As has been recounted elsewhere, these little Locomotives are super runners and great value. I paid £90 for my set from Amazon including the postage and was miffed that the next day that they were £69 post paid. Never mind, I guess the extra cost has made me decide that this little beauty was worth more than just slopping some weathering on it to hide its toylike looks.
But first I must thank PaulRHB for his pathfinding research on slowing the beast down somewhat. I have copied his findings and thought that I would give some information here on my Tests as part of my makeover thread. I decided that I would follow Paul`s suggestion and install 6 Diodes and the Switch. My reasoning being that the Switch would give me slower speeds for shunting. These are my findings, note that the speeds are calculated using an iPhone App called " Model Speed" and I use a setting of 2 Yards to give me Scale Speeds in KPH. I did 2 runs at each setting to give me some kind of appreciation that I was getting my timing right. The 3 settings for each choice of Diodes represents the 3 Speed Settings that happen as you move the Control Knob.
Slow Speed Switch set for 3 Diodes, 28 and 26
Intermediate Speed 3 Diodes 14 and 13
Highest Speed 3 Diodes 7.7 and 7
Fast Speed Switch set for 2 Diodes, 33 and 28
Intermediate Speed 2 Diodes 18 and 15
Highest Speed 2 Diodes 11 and 9.6
Not a massive difference with the Diodes, but certainly better than without. Note that the Slow Speed gives nice shunting speeds in the 7kph range and Fast Speed gives a Top Speed of around 30kph.
Before all this of course I had to dismantle the Beast. This is easier said than done and has again been recounted before, just remember if you use the option of Cocktail Sticks that they can jab you a nasty jab, don`t ask how I know this! Having got it apart I decided to cut all the Tabs off. This gives me the problem of holding the body on but more of this later.
My next task was to spray the dismantled Loco with rattle Halford Matt Grey. This acted as the base for my livery that is to reflect the Harz Diesel that I wanted to replicate, hence my Title of Baby Kamel.
After an overnight in the Airing Cupboard I sprayed the bottom part of the Body with Halfords Rattle White undercoat. Then after another night to dry off masked my line off with Tamiya 6mm Lining Tape and another attack with the Halfords Rattle Can, this time `BMW Imola Red 11`. I reasoned this to be a close approximation to the DR/HSB Maroon and hey I am representing a German Locomotive so what better colour than a BMW one? After yet another night in the Airing Cupboard the lining tape was removed, this gave the effect that I was looking for with a little spray over of the Maroon which was touched up with some Tamiya Matt White Brushing Acrylic.
The first two pictures show the Loco on the Test 2 Yards whilst on Timing Runs. Inevitably the wiring was all over the place till this testing was completed. It has now all been tidied up prior to stuffing into the compartment just behind the Battery Box, which thankfully appears to be full of empty air prior to the mods. The final shot shows the Masking carried out prior to Rattle Canning the Chassis in Matt Black with a little `Bounce Weathering` undertaken using Halfords Red Primer. Actually a superb colour for Bauxite Colour of Wagons and subtle Brake Dust.
Just seen in the final picture are the initial Plasticard Botch ups for New Lights and a Radiator Cover. Oh I forgot to mention that I have also done some covering of the body to make it look like there is only a Motor at one end and just one Radiator.
JonD
But first I must thank PaulRHB for his pathfinding research on slowing the beast down somewhat. I have copied his findings and thought that I would give some information here on my Tests as part of my makeover thread. I decided that I would follow Paul`s suggestion and install 6 Diodes and the Switch. My reasoning being that the Switch would give me slower speeds for shunting. These are my findings, note that the speeds are calculated using an iPhone App called " Model Speed" and I use a setting of 2 Yards to give me Scale Speeds in KPH. I did 2 runs at each setting to give me some kind of appreciation that I was getting my timing right. The 3 settings for each choice of Diodes represents the 3 Speed Settings that happen as you move the Control Knob.
Slow Speed Switch set for 3 Diodes, 28 and 26
Intermediate Speed 3 Diodes 14 and 13
Highest Speed 3 Diodes 7.7 and 7
Fast Speed Switch set for 2 Diodes, 33 and 28
Intermediate Speed 2 Diodes 18 and 15
Highest Speed 2 Diodes 11 and 9.6
Not a massive difference with the Diodes, but certainly better than without. Note that the Slow Speed gives nice shunting speeds in the 7kph range and Fast Speed gives a Top Speed of around 30kph.
Before all this of course I had to dismantle the Beast. This is easier said than done and has again been recounted before, just remember if you use the option of Cocktail Sticks that they can jab you a nasty jab, don`t ask how I know this! Having got it apart I decided to cut all the Tabs off. This gives me the problem of holding the body on but more of this later.
My next task was to spray the dismantled Loco with rattle Halford Matt Grey. This acted as the base for my livery that is to reflect the Harz Diesel that I wanted to replicate, hence my Title of Baby Kamel.
After an overnight in the Airing Cupboard I sprayed the bottom part of the Body with Halfords Rattle White undercoat. Then after another night to dry off masked my line off with Tamiya 6mm Lining Tape and another attack with the Halfords Rattle Can, this time `BMW Imola Red 11`. I reasoned this to be a close approximation to the DR/HSB Maroon and hey I am representing a German Locomotive so what better colour than a BMW one? After yet another night in the Airing Cupboard the lining tape was removed, this gave the effect that I was looking for with a little spray over of the Maroon which was touched up with some Tamiya Matt White Brushing Acrylic.
The first two pictures show the Loco on the Test 2 Yards whilst on Timing Runs. Inevitably the wiring was all over the place till this testing was completed. It has now all been tidied up prior to stuffing into the compartment just behind the Battery Box, which thankfully appears to be full of empty air prior to the mods. The final shot shows the Masking carried out prior to Rattle Canning the Chassis in Matt Black with a little `Bounce Weathering` undertaken using Halfords Red Primer. Actually a superb colour for Bauxite Colour of Wagons and subtle Brake Dust.
Just seen in the final picture are the initial Plasticard Botch ups for New Lights and a Radiator Cover. Oh I forgot to mention that I have also done some covering of the body to make it look like there is only a Motor at one end and just one Radiator.
JonD
That's why we use them as opposed to resistors to reduce the voltage. 
