How did you improve your rolling stock?

[gavino200]

2 minutes ago, chadbag said:

 

No..  It  just means the total draw of the motor, lights, etc. is limited.  All decoders have these limits.  If you have an inefficient motor, non-LED lights, etc. you can have a larger draw than a good motor with LEDs.

 

So higher current won't make it go faster than it's designed to. But could insufficient current make it go slower? So practically, a loco could go faster with a higher current rated decoder?

[chadbag]

Just now, gavino200 said:

 

So higher current won't make it go faster than it's designed to. But could insufficient current make it go slower? So practically, a loco could go faster with a higher current rated decoder?

 

With modern trains/motors with LEDs, I doubt you are reaching the limits of the decoder anyway.   I don't remember the numbers but I think I read somewhere that a modern train motor will pull like 100-200 ma or something and the lights are up to 20ma each.   I've not had any issues even with long Shinkansen with 500ma rated decoders.

 

[gavino200]

2 minutes ago, chadbag said:

 

I've not had any issues even with long Shinkansen with 500ma rated decoders.

 

 

Spoken like a man with no inclines 🙂

 

My next layout will have only the gentlest of inclines if any. Most likely none.

[chadbag]

3 minutes ago, gavino200 said:

 

Spoken like a man with no inclines 🙂

 

My next layout will have only the gentlest of inclines if any. Most likely none.

 

That is true, I currently have no inclues (and may not have them in the next -- I may just buy some Tomix viaducts/track and have a fully elevated loop 🙂 )

 

But I expect that the current draw would not more than double on an incline.    But I am not an expert.

[gavino200]

1 minute ago, chadbag said:

 

That is true, I currently have no inclues (and may not have them in the next -- I may just buy some Tomix viaducts/track and have a fully elevated loop 🙂 )

 

I really like elevated track. What I'm planning on doing is giving the layout at least two different "ground levels". The track will stay at a fixed level while the ground will drop away. I may also have a commuter train at "ground level" on the low ground side become a visible subway on  the high ground side. But I'm still just playing with ideas.

 

 

1 minute ago, chadbag said:

 

But I expect that the current draw would not more than double on an incline.    But I am not an expert.

 

I to have no expertise but I wouldn't be surprised. I bet the motors would burn out faster too with inclines present. 

[Welshbloke]

Did a bit of testing yesterday and found that a B Train Shorty motor pulls about 10mA when running at a sensible speed. These are smaller than the motors used in full size N though, and I suspect they may be lower voltage like Tomytecs.

 

The figure may be even lower, as the ammeter was measuring the loco plus the PWM module powering it.

[Sheffie]

Switched out the original knuckle coupler for the rapido coupler provided. This was easier than I expected. No tools were needed, as the coupler sits on a pin sticking up from the snow plough, which clips onto the underside of the body. I didn’t even see the flat copper spring until the plough was safely off. 

 

Next goal: install some little extras (antenna? Horn?) and of course the number plates 

Edited March 7, 2019 by Sheffie

[katoftw]

Told you it was very easy. 

 

All Kato coupler installs are similar.

[railsquid]

"Most" might be more accurate, off the top of my head the Eurostar and EF58 are a bit fiddly.

[railsquid]

On 2/25/2019 at 11:19 PM, railsquid said:

So, this EF66 from the other day...

Tomix EF66 11 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

It was one of my earlier N gauge purchases and I have never been quite happy with it, as it has never run as well as my other Tomix locos. A little bit noisy, a little bit sluggish but poor at slow running, a little bit prone to slight stalls, but nothing obviously broken, yet something not quite right. I even tried taking it back to the shop, but it ran well enough on their short test set and I was sent away with the advice to clean my track...

 

 

Which, I recall, annoyed me so much as I was sure something was wrong with it that I acquired a random junk EF66 to compare, and it did indeed run much more consistently than the new, modern model despite being (as I later determined) an older springworm era model (right):

 

tomix-ef66-new-old_02 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

which while mechanically sound was missing various decorative bits. Anyway it occurred to me I might have enough parts (partly from a small stash of even junkier EF66s I seem to have acquired) to make a nice little "renovation" project, so as a first step, here are the missing front numberplate holders:

 

tomix-ef66-new-old_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Need to find some appropriate numberplates next.

[railsquid]

Meanwhile here is a ca. 1997 Kato EF81 which was very noisy, unfortunately the camera's audio capture doesn't really do it justice, imagine a power drill rattling around in a metal can, not a locomotive you'd want to run for more than a few seconds.

 

I dunno if this was a design flaw, or the plastic clips which hold the motor in place have deformed over the years, but the motor (quite a hefty one with flywheels) was evidently rattling against the chassis block. A couple of strips of strategically placed vinyl tape have mitigated that, and while it's still not whisper-silent it's gone from "painful" to "normal" (the difference is much more apparent to the naked ear than the video suggests).

 

 

Unfortunately one of the pantographs is missing, and Kato have since changed the design so a replacement is hard to come by, and the Tomix version doesn't fit.

[Kamome]

So added some Kato Buckeye couplers to my Microace MaYa 34. The coupler housing is a little on the short side, perhaps to allow reasonable close coupling with the standar rapido. With the buckeye it’s super close. The train will navigate the Kato R414 curves but perhaps nothing sharper. Included was a singular long coupler housing so I could add this to one end. 

[katoftw]

Which knuckle coupler did you use? Kato one or two piece?

[Kamome]

3 hours ago, katoftw said:

Which knuckle coupler did you use? Kato one or two piece?

These are the 2 piece, so not the short couplers. I seem to remember I had a similar problem trying to convert a Microace  Ibusuki no Tamatebako Kiha. Despite using rapidos, the coupling is pretty close. As all my locos are set up with knuckle couplers, I needed to convert this MaYa. 

[Sheffie]

Installed: four number plates, one rapido coupler (because I'm not sure which way round this engine should go!). Destroyed: one number plate. Launched into low earth orbit: two brass horns (?) 

Being saved until I have a better workbench/magnifier setup: two spare brass horns.

Edited March 12, 2019 by Sheffie

[JR 500系]

I guess I have my work cut out for me? 

 

Let's do the Sunrise one first, guess i'm still hesitating to open up the 7 stars again... 

 

Looking nice!

 

Now we can see each individual room! Though they all look the same... 

 

Here's the BEFORE default interior... 

 

And the interior AFTER attaching the interior decals ~ Not a huge difference, but I guess it looks better?

 

More so in the dark!

 

Only managed to do 2 front carriages of the Sunrise.. Will be working on it more over the weekends for the other cars, and the especially challenging Nobi Nobi car!  🙂

[Kamome]

On 3/12/2019 at 11:25 AM, Sheffie said:

I'm not sure which way round this engine should go!)

Either way. They have an asymmetric nose design but they travel in both directions.

 

The cab has a seat on either side so the driver is on the appropriate side to see signals etc.. I don’t think they tend to change sides while shunting as they have marshalls on the tread plates helping them.

 

I’m a big fan of running it short end forward on consists but that’s just my preference.

[disturbman]

17 minutes ago, Kamome said:

I’m a big fan of running it short end forward on consists but that’s just my preference.

 

I do the same.

[gavino200]

On 3/12/2019 at 7:13 AM, JR 500系 said:

I guess I have my work cut out for me? 

 

Let's do the Sunrise one first, guess i'm still hesitating to open up the 7 stars again... 

 

Looking nice!

 

 

Now we can see each individual room! Though they all look the same... 

 

 

Here's the BEFORE default interior... 

 

 

 

And the interior AFTER attaching the interior decals ~ Not a huge difference, but I guess it looks better?

 

 

 

More so in the dark!

 

Only managed to do 2 front carriages of the Sunrise.. Will be working on it more over the weekends for the other cars, and the especially challenging Nobi Nobi car!  🙂

 

Those are awesome JR!! Where did you get them? I want to get some for my Sunrise pre-order. Also, I think I want some of those for any train I have that they make 'em for.

 

BTW didn't you just sell a Sunrise? How many do you have??

 

Also, is that bent light diffuser a separate kit? Or does it come with the train?

Edited March 18, 2019 by gavino200

[katoftw]

Those decal are available from the usual suspects.

 

Yes the lighting kits are a specific kit.

[gavino200]

1 minute ago, katoftw said:

Those decal are available from the usual suspects.

 

Yes the lighting kits are a specific kit.

 

I've searched MTP, HS, and Ami ami. All I can find are "sold" sets at HS and no Sunrise. They have N Goya stickers at HS. Do have a link for these stickers "in stock" somewhere?

[katoftw]

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10378060

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10128195

 

As for instock, you'd need to find them if you don't purchase them as time of release.

[gavino200]

I wonder if JR found them somewhere else. It's been a little while since the last release of the train set. Thanks for the light set info.

[Kamome]

29 minutes ago, gavino200 said:

They have N Goya stickers at HS. Do have a link for these stickers "in stock" somewhere?

The N Goya interiors are not stickers but printed photo paper which need to be attached with glue or double sided tape. 

[chadbag]

57 minutes ago, Kamome said:

The N Goya interiors are not stickers but printed photo paper which need to be attached with glue or double sided tape. 

 

You could probably use the 3M spray glue stuff (3M 77 or something less aggressive -- they make a lighter version that I once had).