More Railmotor Work and DH Progression

This week I’ve been working on some articles.  The first two I was doing have been completed and both submitted to the relevant magazine authorities.  I then needed to update some associated photos.  I was asked by the overseas editors to provide a video on one of the topics.  Given where I installed my topic, this was a bit difficult.  I was videoing into the abyss, that is across an aisle in the shed and you are then confronted with the blurry background.  So I tried to make a white backdrop.  I enlisted the help of my apprentice but the resultant video could have been better.  I might try and re-do the video this week.  I took some more photos on Saturday morning. 

I also got around to installing the window bars on all the relevant windows on my QR 2050 class railmotor.  These were then spray painted.  That was followed by installing the marker lights – front and back on the trailer.  Then I set about installing the actual windows.  I was also working on the buffing plates on the railmotor.  These turned out quite well.

A while back I built a concertina, that is used for protesting the passengers in trailer to trailer walking.  I have no idea where I securely placed this item.  So I had to spend some time building another 2.  I think I will need another 2 or even 4, so I should strike while the iron is hot and build them now.  Today I took the railmotor back down to the test track and tested the lights.  Then I remembered that they are way too bright.  I will have to add another resistor inline to tone them down a bit.  Another job for this week.

This is a snap of a bit of the QR 2050 railmotor plan showing the concertina across the door.  When two trailer are next to each other they protect the people on the workway.

I’ve also started down the path of building some QR DH bogie sideframes.  The first I did was passable.  The next three that I built are too big between the axel boxes.  I will need to shorten this distance by about 1.5mm - 2mm.  I will have to build some more tomorrow.  The issue is I have run out of that size styrene.

The bogie sideframes on the left and the two concertina connections on the right.  The passable one is down the bottom.

New DEB Set and New Beer Fridge Arrive

This week has been a slow week.  Not much Modelling activity was undertaken.  On Wednesday I ventured over to the club and raised a few eyebrows when I walked in mid-week.  I picked up a couple of decoders, that I should have done on Saturday.  I watched some trains running on the HO Clubroom layout, some trains running on the HO/HOn 3½ exhibition layout for a shakedown before an upcoming exhibition and also people working on the new HO/HOn 3½ Clubroom Layout.  I got the decoder tester our to check out the old decoder that I first put into my DH model.  I could not get it to talk.

I came home and did some work in the shed.  On Thursday, a new beer fridge was being delivered in the afternoon.  So I had to get the old one out and I put it in the pergola for the fridge deliverers to take away.  I drafted the apprentice to help me get it up the stairs out of the shed. I also had to remove the shelf that was above the old fridge as the new fridge was about 2cm higher.  Bugger.  Anyway that was easily done.  PK sent me a message on Wednesday arvo, saying that the decoder I was testing earlier at the Club, was indeed beyond repair – as I thought.

Thursday dawned and the first course of business was the predicted delivery of the Auscision DEB set. It rocked up at about midday.  It was unpacked, and taken to the shed.  The carriages were electrically connected and the set put on the track in Grafton Yard.  The sound was activated, the horn tested and it was run from Grafton Yard and got to Cassino where it stabled in the yard.  I needed lunch.  I will have to work out if I need to set up a fake consist so I can drive the DEB set from both ends.  I might need to just turn down the sound volume a few settings as well.  Soon after the fridge guys rocked up.  They helped me put the fridge in the shed and then they took the old one away.  They were gobsmacked by the layout.  One guy said his grandfather had a train set.  If you ever need a fridge, use Appliances Online, their delivery crew are just the best and they take the old one away.  That night we got online and had a discord chat on Marty’s site.

The DEB set is sitting in the Loop at Cassino

The Fridge is stocked and ready for use

Friday was another day of nothingness.  I packed up what I needed to take with me for Saturday but that was it.  We got online and were talking to a few people on Discord, and then talking to more people on Adam’s Whereby site.

Saturday was our NMRA meeting day.  We all ventured out to Ipswich for the meeting.  I got there early and had a pleasant walk to the CJ Vogler & Son Hobby Shop about 400 - 500 metres away.  I had a good browse and picked up a stock of styrene at a fantastic price.  While there 3 other Tuesday Nighters rocked up (Arthur, Barnacle and Kevin) and I think they all bought something at the hobby shop as well.  Back at the hall where our meeting was, people were starting to turn up.  We certainly had a big attendance.  I think it must have been above 40, and there were about half a dozen online as well.  The Ipswich Club certainly put on a great meat and salad lunch which was really appreciated by the attendees.  We had a great natter before, between and after the presentation sessions.  I got there at 9:00am and I think I left just before 5:00pm.  What a day.

Some nice work by Garry on display

A couple of shed by Garry

Later that night we were able to join the BR guys for their fortnightly Brew and Natter on webex.  That was another good session.

My main task now is to work on two presentations for the National NMRA magazine which all NMRA members in Australia and NZ have access to.  I was asked to work on an article for this publication.  Basically they are finished, I just need a few clearances and a review or two by some mates.  Maybe mid-week these will be sent off.

QR DH Loco Development

This week we went down to Sufferers Parasite for 5 days for a bit of a holiday.  Our unit was very nice and had a great outlook over the ocean.  We were just next to a Tram Station, so it was a short trip to the middle of Surfers.  We used the tram quite a bit for those $0.50 trips.  The trams were always full.  I planned to do lots of modelling down the coast, but did nothing.  However, when I got back home, I went to the Train Club meeting on Saturday and showed off my QR 12mm DH mechanism that I have only tried on DC.  It ran very well on the Club test track.  I also gave my QR 12mm 2050 class railmotor on the text track.  I showed off the various marker lights and head lights. 

While at the Club I saw a brilliant 3D print of a QR 2000 class railmotor, which is developing.  I can’t wait for the guys to perfect this print, as I will be buying two shells and then putting two pairs of bogies into the shells and then working on the headlights and marker lights.  I might need to buy a cheap decoder or two to get these shells operational.  I forgot to buy a couple of decoders while at the Club yesterday.  Doh!

When I got home, I set about trying to get the DH mechanism to sit about 1mm lower in the body.  I think I achieved that.  I then installed a decoder that I had taken out of another loco that I recently sold.  The purchaser wanted the loco on DC only, so I removed the decoder.  The loco that was sold ran very well on DC and DCC.  However, after installing the decoder into the DH, it would not run.  I could not read anything from the decoder.  I have no idea what the issue was.  So I replaced that decoder with another one and that runs really well.  The next plan is to install some headlights into the DH shell.  I test the loco this arvo and the headlights are not working.  The front headlight is on solid and the rear headlight will not work.  There must be a wire touching somewhere.  So I will pull it apart again tomorrow to check it out.

My activities will soon turn to working on a couple of models for the modelling competition for the August NMRA Australasian Convention in Brisbane.  First off is to identify what I will be doing?  How many models I will be completing?  What components I need to buy and super detail the models and then get stuck into the work?  I have about 6 months to do this work.  I should have enough time.

I also have a feeling that the Auscision DEB sets will be rocking up this week or maybe next week.  I can’t wait for mine to rock up.  I just need to find a siding on the layout to store my set on.

More Lighting and Bogie Deliveries

This week on the Public Holiday I went over to Bob’s place and gave him his 12mm power and dummy bogies that rocked up in the mail last week.  I installed the last 2.4m section of lights above Rocklea Sidings.  On Tuesday I went to Jaycar and picked up some wire.  The wire was installed between the string of lights above Rocklea Siding to the other half of that 5m string at the northern end of Acacia Ridge Yard.  I spliced the wire into the power supply and gave it a test.  Quite nice.

Now I needed to look at installing an additional string of lights above the trackwork between Glenapp Loop and The Risk.  With the extra width added to the baseboard level above between Loco Pilly and Dutton Park, and also underneath the Yeerongpilly station, the section of layout is quite dark.  So another string of LED lights is called for.  I will experiment on how to install it.  I was thinking of using another couple of lengths of plasterer’s angle.

Wednesday it was my job to install a new power bogie into my QR 2050 class railmotor.  This was done and I also installed 5 sets of LEDs the 0402 type for the headlight, front marker lights and the rear marker lights. 

On Friday I went to the other side of town and dropped off a load of 12mm bogies at the AMRA Clubrooms, for Luke and Guy.  I had a good talk to Luke, and some other mates there - Barry and Anatol.  Prior to that I stopped off at PK's for convenient parking and a free coffee.  On the way home I did a Bunnings stop with two short extension leads and 2 additional lengths of Plasterer’s Angle procured.  When home, I sprayed the plasterer’s angle silver and allowed it to dry overnight.

On Saturday I got around to testing the QR 2050.  The lights were very bright.  I might have to add some higher resistance to the various LED lights this week.  But they all work and the loco runs better than ever.  I really do think the previous motor bogie I had which sh@t itself was truly buggered from the beginning.  It runs very nicely now, much better than before. 

I then joined two lengths of plasterer’s angle together and then glued a 5m run of LED lighting to the plasterer’s angle and allowed that to dry.  Later in the evening, I got my apprentice and he helped me hold the string of lights (4.8m in length) as I glued it and clamped it to the inside of the fascia above the Glenapp Loop to The Risk section.

This photo shows the LED string lit and positioned up behind the upper fascia.

This show shows the next section of fascia.  Again the lights are on.

Just for something to do, after receiving a question from Barnacle Bob on Friday concerning how to install the 12mm bogies, I decided to create a frame for my 12mm bogies to go into my 3D printed QR DH loco which I purchased from Modeller's Warehouse a while back.  I created a frame to attach the bogies to, and built 4 side holding clips for the DH bogies.  These were added to the frame, and I tested the DH frame of DC power.  My dummy bogie was way out of gauge, so I fixed that and gave it a new test.  So the DH test bogie is now running well on DC.  I have identified a DCC chip and I have found a couple of LED lights.  This week I will try and install the LED decoder and drill out some headlight holes in the body frame and add these.