Garden Railway Forum

Soar Valley Light wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2020 11:49 am I switched on, reached over for the controller, got it out of its box, switched on and turned back to the loco.

Hi Andrew, sorry to hear of your problems. If I am reading your statement quoted above correctly you turned on the receiver in the Loco, then got to the controller (Transmitter) and turned it on. If that is the case it may be the source of your problems. You must turn the transmitter on first then the receiver otherwise the receiver has no signal to set the position of the servos and they go anywhere or at least try to. If there is a restriction they will just fry.
If I've misunderstood your statement then please ignore what I have said.
Hope you are able to get things going again.
Grant.

Hi Andrew,

That is incredible bad luck.

You can get plugs for servo wires, but an easier option is to get a new male servo lead & solder splice it onto your current servo leads?

I would definitely renew the switch harness (if you remove the receiver from the bunker you should be able to hold a new switch in place whilst getting the first mounting screw done).

The steam pipe coming off the lubricator to the valve block is very adjacent to the reverser servo and the power leads. I would recommend using some sort of cable clip to hold your leads away from the steam pipe, lubricator, etc.

Component Shop are still doing mail order so could be a source of all your needs including a new battery pack.

https://www.componentshop.co.uk/futaba- ... rness.html

https://www.componentshop.co.uk/jr-hite ... -male.html

https://www.componentshop.co.uk/small-s ... clips.html

Chris Cairns

Thanks everyone for the help and advice. The sympathy is just as welcome too!

I feel a rewire might be the order of the day, my only worry is that there might be something in the receiver that's causing some or all of the trouble. Changing that as well takes well out of my comfort zone!

This sort of support and advice is one of the very best things about this forum.

Andrew

Andrew,

Sympathy I can do. Electrics are also a mystery to me so I can't help. I have a Caradoc which I am trying to sort out. It's running deteriorated quite markedly last year and I change or replace one part, only to find it shows up a problem in another area. Like you, one step forward and one backwards. A short gas burn time and a lack of power are what I have been addressing, but I haven't had to sort out any electrics, although I have replaced the r/c receiver so can control the locomotive using my existing OMNI transmitter. Whilst it is frustrating (And expensive) it is also proving to be a useful learning exercise. Take it slowly and step by step. You'll get there. My Caradoc is now awaiting a new burner which, fingers crossed, should see the final chapter of my saga.

Andrew,

Have you not got in touch with ge_rik and Phil RC Trains, both of this parish. They would I feel, be the people to help with your problem....

Electrics... Nightmare for me also....

Soar Valley Light wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2020 7:52 pm I feel a rewire might be the order of the day, my only worry is that there might be something in the receiver that's causing some or all of the trouble. Changing that as well takes well out of my comfort zone!

We all need to push the boundaries of our comfort zone now and again. Just ask for help with anything you are uncertain about and you'll get there.......

Once you've got the new wiring loom, test the various parts on the bench with ordinary dry cells, before installing things in the loco. These cells have a high internal resistance and can't deliver enough current to get things hot in a hurry.

Don't use alkaline cells, they can deliver a lot more current than the ordinary type and definitely don't test with rechargeable cells until you know everything is working. Some r/c electronics can get funny about running on 6V, so use three dry cells, not four.

Chris's advice to splice on new leads is a good one, but make sure you use shrink tube to insulate the joints, not tape. Tape won't last long in the heat of a live steamer and you'll be back where you started.

So, connect up the receiver first to find out if the magic smoke is still inside. If that looks OK, try a spare servo in each of the outputs. I'd try a known good servo first, before you try a repaired one, so you aren't chasing two possibly faulty devices at once.

If that all works on the bench, you can then start installing it back in the loco.

If you get the right wiring loom it should be 'plug and play'. Just take notes and photos as you remove parts from the loco so you have a reference for when the time comes to replace them. Your other steamer should also be a useful reference as you go.

Regards,
Graeme

Thanks again guys,

There's no progress to report as I've been 'off colour' for a couple of days. Annoyingly, as I'd taken a days leave today to extend the bank holiday. It's back to work tomorrow and I'e got bean plants coming through now which need planting out so it looks like the project will have to wait for a day or two.

I'll keep you posted when there is some progress.

Andrew