a complete newbie !

cjbeattie · January 16, 2015, 08:21:45 PM

oh i like that picture,

country house scene.. my first model the engine shed had alot more glue than that ... learnt the hard way i guess.. it was no way as clear as yours though.. love the shrubs etc too.. looks very 'cumbrian'

so when i have an update i dont post in here? i make a new thread?

shaker_wooders · January 16, 2015, 08:26:14 PM

Quote from: cjbeattie on January 16, 2015, 08:21:45 PM
oh i like that picture,

country house scene.. my first model the engine shed had alot more glue than that ... learnt the hard way i guess.. it was no way as clear as yours though.. love the shrubs etc too.. looks very 'cumbrian'

so when i have an update i dont post in here? i make a new thread?

Sorry what I meant was when you start to plan e.g. have a track plan that you want people to see/comment on and/or build your actual layout people tend to start threads on the Layout Planning and/or Layout Construction parts of the forum.

Simon

Jack · January 16, 2015, 08:28:16 PM

A tip with Metcalfe kits; if you get yourself some felt tip pens and run the appropriate colour down the white corners of the buildings it makes the model look so much better.

Newportnobby · January 16, 2015, 08:31:26 PM

I'd echo Simon's advice and post your track plan (when you have it) in the Layout Planning section and then when you get to the baseboard building etc put that in the Layout Construction section. One thing's for sure, Craig, seek advice from this knowledgeable collective at all stages as it can really help avoid pitfalls, heartache etc and save you money

shaker_wooders · January 16, 2015, 08:32:27 PM

This was my/our first attempt at a building with chimney pots! Spot the problem!!

daveg · January 16, 2015, 08:35:57 PM

Jack's right!

I have a collection of water colour pencils (Sainsburys!) that I use to hide the white corners. I find I make less a wobbly line as I can sharpen them to quite a fine point and use them barely damp.

Dave G

MalcolmInN · January 16, 2015, 09:10:51 PM

Quote from: cjbeattie on January 16, 2015, 06:17:55 PM
Carlisle

There's a coincidence, I was born and spent first 18years in Carlisle !
Great to see your update,
well done on your Scotsman and other aquisitions and good news on Partner ~~taking over~~ being interested as well

Sounds like there is an alternate devious plan in operation ? perhaps !

and thanks also Simon and Dave for the Metcalf pics.

Luke Piewalker · January 16, 2015, 11:02:40 PM

Carlisle eh...

C&M Models, a proper old school model train shop... ie it's tiny and full of trains!

We always used to park in the Cecil St car park so the model shop was handily between us and the town centre...

More than three people in there is a bit crowded!

cjbeattie · January 17, 2015, 01:17:28 AM

yeah C&M never been in yet because of parking.. but will soon

he seems friendly enough via email though.. he offers a fitting a dcc chips service..

yeah i seen pictures it looks like a shoe cupboard lol but full to the roof with stuff

Dont like carlisle really not the city though!, its a beautiful old city and a great train station to train spot but just too many chavs and trouble makers..

cjbeattie · January 17, 2015, 11:44:08 AM

Hey guys..

Need some help here..

Finally got the starter set.. And it says in the instructions that I need to oil the 'gear train' and 'motor bearings'. is the gear train the pivots connected to the wheels? And where are the motor bearings?

The pack and instructions arnt really user friendly considering its targeted at newbies like me.. Dosnt tell me where any of these things are..

Secondly it says that 'dcc decoder fitted models- run in with a dcc controller'

And

'dc models - run in with an appropriate dc controller'

Now there is a wee chip with it in a bag.. Is this the decoder chip? Can I not just fit that and then run in with dcc controller I have as I do not have a dc controller..

It also says in the instructions 'run in as above using a dc power supply before fitting a dcc decoder'

This is contradictive to what it said earlier..

Confused here and don't want to touch anything terrified I break something...

Any help would be great...

Thanks

C J Beattie

MalcolmInN · January 17, 2015, 12:30:09 PM

Quote from: cjbeattie on January 17, 2015, 11:44:08 AM
Now there is a wee chip with it in a bag.. Is this the decoder chip?

You are right, that does not sound very new-user friendly

I am astonished.

I cant help you on a practical level with the oiling, running in etc too much of a newbie myself, best wait for the experts !

However, the wee thing in the bag -
there was a thread about it just recently from another new owner in which it was decided that it was a DC plug to convert the loco back to DCrunning. The conclusion was that the loco was already fitted with its DCC chip ready out of the box for DCC running.

I'll try to find it, give me a mo. > > >

EDIT :
Here you go :
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=25386.msg272165#msg272165

cjbeattie · January 17, 2015, 12:39:05 PM

Thanks Malcolm

I look in the top of the cab where the decoder is meant to be which I assume u need for dcc and there isn't one there its just 6 pins sticking up.. So I don't think its even been fitted..

Shocked to be honest mate. Though it would be user friendly.. The days of Christmas and getting out wiring it up and running it around and around the tree are gone! Lol so it would seem or perhaps I just got old

If it is a warranty issue with this chip thing then it wouldn't work anyways as they don't know you haven't ran it in with dc and then fitted the chip afterwards and then it stopped working so it would be impossible to enforce..

On the plus side.. Nice solid controller, beautiful wee engine and wagons and TINY track ! Lol still use to 00..

Ok ill wait for the experts come before I do anything... I have see tutorials on utube 'simons shed' I think they called it and he reviewed a new engine and his paper work with the new engine had diagrams showing where to oil with arrows etc.. I Guess I was kind of expecting that...

cjbeattie · January 17, 2015, 12:42:30 PM

ah thanks for the link malcolm

so thats a blanking plate? and the dcc chip is already fitted...

its shocking it dosn't make that clear in the instructions..

just goto wait now for the pro's to explain where to oil !

btw what part of carlisle were you brought up in? its a small city...

craig

MalcolmInN · January 17, 2015, 01:14:01 PM

Quote from: cjbeattie on January 17, 2015, 12:42:30 PM
so thats a blanking plate? and the dcc chip is already fitted...

That is what I gathered from Dr.Als diagnosis, but now I am puzzled by your ref to 6 pins being visible, velly velly odd ! Dunno !! Deffo some experts needed.

Meanwhile just for some reading, caveat = theoretically and not by way of advice etc&etc

:-

These instructions to oil , , are they intended to be implemented before first run OR are they general maintainance instructions for/at some time in the future ?
Cos to me the motor bearings would be on the ends of the motor armature shaft, and that is somewhere inside the loco body ? not likely to be accessible from outside ??
Similar with the "gear train", that is what connects the motor shaft to the wheels. usually a worm gear on the end of the motor shaft driving a spur gear either on a lay shaft or directly on a wheel axle.
All of which would need some degree of dismantling, not to be expected of a new owner I'd av thort ?!
Hence my astonishment earlier

I'll get back to you and Luke on things Carlisle later when we have recovered from the astonishment, cos I am just dipping in here between domestic chores which seem to have accumulated during the week !

edited speeling of armature !

austinbob · January 17, 2015, 01:56:04 PM

CJ

The loco in your train set is a Graham Farish Jinty I believe. Graham Farish don't usually ask you to oil the locos out of the box. So you should be OK to run it for several hours without oiling. Dapol ask you to oil their locos before you run them.
I'm not familiar with the Farish Jinty and I can't find a service sheet on line. The gears can usually be seen from the underneath of the loco between each set of wheels. Sometimes there is a plastic keeper plate fitted over the gears, between the wheels which has to be removed before you can oil the gears. The other parts that normally need a tiny drop of oil at some time are the pins which connect the coupling rods to the wheels - 3 per side. I wouldn't have thought you would need to oil the motor bearings any time soon - very strange if that's what the instructions say.
If you are going to oil anything make sure you use the right sort of light machine oil specially designed for model loco mechanisms like the one supplied by Dapol - and only use a tiny amount. If you use the wrong oil you might do more harm than good and damage the paintwork.

As others have said the loco should be DCC fitted already - maybe the 'pin's you are seeing are just the parts of the pins going through the solder joints on the tiny printed circuit boards.
If there is no board fitted at all then it should not do any harm if you connect the controller up - it just won't run without a blanking board or a DCC chip.

It might be worth giving Graham Farish a call to clarify some of your issues if you're not sure what to do.