Speedo cable repair.

After DCC chipping my Bachmann Standard Class 5MT yesterday I managed to fix the speedo drive which I managed to break during the installation process yesterday. I used a drop of superglue for the repair. Once the part was in place I used an accelerator to instantly cure the glue which was a lot easier then trying to hold the part motionless whilst waiting for the curing process to take place. Superglues all have their own characteristics so far from being an instant bond they can take up to several minutes to go off. An accelerator is a good investment if you use these types of glue.

Judging from the results of my internet search on the speedo cable I am not the only one to have had this happen to them! Apparently repairs to the speedo cable are not often successful either. Not sure if that makes me feel better about it having been successful (so far!) but at least my ham fisted approach was made good. 

One other thing that came about is that I was talking in yesterdays post about the loco running slowly. It appears that this is a known issue - well to everyone else apart from me! The motor has a very low gear ratio which will not allow it to travel at express speeds. There was also a great deal of advice on how to cure the issue from major surgery to springs in the mechanism, changing the CV value on the DCC chip for the voltage draw of the motor and changing the motor completely for a different make. All of these sound good but given my luck and inabilities I would probably end up with a scrap loco if I tried any of them! So, for the moment anyway, I am happy to set the loco saunter round the layout at a sedate speed and I think the loco is going to be happy with that too! 

Chip day.

Unfortunately not those delicious chips from the local chippy but a DCC chip for the Bachmann Standard Class 5MT which I got at Christmas. It was a previously owned model but came with all the paperwork which interestingly did not actually tell you how to get the body off. In my cavalier way I managed to get the body off but had I taken the trouble to look at the internet and make use of the experiences of others I would not have broken the speedo cable! Oh well, hopefully it will glue!

The chip is a Gaugemaster Ruby DCC 92. 

Body off and the circuit board is revealled.

With the blanking plug off the 8 pin socket is revealed. If I knew what I was doing I would have taken a picture of the chip plugged in but I didn't! Anyway it was plugged in and body refitted and then the loco programmed to run on the layout.

It runs and runs smoothly. However anything on the controller above half speed results in no increase in speed of the loco. I have let it run for an hour in case it needed running in but that has not improved matters. I may try a different chip just to see if that makes a difference. If not the loco does run at a reasonable speed for freight traffic so it may be confined to that and slow passenger services.

Now is that chippy still open......

Boxing Day unboxing!

Here in the UK it is Boxing Day. I know from friends in the USA this is a strangely named day but as I understand it goes back in history to the days when the gentry gave a boxed gift to their workers the day after Christmas and hence it is known as Boxing Day.

For the purpose of this post though Boxing Day is unboxing day when I have time to look in more detail at my presents. I knew what I was getting from Mrs. Woody as I bought them at the Spalding Model Railway Show back in November but I had not seen them since then. Two locos, both second hand, or as it now appears in many places the much more forgiving and encouraging phase of 'pre-loved', but you would not know from their condition. 

First up is this Class 08 shunter in EWS livery.

I am slowly building up a collection of EWS locos and rolling stock and this adds nicely to that. It runs well but from what I understand it never saw any use on a layout so probably could do with a running in session. Of course this pristine finish to the body is something seldom seen on the real locomotives as they led hard lives with little cosmetic attention so it will need weathering at some point.

This Standard Class 5MT locomotive is however already heavily weathered.

A fantastically characterful locomotive which displays the unloved condition that this and other similar rollingstock was allowed to get into as British Rail forged ahead with its modernisation program of diesel and electric propulsion. Again another great runner but probably little used previously so could do with a good run in and lubrication.

I also got a gift from Mr. Beecham and it was this great kit from Italeri of a SU100 Assault Gun. He must know I have a soft spot for Russian WW2 vehicles!

Complete with turned metal gun barrel!

Nice one Mr. B and very much appreciated!

So those are my presents unboxed! As for Mrs. Woody, no Christmas would be right for her without a new handbag which she did get along with the matching purse! I just think I will get more enjoyment from my locos and kit then she will from her hand bag but I am biased!