Live diesel 2

Carl:

I tend to be "overkill" -but that is me! My record player runs off batteries and it has a voltage regulator to supply the correct DC to the motor -as I said extreme overkill...

I have not run an Electronize ESC from a dynamo -I do know that Dimension Engineering specifically state that if you do use a dynamo then there should be a battery "floating" between the dynamo and the ESC. So, yes, I will agree that smoothing could well prove to be optional. When I am testing new builds I fit circuit breakers rather than fuses -this does remove the acute embarrasment of running out of fuses...

Liam:

IF you want a smoothing cap then something around 2,200uF and 63Volt and the voltage regulator would be an LM338T which can be "tuned" to anywhere from 1.2 Volts to 38 Volts. Anton uses a specific high voltage version in "Shunt" -but they cost about £4 each...

The "Death Box" that contains the capacitor surge bank on the Heilmann is built to dampen a ripple of 19 Amperes from the home made Gramme Ring dynamo and there are 30 Ampere voltage regulators on the feeds to the ESC. I have always considered the Heilmann to be my greatest failure. Once I have finished mucking around with Diesel Mechanical and Diesel Electric generation I will return to it and we will see if I can get more than 15cm per second out of it(!)

regards

ralph

It's great that there is a diversity of approach to these projects.

My approach was originally one of complexity because I thought it had to be that way.
The French often use the term 'usine de gaz' to describe the green monster.

However after more than four years of experimenting, I now realise from practice and experience that building a garden railway locomotive with an internal combustion engine doesn't have to be complex at all.

And one could say that I have developed the concept in reverse.

For many new people embarking on their projects simplicity is the key to getting started and more importantly getting running.

The complexity (and for some, wiring a switch is complex) can be added later to suit individual skill levels at the time and those gained further into the future.

The aim of this thread (Live Diesel Project 2) was to describe the simple concept that has been arrived at so that others may benefit.

I would be very happy if someone were to start another thread/good reference topic dealing with basic electronic components and their potential (..... ) use and application.

As always I am curious to see what the rest of the world is doing in Live Diesel and came across this.

Dash 9 diesel

Not too unlike Jerry Hyde's work in that it is a proprietary loco converted rather that a scratch built machine.

There are a few models about like this now and having developed a resaonably reliable power plant I'm thinking about doing the same. There doesn't seem to be an issue with the body melting.

I must agrre with you there Carl, although i cannot say too much as i used an already existing essel chassis, but i think that making a internal combustion powered locomotive, when all you have to do is strip out all the inside and input the diesel plant is far less ingenuitive.

I was considering converting an already existing loco, but i cant think of a 32mm loco that would be big enough (and that i could afford to buy)

For instants, im sure just the locomotive the Jerry uses to make his machines, are worth $500 or something ridiculous??

Jerry Hyde has used two different types of RTR loco, One a Marklin and the other a MTH I believe.

Both expensive models as you guess.

I have a large Piko Harz diesel:



I keep looking at it and I'm tempted......

If I could make it such that I didn't destroy too much of the orginal loco internally then I would do it.

There are plenty of large 2 foot gauge diesel prototypes but no RTR models in 32mm that I know of.

Anton:

Try this one. funkey diesel

At 16mm scale it would be 100mm wide 170mm high and 500mm long and run on 32mm track.

regards

ralph

Thought so, so nearly half the pricee spent on the actual locomotive (going by the one i saw on ebay for just over £1200).

I am actually amazed at the amount of money that goes into a garden railway, when watching videos on youtube of several steamies going round a fairly large layout, pulling many different wagons, and really that amounts to several thousand pounds worth of kit. Being young, i find that baffling but im sure its worth spending money on the hobby you enjoy doing.

Ralph, i actually do like the look of the Funkey Diesel, but do you know anyone who makes them RTR?

The Funkey diesel is not made RTR.

There are 2 locomotives. The funky rebuild Vale of Ffestiniog and the more or less original South African version running on the WHR.

Worsley Loco works make a set of quality etchings in brass or NS for the latter.

There would be a fair bit of fabricating and soldering involved.

Have a look at Dave's (dtsteam) diesel project, converting a metal bodied RTR machine.
These can sometimes be found secondhand.

Hi Carl,

what happened to the 2 silencers you introduced at the beginning of this topic? Did you ever manage to test them?

I tried both of them and were ok but very heavy as they were made almost entirely out of copper. This one still survives, you can have it if you want.


Strangely enough I'm going make another small silencer box today for Van's diesel out of brass and silver soldered.

Hi Carl,

Thank you very much for your really kind offer. I'll pm you.

I keep getting (some very silly... ) messages via you tube and other sources about noise.

For once and for all it is possible to reduce and almost completely silence the exhaust sound.
I have done it previously with tubing.

Here today in the basking Normandy sunshine I coiled up a metre of 10mm silicon tubing and put it in a 7cm box. This would easily fit in the body of most bogie locomotives and with some creativity small bodies too.



Nothing has been done to the engine settings. It is not 'gurling' at a lower idle speed and the glow plug is operating normally. It is running on 10% fuel.

With even smaller diameter and longer tubing almost total silence is achievable.