Bethesda Sidings

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
Good to see CK and the gang at Railwells today. Not been before, some cracking layouts.

Thanks for the coffee CK, less said about the conversations the better...
 

Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
Could I make a suggestion? Change your countersunk screws for Pan Head. You won't stress the plastic so much.
OK, thanks, yes, I see what you mean.

Whilst there is not that much pressure being exerted by the countersunk screws (which were all that I had), I will replace them with the other kind shortly.
 

Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
The whole layout from the tandem turnout is now wired and fully operational.

The next task will be to lay the single line across the board joint and into the fiddle yard, complete the associated wiring and ensure the track height is correct to match the cassettes with aluminium angle.
 

Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
The layout has now been re-configured with the fiddle yard, to enable the short piece of straight track from the tandem turnout into the fiddle yard to be laid.

This will need to link up to my existing aluminium cassettes.

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Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
I spent a satisfactory afternoon tweaking 'Bethesda Sidings', now that all the track is laid and the layout is fully wired up and operational.

A couple of snags on two of the points were attended to and several locos tested on the layout.

Predictably, the Dapol B4 (on loan from BR to the Vale of Radnor Light Railway) ran superbly, it's one of the best running RTR locos I've ever had. Pleasingly, the Dean Goods ran well and will now be weathered and put into service, in due course.

Both my Mainline/Bachmann panniers have been tested before and also pleasingly, my Bachmann 64XX, that is to be converted to a 74XX, has also turned out to be a rather sweet and controllable runner, after having had quite a lot of running-in.

Ex-LNER J72 'Jennifer', who's refurbishment featured in some of my blog posts a few months ago, needed some of her pick-ups tweaking, but is now running nicely again. I may yet fit a flywheel in her, there's plenty of room.

While all this was going on, the loco that was supposed to be one of the key performers - the Hattons/DJM 14XX - was having some further running-in on the rolling road. To my surprise, it's almost good enough and controllable enough at slow speed, to be considered for the role I had originally envisaged for it - as 1420, working the Prestigne and Kington goods, now extended to Bethesda yard. I think I'll need to tweak the pick-ups, as that seems to be a slight concern, but I'm hoping that I won't have to rip the innards our and substitute an etched chassis. I may now be able to use that chassis kit on the spare Airfix body that I have.

The one loco that failed testing (which I knew it would), was my 22XX. This is because the tender wheels that I fitted several years ago, to replace the old Mainline ones, are running in the original Mainline axleboxes. This doesn't give enough lateral movement of the axles when passing over one of the points and it derails. What is needed is a replacement etched tender chassis kit, which will provide a little more flexibility.
 

NHY 581

Western Thunderer
Hi CK.

The Sheep Chronicles are up and running in 'Layout progress' with an introduction to Mutton at present.

More to follow.


Good news in the 14xx front. Pity that one has all this malarkey to go through first.


Rob.
 

Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
Well, I've now finished cutting all the plastic webbing from between the sleepers:

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With this thin-sleepered C&L track, once the track has been painted and weathered, I normally apply the ballast by painting between 4 or 5 sleeper bays at a time with PVA and then sprinkling the ballast on, and vacuuming up the loose stuff when the glue is dry. I've always thought that the plastic webbing just gets in the way, so I normally remove it prior to track painting and ballasting. It's not a job you can really do prior to gluing the track down, though, as the webbing is pretty much essential for maintaining the sleeper spacing etc.

Meanwhile, the 1420-to-be is getting some more hours in on the rolling road:

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NHY 581

Western Thunderer
I take it that the Hattons 14xx is fitted with what will henceforth be known as the 'Persevered with' chassis as standard.


Rob
 

Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
I take it that the Hattons 14xx is fitted with what will henceforth be known as the 'Persevered with' chassis as standard.Rob
Well, Rob, what can I say?

Perhaps you could forsee that I would finally run out of patience with the Hattons 14XX mechanism. After further running in this afternoon, it actually ran worse than it did before, just like the first example I had from them, before I sent it back and got this one.

Enough is enough.

As I've posted on the Hattons 14XX thread on RMWeb, in due course I shall remove the Hattons chassis and all the permanently-fixed internal workings, leaving the lovely body shell only. I shall then build and fit the Perseverence chassis kit that I have and consign the Hattons/DJM mechanism to the place it belongs - the skip.
 

NHY 581

Western Thunderer
Oh dear me! Sorry to hear that Tim. There was me toying with taking the plunge with Hattons for a possible Lamb Valley Light Railway project. (Lambstock)

Looks like it is the Hornby/ex-Mainly Trains/Perserverence route for me then.


Rob
 

Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
Oh dear me! Sorry to hear that Tim. There was me toying with taking the plunge with Hattons for a possible Lamb Valley Light Railway project. (Lambstock)

Looks like it is the Hornby/ex-Mainly Trains/Perserverence route for me then.


Rob
Well, if you want good, slow and reliable running for shunting, I cannot recommend the Hattons/DJM mechanism, sorry.
 

Steph Dale

Western Thunderer
Funny that the 14xx has been so cursed in r-t-r form. I recall the Airfix one of my childhood being problematic too. Re-wheeling (to get rid of the traction tyres) and re-motoring seemed to solve most of its ills. I guess it's just a problem with the wheel arrangement and relatively small size of the model.

Steph
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
Before you bin the chassis CK it might be worth trying it with part of the gear train removed so that wheels aren't being driven by both gears and coupling rods. Over at the other place Larry Goddard seems to have some success doing this albeit with an unmotored version of the chassis. You may already be aware of this.
 

Geoff

Western Thunderer
There I was thinking you had got on top of the Hattons/DJM disaster of a model Tim. That must be hell of a set back given the time, and money that you have invested. Why did they try to be so clever, did they really need to go with a coreless motor, and a chassis that bears more resemblance to a diesel power bogie with cosmetic coupling rods?

Good luck with the Perseverance chassis, I was only half mad when I attempted to build my first one :) In the end I used a Comet chassis, with the floating sub chassis option, also used their gearbox, a Mashima can, and Gibson wheels.

In the meantime rest assured that the Kington, Presteign goods was operating as normal today with 1455 in charge, not sure when she is due at Bethesda sidings though?

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Geoff
 

Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
Before you bin the chassis CK it might be worth trying it with part of the gear train removed so that wheels aren't being driven by both gears and coupling rods. Over at the other place Larry Goddard seems to have some success doing this albeit with an unmotored version of the chassis. You may already be aware of this.
Thanks Neil. Yes, I am aware of what Larry has been doing, and I wish him the best of luck with his endeavours.

The thing is, dismantling the DJM mechanism, fettling it and generally trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear would consuming modelling time that I feel I could better put into building the Perseverance chassis kit. Eventually, I'll happily offer the DJM mechanism to a good home, assuming it all comes out of the bodyshell in one piece.
 

Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
There I was thinking you had got on top of the Hattons/DJM disaster of a model Tim. That must be hell of a set back given the time, and money that you have invested. Why did they try to be so clever, did they really need to go with a coreless motor, and a chassis that bears more resemblance to a diesel power bogie with cosmetic coupling rods?

Good luck with the Perseverance chassis, I was only half mad when I attempted to build my first one :) In the end I used a Comet chassis, with the floating sub chassis option, also used their gearbox, a Mashima can, and Gibson wheels.

In the meantime rest assured that the Kington, Presteign goods was operating as normal today with 1455 in charge, not sure when she is due at Bethesda sidings though?

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Geoff
Thanks Geoff. The problem was, I dared to hope that the Hattons/DJM mechanism could actually improve.

Many of my locos where I am happy with the slow running, have Perseverance or other etched chassis. These days, I always put in compensation, even in OO, which improves pick up qualities.

Glad to see the Presteign (noting correct spelling!) goods running today!
 
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