My Flying Scotsman loco

[Bigmet]

...Tomorrow my wife and I are taking a visit to Gaugemaster for some more research and ideas.

Oh my, wall to wall exposure to beauteous models...

...DCC I’ve seen mentions of this but looked into it, I have enough to be getting on with, but am I correct in thinking that my loco can be converted to run digitally, and is it worth it for such a small area?

Even the latest, bestest, expensivest, most feature rich DCC equipped models have 12V DC two rail mechanisms at bottom. In theory every 12V DC motor mechanism can be converted, but the lurking problem with Hornby's tender drives (and equally the power bogies of the same design with a pancake motor) in that the design was endlessly fiddled with, and the means of completely isolating the track supply from the motor brush terminals before fitting a decoder is variable, and can be awkward. Personally I wouldn't bother.

[CarlP]

DCC on that size.. depends, in theory it makes wiring easier, in practice its a rabbit hole so I'd be tempted to stick with DC since it works

converting that loco can be done, but its a soldering job in the tender

Noted, I probably won’t bother.

[CarlP]

...Tomorrow my wife and I are taking a visit to Gaugemaster for some more research and ideas.

Oh my, wall to wall exposure to beauteous models...

...DCC I’ve seen mentions of this but looked into it, I have enough to be getting on with, but am I correct in thinking that my loco can be converted to run digitally, and is it worth it for such a small area?

Even the latest, bestest, expensivest, most feature rich DCC equipped models have 12V DC two rail mechanisms at bottom. In theory every 12V DC motor mechanism can be converted, but the lurking problem with Hornby's tender drives (and equally the power bogies of the same design with a pancake motor) in that the design was endlessly fiddled with, and the means of completely isolating the track supply from the motor brush terminals before fitting a decoder is variable, and can be awkward. Personally I wouldn't bother.

My wife’s idea for a trip out, I ain’t arguing.

I’m inclined to agree.

[Bigmet]

...My wife’s idea for a trip out, I ain’t arguing...

There's the voice of wisdom!

Lovely part of the world to visit, we stayed fairly nearby quite recently to visit the Weald and Downland museum, and catch up with friends in West Sussex- and 'just happened' to call by Gaugemaster's warehouse/shop. Very friendly and quite prepared to unpack the Bachmann carriages I wanted, that were literally coming off the delivery truck while I was parking. (Coincidentally it was the final day of the train service to Ford and 'enthusiasts' were running too and fro over the barrier level crossing in their frenzy of excitement, one managing to get himself a head wound from a descending barrier. Sigh.)

Do tell what you found!

[CarlP]

...My wife’s idea for a trip out, I ain’t arguing...

There's the voice of wisdom!

Lovely part of the world to visit, we stayed fairly nearby quite recently to visit the Weald and Downland museum, and catch up with friends in West Sussex- and 'just happened' to call by Gaugemaster's warehouse/shop. Very friendly and quite prepared to unpack the Bachmann carriages I wanted, that were literally coming off the delivery truck while I was parking. (Coincidentally it was the final day of the train service to Ford and 'enthusiasts' were running too and fro over the barrier level crossing in their frenzy of excitement, one managing to get himself a head wound from a descending barrier. Sigh.)

Do tell what you found!

As you said up thread the place is wall to wall beauteous models, and I could have spent many hours in there spending many monies. In fact I did spend quite a bit, but not trains or rolling stock, but on scenery and miscellaneous bits and pieces for when I start my own version of the existing layout. I will post some photos of items later when I have more time.

[CarlP]

So, my bag of swag from my day trip to GaugeMaster netted me, 3 Skaledale Victorian houses, 3 Oxford diecast vehicles, several packs of sale item ballast, 3 point switches, a selection of weathering powders and liquids, wires, crimp terminals. A nice day out of retail therapy, and keeping the British economy going.

[Bigmet]

You had a good day out by the sounds of it.

As you said up thread the place is wall to wall beauteous models, and I could have spent many hours in there spending many monies. In fact I did spend quite a bit, but not trains or rolling stock...

I will have to pay a 'balancing' visit this year and only buy choo choos and rolling stock.

[Metadyneman]

You had a good day out by the sounds of it.

As you said up thread the place is wall to wall beauteous models, and I could have spent many hours in there spending many monies. In fact I did spend quite a bit, but not trains or rolling stock...

I will have to pay a 'balancing' visit this year and only buy choo choos and rolling stock.

It's quite strange really, I live within a fairly short train ride/drive from Gaugemaster and I can count on one finger the number of times I go there in a year despite having a car which sits outside my house most days! The A27 through Worthing and at Crossbush ( I live near Brighton) is my main put off. The queues at both places can literally send one barmy! The train is the other option but I like to arrive and leave when I feel like it, not when the train arrives/departs!
On the subject of tender drive locos, the competition for Hornby to go loco drive actually started around 1976 when Mainline (Palitoy) brought out the Standard class 4 followed by a few other models such as the Jubilee and Royal Scot. Airfix on the other hand stuck with tender driven stuff until their ultimate demise. The other thing of note is that a few of the modern China built loco driven steam locos are fitted with traction tyres, the Schools class and Southern T9 being two examples. As for DCC.. well I've been using it for well over 10 years now and I would never go back to analogue.

[Bigmet]

...few of the modern China built loco driven steam locos are fitted with traction tyres, the Schools class and Southern T9 being two examples...

Bachmann, Hornby and Rapido have these last dozen years demonstrated advances in construction that effectively negate the need for traction tyres on smaller loco drive steam models with previously 'difficult' wheel arrangements, and/or difficulty in fully concealing drives; by better drive layout arrangements and using more metal - in the optimum locations for weight over the driven wheels - in body castings.
Bachmann's G5 and 1P 0-4-4T and the GNR and LB&SCR atlantics,
Hornby's D16/3 4-4-0 and J15 0-6-0,
Rapido's Stirling single.
Those are my 'standouts', but there must be more among subjects that don't interest me.

...As for DCC.. well I've been using it for well over 10 years now and I would never go back to analogue.

The question is, how quickly did that realisation dawn? My planned slow transition to fully DCC over a few years flew out of the window within a week of testing my four newly decoder fitted locos with the DCC system. It's going to take something unimaginably sophisticated to displace DCC : direct mind control with power by magic moonbeams anyone?

[CarlP]

You had a good day out by the sounds of it.

As you said up thread the place is wall to wall beauteous models, and I could have spent many hours in there spending many monies. In fact I did spend quite a bit, but not trains or rolling stock...

I will have to pay a 'balancing' visit this year and only buy choo choos and rolling stock.

It's quite strange really, I live within a fairly short train ride/drive from Gaugemaster and I can count on one finger the number of times I go there in a year despite having a car which sits outside my house most days! The A27 through Worthing and at Crossbush ( I live near Brighton) is my main put off. The queues at both places can literally send one barmy! The train is the other option but I like to arrive and leave when I feel like it, not when the train arrives/departs!
On the subject of tender drive locos, the competition for Hornby to go loco drive actually started around 1976 when Mainline (Palitoy) brought out the Standard class 4 followed by a few other models such as the Jubilee and Royal Scot. Airfix on the other hand stuck with tender driven stuff until their ultimate demise. The other thing of note is that a few of the modern China built loco driven steam locos are fitted with traction tyres, the Schools class and Southern T9 being two examples. As for DCC.. well I've been using it for well over 10 years now and I would never go back to analogue.

Arundel is a challenging place to get to no doubt, our drive from Didcot took over two hours, and even longer on the way back. But worth the visit, though in future if I want anything from them I’ll buy it online.

I have a Mainline Royal Scot, it was one of the locos I inherited with the rest of the stuff from my FIL. Unfortunately whilst the body looks in fine condition, the coupling rods are missing and the bolts that hold them are sheared off. The train runs, sort of, but not well. I have plans to try and repair it, but it’s way down on the list of things I need to do the layout.

With regards to DCC, I got the man at GM to demo there digital system, it’s very clever, very smart, and very spendy. I liked it a lot, but I think it’s a bit pointless for me with my Trakmat layout, even when I rebuild it. Never say never though.

[CarlP]

...As for DCC.. well I've been using it for well over 10 years now and I would never go back to analogue.

The question is, how quickly did that realisation dawn? My planned slow transition to fully DCC over a few years flew out of the window within a week of testing my four newly decoder fitted locos with the DCC system. It's going to take something unimaginably sophisticated to displace DCC : direct mind control with power by magic moonbeams anyone?

I wonder if decoders would fit in the tender of the FS?

[aleopardstail]

...As for DCC.. well I've been using it for well over 10 years now and I would never go back to analogue.

The question is, how quickly did that realisation dawn? My planned slow transition to fully DCC over a few years flew out of the window within a week of testing my four newly decoder fitted locos with the DCC system. It's going to take something unimaginably sophisticated to displace DCC : direct mind control with power by magic moonbeams anyone?

I wonder if decoders would fit in the tender of the FS?

I had that Flying Scotsman, there is plenty of space in the tender behind the motor for a decoder - indeed its the only sensible place to wire it in really as you need the motor wires. Soldering iron job, wasn't hard to do though and ran amazingly well after

[Bigmet]

...I wonder if decoders would fit in the tender of the FS?

Long while since I looked in a Hornby LNER tender drive, my recollection is that there's enough space on top of one of the ballast blocks; and these ballast pieces were screw attached so could be removed to be cut down or replaced with lead, to get the same or greater mass in a smaller volume.

[CarlP]

The question is, how quickly did that realisation dawn? My planned slow transition to fully DCC over a few years flew out of the window within a week of testing my four newly decoder fitted locos with the DCC system. It's going to take something unimaginably sophisticated to displace DCC : direct mind control with power by magic moonbeams anyone?

I wonder if decoders would fit in the tender of the FS?

I had that Flying Scotsman, there is plenty of space in the tender behind the motor for a decoder - indeed its the only sensible place to wire it in really as you need the motor wires. Soldering iron job, wasn't hard to do though and ran amazingly well after

Thanks for that, I’ll give it some consideration in the future.

[CarlP]

The question is, how quickly did that realisation dawn? My planned slow transition to fully DCC over a few years flew out of the window within a week of testing my four newly decoder fitted locos with the DCC system. It's going to take something unimaginably sophisticated to displace DCC : direct mind control with power by magic moonbeams anyone?

I wonder if decoders would fit in the tender of the FS?

I had that Flying Scotsman, there is plenty of space in the tender behind the motor for a decoder - indeed its the only sensible place to wire it in really as you need the motor wires. Soldering iron job, wasn't hard to do though and ran amazingly well after

Thanks, a job for another day perhaps.