Piko 204 questions

Beddhist

Beddhist

Motorcycle travel, trains
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Hi folks,

I just shouted myself a belated birthday present:

IMG_3237.jpg

Q1: the prototype has one engine, but there are two exhaust stacks, one at each end of the cab. One has a round hole, the other a square one. Looking at prototype pix it seems that only the stack on the hood with the large grilles is actually an exhaust. Any idea what the other one is for?

Q2: The bogies seem to have rather a lot of play. I can push the body forth and back about 2mm, sideways about 3mm. Is this normal? Even my toy wagons don`t have that kind of play in their bogies.
 
Now that the post has been approved (and thereby made visible, thank you, muns), perhaps somebody has an answer?
 
according to v100-online.de: Diesel engine and radiator etc. under the front hood; heating boiler, air-tanks and batteries under the rear hood.

http://www.v100-online.de/index.php?nav=1404153&lang=1

Maybe the side-play in the model's bogies is to simulate the dodgy riding-qualities of the prototype?! Although reliable, the max speed was dropped right down to 50mph/80kph near the end of their service life due to excessive rolling on newer trackwork, which gave DBAG an excuse to retire them as the 204 was fitted for passenger service but couldn't run at minimum 100kph.
 
Thanks for that, Nick. I can only guess that the engine is under the hood with the big grilles. I looked at a few pix on that site and found some models that had the second stack removed. I guess that was the heater exhaust, which the later machines had removed. So, if I later want to install a smoke unit it goes on the engine side.

I'm sure some people here have a Harzkamel and perhaps they can check for play. I guess it's "normal", since both ends are the same, but surprising nevertheless. My HO locos never had such "sloppy" bogies.
 
I was given one as an anniversary present earlier in the year; I've now converted it to battery (and should get off the stick and post the description of doing so); at roughly the same time Cogges Railway got one which he also converted. We're both pretty pleased with the locos; they pull like draught horses. I think the side play in bogies, and mine has the same, is probably there to enable what is a fairly large wheel base both in the bogies and between the pivot points to get around R1 curves; while mine does that OK I wouldn't say it likes them and I suspect that it would like them less if the side play was reduced. There is a motor hung on each bogie, so the side play is not in the gears, it's in the pivot.

BTW, on the power question I'm using one of Cliff Barker's r/c systems which is rated to 2.8A continuous from memory; and I have a 4A fast blow fuse installed. I've not had any problems (says he reaching for wood!).

Steve
 
Thank you, Steve. Mine will be converted to Airwire. I will measure the input current and then decide whether I can put in another Convrtr or whether it will have to be a G3. Looking forward to read about the conversions.

No R1s on my line, the sharpest corners are in the Peco points. They were sold to me as #6, but I have found them to have a 1.5 m radius. >:( I was aiming for twice that...
 
Beddhist said:
No R1s on my line, the sharpest corners are in the Peco points. They were sold to me as #6, but I have found them to have a 1.5 m radius.
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Ah, but #6 only defines the frog angle, it has nothing directly to to with the curve radius of the diverging route over the whole point, other than that a flatter angle (higher frog #) tends to indicate a larger radius.
 
To add to the two stacks and one engine observation..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dHn6clfFLQA

Shows one of those Grootspoor conversion jobs, with both stacks in use, need to wade a fair way through to get to it, the music can be a bit off putting as well.

Just something to throw into the mix as it were.
 
Interesting: one version has two smokers, one pulsed (engine, the other presumably the boiler), the other has only one stack. I believe the Piko series 298 in orange has only one stack.

If the time comes I will just put one in. We don't use the boiler here. Might as well remove it...

Thanks for the video link, very nice to watch. Makes the stock loco look like a toy. I will have to save for a while longer to buy that one @ 2500 Eur.
 
The Grootspoor Conversion appears to Show Plated Wheels, I think yours has Blackened Wheels am I correct?

I have been trying to source Plated Wheels for my one, but the Webb Site is not at all clear on the issue. Perhaps I should try Grootspoor direct. I assume that is why Steve and Beddhist have/are doing Battery conversions. Running after a while with the Blackened Wheels is at best problematical.
JonD
 
Jon, the decision to convert to battery has nothing to do with the wheels. I am still in the process of building my layout and have decided to run with dead rails, that's all.

I unpacked the box and looked at the wheels: they are shiny, with the outside dark grey. I guess that makes them 'blackened wheels'. Not that I would know... :-\
 
Beddhist said:
Jon, the decision to convert to battery has nothing to do with the wheels. I am still in the process of building my layout and have decided to run with dead rails, that's all.

I unpacked the box and looked at the wheels: they are shiny, with the outside dark grey. I guess that makes them 'blackened wheels'. Not that I would know... :-\
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Ok thanks for your answer. Going Battery is a Smart move. No Track Cleaning or Wiring up to do. If your fleet is kept modest in size (difficult!) then it will work out cheeper than DCC. Good luck with your project.
JonD
 
Alright ... Airwire G3 and Massoth eMotion S have landed and the fun begins. I have removed the body, skates and track wiring. The post in the Massoth forum on how to install decoder, smoke and weights has helped, but they don't explain how to remove the cab from the body and the interior from the cab. I can see 4 blue lugs inside the body that hold the cab on, but I can't shift them. It seems I need to remove the interior first, but I can't see how that is held in at all. Can anybody tell me how to take all that apart?

Thanks,
Peter.
 
ntpntpntp said:
Although reliable, the max speed was dropped right down to 50mph/80kph near the end of their service life due to excessive rolling on newer trackwork, which gave DBAG an excuse to retire them as the 204 was fitted for passenger service but couldn't run at minimum 100kph.
Click to expand...

I remember some journeys behind these horrors in the old days of East Germany. They rarely managed to achieve much better than about 40-50 KPH making what was a relatively short journey take an age. I am talking about the Standard Gauge ones here, in fact I doubt that they ever achieved much better top speed than the NG Conversions on the Harz are capable of.

JonD
 
3Valve said:
Phew, when I read the title I thought you were going to ask 204 questions about Piko ;D
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Yes, of course I will, just give me a little more time!
 
dunnyrail said:
I remember some journeys behind these horrors in the old days of East Germany. They rarely managed to achieve much better than about 40-50 KPH making what was a relatively short journey take an age. I am talking about the Standard Gauge ones here, in fact I doubt that they ever achieved much better top speed than the NG Conversions on the Harz are capable of.

JonD
Click to expand...

I guess that I can get away with only a 12V battery then and still be prototypical speed-wise. The Airwire Convrtr, at least, seems a lot happier at 12V, rather than 18 or 24. This one will have the G3, however.
 
You got that right Peter, these things never broke out into a sweat. I think that it was probably much to do with Poor Track Condition, Poor Maintenance of the Trains and no change from Steam Train Schedules. You never got anywhere quick in the East.

Lots of guys used to go over for 100mph Pacific runs on the Berlin - Dresden Trains. They did get them on occasion too, but with barely 60kph average for the complete journey due to the never ending trundle around the Berlin Ringbahn before you got going. End to end runs were always slow. These Services went from Steam to Electric with little change to the Schedules that could be appreciated.
JonD
 
I have never been in the DDR, so I never got to sample the amazing benefits of the "Real Existing Socialism". ::)

Meanwhile, I have figured out how to dismantle the body shell. Details will follow in a separate topic.
 
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