4mm Polsarrett: BR(S) N Cornwall Clay, The Final Countdown
Pencarrow
Western Thunderer
Strangely, despite having bought them from a DCC (non communist) supplier, the point motors are analogue. MBT do do a DCC version though.
Pencarrow
Western Thunderer
Morning all
Having laid dormant since returning from a show in April 2022, Polsarrett was plugged in and powered up yesterday.
That opening statement makes it sound like and easy undertaking...
There were challenges.
Finding all the parts, trying to remember what plugged in where and, once again, battling with the servos. The servos haven't enjoyed being unused for 30 months and all but one refused to do anything when the layout was powered up.
What didn't help was that initially I tried operating the points by flicking the section switches. Strangely that didn't work. However, realising my mistake, I then used the correct switches, still nothing on 5 out of 6 points.
Going under the board and manually turning the servos seems to have done the trick for another 4, which now work, but one seems to be definitely dead.
I know lots of people have great success with servos but I don't. It's the constant, "will they actually work when switched on?" and "will I have to recalibrate the throw again?" questions that will lead to them being replaced.
Will have to bite the bullet and sort that out at some point as I potentially have two shows with the layout next year. There's also a magazine interested in a layout article, so the scenics need finishing off.
Why the sudden interest in getting the layout working again? Well I've also decided to sell up all my 4mm stuff, save a few special to me items and stock that is needed for Polsarrett. Hence needing a testbed to check stuff works which, after laying dormant for 10 years, it invariably doesn't.
The main culprit seems to be the factory applied lubricant which now seems to be the complete opposite, more of a glue / concrete substance. Anyway, now that I know the cause of wheels not turning it seems to take me about an hour to strip down, clean and reassemble each loco.
The first going through the works was 34023.
The reason for the sale? Well, on the basis that this stock has sat unused in boxes for 10+ years and I've moved over to 7mm, it seems pointless holding on to it. It also makes sense to release the £ value, whatever that might be, and 'invest' it in 7mm, or beer.
I'll not lie, this sale process is really pulling at the the heartstrings. There was a lot of time, effort and research that went into building up the 4mm fleet and got a good 10 years a lot of fun was had out on the exhibition circuit. The exhibition layout, Treneglos, was sold a few years back and this now seems to be the final 'letting go' if that lovely period in my modelling CV.
Time to move on though and no point holding on to stuff that you aren't using.
Having laid dormant since returning from a show in April 2022, Polsarrett was plugged in and powered up yesterday.
That opening statement makes it sound like and easy undertaking...
There were challenges.
Finding all the parts, trying to remember what plugged in where and, once again, battling with the servos. The servos haven't enjoyed being unused for 30 months and all but one refused to do anything when the layout was powered up.
What didn't help was that initially I tried operating the points by flicking the section switches. Strangely that didn't work. However, realising my mistake, I then used the correct switches, still nothing on 5 out of 6 points.
Going under the board and manually turning the servos seems to have done the trick for another 4, which now work, but one seems to be definitely dead.
I know lots of people have great success with servos but I don't. It's the constant, "will they actually work when switched on?" and "will I have to recalibrate the throw again?" questions that will lead to them being replaced.
Will have to bite the bullet and sort that out at some point as I potentially have two shows with the layout next year. There's also a magazine interested in a layout article, so the scenics need finishing off.
Why the sudden interest in getting the layout working again? Well I've also decided to sell up all my 4mm stuff, save a few special to me items and stock that is needed for Polsarrett. Hence needing a testbed to check stuff works which, after laying dormant for 10 years, it invariably doesn't.
The main culprit seems to be the factory applied lubricant which now seems to be the complete opposite, more of a glue / concrete substance. Anyway, now that I know the cause of wheels not turning it seems to take me about an hour to strip down, clean and reassemble each loco.
The first going through the works was 34023.
The reason for the sale? Well, on the basis that this stock has sat unused in boxes for 10+ years and I've moved over to 7mm, it seems pointless holding on to it. It also makes sense to release the £ value, whatever that might be, and 'invest' it in 7mm, or beer.
I'll not lie, this sale process is really pulling at the the heartstrings. There was a lot of time, effort and research that went into building up the 4mm fleet and got a good 10 years a lot of fun was had out on the exhibition circuit. The exhibition layout, Treneglos, was sold a few years back and this now seems to be the final 'letting go' if that lovely period in my modelling CV.
Time to move on though and no point holding on to stuff that you aren't using.
Pencarrow
Western Thunderer
Hi Ade,
Yes, definitely a wrench but at the same time quite scary when I keep finding stuff I didn't know I had. Yes, all is 00.
The little cameo layout Polsarrett isn't for sale and the big exhibition layout got sold a few years back.
Going to take a while to sort through things. And then what to do with all the boxes of brass and white metal bits for locos, coaches and wagons? Far too many too list.
Yes, definitely a wrench but at the same time quite scary when I keep finding stuff I didn't know I had. Yes, all is 00.
The little cameo layout Polsarrett isn't for sale and the big exhibition layout got sold a few years back.
Going to take a while to sort through things. And then what to do with all the boxes of brass and white metal bits for locos, coaches and wagons? Far too many too list.