Hi Chaps
I have yet another model on the work bench in the form of the first coach of a BR 117 2 car unit. It happens to be one of Keith Smiths latest efforts. It is a GRS modified resin moulding. Thanks to the miracles of modern technology he has created the alternate end to allow the coach to be fitted with a corridor. Using his 3D CAD and 3D printer he has been able to produce a remarkable body shell add on.
The only downside is that he wants it painted in BR Blue / Grey. I did feign having a certain deafness to this comment and kept on saying, "certainly no problem, so thats BR Green with the whiskers then is it". And he would say, "no, BR Blue / Grey". Eventually he threatened that he would want NSE Blue so I shut up double quick and then and I said, "BR Blue grey it is".
Well you cant win them all can you.
Mark
Mark,
Any more of that and Ill finish the class 33... Then it can haul alll your terriers and O2's around with scale 'cond' scrawled on the side in paint!!!!!
Thanks for painting it Mark, let me know what I owe you...
Keith
Hi here is the progress thus far on the first coach of the 117 2 car unit. Brush painted in BR Blue / Grey and lined out in white with the HMRS spiritfix general purpose white linig.
Mark
pic 2
Have just taken delivery of the second coach or DMS as it is technically called. Lots of body work to do and clean up all the flash. Once it is presentable I will post some pics of the progress.
Mark
Cheers Mark and thanks
Hi a few pics of the second coach the DMS.
Mark
and another
Looking good Mark..
more pics
another
and another
yet more
me again
Looking great mark
The second coach has now been sprayed primer grey and the chassis sprayed black. I hope to have a few progress pictures posted on here soon. I am aiming to have both coaches finished in time for the Moors Valley Gala which is Blackgang's next outing on 9th and 10th June.
Mark
new pics of second coach
next
more
back indoors on the workbench
more pics. new coach in foreground
more
last one for now
Time for an update.
The chassis and body of the second coach is now complete, including the glazing and interior. Preparation has been made for the directional head/tail lamps for both driving cabs and plug mounting sockets for the connection from the powered coach into the dummy coach. I am waiting on the coach numbers and flying arrows transrefs to arrive so I can complete both coaches.
I think this unit will make a welcome change to the GTGs and show that G3 is not purely a steam outline scale but also modern image as well.
Mark
Thanks Mark,
Ventilators are here. Metal for the unpowered bogies was delivered to my son in laws machine shop last friday.
Running soon I hope. Speak tomorrow.
I have a number of other modern Image projects on the go. I will try and post ome pictures this week.
R
Hi Keith
I could really do with the coach and set numbers for these two vehicles. Flying arrows are now on each driving cab end.
Mark
The sides for the chassis are in.... Centre of them to be made
Hi All
I have picked up the free rolling bogie frames today for the blue/grey unit. They weigh an absolute ton nut have been made to a superb standard. I will be fitting the RC gear in shortly so watch this space.
Pics to follow asap
Mark
Cant wait Mark, Post some finished pics, it will be like seeing a beautiful lady from prison
Will do soon ok mate
Mark
Hi All
I Have got the power coach operational on Radio Control and the interior lighting for this coach is also working. The other dummy coach needs the interior lighting to be connected up. The directional lighting needs to be sorted out on both driving cab ends. Has anyone here ever used a radio control switch device as I am unsure as to how to set it up. Its a module from "Chuffed 2 Bits". It is intended to operate as a passing contact latching control. In short when the rudder control on the DX61 is moved to the left of centre momentarily the lights are lit with head lamps on on one driving cab and tail lamps on the other. Naturally the rudder control moved to the right will give a revesal of head/tail lamps. The problem I have is it does not appear to be working or maybe I am doing something wrong in the setting up of the device.
Help.
Mark
PS I will be taking it to a local G3S member to test it out on his garden railway to see how the 2 car unit behaves with regards the operation and running performance.
Mark,
I don't know about the switch you have bought but I have a switch bought from Andy Quirot (Jersey) named "ARCS2".
It is for switching the lights on my GWR "Flying Banana".
I set it up and tested it at least 3 years ago (at the time I started experimenting with sound cards and digital switches).
It runs a sequence all lights off/tail lamps both ends/running forwards/running reverse.
Photo shows the ARCS2 (on left) wired to home produced DPDT relay board.
Does the ARCS2 look anything like your switch?
Somewhere (and I mean somewhere) I have the wiring diagram I prepared at the time!
If it looks to be anything like your circuit I will try to find it.
John.
mine is an mtroniks microswitcher
mark
Have they supplied a circuit/wiring diagram?
John.
Hi John
Not with the switch no , however a hand drawn one was given to me. Although the interior lighting works from the power input side of the Mac5 but for some reason there is no power getting to the head/tail lamps(LEDs). I have used single strand wire on these circuits only and I am wondering if I have a break somewhere which would explain it. I am tempted to remove the single strand wire which is only on the head/tail lamps circuits and replace with multi strand wire. The rest of the wiring has been done with multi strand wire.
The diagram that i have shows the + feed from the Batteries to the Mac5 and also to the two terminals and the switch then chooses which circuit to operate. The resistor is wired into the + side of the circuit before the first White LED onto the Anode + and the Cathode is attached to the second White Anode + of the next LED on that end and then to the Anode+ Red LED out via the cathode and on a common return to the negative feed of the batteries to the Mac5.
I will come back to it tomorrow and look at it with fresh eyes. No doubt I have missed something or not wired something up correctly. Possibly I have a resistor wrongly positioned.
Cheers John
Mark
Alternative to broken wire could be too high a value resistor (volts too low to energize the LEDs).
Why not place a voltage regulator on the input side of the switch and dispense with the resistors?
John.
P.S. Different colour LEDs sometimes have different voltage/current requirements....are the clear and red you are using of same voltage and milliAmp ratings?
The 117 had its first loaded test run today at Dick Allans garden railway.
All did not go well. The single power bogie is underpowered for the extra load and made even worse by the non powered bogies adding to the weight. Back to the drawing board I think.
Mark
Mark, sorry to hear the 117 did not perform as expected. Hope you will be able to sort it out without too much pain. Look forward to seeing this unit running one day at a GTG.
Ian the Gauge '3' Pirate
Mark
Fit traction tyres.
Dave
Traction tres are not the solution as the excess weight lies with the nature of the 3 unpowered bogies which need some work to modify them to reduce the rolling resistance/friction.
Mark
Hello Mark
Currently putting a home made chassis under a GRS tram loco , is it the same power bogie ? If my efforts are sucsessfull will it help you ?
John
What is the wheelbase and wheel diameter measurements of the unit you have.
Mark
Hello Mark
Wheel dia on tread is 40mm and W/B 95mm .
John