Wednesday 14 March 2012

Bachmann Class 20 Railfreight Grey Red Stripe 32-029A

A while back, I purchased the Bachmann Class 20 Railfreight Grey, Red Stripe livery (32-029A). It's a DCC ready model, and comes complete with a full set of indicator discs so that you can customize it according to operating duties.


My full review of the Bachmann Class 20 loco was not very complimentary. Now, despite the negative comments and implications that I don't know what I'm talking about, it was a true and fair view of my own experiences.


It doesn't run well over points at low speed, the lack of lights makes it look cheap next to the excellent Class 37, and it's a noisy little loco, with a persistent engine whine.


However, all of these are probably fixable. For a start, I'm going to swap the Hornby Sapphire decoder for a Lenz or Gaugemaster equivalent. Then, I'll borrow a proper controller so I can program the decoder properly - as regular readers will know my Piko Digi Fern is a great infra-red controller, but can't program beyond setting the address!


Finally, lighting is going to be fitted internally, and probably externally, although I'll need to read up a bit on how to control it via the decoder (if that's even possible!) so that they can be switched on or off.


What I'm going for is a DCC sound and lights version of the Class 20 Railfreight Grey Red Stripe livery to rival the features on Bachmann's Class 20 D8138 in BR Green which, by all accounts is a bit of a cracker!


All in all, I want to prove that just because a loco doesn't quite work as I want it out of the box, even a novice like me can turn it into something that I'll be happy with!

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Delayed (or Delay) Action Tension Lock Uncoupling Solutions

Tension lock coupling is very common in model railroad rolling stock for the simple fact that the vast majority of locomotives, wagons, trucks and carriages come equipped with a tension lock coupling of one type or another.

The simple tension lock is easy enough to understand - each coupling has a little hinged hook that pops up and over the bar of the coupling on the opposite number. In this way, each coupling links to the other in a secure fashion.

Before exploring the world of delayed action (or delay action) tension lock uncoupling, it's worth taking a quick refresher in standard manual and semi-automated tension lock uncoupling techniques.

Tension Lock Manual Uncoupling

The trouble is that when it comes to separating the rolling stock, a manual approach must be taken. The little hooks need to be lifted up, at the same time, and the locomotive driven away to separate it from the rake.

Many model railway enthusiasts have come up with a variety of ingenious hooks and bars that can be used to decouple the tension locks, but most of them require some kind of unprototypical intervention.

Model railway manufacturers have also added their own solutions - usually taking the shape of decoupling ramps or between the rails devices to aid uncoupling in a semi-automated way. 

Tension Lock Auto-Uncoupling

For many, though this isn't enough. Automating the tension lock uncoupling process has become a preoccupation of many model railroad operators. 

For example, Brian Kirby (see Brian Kirby Uncoupler Variations) has developed a fairly sophisticated do-it-yourself magnetic decoupling solution, that can be enhanced using movable and electro- magnets.

This technique requires that non-metallic (or at least, non-magnetic) tension lock couplers are used, ruling out the many owners of Hornby rolling stock. Even there, though there is a solution (see How do I Convert Old Hornby Couplings to New Type) but it requires changing the couplings themselves.

If you're going to do that, some might argue, why not go the whole way to fully automated, delayed action tension lock uncoupling solutions?

Delayed or Delay Action Tension Lock Uncoupling

Delayed action (or sometimes delay action) tension lock uncoupling is a way of automating the uncoupling process such that the uncoupling doesn't actually take place until the direction of the rake is reversed, allowing the loco to separate.

Imagine an Inglenook switching puzzle. With regular uncoupling, some kind of uncoupling device has to be placed at each fork so that trucks (wagons, or carriages) can be spotted on any one of the sidings.

As the article Inglenook Kadee Magnet Placement Advice points out, delayed action uncoupling allows a single uncoupling device to be placed at the throat of the Inglenook, and rolling stock spotted in any of the sidings.

To achieve all of this, the most common solution is to use something called a knuckle coupling. The most popular manufacturer is Kadee (see the blog post on adding Kadee couplings to rolling stock.)

There are other solutions, which we will examine in future posts. On a personal note, I have used Kadee and the Brian Kirby alternative, and have found that both have their uses, with a slight preference to the simplicity (and cheapness!) of the Kirby magnet uncoupling solution.

Friday 2 March 2012

The 808 Keychain Camera for Model Rail Enthusiasts

For any model rail enthusiasts wanting to fit a camera to their rolling stock, one of the best I've found is known as the 808 Keychain Camera, or sometimes the 808 Keychain Spy Camera.

It's available from various places online, but the most reliable place I've found is Amazon; just follow this link: 808 Keychain Camera from Amazon.


What is the 808 Keychain Camera?

Simply put, it's a range of cameras that can take photos and video at a variety of resolutions, depending on the model, storing them on an on-board micro SD card.

The camera looks like a key fob, with an easily removable key chain at one end, some buttons and a small indicator light on top, and a lens and microphone at the other end.

It charges from USB, and USB can also be used to transfer photos and videos, although it's probably quicker and more reliable to unplug the micro SD card, and use a USB micro SD card reader.

Why is it Good for Model Rail Enthusiasts?

The camera is ideal for model rail, as it is small, light, and above all, cheap ($10-$20 for the cheaper models, and around $80 for the HD versions). The $20 versions are cheap enough that it's worth experimenting with them by taking them to pieces and fitting them inside rolling stock (i.e. containers or loads).

On the other hand, they're light enough that you can use double sided sticky tape, Velcro, or just an elastic band to attach them temporarily to rolling stock and locos.

The quality might not be the best, and they do need to be  used in good light, but the trade-off is some great on-board rail-height video that you can't get any other way!

Getting the Most from Your 808 Keychain Camera

Here are some tips from bitter experience:

  • they can take about 40 minutes of video at a time;
  • when they're plugged in, they charge, but keep an eye on the light, and unplug it when it goes out, otherwise they overheat which kills the battery;
  • don't press all the buttons at once, and use the Internet to research operating instructions, as the ones that come with it are less than perfect!

Finally, Chuch Lohr has everything you could possibly want to know on his dedicated 808 keychain web site. I'll also throw up some sample videos from my own layout if there's enough demand.

Meanwhile, check out these awesome videos taken with 808 keychain spy cameras placed on home-made rockets!