Measuring amongst other things!

"kim" wrote

Suggested to Hornby very recently that they should be seriously looking at fitting sound chips to steam locos, but genuine sound not some silly generic alternative. Bachmann seem to have the diesel sound RTR market fairly well satisfied for now, but I'm convinced there's a big market for steam too.

John.

Reply to
John Turner
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Well, in my case, I draw a straight line in the right place, but my coordination for handicrafts is such that the saw cut deviates well away from the marked line. (Which is one reason why scratch built locos & stock are a total impossibility.)

Bevan

Reply to
Bevan Price

It's easier with diesel.

Steam has problems - eg most systems don't give enough chuffs per revolution. If they do it sounds too fast. And some of them are too generic, although South West Digital have programmed a Loksound with a GWR 2-cylinder sound.

I wouldn't want my 7mm Dean Single, 517s, assorted saddle tanks and Dean goods (all with slide valves) sounding like a Hall.

Reply to
Christopher A.Lee

(a and b) It's commonly known that the universe is expanding. What is less well known is that it expands at a different rate in OO gauge (by a factor of 8/7).

(c) haven't a clue

(d) Because you're a bloke and you just don't understand.

Reply to
AdrianB

I was always taught that it was a Bristol screwdriver for chippies, and a Birmingham screwdriver for mechanics. Brian

Reply to
BH Williams

The message from Christopher A.Lee contains these words:

Or to have the "wheeze" of an LNWR Super D.

Reply to
David Jackson

From: "Christopher A.Lee" Subject: Re: Measuring amongst other things!

The Yanks have managed to avoid most of those pitfalls, and I did say authentic (and not generic) sound was essential. I had a chap bring a sound-equipped American Mallet into the shop a few weeks back and it sounded truly awesome.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

I'd settle for transition era diesel but they all seem to be blue period or later. What set me off was testing the new reading glasses on the Bachman catalogue in the lavvy this afternoon and being delighted to see mention of factory fitted sound on the page with the Class 47, only to discover it applies to the blue version only. Flicking through the rest of the catalogue, this seems to be a common theme with factory fitted sound.

(kim)

Reply to
kim

"kim" wrote

Bachmann have todate only issued two sound equipped diesels, the first was the class 66, whilst the second was a transitional era green class 20.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

I was on board the NASA Lockheed Galaxy fitted out as a mobile telescope. There's a slot cut out on one side from mid-height to TDC about 18" wide. I was inspecting the edges of the slot (supposed to be inspecting the computer data output =8^) and asked how it had been cut : "Drill and hacksaw". The deflector on the front edge was a long piece of nylon door seal strip PK screwed to the fuselage. I asked how the cover worked when it was parked in the rain: "we have a length of canvas we throw over it." "How do you get it over the top of the plane???" "We have a lead weight on a piece of string which we throw over to pull the canvas up." I thought they were pulling my leg (lead weight over an aircraft _that_ big with a multi-million dollar telescope just where the weight was being thrown) However, they demonstrated the technique for me. A hacksaw to cut a big slot in a Galaxy??? The rough edges were what started me asking!

Regards, Greg.P. NZ

Reply to
Greg Procter

Not heard the "Bristol" version. The Brum ,yes! That was part of the car making myth. Scouse anything was rude and crude. There really was a "London" screwdriver -- they were a wooden handled , flat plate derived driver of good size.

Since coming back into modelling, it has been more than evident that the gods of measuring and getting it right are more than happy to take the discipline of accuracy and bin it immediately after my final cut.

The" do it again" kid.

Reply to
Peter Abraham

Of the sound equipped diesels listed in the catalogue, only two are transition era green. The Class 20 is only half a loco as they normally ran in pairs and the Deltic is "foreign" from somewhere in the far east :o)

(kim)

Reply to
kim

Absolutely right. I will buy one from you as soon as you have one. Preferably Flying Scotsman but anything will do. Until then I have stopped buying locomotives except American.

Reply to
Ed Callaghan

"kim" wrote

Not during the transition era, single class 20 operation was the norm.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

They only ever pulled ammunition trains around here, that I remember. They probably pulled loads of stuff I don't remember - but useful to know nevertheless.

Has anyone tried double heading with identical sound fitted locos? As I understand it the audio frequencies would be in the exact same phase and produce undesirable beat frequencies similar to cheap early electronic music instruments.

(kim)

Reply to
kim

Years ago (mid 1980s), the hobby shops here in the USA were marketing steam sounds systems made by Pacific Fast Mail that were amazing. These things had *everything*, including a knob for adjusting the amount of echo on the whistle, muffling the sound as the locomotive entered a tunnel, and all manner of other devices.

The control panel was slightly smaller than two square feet, and had perhaps 40 different knobs, buttons, and spring return levers to control everything.

And the price was about the same as a desktop computer. The sound was pumped through the rails to a speaker in the locomotive, so anything smaller than HO scale was out of the question, and because the sound is high frequency AC power it is only compaitible with DC control systems to allow filtering between the sound signal and the motor power.

Reply to
gl4316

"kim" wrote

They were used extensively on trip freight working between the various goods yards in Sheffield and could be seen regularly at Sheffield Midland on these duties. Needless to say when Tinsley Yard opened virtually all those trip workings disappeared, but I saw them all over Yorkshire in the early 60s on all measure of freight duties, and rarely if ever double-headed.

A mate of mine has two of the Bachmann sound-equipped Class 20s (modified to blue livery) which he uses as a pair and it's quite amazing to hears the move in and out on sync, and at start-up when one fires in a few seconds before the other the effect is stunning.

I missed out of the first issue of the sound 20s, but one is most definitely on my 'shopping list' for the second batch later this year.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

(d) Because you're a bloke and you just don't understand.

It may be you are not taking into account the FOS ( factor of safety ). In the early days of bridge design, for example, you'd to have a FOS of say 2 or 300 % ( that's why many old bridges are still standing despite heavier traffic loads ). In today's computer designed world with high tech materials that FOS has dropped to 30 to

40 %.

So measure your boards but cut another 500 mm off their length !

Reply to
Dragon Heart

"Dragon Heart" wrote

LOL - just installed the first baseboard for the layout planned for my new home, and it was all measured to the nearest ¼ inch, which was just as well, as not only was it necessary to maximise the board size because the room is relatively small, but also the leg position as the underside of the layout has to accomodate such things as book cases and storage cabinets, along with my desk I use for all my paperwork.

Remarkably it all fitted snugly, although I'm already contemplating the likely problems with the next (2nd of 3) baseboard, for the same reason(s). Looks like one storgae cabinet may have to be scrapped and replaced by one around two inches narrower.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

DON'T assume that your room is square! (ie 90 degree corners - straight walls)

Regards, Greg.P.

Reply to
Greg Procter

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