Garden Railway Forum

While I have it in bits I have made some "improvements".

Firstly replacing the crossheads and their guides. I am now using an "engineering grade" or "ABS like" resin in the resin printer. The results seem significantly better. The components are more rigid, seem stronger, and cope with drilling tapping and filing. One wheel wasn't running true - so I sorted that. I also remade the coupling rods on the filament printer - the originals had worn journals. I have added brass bushes to the new ones:
Having created a passable model of the Ffestiniog loco lamp, and having the RC receiver that can control them it was an obvious addition:
Of course that chimney top isn't quite circular. So resin printed chimney top, safety valve cover, injectors, and tank handrails were obvious improvements. Since the sound card has the twin whistles for Welsh Pony - I had to make and fit whistles!

Trevor

So with all the "improvements" in place:
I suppose I need to video it running so that you can judge whether the sound card is an improvement!

Trevor

That is truly an amazing build Trevor. Brilliant solutions to a problem that is a bug bare to most people.
Looking forward to the video when the weather improves hopefully.

philipy wrote: ↑Tue Jan 10, 2023 4:08 pm Looks like a masterly solution to a problem... so lets hear it then!

Hmm? Not quite ready for that yet! The reed switch failed again. So its back to voltage dependant chuffing - which isn't quite right on this loco. The voltage which makes it start to move is load dependant which doesn't quite work. Part of the problem is that the reduction ratio on the worm and wheel is insufficient. So for example another loco with the same batteries, same motor and radio receiver will start a heavy test load but this one will not. It just causes the electronic fuse to cut the power. Not really satisfied with that - I know it could pull more and I think I am overloading the motor.

I modified the drive to incorporate a 3:1 reduction using plastic spur gears - but that was incredibly noisy - but it solved the other problems. I'm now trying metal gears with a 2:1 reduction to see how noisy they are.

So I am working to change the gear ratio to improve the starting. I think it will make starting less load dependant - and that looks to be important if I can't get the reed switch to work reliably.

I have also got reed switches from another source (not eBay!) which I hope will prove more reliable. That is about to be tried as well.

So I will try video when It works properly.

Trevor

I hope you manage to sort out the gearing, Trevor. It's such an attractive looking loco, it will be great to see it steaming through the garden scenery.

I'm impressed with the 3D printed motion. I did wonder about using the resin printer for the motion on my cardboard Hunslet but in the end I've gone for a mix of filament and brass. I was concerned that the resin might be too brittle.

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Sun Jan 29, 2023 8:46 am I hope you manage to sort out the gearing, Trevor. It's such an attractive looking loco, it will be great to see it steaming through the garden scenery.

I'm impressed with the 3D printed motion. I did wonder about using the resin printer for the motion on my cardboard Hunslet but in the end I've gone for a mix of filament and brass. I was concerned that the resin might be too brittle.

Rik

Yes it seems to work quite well. Is adds a bit more friction than it would if it were metal, but it seems strong enough. I am sure it would be better if I used the more expensive resin, but it seems to work anyway.

I am sure I can sort out the gearing - but I am not impressed so far with the reed switches.

Trevor

Trevor,
How is your soldering?

I 'owe' the Forum a favour (bits sent to me) and have some encapsulated reed switches. I could drop a couple in the post..

Message me if you want them.
Phil.P

I have been waiting for some suitable weather to get outside and take video of Welsh Pony pulling a train. Finally managed it today. Here is a link to it:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p62o952ibg7cy ... y.mp4?dl=0

There is still a certain amount of rubbish on the track, so it's a bit jerky in places, and a cold easterly wind made. itself felt near the viaduct. The reed relay and the magnets are now working reliably - and I like the way that the exhaust beats are exactly syncronised with the piston motion.

Trevor

That is a superb video and even more so, the loco and train.
Gives a much fuller impression of the line and I love the bit where it approaches the viaduct with TanyBwlch in the back ground - looks just right.

I can hear it but can't see it. It does sound good though and I imagine what it looks like. Pity though, I would like to see the loco in all it's glory.

FWLR wrote: ↑Sun Apr 09, 2023 7:44 am I can hear it but can't see it. It does sound good though and I imagine what it looks like. Pity though, I would like to see the loco in all it's glory.

Try again. I think I posted the link before it was fully uploaded to dropbox. Just found the same problem with a video I uploaded about the 3 d printed live steam loco - when I opened it in the forum I just got the sound. That hasn't fully uploaded yet, so I think I have an explanation.

Trevor

Thats mightily impressive Trevor. I love your line, that's also mightily impressive. The trellises is superb, I bet that took some working out, plus building on the slop, as does most of your line. Did you use scaffolding
The slow running is brilliant and your colour scheme really works.

Can you tell me if you used 'y's or right and left points at the halt

Rod

Glad you like it.

The points at the halt are "Y" points.

Trevor