Now....what should i do with this?

A place for discussing battery-electric locomotives, whether they're diesel, steam or even electric outline
User avatar
ge_rik
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 6497
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Cheshire
Contact:

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by ge_rik » Tue Mar 13, 2018 12:34 pm

Actually, looking at the videos, I'm not sure that weight is the issue. The chassis itself does seem to roll about a lot as if one or more of the wheels is out of alignment. Is the quartering out at all?

Or maybe the back to backs are too narrow - it looks like the wheels are falling down between the rails from time to time. It was interesting that the rolling seemed to iron out when she wnet through the pointwork.

Rik
------------------------
Peckforton Light Railway - Blog Facebook Youtube

User avatar
markoteal
Trainee Driver
Trainee Driver
Posts: 763
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2016 6:23 pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by markoteal » Tue Mar 13, 2018 1:46 pm

Cheers Rik - lots of good ideas there - I'll have to get busy this weekend - good news is that SWMBO is away this weekend so her digital kitchen scales may develop a new specialism (loco weigh-bridge) :D
Where did I put that uncoupler?

User avatar
markoteal
Trainee Driver
Trainee Driver
Posts: 763
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2016 6:23 pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by markoteal » Tue Mar 13, 2018 1:48 pm

ge_rik wrote: Tue Mar 13, 2018 12:34 pm Actually, looking at the videos, I'm not sure that weight is the issue. The chassis itself does seem to roll about a lot as if one or more of the wheels is out of alignment. Is the quartering out at all?

Or maybe the back to backs are too narrow - it looks like the wheels are falling down between the rails from time to time. It was interesting that the rolling seemed to iron out when she wnet through the pointwork.

Rik
Yes - I did notice it evened out at certain points - I'll check those back to backs, not checked those - the quartering looks ok as I had the rods off to paint them and checked they were lined up when I put them back on but I will check again
Where did I put that uncoupler?

User avatar
philipy
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 5033
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2011 3:00 pm
Location: South Northants

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by philipy » Tue Mar 13, 2018 1:57 pm

Mark, I must say that, as Rik's first thought, my immediate thought was Quartering.
It's difficult to tell at the speed it goes though! Any chance of slowing it down and posting another vid?
Another thought would be that one(or more) wheels is not square on the axle.
Philip

User avatar
markoteal
Trainee Driver
Trainee Driver
Posts: 763
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2016 6:23 pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by markoteal » Tue Mar 13, 2018 2:07 pm

Cheers for the feedback Phillip - yes, it does rattle along and thats just on one AAA battery - the other in the battery box is a dud one to make the circuit. I think the fast speed doesn't help - I may have to loan a deltang to this loco from one of the diesels till I sort this issue out or wire in one of my 'one way' esc's to slow things down.

What i may do is do a slow mo version of some of the footage I have and zoom in a bit more

I'll add checking the wheels being square on the axis to the investigation list - thanks for flagging that
Where did I put that uncoupler?

User avatar
tom_tom_go
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4824
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:08 am
Location: Kent, UK
Contact:

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by tom_tom_go » Tue Mar 13, 2018 9:18 pm

I quite like the rocking around. It could be a circus train?

Reminds me of loco from Dumbo:


User avatar
LNR
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1533
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2016 5:26 am
Location: Australia

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by LNR » Wed Mar 14, 2018 12:46 am

Sorry Mark, I'm still laughing at your driver in the second video, showing great balancing skills.
I would venture to say that the problem is not weight, but that you have one or more wheels out of true. Could be worth a check. Not quartering but the circumference of the wheel not true on the axle.
Grant.
PS apologies, I seem to be having forum problems again, with pages not appearing.

User avatar
markoteal
Trainee Driver
Trainee Driver
Posts: 763
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2016 6:23 pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by markoteal » Wed Mar 14, 2018 1:47 pm

Well thanks again for all the advice - managed a quick fettle last night and found a few things on your lists - on closer inspection by taking the chassis right out and into bits, one of the wheels is quite loose on the axle and so wobbles and when it does that the quartering goes out - this also means the gap between the wheels varies

After a bit of CHLR key hole precision engineering (read I pushed it all back together tight and added a spot of glue to the wheel/axle point), I put number 5 back on the track and ........



Its not perfect but its so much better - now more of a slight side to side motion which is probably down to the motion and things not being 100% spot on quartering wise - more fettling at the weekend but at least we are heading in the right direction.

I'll also see if I cab find a slightly less powerful AAA battery to lower the speed for now!

Thanks again - power to the forum
Last edited by markoteal on Wed Mar 14, 2018 9:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Where did I put that uncoupler?

User avatar
GTB
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1550
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2011 2:46 pm
Location: Australia

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by GTB » Wed Mar 14, 2018 2:17 pm

markoteal wrote: Wed Mar 14, 2018 1:47 pm
I'll also see if I cab find a slightly less powerful AAA battery to lower the speed for now!
Fit a suitably rated diode in series with the battery, between the battery and the reversing switch. A silcon diode will drop a constant voltage (usually 0.6-0.7V) which isn't affected by the current drawn and it won't generate much heat.

Fitting a switch to switch the diode in/out would also give you a simple hi/lo speed control.

A resistor can do the job, but the voltage drop varies with the current drawn and a resistor will generate heat, which isn't desirable in a mostly plastic mechanism.

Regards,
Graeme

User avatar
philipy
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 5033
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2011 3:00 pm
Location: South Northants

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by philipy » Wed Mar 14, 2018 2:37 pm

Certainly looks a lot better now, Mark.
I still have the feeling that the problem is more a question of something still not quite square and true, than quartering.
Philip

User avatar
tom_tom_go
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4824
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:08 am
Location: Kent, UK
Contact:

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by tom_tom_go » Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:53 pm

Power to the form, what a great quote!

User avatar
ge_rik
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 6497
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Cheshire
Contact:

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by ge_rik » Wed Mar 14, 2018 6:07 pm

A great improvement - and a little bit of wobble adds to the charm of the loco. :bounce:
I agree with the others - it's less likely to be a quartering problem - that would tend to give you uneven speed (a jerky forward motion) with each revolution of the wheels, I think it's more likely to be wheel wobble on the axle. You might be able to see it if you run her upside down :?

Rik
------------------------
Peckforton Light Railway - Blog Facebook Youtube

User avatar
markoteal
Trainee Driver
Trainee Driver
Posts: 763
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2016 6:23 pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by markoteal » Wed Mar 14, 2018 10:07 pm

Cheers guys - you were right - deffo the rear axle where the sideways wobble is coming from after an upside down run - another fettle required at the weekend

And Graeme, I'll have a look at that diode approach - a simple approach for my simple little loco

Ta


Mark
Where did I put that uncoupler?

User avatar
markoteal
Trainee Driver
Trainee Driver
Posts: 763
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2016 6:23 pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by markoteal » Mon Mar 26, 2018 10:18 am

After another few tweaks (and basically taking all the chassis apart including pulling 3 out of the 4 wheels off and reattaching - we are more of less there - actually works better in reverses that forward - slight 'throw' as one of the rods comes over the top going forwardbut now have it pulling something.



This video is based on 3V which is ok for speed buts struggles to pull anything else - so last night attached a 4 cell holder in there - 6V will probably be too much but will probably pop a blank in one of the holder and try 4.5V - we are getting there - more video to come over Easter
Where did I put that uncoupler?

User avatar
philipy
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 5033
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2011 3:00 pm
Location: South Northants

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by philipy » Mon Mar 26, 2018 10:34 am

Looks much better Mark. I think that slight hesitation now is possibly quartering this time, especially since you say there is a tight spot.
Philip

User avatar
markoteal
Trainee Driver
Trainee Driver
Posts: 763
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2016 6:23 pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by markoteal » Sat Apr 14, 2018 8:36 pm

The management at the CHLR decided that today was naming day for engine number 5 - Meteor - below are a couple of ex works photos of the loco on it special day:-
IMG_2311.JPG
IMG_2311.JPG (225.72 KiB) Viewed 6443 times
IMG_2314.JPG
IMG_2314.JPG (224.25 KiB) Viewed 6443 times
Here some of the lads have a chat with Beardy Bob the driver
IMG_2315.JPG
IMG_2315.JPG (235.53 KiB) Viewed 6443 times
Here Meteor head out on its first revenue earning train
IMG_2316.JPG
IMG_2316.JPG (217.24 KiB) Viewed 6443 times
And returns safely
IMG_2324.JPG
IMG_2324.JPG (220.7 KiB) Viewed 6443 times
and finally........... a reminder where we started
IMG_2068.JPG
IMG_2068.JPG (408.77 KiB) Viewed 6443 times
Hopefully I'll have video to follow soon of the finished engine in action
Where did I put that uncoupler?

User avatar
Peter Butler
Driver
Driver
Posts: 5219
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 10:33 pm
Location: West Wales

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by Peter Butler » Sat Apr 14, 2018 9:02 pm

Comparing the two images I would call that a transformation and a great success, well done.
The best things in life are free.... so why am I doing this?

User avatar
tom_tom_go
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4824
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:08 am
Location: Kent, UK
Contact:

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by tom_tom_go » Sat Apr 14, 2018 10:02 pm

Bang on Mark, looks the biz.

User avatar
philipy
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 5033
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2011 3:00 pm
Location: South Northants

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by philipy » Sun Apr 15, 2018 7:20 am

Great end result, well done.
Tbh when you started I thought you were on hiding to nothing, but its been worth the effort, well done.
Philip

User avatar
tom_tom_go
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4824
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:08 am
Location: Kent, UK
Contact:

Re: Now....what should i do with this?

Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:20 am

Mark, you should submit it as model of the month on the 16mm NGM site as it will be something different for a change:

https://www.16mm.org.uk/category/model-of-the-month/

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests