Hello,
    My name is Ross, I'm 35 and from Oxfordshire. A recent visit to a great Model Shop in Bourton-on-the-Water where i used to beg my parents to go every weekend when i was a kid has given me the urge to think about N Gauge again.
About 25 years ago i used to have a small box of N Gauge items that i know my Dad had kept in his attic for me for the future and to possibly pass on to my future kids.
Well now is the future, i have a 1 year old boy and he loves trains already (mainly anything with wheels!!) so this spurred me on to take a trip up my Dad's attic.
Now, my Dad isnt the most organised so it took a while but i eventually found my old N gauge kit. The memories it brought back were instant, amazing.

It was all boxed, insulated well and kept in pretty good conditions. A quick sort out and i am left with the below:

Ok, i have worked out the photo situation so here are a couple.

Well before running any loco's I would make sure they are lubricated especially if they have been stored for a long while, I have a class 47 that is giving me grief with being in the loft for a long time, you may find the contacts may also need cleaning but you need to be ultra careful there not to damage them, good luck with your N gauge project and welcome to the N Gauge Forum, a great bunch of people on here to give you loads of info.

Now for the advice bit!

Thanks Geoff, i appreciate your help, thats already something i wouldnt have known to do. Lubricate with a WD-40 type oil i assume? If so, can you advise if this is directed to a specific area whilst avoiding other parts or a general light spray within the loco?

I have discovered 3 issues:

1. The Sir Nigel Gresley has three wires connecting the Coal tender to the main Loco. I have noticed that the green wire is disconnected. Can someone advise whether this will be an easy solder fix or whether i will have more permanent issues with this?

2. The Shunter Loco has a broken front coupler. I am assuming this is an easy replacement with a bit of dismantling?

3. I have not got a controller. Can someone recommend a controller i can purchase?

Thanks in advance.

 

Good little starter set you have there. 

Regards
Ian

Absolutely brilliant guys, top stuff already but i suppose i shouldn't expect anything else from this forum.

Will get some reading done and order some couplers.

A real treasure trove there! The Gaugemaster Combi is a nice little controller, about £30 +.

Welcome aboard, Ross
Are you planning a layout or do you just want to place some track on a surface and play with trains a bit? If the former, what sort of space do you have and do you have a plan in mind? If the latter, I would seriously consider buying some Kato track which is simple to click together, have a play and then put it all away again. All the electrics are built into Kato points too.
In other words, are you looking to please yourself or your son?

Quote from: ross1562 on October 21, 2013, 02:56:43 PM
1. The Sir Nigel Gresley has three wires connecting the Coal tender to the main Loco. I have noticed that the green wire is disconnected. Can someone advise whether this will be an easy solder fix or whether i will have more permanent issues with this?

Not usually hard to fix the wiring on locos if its been damaged.

Some good advice at: http://www.minitrix.org.uk/

It's minitrix so nearly indestructible. Lightly oil and gradually run it back in taking care it isn't getting too hot.

Quote
2. The Shunter Loco has a broken front coupler. I am assuming this is an easy replacement with a bit of dismantling?

Yes - there are two versions of the coupling arrangement but www.brlines.com will be able to supply the right bits (springs maybe depending upon the age, and the right coupling arm). If it has a spring superglue the spring onto the coupling arm first and save yourself hours of swearing.

Quote
3. I have not got a controller. Can someone recommend a controller i can purchase?

For a generic cheap controller the little Bachmann one that comes with the sets is pretty good. For something with accessory power etc the Gaugemaster as suggested isn't a bad controller either, and the manufacturer has an actual lifetime warranty.

I'd suggest Daywat for the oil. Use in tiny amounts (drop on the end of a small jewellers screwdriver, tap the drop back into the jar and use the residue). Keep lubricant away from the motor itself.

Other usual warnings where small people are involved are those around small parts. It all looks RTR so should be fine on any external lead parts. A lot of older kit stuff is white metal and has a material lead component which is definitely not compatible with children.

Alan

Quote from: newportnobby on October 21, 2013, 05:04:25 PM
Welcome aboard, Ross
Are you planning a layout or do you just want to place some track on a surface and play with trains a bit? If the former, what sort of space do you have and do you have a plan in mind? If the latter, I would seriously consider buying some Kato track which is simple to click together, have a play and then put it all away again. All the electrics are built into Kato points too.
In other words, are you looking to please yourself or your son?

Ha Ha, you've clearly seen straight through me, like my other half!!!!

Yes, it is for him but maybe not just yet as he is a little too small right now.
I intend to make a layout on a baseboard but only a relatively small set-up at first, given finances and time. I'm addicted to scale work and i know through some of my other hobbies how addictive and obsessive these kind of hobbies can be.

Oh well, i have no shame in using my son as an excuse!!!

I understand what you are saying with regards to the Kato track but i dont like it as much as traditional track, just a personal taste thing.

Thanks Alan, great stuff.

Im just off to buy some bits and bobs as suggested. Totally addicted already.

Quote from: Geoff on October 21, 2013, 02:33:41 PM
Well before running any loco's I would make sure they are lubricated especially if they have been stored for a long while, I have a class 47 that is giving me grief with being in the loft for a long time, you may find the contacts may also need cleaning but you need to be ultra careful there not to damage them, good luck with your N gauge project and welcome to the N Gauge Forum, a great bunch of people on here to give you loads of info.

Geoff, silly question time??

What are the contacts? Are they the brass looking thin plates that touch the wheels? If so, how would you advise i clean them?

Quote from: Only Me on October 21, 2013, 03:04:26 PM
Oh and don't lubricate with standard oil or WD40, this is very bad....

Have a read of the Lubrication topic here :-

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=917.0


(Welcome by the way!)

The couplings can be purchased from Bob at BR lines (www.brlines.com) or from ebay, as for the minitrix mallard, resoldering is pretty simple on these units, the body or tender just unscrew and lift off.

Heres a simple controller for you on ebay..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BACHMANN-FARISH-N-GAUGE-MAINS-CONTROLLER-TRANSFORMER-/190930010935?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item2c7450c337

and some oils ...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.Xpeco+power+lube&_nkw=peco+power+lube&_sacat=0&_from=R40


Paul

Thanks for the link Paul, i won the controller so just awaiting delivery! 

Thought you may like an update.

As you know, i won the controller which was delivered a couple of days ago so today i thought i would test whether my N Gauge kit worked after 25 years in the loft.

After some extensive reading, the Shunter received a good service which included:

A general wipe and blow clean.
Commutator cleaned very carefully with cotton bud.
Lubrication applied to the main gear and worm-screw.
Wheels cleaned with surgical spirit.
New coupler fitted.

Looking surprisingly good. Only a shunter maybe, but this was the first bit of N Gauge i bought when i was 10 so its quite sentimental.







I then gave the track a very good clean with surgical spirit and bought new track joiners. It was then crunch time so i turned the dial up with anticipation.
I was so pleased to see her start moving and slowing make her way around the track. Over the moon that she is still working, brilliant.


http://youtu.be/29X8jdv17UE

Your little shunter is running very well, congratulation on a successful service 

Looking at the first photographs you posted, you have a nice collection to keep you busy and enough track to do some variations to the oval in your last photographs.

cheers John.

Life in the old dog!