Garden Railway Forum

Permanent magnet motors (and parallel wound motors.) when fed at constant voltage, are in the ideal condition a constant speed device, they will draw whatever current needed to try to maintain that speed. Two similar motors ganged together, electrically and mechanically, will load share automaticall...

I have a great big tank full of really cheap butane and yet here I am buying camping stuff at over a fiver a tin. So the obvious question is; how do I get the calor gas into the loco?

Using electric central locking motors is a tempting idea. The old ones were solenoids, nowadays they have little geared motors in them. They are tempting because they are powerful, have about the right throw and work off 12V. The inside of a car door is not a dry environment so although they are not...

Just a short video of my Cheddar Samson.

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Fri Apr 14, 2017 6:18 pm Nice rake of coaches there, I like the colour scheme.

Thanks, picked up cheap at Peterborough. They need a coat of varnish.

Tip I was given regarding fitting water sight glass fittings, is to use drill bit upended (or piece of rod) the same size as the glass tube so you get the top & bottom fittings aligned correctly before fitting the glass tube. Also melt the ends of the glass tube in a naked flame to seal them - ...

I understand why Roundhouse et al use such big servos, moving a full or semi Walschaerts takes some effort, but the Ragleth control valve takes hardly any force to move. I have to say just how much nicer a Ragleth is with full RG. I tried it on reverser only but throttling it down, whilst it works i...

Hmm! Coming to this as a noob, I had no idea which of the 1000s of servos on offer to use. So I looked at the utterly cheap, blue 9g servos I used for my foamboard RC planes. I looked at the specs and measured the force needed to move the controls on Ragleth and bought some better versions with full...

mikewakefielduk@btinterne:123602 wrote:

and fitted a much lighter friction spring

Do you need one at all? I discard mine and rely on the servo to hold the reverser in position.

It seemed to flop sideways too far for my liking.

I have used smaller servos than the size that would be indicated by the spacing of the bolt holes on the running plate. The spec shows they have more than enough power. I have ground some sharp edges off the reverser that were causing a notchy motion and fitted a much lighter friction spring, just e...

I am using metal geared servos.

TonyW:123455 wrote:

Boustrophedon:123449 wrote:OK I get it  my engines work at 3 bar and need an up to date boiler cert.

Can I ask, please, why?

If I want to use it in public...

OK I get it my engines work at 3 bar and need an up to date boiler cert.

But why don't I need one for my Kitchen aid espresso machine that has a boiler at 15 bar?

Just askin'.

Thanks.

When I did my L & B style Ragleth I put the servo and battery under the floor. RX, reverse servo in the side tank and the switch just inside the cab window. Pictures here : - http://gardenrails.myfreeforum.org/about8305.html&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=l+b+ragleth&start=1...

When I did a RC conversion on a Ragleth I got the battery, Rx, on/off switch and regulator servo all in the compartment under the cab floor.  As you are using Deltang this will be easier as I used a Ripmax Saturn Rx which is huge compared to the Deltang Rx102. You will need to drill the cab floor t...

Having successfully converted the RC on my Samson to Deltang based RC, which results in a much neater and more hidden installation, I am now looking to add similar RC to my Ragleth. Forward and reverse is catered for in the design, it is obvious where the servo goes, no problem. But the regulator? I...

What did it protect?

Turner valve gear would also be a quick and easy addition/conversion. Actually given the simplicity of Turner valve gear, I am surprised Roundhouse don't offer it.