Tinkering with the Track Cleaning Loco...

My track cleaning loco has had some running issues, pausing and stopping while running. I thought before the bad weather sets in I should try and fix it..

Partially disassembled and checking operation with power direct to the 'shoe' pickups, annoyingly troublesome and working intermittently.  I took it all apart, took the motors out (drive motor and grinder motor) and tested them - they worked fine grrh! 

Re-assembled with the lighting circuit wires removed (the lights didn't work so makes it easier to see whats what). Testing - it worked ... then a bit later it went back to its old habits of misbehaving !

Close investigation revealed a slightly loose spade connector on the front grinder motor - re-crimped it then re-connected the wire - hoorah ! consistent almost normal operation !

So re-assembled the loco, I left the glazing out of the cab and didn't fix the roof on, so it was easy to get the three-way 'function' switch inside the cab.

A nice long test on my garage layout and it is now at least working, but not at low speeds.  A bit of research revealed the cause - my controller has enough power for one single motor loco, but not the two motors in the track cleaning loco - so I have to turn up the speed to get enough current to run it properly. So I'm on the lookout for a suitable controller.

LocoWorks - Odin goes battery/RC [4] .. all together now...

The final stages of the rebuild.. 

After a short run test, a small traction weight has been added ....

The loco is in three parts - the RC chassis, the 'footplate' and the body (cab+boiler);  I've made the effort this time to have it so that I can can take the loco apart for maintenance.   

The 'footplate' assembly with the motion removed showing the screw holding the body (cab end)  in place

the smoke box end of the body is held in place with a screw either side.

All parts together now with the RC aerial which comes up through the front of the saddle tank.

I'm going to let all the glue cure for a couple of days before I start any painting.

LocoWorks - Odin goes battery/RC [3] .. couplings go on ...

Today worked on the couplings ..

Firstly the chunky buffers were removed and plasticard overlays added to cover up the neatish 'hack'. Then I fitted the front chopper coupling and brake hose, then put in the rear pivot coupling (both saved from the old loco setup).

Front coupling...

rear pivot coupling...

tender wire hook pivot coupling...

checking for clearance around radius 1 curves .... ( I always leave about 0.5 cm gap on the near side)

LocoWorks - Odin goes battery/RC [2] .. out with the plasticard

Today it was time to get the plasticard out...

Rather than dispose of or hack about the Playmobil 'footplate', I decided on a simple cover up job to give me a good flat surface to add on to.....

The advantage of keeping the Playmobil 'footplate' in place makes it easy to take out the motion if I need to replace it.

checking a standard Playmobil battery pack fits...

While I was at it I decided to tweak the tender to widen it slightly to make it more in keeping with the width of the loco...

Trial assembly of all the bits ... the aerial pokes through the top of the saddle tank at the front...

lots of bits to do... remove the buffers, add couplings.....etc...

LocoWorks - Odin goes battery/RC [1]

 Back to the loco works for a change to an engine I acquired three years ago.  The change will be to my 0-4-0 tender loco Odin, to make it battery powered and radio controlled.

I'm going to use a Playmobil RC chassis and replace the existing LGB track powered chassis; some adaptation will be needed.

Odin taken to bits....

The Playmobil chassis,  I'll have to make a hole in the loco body for the aerial to go through..

First trial fit of the loco body to its new chassis..

Quite a lot to do to get the loco to fit right onto the new chassis... plus a better coupling system with the tender (or a fudge as before 😀 )

Buildings...

Garage Layout

I've had a low relief plastic toy building on the garage layout for some time, today decided to get it finished off.  In its original state, looking very 'plastic'

added some doors for the second floor made with some spare plasticard plus something that looks like a hoist..

A quick simple paint scheme and back on the layout .....

Garden Layout

As the buildings stay out all year round, they need a clean and on some the roofs get a lick of paint 

its washy-washy time .....

red oxide primer to redo the roofs...

and then they go back in their usual spots ...............

Train time ....

Enjoyed the late summer sunshine today and ran a couple of trains.. passenger and a tanker train