The LNER Encyclopedia

Good morning all

I am currently building Pullman trains and am struggling with the Eastern Belle. I picked up a Hornby D16/3 at a good price, but it will only haul FIVE Pullman coaches. I have tried adding lead, but, the old 4-4-0 problem, it became nose-heavy.

Is there a a kit/model that will put more power down on the track? A B12/1 would be a lovely solution, as I could use that on a North Country Continental boat train.

Any ideas??

Malcolm

The B12/3 model has the best traction of any RTR 4-6-0 of which I have operating experience , thanks to a largely cast body. No trouble with an 8 car set of Hornby K type cars, all with wipers in contact, treated as described below. (The Bach Ivatt Atlantic needed weight adding.)

Both the B12/3 and D16/3 models should ideally have the tender pick ups removed from contact, these are terrible thieves of traction and serve no purpose on an all live crossing points layout. If the ruling radii are 30" or greater the excessive tender weight found in so much RTR product can be binned as well in my experience.

I guess these are Hornby's Pullman coaches? The main problem is the drag of the wipers on the axles (unlike Bachmann's better choice of split axle with collection off the pinpoints; which vehicles will detect gradients on what is intended to be level track as they easily roll away on less than 1 in 200).

One potential fix, through wiring. One vehicle at each end of the train with the wipers in contact, all the rest out of contact would be my best suggestion for a long train. Powdered graphite on the pick up axles, while messy to apply, does afford some benefit. I put a little plastic tray made from a tiny bottle cap under each axle to catch the fall out from the brush, and reuse it. (Come on you ingenious people, there must be a better method, suggestions please.) Likewise the camming coupler mechanisms and gangway faceplates are graphite lubricated to improve free action, this reduces the drawbar load on transition from curved to tangent track.

Additionally I use GT85 (plastic compatible PTFE bike lubricant) on the pinpoints of all axles running in both RTR plastic mouldings and brass coned bearings, (the latter after these have had some hours running time) and it makes for very free running: now coming up to 20 years trouble free application on Bachmann, Hornby and Heljan RTR, and the usual plastic kits from 3H, Parkside, Slaters, Kirk etc. ; and thus far no trouble on other more recent introductions from the current gallimaufrey of RTR OO brands (and yet more to come...) who hopefully make much the same moulding polymer choices.

I haven't found the need to investigate, but I wonder whether the tender and the drawbar for the Hornby D16 can be modified readily so that the weight of the front two-thirds of the tender rests on the rear of the loco. Added lead in the loco boiler, supplemented and balanced by tender weight on the rear of the loco might then do the trick.

This well proven scheme would require a rebuild of the tender's running gear to work well, thanks to Hornby's current 'no roll' method of mounting the axles. It would I suspect be easier on the old tender model from the Triang B12/3, which was a popular piece back in the day for conversion into 'something better' for GER locos.

Good morning all on a dry day in Surrey

Thanks Hatfield and Atlantic.

I have very little knowledge of RTR haulage powers.

I did wonder about a McGowan B12/3, but I am very wary of McGowan kits. The intrinsic weight of white metal kits is helpful, and all my power pullers are built from white metal.

There is a weight transference to the rear driving axle on start-up, which would suggest Atlantic's suggestion is a good idea.

Some time ago, I added weight to firebox and between the frames of a DJH D49 and it popped wheelies on start-up on my test track.

I shall have to look for a reasonable price b12/3

Thanks again

Malcolm

PS. my Pullmans are Hornby Railroad items, upgraded with new sides, new bogies, and scratch built interiors. I regard lights as a gimmick and don't bother.

earlswood nob wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2024 12:15 pm ...The intrinsic weight of white metal kits is helpful, and all my power pullers are built from white metal...

I still remember how impressed I was in my early teens on the effect of a whitemetal J50 body on a RTR OO mechanism, I was sold! More w/m kits and then chassis construction later I had models which could match ye olde RTR OO benchmark, H-D's 8F, evaluated in terms of adequate traction to match prototype capability.

It was a long wait for RTR OO designers to emulate what H-D had delivered, but we are finally getting there.

Good morning from sleepy Surrey

I am currently building a couple of Dock Shunters, the High Level L&Y Pug conversion, and the Judith Edge J63.

The J63 instructions indicate that there is room for a Mashima 1024.

The 1024 is three times as powerful as the 1015, so it will have great haulage power if I can get enough lead (in sidetanks and bunker) to give it the grip needed.

I don't think there will be enough room for lead to fully utilise the potential of the motor.

Hush!! I'd like to see Nucast Partners reintroduce the Fowler Dock Tank. That would go nicely with the J63.

Earlswood Nob (Malcolm)

PS. I must get a new camera/phone to take some decent pics.

Time to change the topic heading then?

Oops entered onto wrong subject!

I've just changed the heading, never thought of it before

Malcolm