Large (1:20.3) Scale Workbench

[Mayner]

Though I would keep my Large Scale stuff on a different thread to my Irish small scale stuff. Started tracklaying o the garden layout shortly after we moved to our present home almost 17 years ago so a lot of maintenance required at this stage if the Jackson County is to stay in operation. The first owner when our home was completed almost 100 years ago was a Jackson and have Jackson family connections.

First job was to get RGS Motor #4 running again  in order to keep the Mail contract and the railroad open.

Motor 4 was bought second maybe third hand eight years ago from UK used equipment dealer Ellis Clarke Trains for £600 plus GST (VAT, Duty and NZ Customs fees)

Motor 4 was supplied as a non-runner wired for battery RC and retro-fitted in the shops with sound and possibly a RCS (Remote Control Systems) receiver-power controller.

#4 gave good service but like the Drumm Battery Trains of the 1930s the (NiMh) batteries require replacement after nearly 8 years service!

#4s new batteries (10X1.2V 2300mAh) are partially hidden under the rats nest of wiring and the radio receiver-power controller.

The receiver-power controller was supplied by RCS owned by the late Tony Walsingham in Australia. Large scale battery RC equipment is was largely a cottage industry business with RCS supplying equipment internationally. #4 receiver transmitter used a Spektrum 27Gh receiver widely used in model aircraft in combination with RCS circuit board and power control unit. Its only in recent years that miniature combined receiver-power control boards became widely available similar in size to a HO DCC decoder.

One puzzle re-assembling #4 was the purpose of a pair of brown and red leads on the receiver board. No wiring diagram in the instruction manual and the RCS archive no longer accessible after the business closed after Tony passed away. Managed to find a wiring diagram on YUMPU likely to be for 'binding" the receiver to the transmitter, but had that "lightbulb moment" when I looked at the underside of the model. The wires were for a binding switch to allow #4 to be bound to a transmitter without having to remove the body! 

Basically in order to operate a receiver has to be 'bound" to a particular receiver, the binding switch allows #4 to be bound to different receivers similar to but cruder than selecting a particular loco address to a DCC throttle.

Took over an hour to charge #4 batteries for 1st time use followed by test, re-assembly and post assembly test that everything is working correctly.

Yes the radio antenna is intended to stick out of the body through a hole by the tail light, to avoid problems with poor radio reception as a result of the all metal van body.

 

Next vehicles to be returned to working order were RGS Motors #1 and #6.

Motor #1 is a Bachmann Railtruck & Motor #6 is a Berlyn Locomototive Works Korean Brass model acquired from a US dealer in 2016, both had been track powered and had not operated since track power operations had ceased several years ago. The nylon final drive gears in the Bachmann railtruck had split several years ago and replaced with lost lost brass castings of the orignal gears which appeared to be ok. Although the real #1 had been dismantled and parts re-used in #6 I though it would be nice to have both Motors in operation on the Jackson County. Unfortunately there were meshing problems with the new brass gears under test so Motor #1 may be retired to a display case (not really practical to have a spur for dumped/dead stock on a garden railway!

Preparing #6 for conversion to battery RC revealed a few surprises, I had converted the motor to DCC complete with a 'stay alive" decoder.  Also the electronics for the lighting (incandescent) are on a separate module. Assembly is unusual because the motor is mounted on rubber mounts on the underside of the chassis.

 

Planning to power #6 with 10 AA NiMh cells from a stock or re-chargable batteries bought several years ago in the RGS second hand/junk yard tradition.

Mock up of batteries control circuitry #6, motor drives on the rear bogie

Motor #6 seems to have been used for PW work and light switching, try a flat 10 battery holder to lower the profile of the load. #6 seems to have been used for carrying ties (sleepers) or the bed covered with a tarp.  Its a fine and delicate model with a low top speed in comparison with Motor #4 and the locos.

 

[Mayner]

Completed conversion of Motor 6 to RC, wiring is a bit agricultural using existing stock. A flat 10 battery holder replaced the 6 & 4 in the last post.

Tested the lighting with a temporary hook up to the receiver before installing the permanent wiring, as I was unsure if it was set up for directional lighting. The both the headlights and lamps on the cab roof are on a single circuit fed through a diode only lighting when the motor is moving forward.

Receiver temporary set up, motor leads feeding the lighting.

Charging Jack and power switch, large scale modellers are not too bothered about hands free operation 

Permanent hook-up receiver re-positioned towards the rear of the bed. Brown and white wires motor hook up, blue lighting the - lighting circuit is hard wired to a pair of solder pads (F1 & 2) on the receiver the + connected to the red on the terminal block! Receiver is mounted on double sided foam pads on a piece of plasticard to ensure receiver is isolated from power sources. The "receiver" includes integral RC receiver, power controller and function controls, similar size to a DCC chip.

More wiring bodgery. I had to run the motor and lighting power leads from the rear of the truck cause the battery holder takes up most of the space on the bed.

The universal joint end near the motor had split at some stage and is Lockset to the motor shaft.

Motor 6 should be busy on track renewals during the next few months as I urgently need to replace the ties (sleepers) on approx 40+' of the main line that have failed after 16 years as a result of UV damage. 

Thinking of making up an inverted box to protect the electronics and as a base for a load.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LNERW1]

You've replied to my garden railway topic, how did I not know you had one too?!

[Mayner]

Motor #6 now got a load of ties (sleepers) to hide the batteries and electronics.

In true RGS struggling light railway fashion, the load includes salvaged ties once used on the raillroad.

The Jackson County was originally laid with AMS (Accuracraft) flexible track, switches (points) were a combination of Sunset Valley and hand laid on yellow-cedar ties machined to match the profile of the AMS ties as (luckily) no AMS switches were available. The plastic AMS ties began to deteriorate after 4-5 years as a result of UV exposure and gradually replaced on with Sunset Valley ties over the past 10 years. As the AMS/cedar ties were to a heavier profile cedar ties/crossing timbers gradually replaced with Sunset Valley.  

The ties were glued with exterior pva to a plasticard box that protects the batteries and electronics. Need to stain the cut ends of the cedar, though we once used second hand standard gauge sleepers cut in two on a Welsh narrow gauge line broadly similar in appearance.

Building in background is a loco shed which requires repairs to free up the outdoor workbench for a major track refurbishment programme. One side of shed looks reasonable, windows and frames missing on the opposite side and require replacement.

Motor #6 is slow just about capable of what appears to be a scale 10 mph, but nice to have it running again after several years out of use.

The throttles. Basically a single throttle allocated to a locomotive particularly an operating session with a number of different operators walking around running locos/trains. I usually set the large knob to control speed the small knob direction

Edited June 2, 2024 by Mayner

[LNERW1]

How similar is Number 6 to the Colorado Southern “Galloping Goose”?

[Mayner]

9 hours ago, LNERW1 said:

How similar is Number 6 to the Colorado Southern “Galloping Goose”?

#6 is considered to be a Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose although never used for mail or passenger/tourist traffic.

Although RGS management put in a bid to take over and operate the Colorado and Southern "South Park" line and operate it with 'motors" similar to the RGS the bid was not accepted and the South Park remained steam work until abandoned/converted to Standard Gauge.

 

[Mayner]

Quite a break through this week repaired/replaced the windows in the Large Scale loco shed freeing up space on the outdoor workbench, to allow track repair work.

Shed built 2008-9 using treated construction ply overlaid with ripped down trellis rail and steel roof from an estate agents sign, similar in architectural  styling to the 3' gauge  East Broad Top, works at Orbisonia Pensylvannia  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Broad_Top_Railroad_and_Coal_Company. Windows on one side had fallen out and wooden flashings (surrounds) needed replacement. Still got to sort out roof covering, vents and plumb up the post in the doorway! 

Ran a lifting train RGS style with caboose behind the loco to recover the rails from the 1st 20" section to be refurbished.

First rails removed, ties left in place. Rail fastening had basically failed after 16-17 years exposure to Sunlight. 

Replacement panels dropped to one side.

Rails were basically removed from the ties on the old RGS moved by train to the nearest roadside loading point, ties removed and trackbed tidies up with a dozer or a Drott.

Ballast bed  16-17 years after the track was 1st laid fabric material is the remains of weed mat. Ironically the first section of track to be lifted was more or less where we finished the last section of Main Line in a garden railway meet in 2008.

Taking realism to new levels the mark of baseplates clearly visible of the foot of the rail.

The real RGS was plagued by K27 tender de-railing during its final years of operation, in this case misaligned joints on the Wye Track.

Just like Portlaoise? re-conditioning rails by running them through the rolls to ease out kinks and other distortions before threading on the new ties.

Repaired panel in centre stock of tie strip on right.

Stock of replacement ties from supplier Sunset Valley Railroad, United States

 

 

 

[Mayner]

There were some signs of rot (after 16 years) to the trackbase of the recently lifted section of track, so I decided to replace an entire 4.8 meter section on the basis that the trackbase should be good for another 10-15 years, by which time we may have moved home or I may no longer be capable of playing trains or have keeled over.

Turned out rot was mainly superficial on a section of board where I made the mistake of leaving the grain facing upwards.

A real consolation was there was no sign of decay to vertical section of the T or L girder and the supporting piles.

Replacement section with cut ends treated and ready for installation. Timber is wet pressure treated and stress graded for external use in decks, pergolas and car ports and needed to people to lift it on to the roofrack of the van at the builders merchant.

Replacement section installed ready for track-laying.

I will dress up the edges with some old trellis rail I have in stock, which I may eventually use to retain ballast. This section of the layout was originally loose ballasted with 6-8mm washed pebble which was washed away after several years exposure to the weather. On other sections ballast is bonded with PVA (sold in 5Ltr containers as concrete bonding agent) which has held up well in certain areas and less well in others.

 

[David Holman]

Proper civil engineering!

[Mayner]

Breakhrough!

A real and unexpected breakthrough today after nearly 6 months I relaid the track lifted almost 6 months ago and I can once again run trains on the garden railway.

Although I had replaced a decayed section of trackbase by late July, a section of the supporting structure required replacement and did not have time to carry out this work until December.

While the piles and beams that support the trackbase held up well, the end of one of the 4"X2" that supports the trackbase in the station/yard area was quite badly rotted and replaced with new treated timber (centre of picture) the cut ends were given an additional coat of clear preservative. I replaced the basebord fascia in this area (4"x1") decking timber to provide a uniform appearance in this area. 

Looking into the jungle, we had high rainfall and humid conditions this spring and with little time available the garden got away on me!

First Train since June!  346 with a train of Flat Cars and Caboose to pick up track material.

I haden't planned to work on the railway today the arthritis in my knees began playing up quite badly on Monday and I found it painful and difficult to walk yesterday, but thought some exercise might help and it did!

Picked up refurbished track panels had sat on the outdoor workbench since June, just for show as load toppled on 1st curve.

Material train at the "head of steel" (brass actually)

RGS Motor 6 waits at the other end of the gap before we drop in the last panel.

Track reinstated! The track panels overlapped by about 2" though I am fairly sure I used the original rails!

Problem quickly solved with a razor saw, could not find my junior hacksaw and blade nackered on full size hacksaw.

New Sunset Valley NG ties are shorter than original Accucraft (AMS) NG ties but likely to last longer. I have enough Sunset Valley ties in stock to replace the remaining AMS (American Model Systems) ties on the main line, but will probably have to replace the AMS ties on the "High Line" that are showing signs of UV damage 18 years use and Southern Hemisphere UV exposure.

Motor 6 carried out the first test/inspection run.

346 followed after marshalling the Caboose at the end of the train, it was after 8pm and the light beginning to fade.

More a setting of priorities a toss up between assembling a 60Class D14 etch I drew up last January and completing a pair of SSM J15s I started only God knows when.

I recently tidied up the workbench and began sorting out the parts for the two locos and just maybe make some progress before starting the D14 

 

 

[Mol_PMB]

One of the benefits of this hobby is there are so many different aspects to it and you can pick a project to work on that suits the mood, weather etc. 

But I am guilty of a lot of half-finished models! 

[Mayner]

Returning home from a month in the land of ice and snow one of the first tasks was to get the garden under some semblence of control again.

Weather appears to have been hot & dry with no significant storms when we were away, but a lot of vegitation and debris to clear since we ran our last train just before Christmas.

Finally managed to run a train after tea on Sunday evening. RGS Motor 6 had been used to clear the route before 463 set out with a Freight while I was mowing the lawn.

But had struggled with the grades on her return journey, and had to return on a "Caboose Hop" later to collect a pair of box cars that had been left behind.

Loco shed has had it missing windows replaced, will probably fit Motor #6 with a coupler as she seems to have been used as a light switcher in addition to track maintenance duties

#463 returning with its train, generally 463 is capable of hauling 7-8 cars & 2-8-0 346 4 cars on the grades of the High Line, on Sunday 463 struggled with 4-5 and 346 could just about haul 1 although the rails were dry. Possibly oxidation or plant resin the cause of the slipping with no trains running for over a month!  463 made several runs over the High Line today gradually building up the load from 6-9 cars without a banker, though 346 continued to slip with 1 car!

Our second K27 #464  had been out of service since her tender coupler failed while working a Stock Special last May and I decided it was time to prioritise loco and stock maintenance to keep the railroad running.

Had some Large Scale parts delivered to my father inlaws place in the States and brought home as personal luggage.

Coupler was basically a direct replacement for the failed pocket with an additional vertical bolt which hopefully may reduce the stresses around the coupler pivot point.

464 a Bachmann K27 introduced in 2007 is basically falling apart as a result of wear and tear and compenent failure and it no longer worth while carrying out major work, just enough to keep her in service. It gearbox failed shortly after I bought the loco in 2016-7 and managed to source a replacement before Bachmann ceased to stock the part, the plastic tender trucks and leading truck disintegrated and were replaced by a fabricated brass leading truck and tender trucks by diecast C19 trucks.

463 an Brass Accuracraft K27 was bought as a long term replacement for 464, but 464 is useful despite its condition and a stronger puller

Although 464 could do with a re-wire, the cable looms are no longher available and loco-tender connections in poor condition on one side, the RCS power and accessory controller is integrated with the Bachmann circuit board, the chip thingy on the right is actually the radio receiver!

Surprisingly 464 powered up, speed direction, light and sound functions operated correctly although the loco has not been re-charged in over 8 months!

Accidental damage and breakages are a major issue with finely detailed Large Scale models despite minimal handling. 

The Hand Brake wheel assembly on this and another Stock Car came adrift while running on Sunday on one instance the shaft dropped down between the rails causing a derailment while running through a switch (point)

Several cars require inspection and repairs before they can run again and one Caboose a set of replacement balcony railings and roof ladder.

A lot of work to run a very occasional train!

[Tullygrainey]

The joys of a garden railway! Challenges that we indoor modellers never have to deal with. Our vegetation never grows any bigger and the weather hardly ever changes. Impressive stuff and that photograph of the electronic circuitry compartment with your 4mm loco projects in the background gives some indication of just how big these 1:20.3 models are. A whole different experience! 

Alan

[David Holman]

Interesting to hear of the problems with larger scale stuff, but that Rio Grande stock is fabulous. I could easily be smitten, had I the space...

[Mayner]

An evening in the Car Shops. Time to catch up on some freight car maintenance and repairs as large scale cars appear to be more easily damaged than small scale.

Cars are uncoupled by lifting the coupler lift arm just like the prototype. On one Box Car the bracket that supports one end of the lift arm was broken and required repair/reinforcement.

I basically carried out the repair uning 0.7mm brass wire as a split pin and gluing back the broken pivot.

The brackets that support a roof hatch at the same end had broken off and were replaced with plasticard.

The repairs touched up with my own 'red oxide' aerosol.

Stock cars appear to get heavy wear in this case coupler pin disconnected from the linkage and paint worn off the lifting arm

Pin re-connected and paint touch up completed. For some reason the handbrake wheels on the stock cars have not survived/don't appear to be as durable as those on other cars with approx 50% missing (broke off/lost in service,) I am planning to 3D print replacements once I get a chance to sort out the mess in the print workshop/tool shed.

Another Stock Car ened up with a damaged foot step (brass thankfully), possibly a switching incident. 'straightened up" by the blacksmith and bolted to the underframe, (the bolts are spare fixing bolts for a coupler) and touched up with my custom black aerosol

 

Another urgent job was to replace the lanterns in the Long Caboose a discontinued Bachmann Spectrum model with parts unavailable

Luckily Accuracraft caboose lamps are a direct fit in the socket in the Bachmann body. I ordered and collected a stash of Accuracraft spare parts while I recently visited the States as its has become challenging to order parts from overseas.

The caboose has a beautifully detailed interior, I need to replace the toylike Bachmann figures.

I need to fabricate a new stive pipe for the Caboose the original broke off and is likely to be missing 'somewhere' along the 300' or so of track and no suitable replacement is currently available.

The most troublesome car on the Road is a Bachmann Spectrum tank car that initally oscillated quite badly from side to side while running down grade

I fitted plasticard rubbing strips at one end to reduce rocking, but the problem persisted.

The car ran steadily on Accuacraft trucks and the cause was eventually traced to the different Bachmann wheel profile although they used the same back to back dimension. The problem was eliminated by reducing the Bachmann back to back dimension until the car ran steadily. Oddly enough the Bachmann K27 and Long Caboose run steadily although I have not checked the wheel profile or back to back.

In the end I decided to replace the Bachmann trucks with Accuacraft although the narrow gauge Freight Truck is currently un -available settling for Caboose Trucks instead.

The pivot arrangement on the Caboose Truck is quite different from the current Freight Truck using a turned bolt and a spring as opposed to a long self tapper and a washer. At this stage its a case of monitoring the Tank Car in service and replacing the mounting point of necessary.

The most famous use of these tank cars were on the "Gramps" Oil Trains between the loading point at Chama New Mexico and the refinery at Alamosa Colorado. The oil company and tank cars were apparrently named Gramps as the owner was a grandfather.

I also have a couple of Accuracraft Conco tank cars which are more traditional in design basically an oil tank on a wooden framed Flat Car. Some day I'll get around to painting the Bachmann car black and adding lettering and numerals.

Next major job is to fabricate a replacement end balcony and ladder for one of my short cabooses and replace missing footsteps with some 3D printed replacements I printed about 2 years ago. 

Edited February 7 by Mayner

[David Holman]

Love all the fine detail on these big models. Simple things like the bolt heads, while the caboose interior is fantastic.

[Mayner]

Started a routine of having a hour/half hour in the workshop after 10 most nights once days duties are done

Catching up on large sacle repairs & locating parts to complete other projects.

Repairing balcony rails and ladder RGS Caboose 401. Originally bought this 1:20.2 Scale Caboose when I started large scale modelling in 2007 then sold to a local Garden Railway modeller when I realised that Bachmann 1:22 is scale "Big Haulier" stock was more affordable, then bought back in 2017 after the narrow gauge lines in Colorado and realising the massive nature of the locos and stock. One end of 401 had been through the wars and this is the second attempt at repairing the balcony rails and ladder, hopefully she will be good for another few repairs.

Last tie round I made a jig for repairing/replacing the ladder, this time I used the ladder and rails from the opposite end to mark out the position of the rungs on a piece of ply, soldered the top and bottpm rungs to one stile, before fixing to the opposite stile and doing a test fit before soldering in the intermediate rungs.

Test fit. The roof walkway was also damaged at the same end about 2008 or 9 and repaired with plasticard which has held fairly well requiring some minor repairs.

Intermediate rungs are the only new parts soldering took about 15 minutes, phosphoric acid flux and 120degree solder using a soldering station with temp set at max.

Everything primed with a grey self etch primer followed by a coat of "Appliance White" aerosol form the local big box DIY store.

I'll finish with an aerosol  'clear coat' laquer tommorow and allow the paint to cure for 3-4 days before fitting to 401.

Been digging through my stock of J15 spares and found some of the missing parts for the Superheated J15 including the worm for the High Level Load Haulier gear box, but a pair of Sharman Type B profile wheels suitable for a J15, but no 3rd wheelset and an assembled set of J15 mainframes.

I bought 2 J15 kits form Paul Greene in 2007-8 with the intention of using one of the locos to replace my original TMD J15 bought in 1986, one of my first attempts at assembling an etched kit, retaining 191 a J15 I assembled about 30 years ago together with the 2 new locomotives and a part built J15 I bought at Expo-EM about 20 years ago. 

The plan changed over time to build one of the 'new" J15s as a superheated loco with heavier GSR replacement frames, which freed up a set of replacement frames for the original 1986 loco which has Sharman wheels! An early effort it could do with some minor body repairs, but what to do with 5 J15s in the display case particular someone that set out to model the Midland 40 odd years ago?

A bit more prosaic a pair of anchor mount tanks on IRCH "Standard" wagon underframe. The tanks are from the IRM "WeedkillerTrain" pack, the chassis my own from LMA wagon chassis. I originally bought the train pack intending to produce an etched Triangulated chassis, but decided to shift to 3D printing after success with the 20T Brake Van prototype. CIE used this form of tank and underframe for Bitumen wagons, but adding the insulated cladding not really worth the challenge.

 

[Galteemore]

Inretesting display of modelling philosophy John. Sometimes going into the workshop seems rather intimidating with all those projects to do. Richard Chown struggled with motivation at times and used to discipline himself to go into the workshop whether he felt like it or not - and commit to doing 20 minutes. More often than not he stayed longer as the motivation crept back. 

[David Holman]

Little and often works well for me, as does the maxim of stop while you are winning, though still don't always remember that.

[Mayner]

My attempt to carve out ½/1 hr daily (modelling) time for myself is largely as a result of a family crisis that arose 18 months ago that left our family split between the States and New Zealand as a result of caring commitments, which left me and the wife on opposite sides of the Pacific with very little free time to pursue our own personal interests and the situation is likey to continue for some time.

The only advice I can offer in my late 60s is to make the best of the present time because none of us have a guarantee that things will go as planned, best laid plans of mice and man etc. 

Edited Tuesday at 02:06 by Mayner