P48 for Cotton Belt: Roster addition SW1200

[Yorkshire Dave]

Btw, yours truly gets a mention in the brief write-up of Right-o-Way's replacement Atlas gear box covers toward the beginning of the magazine. A star is born .

I did read this. Well done . I've downloaded all the issues now .

I'm quite tempted to send some photographs of my SSW GP9 for the 'What's on your workbench' slot just to give an idea of what's doing on t'other side of pond.

I love the weathering/paint job you've done on your loco.

Thanks Simon. A lot of it is down to techniques I've picked up from my local wargaming club.

 

[Big Train James]

Dave, I don't know if you do facebook at all (I only started because all the youngsters I was in school with temporarily used it for group communication - you should have heard them when I told them I didn't have an account) but there is a group on there dedicated to 2-rail and p48 modeling. Perhaps you would like to check it out. I don't know if you need to have an account to view the group.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

James,
I do not have a Facebook account yet - but may have to soon in order to come into the 22nd century?

However I could view the 2-rail/P48 link.

 

[JasonD]

I knew it was time to set up a Facebook group (American O-Scale in the UK) when I asked the grandkids if Facebook was as big a timewaster as I suspected and they said "we don't use that old site...!" Easy to get into, easy to get out of. If you come across other really rather useful groups, don't blame me!! Delaware and Hudson, Switchers and Critters, O-scale 3-rail to 2-rail, etc, etc. It's like pubs in the old days, football being discussed, teenagers being loud, signs advertising the slot machines - all easy enough to ignore and avoid. That group 2-rail O-scale and Proto:48 is excellent. Some 2-rail O-scale for sale by owners on my site - press the Files tab. No, I'm not making any money out of it!
Jason

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Work has resumed...... only this time installing the wiring looms and decoder.

The decoder was one of my main concerns due to ESU Loksound L v4's depth/height. At the end of the day I needn't have worried as there is at least 3mm space between the top of the decoder and the roof of the hood.

After wiring the decoder it was mounted on a plasticard base (which I previously cemented to the truck mount tower) using a car rear view mirror sticky pad.



I also made up the lighting units: Headlights - 3 mm warm white LEDs (these came with in-line resistors already fitted); Number boards - 4 SMDs wired in series and a 1k resistor; Rotary beacon - 12v grain of rice incandescent bulb (I used this as it's light is omnidirectional). The rear headlights are on the left and the front headlights, number board lights and rotary beacon light are on the left. Plugs were also fitted to enable the body to be removed once the lights are installed.


Motor connection.


Front light assembly: Headlights (top), Rotary beacon and number board lights (bottom). These plug into a circuit board fixed to the truck mount tower in the short hood

While the decoder base was being wired before installation, I soldered a 4 pin socket ready for the speaker installation. The 3 pin socket visible above the speaker sockets is there for an ESU 'stay alive' should I decide to install one.

The translucent tubes seen around the wires in some of the photographs is cut from the tubing used to protect artists watercolour paintbrushes.

Finally the loco was then tested and all lighting functions as intended. Once I get to the programmer the lighting intensities will be reduced and Rule 17 applied to the headlights. As for speakers I'll be ordering some large sugar lump cube types to give them a test.

 

[Big Train James]

I'll be very interested to see how the sugar cube speakers work out. I'm not a big sound fan yet, but I want to give it a serious try in O scale.

 

[Stoke5D]

I'll be very interested to see how the sugar cube speakers work out. I'm not a big sound fan yet, but I want to give it a serious try in O scale.

I've been experimenting and I think it works for diesels, if you get the acoustics right (as you imply) but I'm not sure about steam, as inevitably a steam loco. is both sound and vision. By which I mean the smoke and steam is a big part of it, and that's still to be cracked in any meaningful way, certainly for 7mm and below.


Andrew

 

[Jordan]

Once I get to the programmer the lighting intensities will be reduced and Rule 17 applied to the headlights.

Waiting for He of the Red Bobble Hat, who is on the Slippery Slope ...to enquire what Rule 17 is all about....

Neat wiring installations!! You want real bird nest spaghetti, I'll have to photo the innards of one of my locos...

 

[Dog Star]

Waiting for He of the Red Bobble Hat, who is on the Slippery Slope ...to enquire what Rule 17 is all about....

Happy to oblige dear chap .

Dave, our Jordan seems to think that I need to ask about Rule 17 - please oblige although I do not understand why Jordan could not speak up; after all, the noise from the Back Row is not that overpowering .

What decoder have you fitted in this unit? What is the mounting plate?

thank you, Graham

 

[Jordan]

I was just anticipating, as it's the sort of thing you ask

For the Pedantic, Rule 17 is nowadays actually Rule 5.9.1 onwards, governing the use of Headlights, thus;

5.9.1 Dimming Headlight
Except when the engine is approaching and passing over a public crossing at grade, dim the headlight during any of the following conditions:

1. At stations and yards where switching is being done.
2. When the engine is stopped close behind another train.
3. In non-signaled territory, when the engine is stopped on the main track waiting for an approaching train.
4. When approaching and passing the head end and rear end of a train on the adjacent track.
5. At other times to permit passing of hand signals or when the safety of employees requires.

5.9.2 Headlight Off
Turn the headlight off under either of the following conditions:

1. When the train is stopped in the clear of the main track to meet a train. However, an extinguished headlight does not indicate to an opposing train that a train is clear of the main track.
2. Within block system limits, when the train is stopped on the main track to meet a train approaching on the same track.

5.9.3 Headlight Failure
If the headlight on the train fails, ditch lights must be on, when so equipped. Headlight failure must be reported to the train dispatcher.

At night, if headlight and ditch lights fail to operate and no other unit can be used as the lead unit, continue movement with a white light displayed on the lead unit. Stop the train before each public crossing, so a crew member on the ground can provide warning until the crossing is occupied, unless:

Crossing gates are in the fully lowered position. or No traffic is approaching or stopped at the crossing.

5.9.4 Displaying Headlights Front and Rear
When engines are moving, crew members must turm on the headlight to the front and rear, but may dim or extinguish it on the end coupled to cars.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

What decoder have you fitted in this unit? What is the mounting plate?

It's an ESU Loksound L v4. The mounting plate comes with decoder.

Although I stuck my mounting plate with double sided tape there are also four mounting holes in the plate. I soldered all the connections I required to the mounting plate before installation and the decoder just plugs in.

the noise from the Back Row is not that overpowering

Soon will be . With an EMD 16 cyl 567C . A praaper engine! - once I have installed the speakers I've ordered.....

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I've finally managed to install the lights and two sound speakers and getting them to work after hours at the PC faffing (a rather weak term to use in the same sentence as Windows 10) around re-installing SPROG II and getting it to work on Windows 10. The usual driver enforcement scenario which I have now disabled.

The photographs were taken indoors but do not quite do lighting effects justice - especially Rule 17. the coupler box looks lop-sided but this will be corrected.

Number boards off


Number boards on


Headlight under old rule 17 or 5.9.1 as Jordan has updated - Dimming Headlight - in effect low beam


Headlight full beam once on the move


As for the sound - well this was a bit of a learning curve as I'd never messed about with ESU Loksound V4 decoders in anger. The ESU Lokprogrammer 4 interface is completely different from Lokprogrammer 2. The latter being more user friendly.

In the process I managed to completely wipe the decoder whilst altering the short horn volume . In the end it required a factory reset and a reinstall of the EMD 16 cyl 567C sound profile - takes ages for the sound to be blown to the decoder - followed by the remapping and altering the lighting functions.

It all works now and rather loud at full volume with no distortion - especially the Nathan 3 chime horn with a bit of reverb - Cheshire cats have no chance. I now need to have a look at the overall volume control and map this onto a function as you could with v3.5 decoders.

I used a pair of Youchoos 'The Flame' 20 x 30 x 10mm speakers glued end to end one facing up and the other down. The sound is good but I'm still deciding whether to build my own 30 x 110 x 10 mm speaker chamber.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Well, the 1W 8 ohm speakers shown in the previous post turned out to be an unmitigated disaster - they started buzzing, being overdriven more than likely. And I probably used them in an application they were not really designed for. However......

I have now replaced them with a pair of Youchoos 60 x 30 x 10mm 3W 8 ohm speakers and quite frankly the sound is a lot better. The set up is below and, again, one is mounted face up and the other face down, and only just fit in the long hood with the decoder. My lesson from this is to use 3W speakers (8 ohm in this case) with the ESU Loksound v4 L decoder.



These speakers 45 x 35 x 20mm, also from Youchoos, are 3W 8 ohm and sound good. Alas they are too deep and wide for the GP9 and will be used for another project.


Comparison of the speakers.

Whilst the body was off I also revamped the rear light connection by making a fixed socket rather than a flying lead.



And, yes, I have used cable ties to keep the wiring neat and to relieve the strain and movement on the wire/decoder mounting board connection as this is the weakest point and prone to break.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Some work on the GP9 tonight.....

I have made up the both sets of the uncoupler lift bars and fitted a set to the front pilot. And yes they do work

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Cut levers, air hoses and MU connectors now added to the front and rear pilots....

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I've added the wind deflectors and she's almost complete apart from the sand lines to the trucks......

 

[Heather Kay]

Wow! Stand it on some trackwork, with a suitable background, and you would say that was a full sized loco. Very impressed!

 

[Willy]

Had a look at this loco at Kettering and it is absolutely superb.

 

[Jordan]

ho-hum... "Like" button woefully inadequate yet again....

 

[Alan]

ho-hum... "Like" button woefully inadequate yet again....

Stunning is the word that comes to mind.