Rebuilt Crosti 9f
- Thread starter spikey faz
- Start date
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
Thanks Ken.Phil at Hobby Holidays, looking good Mike
Ken
I had a look at Hobby Holidays website, but couldn't see any 0.8mm x 0.8mm L section. I'll try a Google search later.
Mike
AJC
Western Thunderer
I suspect that 0.8 is (in fact) rebranded 1/32" which Hobby Holidays have listed, but out of stock. Worth looking for the 1/32 I suggest?
Adam
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
I have just had a look, but smallest is 1.0mm x 1.0mm. I suppose in the grand scheme of things that would be OK.
Mike
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
Lubricators being fettled. Of course nothing quite fits as it should do, so usual cut 'n shut work. The fixture on the actuating arm stuck out too far, so I cut it off, drilled a hole into the actuating arm and re-attached with solder.
I then carried on with getting the lubricator housings ready.
I suppose I'll eventually have to attach many oil feed pipes to the lubricators. Not a task I'm particularly looking forward to. Maybe do one a day?
Mike
I then carried on with getting the lubricator housings ready.
I suppose I'll eventually have to attach many oil feed pipes to the lubricators. Not a task I'm particularly looking forward to. Maybe do one a day?
Mike
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
Apart from painting the tender about a month ago I've not really done much more to the Crosti.
Motor/gearbox fitted and all appears to work as it should. I'm still unsure whether to fit pickups to the loco and instead fit them to the tender. Reason being is that they're a bit visible on the loco chassis, whereas they should be easy to fit out of sight to the tender.
Still gotta build and fit all the valvevgear, but wanted to make sure the chassis with wheels/coupling rods/con rods ran OK first (which it does!).
Mike
Motor/gearbox fitted and all appears to work as it should. I'm still unsure whether to fit pickups to the loco and instead fit them to the tender. Reason being is that they're a bit visible on the loco chassis, whereas they should be easy to fit out of sight to the tender.
Still gotta build and fit all the valvevgear, but wanted to make sure the chassis with wheels/coupling rods/con rods ran OK first (which it does!).
Mike
Richard Gawler
Western Thunderer
Mike this all looks superb, I do hope you are pleased with it 
When I built my Y14 (radio control, no pickups at all) I started to make provision to add pickups to the tender but the loco ran so well with the r/c I didn't add them. I thought it would be easier to put them on the tender. Perhaps pickups on one axle of the loco as well would be sensible while it is easy to do.
When I built my Y14 (radio control, no pickups at all) I started to make provision to add pickups to the tender but the loco ran so well with the r/c I didn't add them. I thought it would be easier to put them on the tender. Perhaps pickups on one axle of the loco as well would be sensible while it is easy to do.
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
Hi RichardMike this all looks superb, I do hope you are pleased with it
When I built my Y14 (radio control, no pickups at all) I started to make provision to add pickups to the tender but the loco ran so well with the r/c I didn't add them. I thought it would be easier to put them on the tender. Perhaps pickups on one axle of the loco as well would be sensible while it is easy to do.
It did cross my mind that radio control might be the way forward, but then I'd have to retro-fit my other locos which might be a bit fiddly as they tend to be on the small side!
I'll get the loco brakes and sanding gear fitted and then see how much room there is for pickups.
Mike
chigley
Western Thunderer
Mike, could you not fix a piece of small copper clad to the chassis inbetween the 2 front & 2 rear wheels fitted with wipers and then run
the wires discretely through a hole in the chassis each side when painted barely visible, just a thought. looking good so far.
are you likely to be at Kempton.
Ken
the wires discretely through a hole in the chassis each side when painted barely visible, just a thought. looking good so far.
are you likely to be at Kempton.
Ken
Tim Humphreys ex Mudhen
Western Thunderer
Split axles on the tender would be my choice.
Tim
Tim
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
Hi KenMike, could you not fix a piece of small copper clad to the chassis inbetween the 2 front & 2 rear wheels fitted with wipers and then run
the wires discretely through a hole in the chassis each side when painted barely visible, just a thought. looking good so far.
are you likely to be at Kempton.
Ken
Not sure about Kempton. To be honest I'd forgotten about it!
I have been a bit preoccupied with some family stuff so I've not had much time for railway modelling.Mike
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
Hi Tim
That would be a good option if I were starting from scratch, but adapting the tender wheels and chassis at this stage is probably a non-starter for now.
Mike
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
Initial running trials have thrown up a slight tight spot in the coupling rods, which will be easy enough to rectify.
However, the motor/gearbox combination is really a bit too high geared for my application. It is lovely and smooth, but I imagine more suited to medium to higher speed running. Is there a way I can sort this? I'm not looking to replace the gearbox as, like I say, it's smooth running. I'm thinking of a couple of resistors or something between the motor and the yet to be installed pickups. As matters stand the loco gets moving quite briskly with only a small amount of power from my controller.
Mike
However, the motor/gearbox combination is really a bit too high geared for my application. It is lovely and smooth, but I imagine more suited to medium to higher speed running. Is there a way I can sort this? I'm not looking to replace the gearbox as, like I say, it's smooth running. I'm thinking of a couple of resistors or something between the motor and the yet to be installed pickups. As matters stand the loco gets moving quite briskly with only a small amount of power from my controller.
Mike
simond
Western Thunderer
Resistors really won’t help, Mike. I could try to explain why but I’d be long-winded. They’ll simply worsen your high end performance but not improve the slow speed control.
if the loco is a bit “sharp” on starting, that may be a number of things.
It might have a bit of “stiction”, and when it starts it goes off like a startled fawn, running in will help this.
It may be geared wrongly, you can only judge this by seeing it flat out with a typical train, though calculation may help. This is a gear ratio decision, no easy fix (apart from a different gearbox, and keep this one for your next loco)
It may be that your controller is ill-matched with your loco, go DCC and fit a Zimo chip!
hth
Simon
if the loco is a bit “sharp” on starting, that may be a number of things.
It might have a bit of “stiction”, and when it starts it goes off like a startled fawn, running in will help this.
It may be geared wrongly, you can only judge this by seeing it flat out with a typical train, though calculation may help. This is a gear ratio decision, no easy fix (apart from a different gearbox, and keep this one for your next loco)
It may be that your controller is ill-matched with your loco, go DCC and fit a Zimo chip!
hth
Simon
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
Just to reiterate - there's no 'stiction' or any problems with the motor/gearbox. It is very smooth. It's just the motor efficiency appears to be so good its reacting to small amounts of power more than I'm used to. Just need to apply power more slowly!
I've looked briefly at DCC, but it looks expensive and I've yet to see what I consider a straightforward controller. They seem very button heavy! Maybe there's a phone app available to use as a controller?
Cheers
Mike
I've looked briefly at DCC, but it looks expensive and I've yet to see what I consider a straightforward controller. They seem very button heavy! Maybe there's a phone app available to use as a controller?
Cheers
Mike
SimonT
Western Thunderer
Mike,
This method is very flexible but still offers loads of buttons to control loads of functions offered on the chip. TouchCab was bought up by the lads who were going to give us a ready to run HST set in 7mm, so as the HST seems to be a unicorn, it could be that TouchCab has become the same. Oh, you will need an Iphone to run Touchcab on.
Alternatively a Lenz starter system will give simple control as long as you can fit and wire a chip into a loco.
Simon
That will be TouchCab. We used it to run Aberbeeg with it and we ran a fairly intensive operating scheme. You will have to fit a chip to each loco and have a DCC control set; we used Lenz. This DCC control set will have to be capable of taking control instructions from something other than the manufactureres hand sets. In addition you will need a WiFi router for the phone to talk to, this router will need to talk to the DCC control system by USB link thorough an interface unit. Lenz make it easy by offering everything except the router and for that TP-Link do a very nice little box.
This method is very flexible but still offers loads of buttons to control loads of functions offered on the chip. TouchCab was bought up by the lads who were going to give us a ready to run HST set in 7mm, so as the HST seems to be a unicorn, it could be that TouchCab has become the same. Oh, you will need an Iphone to run Touchcab on.
Alternatively a Lenz starter system will give simple control as long as you can fit and wire a chip into a loco.
Simon
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
Thanks Simon.
I'm all Android here, so the phone app is probably a non-starter. I have however had a quick look at the Lenz starter system. Looks a bit more down to earth in both price and usability. I'm not bothered about sound, lights etc.
Mike
I'm all Android here, so the phone app is probably a non-starter. I have however had a quick look at the Lenz starter system. Looks a bit more down to earth in both price and usability. I'm not bothered about sound, lights etc.
Mike
simond
Western Thunderer
But fundamentally, if it’s not stiction and it’s not gearing, then it’s about the controller not being a good match for the motor. It seems that, at the very minimum output, it’s too much, so the motor springs into action, rather than creeping.
DCC does offer a solution because modern decoders are very much better than most controllers in terms of their adaptability to the electrical characteristics of the motor.
A really good feedback / pwm controller might be as good as a Zimo or ESU chip.
There is another phone app. Wi Throttle was recommended to me by @John K . Withrottle.com. Works on both iphone an Android I believe. Uses JMRI and a link to your DCC system.
Simon (a different one)
DCC does offer a solution because modern decoders are very much better than most controllers in terms of their adaptability to the electrical characteristics of the motor.
A really good feedback / pwm controller might be as good as a Zimo or ESU chip.
There is another phone app. Wi Throttle was recommended to me by @John K . Withrottle.com. Works on both iphone an Android I believe. Uses JMRI and a link to your DCC system.
Simon (a different one)
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