Playmobil Diesel transformation
- Thread starter ge_rik
- Start date
Nice work Paul. Really transforms the look of this loco.
I can see this inspiring others to do likewise....
I can see this inspiring others to do likewise....
Wow! Looks great!
Where did you get one for £45? Mine were both in sets, one from Germany when the set first came out and another locally, but they both cost around £100.
As I 'collect' Playmobil trains I didn't try a re-modelling as you have done so very well, but one is now track powered, whilst I kept the other as supplied.
What do you think of the sound?
Good value as you say, but yours is much better value than mine!
James
Where did you get one for £45? Mine were both in sets, one from Germany when the set first came out and another locally, but they both cost around £100.
As I 'collect' Playmobil trains I didn't try a re-modelling as you have done so very well, but one is now track powered, whilst I kept the other as supplied.
What do you think of the sound?
Good value as you say, but yours is much better value than mine!
James
Looks very good Paul - I'm still tempted by one of these as 'instant power' as the dark nights draw in.
I wonder if it is possible to reduce the speed of the RC Version?
For the track powered version we ran the supply from the track through diode droppers to limit the voltage getting to to the existing motors and this has worked quite well and the loco has been run a lot.
I wonder if something similar, but using less diodes could be done on the RC version, so that the whole speed range is reduced, which won't matter so much at the top end, but could be handy at the lower end?
Just an idea!
That RC Track sells well on E bay and I think the inter-modal drop side wagon will do well too.
Good luck,
James
For the track powered version we ran the supply from the track through diode droppers to limit the voltage getting to to the existing motors and this has worked quite well and the loco has been run a lot.
I wonder if something similar, but using less diodes could be done on the RC version, so that the whole speed range is reduced, which won't matter so much at the top end, but could be handy at the lower end?
Just an idea!
That RC Track sells well on E bay and I think the inter-modal drop side wagon will do well too.
Good luck,
James
It's strange that the speed control appears limited as the older R/C have good variable speed control in my experience.
I can get mine to run at a crawl speed - quite impressed with it really. It's just too modern - needs disguising (if ever I can get round to it). The sound isn't bad - the horn's quite good coming out of a tunnel.
That's exactly what we're going to do to my version as soon as I get them apartJames Day said:
While it will go fairly slow with a load it sprints away on its own so halving the speed will make it a great little shunter too.
Great,
Please report back on how you get on.
As my layout hasn't been run for a over a week, I think I might dig my own RC version out to propel the track cleaner tomorrow!
James
Please report back on how you get on.
As my layout hasn't been run for a over a week, I think I might dig my own RC version out to propel the track cleaner tomorrow!
James
Rather than add a new thread I thought I'd add the mods to mine here too.
Stage one is getting it apart! This took a wide flat blade screwdriver and about 16 cocktail sticks to hold all the various clips open. You need to be very brave, and careful not to damage the body, and apply a fair amount of force to ease it all apart. I've subsequently cut off all the end of the clips. The cab is held down by two screws from the chassis and I intend to add two more each side of the bonnets so six screws will release the body in future.
Anyhoo tonights installment is what's hidden inside.
Front end, note the LED's are tiny
Overall
Rear end with on / off switch
the speaker box.
Jobs to go are:-
1 Fix plastic boss's to take screws inside bodyshell.
2 Paint body to stop light bleed.
3 Fit diode matrix to reduce speed.
4 do the same to the second one!
Stage one is getting it apart! This took a wide flat blade screwdriver and about 16 cocktail sticks to hold all the various clips open. You need to be very brave, and careful not to damage the body, and apply a fair amount of force to ease it all apart. I've subsequently cut off all the end of the clips. The cab is held down by two screws from the chassis and I intend to add two more each side of the bonnets so six screws will release the body in future.
Anyhoo tonights installment is what's hidden inside.
Front end, note the LED's are tiny
Overall
Rear end with on / off switch
the speaker box.
Jobs to go are:-
1 Fix plastic boss's to take screws inside bodyshell.
2 Paint body to stop light bleed.
3 Fit diode matrix to reduce speed.
4 do the same to the second one!
Luckily the plastic wheels are the same size as the earlier metal ones. The axles are the same size too, except that the ends are knurled to give a good interference fit, meaning that axle modification or replacement is required if you are going to fit metal ones.
That said, they are the same plastic size wheels as on the earlier RC series, are readily available and seem to wear well.
For the track powered version I used wheels from a non-powered 4052 tender loco. The loco was a 'Pennsylvania' type as supplied in a set, with just a single motor in the loco and an empty motor block in the tender.
I used the four plain wheels as supplied on the 4052, as I figured a traction tyre could give potential pick up issues, (the loco not having the benefit of pick up shoes). I runs very well and quite smoothly, but is still very noisy, due to the screeching gears!
James
That said, they are the same plastic size wheels as on the earlier RC series, are readily available and seem to wear well.
For the track powered version I used wheels from a non-powered 4052 tender loco. The loco was a 'Pennsylvania' type as supplied in a set, with just a single motor in the loco and an empty motor block in the tender.
I used the four plain wheels as supplied on the 4052, as I figured a traction tyre could give potential pick up issues, (the loco not having the benefit of pick up shoes). I runs very well and quite smoothly, but is still very noisy, due to the screeching gears!
James
Tonights episode:
Slowing it down to shunting speed
Well I successfully got no2 apart so it was off to a clever mate to see about reducing the top speed.
We looked at the wiring and established that the motors are fed from the circuit board by the battery cartridge so this is where we were going to install the diode matrix.
We measured the voltage at the four different speeds and came out to
step1 3V
step2 4v
step3 5v
step4 6v
we decided to try roughly halving the voltage so Kev made a diode bridge up in a choc block and the test rig is seen below. This uses 1amp diodes, 3 in each direction so it works in both directions. It's incredibly simple if you can wield a soldering iron as there are no temperature sensitve components
Any way here's the rather bulky test unit in place. Note there are three cables running along the chassis a 6 way ribbon, a 3 way ribbon and a 2 way one, we want to cut just one wire of the 2 way one as seen in the picture and insert the diodes in this supply.
The finished article will hide them in the channel, if you used a block like this you'd need to hide it in the bonnet next to the battery compartment.
an overall shot with the circuit diagram show with an alternative manual change switch included to set the number of diodes to give alternative speeds for different running sessions.
Just for interest the location of the 16 clips holding the body on.
and the led lights
Slowing it down to shunting speed
Well I successfully got no2 apart so it was off to a clever mate to see about reducing the top speed.
We looked at the wiring and established that the motors are fed from the circuit board by the battery cartridge so this is where we were going to install the diode matrix.
We measured the voltage at the four different speeds and came out to
step1 3V
step2 4v
step3 5v
step4 6v
we decided to try roughly halving the voltage so Kev made a diode bridge up in a choc block and the test rig is seen below. This uses 1amp diodes, 3 in each direction so it works in both directions. It's incredibly simple if you can wield a soldering iron as there are no temperature sensitve components
Any way here's the rather bulky test unit in place. Note there are three cables running along the chassis a 6 way ribbon, a 3 way ribbon and a 2 way one, we want to cut just one wire of the 2 way one as seen in the picture and insert the diodes in this supply.
The finished article will hide them in the channel, if you used a block like this you'd need to hide it in the bonnet next to the battery compartment.
an overall shot with the circuit diagram show with an alternative manual change switch included to set the number of diodes to give alternative speeds for different running sessions.
Just for interest the location of the 16 clips holding the body on.
and the led lights
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