Garden Railway Forum

Rik, just for information, I am currently re-building a locomotive, which is based on a GRS chassis. They use a MFA Como 12-24v motor with built-in 15-1 reduction gearbox. I already have another identical chassis and can vouch for its performance. I found this one on eBay. 125733073221, priced at £10.39 + postage.
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https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cnwAAOSw ... s-l500.jpg

Beautiful job, that. Also nice to see a Hunslet with inside frames for a change.

ge_rik wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 6:22 pm I can find a 280 and a 385 MFA motor. Just wondered which one you used and which voltage.

A 285 would be a 5 pole version of a 280 motor. MFA Como don't sell them, but they do sell a RE280/5, which is the 6v version of their RE280.

I assume Steve chose the 6V motor as it would be a tight squeeze to fit a 12V battery pack in a quarry Hunslet, even using 14500 Li cells.......

Hadn't realised GRS used MFA 918D 15:1 gearboxes in their chassis. Too fast for my taste, I'd be using 30:1, which is what was fitted in my old Merlin Motor Mule and I note that Essel mostly use MFA 918D 30:1 gearboxes.

Graeme

ge_rik wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 6:22 pm

-steves- wrote: ↑Sat Feb 18, 2023 3:06 pm The motor is a 285 MFA motor, gears are nylon with 3mm axles......

Hi Steve
I can find a 280 and a 385 MFA motor. Just wondered which one you used and which voltage.
I've not yet got around to seriously making my own chassis (apart from a couple with were based on LGB and Bachmann motor blocks) but I'm interested in moving in that direction

Rik

Hi Rik

You are quite right it is indeed a 280 motor, just me forgetting things as per usual.

I use a 3-6v motor in this and this allows me to use a 2 cell li-ion pack (7.2v) which obviously never gets to run flat out so I have found this to work very well.

Making your own chassis is easy, like everything, once you get used to it, I have seen your Tnikercad designs and you will fly with doing a chassis.

GTB wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 2:35 am

ge_rik wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 6:22 pm I can find a 280 and a 385 MFA motor. Just wondered which one you used and which voltage.

A 285 would be a 5 pole version of a 280 motor. MFA Como don't sell them, but they do sell a RE280/5, which is the 6v version of their RE280.

I assume Steve chose the 6V motor as it would be a tight squeeze to fit a 12V battery pack in a quarry Hunslet, even using 14500 Li cells.......

Hadn't realised GRS used MFA 918D 15:1 gearboxes in their chassis. Too fast for my taste, I'd be using 30:1, which is what was fitted in my old Merlin Motor Mule and I note that Essel mostly use MFA 918D 30:1 gearboxes.

Graeme

Bang on Graeme, it's a RE280/5 which as you say is the 6v version.

I have also used the same 918D motor and gearbox in loco's. I found that the 30:1 gearboxes scream if you try and get any speed up, I use the 15:1 and it sounds much better and surprisingly doesn't effect pulling performance which is usually restricted by the weight of the loco and it getting traction. However, I did use the 24v version on 3 or 4 cell li-ion packs, so approx 12v to 16.8v Note every loco I own is radio controlled.

What a lovely loco, nice work Steve, congratulations!

Steve, I may have missed it, but have you ever explained and shown how the paper lining is achieved? I would be interested to know.

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 11:44 am Steve, I may have missed it, but have you ever explained and shown how the paper lining is achieved? I would be interested to know.

Sorry for the delay, things have been a tad busy this way for a while.

I did include the papering part back in my Secundus build. Here it is, found it. https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... ed#p161249

I do this as it covers 99% of the 3D printing striation lines, which to rub down, fill, rub down, fill, repeat just seems like a waste of effort when this quickly covers them to a flat panel (or curved for that matter).

I learnt this from a good friend as I could not believe just how well and quickly he was completing models.

Bit of a small update. I FDM printed some port holes and then cut some 0.5mm perspex (on a Cricut Maker 3) for the windows, a bit of paint and glue and I believe that it adds just that little bit more to it Ignore all the dust all over it which the sun happens to make shine quite brightly.

You may notice that the firedoor is ajar, this is to let out the light from the red flickering and orange flickering LED's that reside inside the firebox, looks great in the dark, not that I run it much in the dark though

That really is a beautiful little loco, Steve.

philipy wrote: ↑Sat Apr 08, 2023 5:01 pm That really is a beautiful little loco, Steve.

Thank you

It requires 45mm track as it's based on a proper loco that was 3' gauge. I know many people only have 32mm lines, so it's not much use to most or I could have produced a few and made a bit in the process, lol I will move on to the next project soon enough, thoughts are with an NGG16 at the moment, but not 100% convinced all the effort will be worth it, lots and lots of options as we all know.

philipy wrote: ↑Sat Apr 08, 2023 5:01 pm That really is a beautiful little loco, Steve.

I'd say it was your best yet! Though the double Fairlie takes some beating

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Sun Apr 09, 2023 9:20 am

philipy wrote: ↑Sat Apr 08, 2023 5:01 pm That really is a beautiful little loco, Steve.

I'd say it was your best yet! Though the double Fairlie takes some beating

Rik

Thank you, I really appreciate that, strangely enough a good friend of mine said the exact same thing, maybe it is my best yet, certainly the most detailed I have tried.

The rings really top it off. One of the nicest Hunslets I've ever seen.

Old Man Aaron wrote: ↑Fri Apr 14, 2023 4:42 pm The rings really top it off. One of the nicest Hunslets I've ever seen.

Well thank you very much, your kind words are appreciated