Garden Railway Forum

Hi Grant,

No worries about traction either it would appear.

No for what is a very light model it works very well especially dragging a long wheel base carriage around 12" radius curves.


Hi Rik,

Will you be fitting r/c?

Maybe but would have to fit at least one other battery under the coach to up the voltage unless I use Lipo which as yet I haven't ever used.

Regards Tony.

Tony Bird wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:41 pm ......... would have to fit at least one other battery under the coach to up the voltage unless I use Lipo which as yet I haven't ever used.
Regards Tony.

Tony
If you do decide to try li-ion, happy to advise or assist if you need any help.

Rik

Hi Rik,

If you do decide to try li-ion, happy to advise or assist if you need any help.

Thanks I might take you up on that. It is my wife's birthday in a couple of days and while she was out of town I thought I would get a card. On my way I passed a British Heart Foundation charity shop so I went in looking for an egg cup. No egg cup but a Glendale Rocket and carriage in as new condition along with some track. At £3 it was a it more expensive than the first. As I have just finished one and I have a couple of boilers to make it is unlikely anything will happen with it very soon but when I do make a start it will probably be for R/C.

Regards Tony.

Tony Bird wrote: ↑Wed Jan 17, 2018 8:58 pm On my way I passed a British Heart Foundation charity shop so I went in looking for an egg cup. No egg cup but a Glendale Rocket and carriage in as new condition along with some track.
At £3 it was a it more expensive than the first. As I have just finished one and I have a couple of boilers to make it is unlikely anything will happen with it very soon but when I do make a start it will probably be for R/C.
Regards Tony.

Hi Tony
Blimey! Your charity shops seem to be a lot better stocked than mine. Very few have a decent selection of toys, and those that do seem to have stock which seldom changes.

Rik

Gee!
Hope you DID buy a card, I don't want the blame for that.
Grant.

Hi Grant,

Hope you DID buy a card, I don't want the blame for that.

No worries! I did and it was even more expensive than my other major purchase of the day.

Regards Tony.

Hi Rik,

Blimey! Your charity shops seem to be a lot better stocked than mine. Very few have a decent selection of toys, and those that do seem to have stock which seldom changes.

Cardiff has an amazing number of charity shops for a city with a population of about 450,000 they could almost claim to be a tourist attraction. In one street there a two RSPCA shops and it is only about half a mile long.

Regards Tony.

Another fantastic SM32 conversion Tony, with yet another one waiting in the wings.

Like Rik & others I've yet to come across these amazing charity shop finds, but I do now carry my Jurassic Models 16mm scale ruler in my wallet to hunt out any 16mm scale bargains at the £1 shops.

Chris Cairns

Hi,

In between bashing and pickling boiler end plates I have put wheels on the new carriage which like its big brother has had its doors glued shut. The locomotive will pull both carriages at the same time but not around the tight curves of the test track. I will now have to look for some Postman Pat figures to drive and ride the train.
Regards Tony.

Tony, I wonder would a little more friction to the centre axle help. Could a little roller deflecting the drive band down slightly between the second and third axle work, though not wanting to get away from the simplicity of the project which is part of its attraction.
Grant.

Hi Grant,

I wonder would a little more friction to the centre axle help. Could a little roller deflecting the drive band down slightly between the second and third axle work, though not wanting to get away from the simplicity of the project which is part of its attraction.

A very good idea and perfectly possible but alas not with the chassis as it stands as the motor would need to be moved a little, maybe when I have a go at Mk.2 I will try it. I have used a jockey pulley but in my a case sprocket to take up the wear on a chain drive electric locomotive chassis, the chain had worn but not enough that a link could be removed.

I have however improved the traction of the chassis, when building steam locomotives I usually balance them around the centre of the distance between the driving wheels. This usually requires a weight to be fitted to the front or rear buffer beam to achieve a rough balance. When I picked up the model it was very heavy at the back because of the batteries the motor not anything like balancing them. The hasn't happened before as all the chassis I have made have had the weight between the axles not outside.

So I balanced the model on its centre axle. It needed three and a half lead washers to balance the model. These washers were glued into the smoke box and then painted This done the model would stay in place with both front and rear buffer beams touching the table. The traction now is such that the motor will stall before the wheels slip. The Glendale Rocket now easily manages to pull both carriages and pushing it two Thomas the Tank Engine carriages as well. I have always found balance my steam engines improves their traction but never thought of trying the same on electric locomotive, to be fair most are probably nearly in balance anyway.

Regards Tony.

Good one Tony, I guess the basics of good loco design apply right down to your tiny locos size.
Grant.

Hi,

As we go away tomorrow for a bit and I had got to a convenient stopping point with the boilers I am working on so to fill it time I thought I would do a bit of work on the Glendale Rocket Mk.2. Starting with cutting the body about to see if it was possible to fit thee AAA cells in the same place as Mk.1 had two.

This was a none electric version of the Glendale Rocket. The roof was removed along with the wheels and the first cut made. The body was dismantled. Part of the chassis was cut away. And filled to shape. Leaving it looking thus. The inside of the body had almost all the fixing points removed. Other parts of the model replaced. The body assembled with battery holder fitted. Body at end of play. So it looks as if I will be able to fit R/C to this model but it will be some time before it is completed as when we return it will be to finish the boilers.

Regards Tony.

Hi,

Having spent some time away I have been catching up with some drawing of things made that I might what to make again. I have also edited some video which has been added to the video of the Glendale Rocket, this video shows the Rocket performing after it had been balance and pulling both carriages.

https://youtu.be/gA5uMe0zN90

It will be several more weeks before we return to the UK and back to the workshop.

Regards Tony.

What a difference balancing makes, enjoy your break away Tony,
Grant.

Hi,

I have been back from far away places for a bit
not sure I like the temperature here though.

I have part made a chassis for the Glendale Rocket Mk.2 it is much the same as Mk.1 though it has a slightly shorter wheel base and is an 0-4-0 which gives a little more room. There is more weight to balance the extra battery in the smoke box and a slightly larger motor is fitted.


I might get some more done tomorrow.


Regards Tony.

Hi,

Mk.2 Glendale Rocket has been painted and assembled but will have to wait until I can afford the R/C.
Regards Tony.

Hi,

The radio control arrived today and was fitted this afternoon.
Video at:

https://youtu.be/zD0oVv7Ji_g

It works quite well on just 3.6 volts but I think 4.8 would be better as I use in one of my other conversions, I might try a smaller motor.

Regards Tony.

Thanks Tony - great example , especially your very neat wiring! Beats my mound of spaghetti I seem to amass in my builds!