Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines
Builds, Repairs, Show Your Machines! => Live Steam Locomotives => Topic started by: jerseysteam on April 14, 2019, 08:45:08 am
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Thanks everyone!
The new battery holder fits in the compartment under the footplate. No visible wires now.
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Great loco, Dave. And R/C adds so much to it!
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A very nice engine - glad the R/C worked out so well.
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Really nice set up, Dave!
Gil
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That's a sharp looking loco. Thanks for the pics!
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I don't have a way to post video, but here are some pics of Eibhlin, an Accucraft Ragleth with newly-installed R/C. The R/C gear battery is outboard for now as I'm waiting for delivery of a battery holder that will fit in the compartment below the footplate. All other electronics are stored there. The servo bracket and regulator control gear shown in the second and third pics are from the Roundhouse Bertie R/C mounting kit. Installation worked out nicely using an existing bolt just above the steps. The reversing lever is still operated manually. This loco also has a TTD regulator valve, Summerlands chuffer and Swift Sixteen safety valve cover. ~27 minute run time. My other, well-traveled Ragleth's run times increased from ~26 to ~40 min, so we'll how things go with Eibhlin.
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Congrats on your record breaker! Remember, any videos are appreciated by those of us temporarily steaming vicatiously through others
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Connie (the Millie) had a 75 min run this evening.
Hallie (the Bertie) had a 59 min run a few weeks ago.
A few minor gas adjustments for each to keep at scale speeds, but hands-off otherwise.
8)
I decided not to fit the Bertie with R/C since it's been running the way I'd like with little intervention. I instead used the Bertie R/C kit and RCS gear to equip a rather unruly Ragleth, which is now much easier to control. It worked out surprisingly well and I didn't have to remove the Ragleth body or drill any holes.
No word from the 16mm assoc. re: the CO article. Oh well.
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Great idea. Please do publish here if permissioned. CO is a silent and odorless killer.
Will do. The 16mm association has a few sample articles posted on the web site, so I suggested posting the CO article online if they prefer to not have it passed around.
Stay tuned.
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I have an indoor live steam layout that I run quite often with a CO detector/alarm right above it and have never had a problem. Of course I never run it more than an hour at most, more often for a half hour so that may be my saving grace. It may not be the safest setup in the world but I think with proper precautions it's not that dangerous.......but that's just my opinion.
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Battery R/C. No flame. No carbon monoxide.
There was a cautionary tale published in 16mm news several issues ago by a member who very nearly died from carbon monoxide exposure from live steam locomotives operated indoors. I'll ask if I can have a .pdf copy to post here.
Thanks for checking!
Live steam indoors with open flame and pink foam ...... be very careful if you please!
Or will it just be the electrics running down in the basement?
Great idea. Please do publish here if permissioned. CO is a silent and odorless killer.
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Battery R/C. No flame. No carbon monoxide.
There was a cautionary tale published in 16mm Today several issues ago by a member who very nearly died from carbon monoxide exposure from live steam locomotives operated indoors. I'll ask if I can have a .pdf copy to post here.
Thanks for checking! ;)
Live steam indoors with open flame and pink foam ...... be very careful if you please!
Or will it just be the electrics running down in the basement?
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Very well done!
That is a superb run for your Roundhouse Millie.
Gil
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Live steam indoors with open flame and pink foam ...... be very careful if you please!
Or will it just be the electrics running down in the basement?
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I scored some 32mm Faller eTrain track and have just started my basement (R/C battery only) mini-layout for when it's too cold to steam. The layout will have a Tipong Colliery theme and a large portion of the loop will be obscured by hilly terrain built-up using pink foam insulation. I may try to squeeze in a siding if I can find an eTrain switch. Ray is a well-traveled Roundhouse Little John and the Tipong coal tubs were built from Bole Laser Craft kits. I've built a bunch of BLC kits and they are very easy to assemble with clear instructions. The chassis are designed to always be straight upon completion, so they also run well.
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Hi Chris,
Is the eTrain track 32mm? I'm looking for some small radius 32mm for a ~3 x 4' mini layout. If that fits the bill, I may have to track some down.
(Edit: It's 32mm and I found some. Thanks for the tip!)
Here's Chris' layout :) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm32jyskdvE
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That's very impressive running times Dave.
I had a problem with slow running on my pre-owned Bertie. On my small Faller eTrain portable layout (15" radius curves) it would slow down in the curves & speed up on the straights, whereas my Millie ran steadily. After checking the wheels back to back, etc. it was suggested that it may be the valve timing. I did adjust one valve rod by a 1/2 turn which did improve the slow running but still not perfect. My Roundhouse Jennie (my first brand new Roundhouse loco, all others are pre-owned) ran perfectly out of the box with some impressive slow running. I took it apart to see how the valve timing was set up, and subsequently I've adjusted some of the valve timings on my other Basic Series locomotives. The Bertie now runs much better at slow running, but it can suffer from the gas tank getting heated up during a run requiring small adjustments to the gas regulator valve.
Chris Cairns
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Thanks!
Here's a fuzzy action pic of Connie pulling short rolling stock. [attachimg=1]
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That is a great run!
Very nicely done!
Gil
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Connie has since had several runs just north of 70 min at scale 12-13mph with little, if any, human intervention once she gets going. 80 to 90*F. Same fuel etc. as before. Definitely getting better with age.
Hallie, a RH Bertie, had a 50 minute run for the first time yesterday. Constant, slower speed control is a little more difficult with this one. I'll be fitting her for R/C over the next few days. Just waiting for a delivery from RCS. I'll start with a tender-based system to see how everything works and then (perhaps) try to install everything on board the loco.
https://www.rcs-rc.com/pages/home
http://www.gardenrailwayclub.com/locos/roundhouse-bertie (scroll down for useful R/C installation info)
One contributor to consistent, low-speed runs has been the use of very short wheelbase rolling stock, including modified Hartland gondolas and Bole Laser Craft wagons. There is far less drag around the corners than with full-size coaches.
:)
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That's part of the problem when making these global comparisons.
I'm aware that the butane gas we are sold here in the UK is not necessarily the same quality, formula, etc. as that sold in North America. We have problems trying to use the camping gas style butane in temperatures below approx. 5°C / 41°F (in reality somewhat closer to 10°C after factoring in wind chill).
Chris Cairns
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I think straight Butane is sold, as is straight Propane, along with blends of both.
This is not something I know as fact, so could easily be wrong here, but it is what I've long thought was correct from exposure over time.
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Just butane, according to the can. Not sure if straight butane is actually sold.
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That's an impressive running time on one fill of gas - butane?
My manual controlled Millie ran for 63 mins last year on one fill of mixed butane/propane gas pulling one small coach on an end to end layout indoors, requiring running round at each end. Later in the year it put in 2 runs of over 50 mins on my small portable layout, which uses Faller eTrain track (15" radius), at a model railway show.
My radio controlled Millie is still running in, and like wise my 45mm gauge Millie which has just been fitted with new slide valves & the timing adjusted, so they do not run for as long (yet).
Chris Cairns
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That is an impressive run time.
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impressively long run for one boiler fill , I don't believe I've heard of any longer runs than that.
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With the Millie, tweaking the gas valve here and there does the trick for me. I rarely touch the regulator.
Well done. It's good control of the gas that does it and the right valve settings. Some people have the gas up too high and it wastes steam through the safety valve. :).....Allan
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Well done. It's good control of the gas that does it and the right valve settings. Some people have the gas up too high and it wastes steam through the safety valve. :).....Allan
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Congratulations!
An impressive run.
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Well done INDEED ... that must be just the right speed!
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That's a long run for sure - you must have everything set just right. Well done.
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It has certainly traveled farther than I have (or plan to) today. :P
That would have been good exercise following it around the track. ;D
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It rolls well on my layout's tight curves (a.k.a. corners). The granite load is sitting on a piece of foam board and glued in place with diluted regular Titebond, so it's not waterproof.
Fun time, love that little wagon, I could use about a dozen of them...
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Didn't think of that! Back of the envelope calculation, assuming 17 mph avg speed... ~19 scale miles or ~1 actual mile.
That would have been good exercise following it around the track. ;D
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Fun time, love that little wagon, I could use about a dozen of them...
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Amazing amount of time! Did you figure out how far it traveled?
Didn't think of that! Back of the envelope calculation, assuming 17 mph avg speed... ~19 scale miles or ~1 actual mile.
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Amazing amount of time! Did you figure out how far it traveled?
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Connie, my year-old Roundhouse Millie, ran for an uninterrupted 67 minutes this a.m. The previous record was 58 min. 17 scale mph or less. 60*F with light mist. No wind. No gas or water refills. 60 ml water left in the boiler. The photo shows her cooling down after the record run. The pride of the Midland & Main fleet. :)