Red Battery GRS Pecket Loco Conversion using Fosworks and NiMh Batteries with My Loco Sound.

8 Mar 2014
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I vote for using brass castings, and plastic. Very few zinc-based castings last a long time (in large pieces, like sideframes and chassis)...

I have several friends that collect older trains, and "Zinc pest" is a problem.

Greg
 

Rhinochugger

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I vote for using brass castings, and plastic. Very few zinc-based castings last a long time (in large pieces, like sideframes and chassis)...

I have several friends that collect older trains, and "Zinc pest" is a problem.

Greg
Yes, over here, most kits (and they are much fewer nowadays due to the improved offerings from ready-to-run manufacturers) tended to be white metal, later pewter, superstructures and etched brass chassis. In the late '70s when I started kit building, there were a few loco kits that had a white metal chassis block with inserted brass bearings. There was no way that the average modeller could install the bearings accurately enough, so they were already fixed in the chassis, but they made for a very nice, smooth running loco if you took your time in adjusting the gear mesh - obviously in 4mm scale the drive was a simple worm arrangement.
 

dunnyrail

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So I just now took a couple of pics of my Red one, as you can see the wheels are not quite the same as Playmofire’s ones but certainly not the quality plated ones on the latest Piko offerings.

8189BE44-74E0-45D1-8013-100AD6B36A27.jpeg

Looking inside you can see the two bars that go up to contact the motor and are where the single plugs are attached to get wire to a circuit board (if present) The centre holes next to them are where the other two bars that do track contact go. These can be jumped together in pairs (track/motor track/motor) to do away with any failed internal board but still keeps things running. The flat bars, plungers and skates have all been removed for this battery conversion. Hope this helps a little. Other thing of note is the difference of gear colours, mine being grey and that is not the gunk contained in there! I have duplicated these words in my Red Loco Build to make things complete.

Other thing of note is the difference of gear colours, mine being grey and that is not the gunk contained in there!
9099ECC0-EB8D-4F0C-B80B-5EE23A49871A.jpeg
 
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ge_rik

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I've somehow missed seeing this thread. A mighty fine loco you have there, Jon. I can vouch for the Piko 0-6-0 motor block. One of my favourite locos uses one. Favoured because it's reliable, robust, powerful and highly controllable especially at low speeds - eg

Rik
 

dunnyrail

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I've somehow missed seeing this thread. A mighty fine loco you have there, Jon. I can vouch for the Piko 0-6-0 motor block. One of my favourite locos uses one. Favoured because it's reliable, robust, powerful and highly controllable especially at low speeds - eg

Rik
Praise indeed Rik many thanks. Mine exhibits similar prowess to your one. Looking at your conversion of the Piko chassis I must think about Cylinders. Love the Robin.
 

ge_rik

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For some reason best known to itself, this thread popped up just now. How did the loco get on? Did you finish off the fittong-out?

Rik
 

dunnyrail

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For some reason best known to itself, this thread popped up just now. How did the loco get on? Did you finish off the fittong-out?

Rik
Probably to remind me that I need to do more work to it still! It is turning out to be a very useful engine having visited lines in Somerset and nearby. So must get on with it, but weather too fine to spend much time in workshop just now. Thanks for your interest Rik.
 

dunnyrail

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Just a small update re this beastie, with the various chat in the last few days about the John Lythgoe bookzine. Towards the rear is an advert by Garden Railway Specialists that show the body kit for this locomotive. It is a DG281 0-6-0 Pecket kit. The kit appears to be unavailable now but there are stocks of a kit of Whitematal parts for the loco. However its 0-4-0 counterpart would appear to still be available - for now.
Some repair works carried out to this little baby today as recalled Post 2687.
 
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dunnyrail

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Today been completing work on this little fellow after the mishap referred to later in this post (repeated from the Workbench thread). Araldite cured so screw and coupling rod fitted all working ok now, just nead to paint the screws matt black. Not the pretiest of jobs but al least back in service now.
IMG_7705.jpeg
I had been posting stuff in the Workbench thread but really ought to keep things here.

A week or two back after an ooerating day my little red Piko GRS loco took a nosedive to the kitchen floor. Fearing the worst I was well pleased to see that no damage had occurred. Though it appeared on running yesterday that the front coupling rod wheel to coupling rod bolt had sprung out unnoticed. Safe to say that as the kitchen floor has been vacuumed a few times since said part was well lost. Fortunately I found a 4ba screw with a nice plain bit of curved brass one end that was a near fit into the hole. Some gentle turning on the lathe made it a fit to araldite in place. But the centre part needed to be removed to properly get in via removal of the coupling rod, that broke as well but at least I was able to tap the thing 8ba for a round headed screw to fit back. These old Piko puffers can be a bit of a challenge at times. In the pic it looks like the araldite is well up over the bearing, not the case just how the picture looks. Now waiting 24 hours for it to cure in this cooler weather. A bigish washer will need to go over the rod to keep in place after the nut fitted which will be held in place with Locktight as will be the centre screw.
IMG_7700.jpeg