmed the front edge of the surround to align with the edge of the baseboard.

 

The ash pit is also in situ now, it's underneath the two weights!  The shed road is only fixed in place as far as the end of the ash pit, I still need to do a little tweaking for the final run into the shed - but that's now placed in pretty much its final position.  Nothing is ever simple of course.  Although the ash pit is made for Code 75 rail, the built-in chairs are for flat bottom.  And so bullhead rail won't hold in place.  So I've had to use the flat bottom for the length of the pit, with rail joiners at each end.  I might solder those once everything is in place, to ensure conductivity across the pit.

 

 

Found it.

[Graham T]

I'm giving myself a (very small) pat on the back.  All the photos have now been re-uploaded.  All the ones I could find, anyway.

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

I'm giving myself a (very small) pat on the back.  All the photos have now been re-uploaded.  All the ones I could find, anyway.

Well done Graham, I find it interesting as it gave me the opportunity to look over the old posts when I did mine.

[Graham T]

Yes, same here.  Reminded me of some things I had forgotten to do - lots of them actually!  And also reminded me of a lot of amateurish efforts that I've been trying to forget 🙂

[MrWolf]

I'm psyching myself up to do mine. All that's come back is a handful from December 2019. It's not looking like any more will reappear.

I've 150+ pages to trawl through.

When I finish decorating the new place, tidying the old place, move house, set up the workshop, set up the layout and possibly earn a living....🥴

 

[Graham T]

And what do you have planned for your copious free time?

[MrWolf]

7 minutes ago, Graham T said:

And what do you have planned for your copious free time?

 

Motorcycling around the countryside with the memsahib and getting strange looks from people at posh tea houses...

 

No, I don't want a mug, I asked for a pot of tea and two cups, we are not barbarians!

[Graham T]

Will you also be asking them to bring out their finest wines?

[Graham T]

I put a bigger hard drive in my iMac today (well, I paid a nice chap to do it for me).

 

Now it's restoring all my files - hopefully.

 

 

There's been about a minute remaining since before I ate my dinner...

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

I put a bigger hard drive in my iMac today (well, I paid a nice chap to do it for me).

 

Now it's restoring all my files - hopefully.

 

 

There's been about a minute remaining since before I ate my dinner...

 

Oh no! Does that mean you will be off line for 10 days 😎🤣🤣

[MrWolf]

2 hours ago, Graham T said:

Will you also be asking them to bring out their finest wines?

Not when I'm driving, but do you happen to have a brunch menu?