I do like the way Lenz controls my other locos - especially at slow speeds. Not sure what Lenz I have in the others - not 1025s for sure - but these do perform very well. Point taken about Bachmann. If they are less than a tenner then I'll look out for them.
Yes I know about the graphite trick. Doesn't adhere so well on wheelbacks perhaps, but I have used it on classic bike electrical gear.....
Coincidentally I attended a model railway show in Elgin today. £32 got me a very nice Bachmann LNER green V1/V3 tank, part no 31-600. It looks perfect, though it needs another decoder to run it. One for later, but I think a good newish Lenz will do the trick. Is the body easy enough to remove to hardwire the decoder?
Improving loco running
Re: Improving loco running
Going by the part No, I think that's a split chassis. If so, you'll be lucky if it's a good runner. I scrapped one of those a few years ago because the wheel bearings that also pick up the juice had worn out and the axle insulators disintegrated. Hopefully yours will be OK.
Pete.
Re: Improving loco running
Peter
Quire right - split chassis. It all looks OK, but let's wait and see. I wanted an LNER tank engine and this one fits the bill as well as being nicely detailed. Fitting the decoder is a pain but there is a tutorial on RM web which shows how. It's not going to be racing around the track either. A small amount of light weathering will finish it off. Winter project for now. Have to finish the track and wiring first!
Quire right - split chassis. It all looks OK, but let's wait and see. I wanted an LNER tank engine and this one fits the bill as well as being nicely detailed. Fitting the decoder is a pain but there is a tutorial on RM web which shows how. It's not going to be racing around the track either. A small amount of light weathering will finish it off. Winter project for now. Have to finish the track and wiring first!
Re: Improving loco running
Post a link or PM me the RMweb article, and I'll check if it is fully comprehensive.
That Bachmann V1 mechanism is one of the better examples, as their split chassis mechanisms go; that's because it is relatively light so doesn't strain the axle insulators too much, and has pick up available from all wheels with a little wiring added. The pony truck carrying wheels each end are split axle and run in metal bearings, but I never saw one with both pony trucks wired to the chassis halves! Easy to copy the wiring, all the necessary fittings are in place on the pony truck, just needs some fine and flexible wire, and then it is an all wheel pick up model.
Having rewired all of Bachmann's LNER split chassis models to fit decoders, it is simple enough in outline, fiddly to perform. In particular it's 'gently does it': the keeper plate breaks very easily at the front end if cold, put it overnight in a warm place like an airing cupboard; and then the plastic plugs that go in the split chassis halves and take the 'through screws' that are crucial to the split chassis assembly's stability. The plastic used is apt to crack if the screws are overtightened.
Cutting some clearance around the motor terminals to allow good insulation of the connections is essential: and watch out for the edges of the cut mazak, it easily takes a razor blade edge! The Mabuchi FK130 motor in most of these models appears 'unburstable', I have recycled several from worn out split chassis mechs (being an enthusiast for operation I wore all the metal plating off the tyres, stub axles and chassis half 'bearings in half a dozen years)' the motors live on now powering various other models.
Finally, probably the last comment I made on RMweb about split chassis DCC conversion:
"Given how much trouble these mechanisms gave in maintenance to repair their regular failures, the moment it became clear that Bachmann were abandoning this construction and Hornby were going to follow their lead in better mechanisms, I ceased buying and ran those split chassis models I had to failure (from whichever of their many failure modes!) and then redeployed the decoders into the new and better models I was purchasing. Never once had a motor fail, these appear 'unburstable'. I have redeployed several on various projects, although this has meant cutting off some of the worms."
That Bachmann V1 mechanism is one of the better examples, as their split chassis mechanisms go; that's because it is relatively light so doesn't strain the axle insulators too much, and has pick up available from all wheels with a little wiring added. The pony truck carrying wheels each end are split axle and run in metal bearings, but I never saw one with both pony trucks wired to the chassis halves! Easy to copy the wiring, all the necessary fittings are in place on the pony truck, just needs some fine and flexible wire, and then it is an all wheel pick up model.
Having rewired all of Bachmann's LNER split chassis models to fit decoders, it is simple enough in outline, fiddly to perform. In particular it's 'gently does it': the keeper plate breaks very easily at the front end if cold, put it overnight in a warm place like an airing cupboard; and then the plastic plugs that go in the split chassis halves and take the 'through screws' that are crucial to the split chassis assembly's stability. The plastic used is apt to crack if the screws are overtightened.
Cutting some clearance around the motor terminals to allow good insulation of the connections is essential: and watch out for the edges of the cut mazak, it easily takes a razor blade edge! The Mabuchi FK130 motor in most of these models appears 'unburstable', I have recycled several from worn out split chassis mechs (being an enthusiast for operation I wore all the metal plating off the tyres, stub axles and chassis half 'bearings in half a dozen years)' the motors live on now powering various other models.
Finally, probably the last comment I made on RMweb about split chassis DCC conversion:
"Given how much trouble these mechanisms gave in maintenance to repair their regular failures, the moment it became clear that Bachmann were abandoning this construction and Hornby were going to follow their lead in better mechanisms, I ceased buying and ran those split chassis models I had to failure (from whichever of their many failure modes!) and then redeployed the decoders into the new and better models I was purchasing. Never once had a motor fail, these appear 'unburstable'. I have redeployed several on various projects, although this has meant cutting off some of the worms."
Re: Improving loco running
Bigmet
Here is the link
https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/8241-bachmann-v1v3-tank/
I may have questions come the time!
Cheers
Mark
Here is the link
https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/8241-bachmann-v1v3-tank/
I may have questions come the time!
Cheers
Mark
Re: Improving loco running
Mark,
Well found, that's the really thorough one that includes all the earlier input, which was produced as a replacement after ur-RMweb fell over and couldn't be restored !
Well found, that's the really thorough one that includes all the earlier input, which was produced as a replacement after ur-RMweb fell over and couldn't be restored !
Re: Improving loco running
Good. I'll give it a go sometime and let you know. I have not done a split chassis before and I think I need to take some time over it!
Pug is going well. Constant fiddling with CVs seem to have improved things - especially CV2 - start volts. The CV 182 BEMF for a 3 pole motor does seem smooth things out considerably. Mind, you cannot increase CV2 too much lest it shoots away from standstill like a rocket! More tweaking on the drive motion to stop the motor sticking when at standstill perhaps, but I don't think there is much more I can do.
Pug is going well. Constant fiddling with CVs seem to have improved things - especially CV2 - start volts. The CV 182 BEMF for a 3 pole motor does seem smooth things out considerably. Mind, you cannot increase CV2 too much lest it shoots away from standstill like a rocket! More tweaking on the drive motion to stop the motor sticking when at standstill perhaps, but I don't think there is much more I can do.
Re: Improving loco running
It's often the case with older mechanism designs that the DCC decoder comes up against mechanical limitations, whether that's noise from the mechanism, lack of smoothness starting and stopping, or a really weird voltage response curve. Then the question is do I push out more cash on a 'mechanism tamer' decoder -Zimo excels at this - probably with a stay alive; or sell the deficient mechanism model and buy something better which will work superbly with an economical decoder with no need for a stay alive.
My mind was made up over twenty years ago, flog the old stuff, buy models with intrinsically superior mechanisms.
Re: Improving loco running
I agree. As I said, I think I have reached the limit in its present stage. I won't be purchasing another decoder for it - for the reasons you state. Not sure what else I can do mechanically. I have shimmed the motor a little, lubricated everything, cleaned everything. Only other thoughts are to put a few more weights within the chassis somewhere...
Re: Improving loco running
Adding weight is typically only useful if the drive line has a motor with adequate torque combined with a multistage gear train which is free running. I have current design RTR OO loco mechanisms loaded up to 3x the weight of the original loco from which the mechanism was looted and they perform beautifully; Hornby 8F with the H-D 8F body, this was done to produce 8Fs with sufficient traction, combined with the refined performance available from the current mechanism.