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Forum Index : Other Stuff : Some G scale Railway Stuff

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Revlac

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Posted: 10:51am 11 Nov 2021
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Thought I would post this here, don't really want to join some 3D printing forum just for the occasional object built.
There are a few sheds around that have these as a side hobby, bit of electronics involved in some builds and many have built some some pretty unique gear.
This might be of interest to someone, its a bit expensive to buy parts and things, so most build there own and that's more interesting, certainly learning a few things along the way.

The wagon body was initially build to fit onto a friends (HLW) flat car, to house a sound card for the loco sound, and it works a treat.
Since then I was told that HLW no longer build the Flat car, so I made one the way I wanted and happy with it.






The wagon body, wooden parts are 1.6mm ply wood.
K40 laser cutter 11.5% power for cutting at 10mm per second, engraving at 10.5% 20mm per second.
QR hub caps, raster engrave, power depends on the grain and type of ply, 10% power 1 or 2 passes.
Currently there are 2 options low or high wooden sides/ends for the box, some sanding and fitting will be required, nothing is perfect
There are 8 different parts to be 3D printed, some parts you will need to print 2 off as you would expect.



2 wheel wagon G Scale 45mm track.zip
Zip contains,
4 svg files
9 openScad files
2 choices, wagon buffer beam or wagon buffer beam, cone shape.
And a folder with some screenshots of the STL loaded into
Wheels are generic, or make your own.
Feel free to modify.

And the STL files,
STL.zip
The frame can be printed with PLA, if you wish, the axle box sides where done with ABS and some of the smaller parts where done with ABS, some of it worked quite well, but other parts where brittle in places because I had trouble keeping the temperature differential low while printing with ABS.
Have since started using PETG for printing these and very happy with the results so far, print with what ever your happy with, the coupler spring remains springy with PETG, ABS is ok as well.
Now what have I forgotten.
Oh, on the corner's, used some small PVC angle, but it could me made out of something else.
Done another different style body, I might post some pictures later some time.
Cheers Aaron
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johnmc
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Joined: 21/01/2011
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Posted: 10:13pm 11 Nov 2021
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Thanks Aaron,for the post most interesting.
Cheers john
johnmc
 
Revlac

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Posted: 12:37pm 13 Nov 2021
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Thanks John,
Cheers Aaron
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Revlac

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Posted: 12:41pm 13 Nov 2021
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This is the same 4 wheel wagon, just as a flat top, can put something on it to give it a load.


Another 4 wheel wagon, this one I made up into a box wagon, the door needs hinges still or I might even make up another door a bit different, the roof is (inside) is laser cut ply using the living hinge addon in Inkscape.
The roof is corrugated card board, looks ok but would like to build a proper corrugated iron roller and use aluminium instead, there would be several rollers in series to do the job, found coke cans will split if rolled in one pair of rollers...
Or find some softer aluminium sheet, will figure that out later, another job for the lathe.  


This is a larger wagon, still a work in progress, But I like the way its going, It has exceeded the length limits of the K40 laser cutter when I designed it, so the stepper motor skipped a few steps when it hit the stopper, will have to design it in 2 parts....or grind the stopper back at each end so there is more travel.


Not my bogie design, credit goes to the person that designed it,
Edited 2021-11-13 22:43 by Revlac
Cheers Aaron
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Davo99
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Posted: 02:57am 14 Nov 2021
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Most impressive.

I don't know what G gauge is, only know enough to relate to the run of the mill HO gauge. Does G stand For "Giant" ? There is a local toy store which has a layout of the big gauge stuff in the window. It's huge compared to HO.

This is pretty next level stuff to me. Making your own rolling stock.  When I was a kid my grandfather bought "me" a model train set and spent endless hours on it with multiple sets of tracks, electric points, elevated track and so it went.

He used to get the bogies and make his own carriages out of wood. Nothing as detailed as what you have done  here but nice enough especially for 40+ years ago.
He expanded that  to literally the size of the spare bedroom.  When he hit the walls and my Grandmother hit the roof, it was deemed it would have to go up the shed.
Next thing an extension to the shed was built, covered in  and that was it's new home although Grandad wasn't so happy about that. Too cold, hot, too dusty and not inclined to go up there at night... even though he finally had the power put on up there after 30 + years of running an extension cord.

There was a Local Servo up the road that was closed down and a couple turned it into a Hobby store but it was about 90% Trains.  My grandfather and Uncle knew the place very well.

My Uncle up north has a Muther of a train set. Takes up most of the top floor Mezzanine of his shed... which can hold 3 Tourist Coaches and thats just in the centre where the roof is highest.  It's not a little shed and the Train set must be 30 ft Min long and 15 Ft wide. It's huge. You lift a section of the track and walk through to the control  point when it would be easier to get a Train drivers qualification than to work out the dozens of switches and controls on this thing. Many years ago I gave him a couple of old computers. When he upgraded his one inside, he put one of the old ones to running the train set. Different locos will run at different times, pull up at different stations, wait for one to go though the crossing before proceeding and so on. it's incredible.

He had this huge old transformer that was from a telephone exchange or something and put out fantastic amps but he was very proud of how little power each loco would pull after he worked on the motors to get them running " Right", even when they were brand new.  He and some other Train enthusiasts  would make up tools like spot welders to  join track for perfect electrical connection and their own speed controllers and other things. Mu uncle used to come down to the Train show in Sydney every year but hasn't been down for some time now. Always brought down things he'd made for show and tell with the other enthusiasts and exchanged ideas.

I was visiting once and this large parcel arrived. It was box of 200 sets of Bogies from Germany worth over $5 grand.  I asked why he spent so much on them and he simply said "because they are the best ones." He wanted to upgrade the wheels on his "worthwhile " rolling stock.  He was showing me some of his Locos and I asked what this impressive piece was. He said oh, that's only a cheap one, it's only worth about $900 but have a look at this good one. It was made of brass and very detailed.... and heavy. He said was about $5k worth.  He then proceeded to show me I don't know how many more "good" ones. I must have had the " Is he for real?" Look on my face when I looked up at my aunt and she said " Yes, I know" and went back to cooking dinner.

Next day he took me out to the little shed, the 3 car built onto the side of the house where the back wall was just built in Shelves with all these hand made boxes. Each box was padded and Comparmentmentalised with 12 Carriages/ locos in each one.  I couldn't count how many boxes but there had to be 100 and my aunt said oh, that's no where near all of them.      

I caught up with my cousin a few months later and was telling her what her father had been showing me and she said,  lucky he didn't show you all of it, you'd still be there.   I mentioned the bag of Bogies and the "good" locos and asked how much he had tied up in it? She said when it comes to Trains, Dad has lost the plot with Money. He won't buy a bottle of water when he's out if he thinks it's .50C too much but when it comes to trains, money doesn't count. I can't imagine what he has tied up in it all.

He seemed to have lost a bit of interest in it when I was last up there a few years back. He'd started relaying all his tracks, putting the "sleepers" down by hand individually (!!!!) which must have required tens of thousands of the things but hadn't finished and didn't seem to have made any progress since I was there the time before. I asked him about it and he said he was having a bit of a break from it. He hadn't been well so that may have had something to do with it.  

I'd like to get back up there and see them before too long.

I don't know if the other people in the train club do what you are but it's quite amazing what can be done now with 3D printing and your application of other materials is very creative and skilful as well.  I have thought about getting one myself a printer but I'm very unsure I'd have the smarts to program a machine and I can't really think of anything I'd want to do if I did have one. I would like a plasma Cutter table but they all seem out of the budget of what I'd be prepared to put into one and again there is the whole thing if I'd have the smarts to be able to make it do what I wanted anyway. I keep reading of "Cheap" ones but can't seem to find anything under $10K.

I am sure my grandfather and uncle would be very impressed and intrigued with what you are doing mate.
I certainly am!
 
Revlac

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Posted: 12:24pm 14 Nov 2021
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Thanks Davo,

G gauge is garden railway, LGB was the popular name for it, when I was a kid we had some HO trains as well, had fun with that, years later moved on to the 7 1/4" inch guage and run around a club track the old man built some rolling stock and parts for friends that where building a few different loco's.
Club politics where getting in the way of what should have been a good day out, so eventually built our own track around the yard around the dam and bridges over the creak, had proper turn outs sidings, the lot.
A few friends would turn up on the weekend with a loco or 2,have a run around the track for a bit, have a chat in the afternoon and have a good look and the build quality that was on the go, and share a few ideas.
It was a fairly cheap hobby to have a bit of fun with, as most of it was hand build not bought.
After some time the opportunity come up to get hold of some full size railway gear and some stuff to suit 2 foot gauge railway, same size as the sugar mils use, had some track as well, it was a lot of fun, too big for the yard and couldn't go far, as it was at the time, it was fairly cheap compared to other size railway builds. (not any more)
Some time later the area was getting built out and had to move to another location, most of the railway stuff was donated to a few friends that continued on elsewhere.
Didn't get back into railway stuff for many years, until these last couple of years, LGB was a decent size to build and work on with out the need for a magnifying glass (in my opinion), as would be needed for some of the smaller gauges, HO and some others.

G scale (LGB) Loco's and rolling stock could be bought, but not cheaply and mostly US English and German models where available, when everywhere went into Lock-down, this stuff sold out everywhere and was mostly unavailable, I guess it was a way to for many to get away from the wife and keep mentally occupied in there sheds.

Didn't really want a whole layout of all foreign model railway gear, wanted some Australian railway locos and rolling stock, even better was Queensland stuff, modelled  on railways built from 1890's up to 1970's, very little if any available to be bought.
So there was the need to, If you want it, "build it"  build the stuff you want, that's what its about its more interesting building things, get it working, spend some time to enjoy it and move on to the next project.

There are many who have had some sort of railway project at some stage, not that surprising any more when someone says I wanted to extend the railway line (being LGB its quite large in a house or shed) that someone says they want to go through the wall into the next room or shed, started cutting a hole, not fast enough so got out the chainsaw and cut through the wall.
  Quote  He used to get the bogies and make his own carriages out of wood. Nothing as detailed as what you have done  here but nice enough especially for 40+ years ago.
He expanded that  to literally the size of the spare bedroom.  When he hit the walls and my Grandmother hit the roof, it was deemed it would have to go up the shed.
Next thing an extension to the shed was built, covered in  and that was it's new home although Grandad wasn't so happy about that. Too cold, hot, too dusty and not inclined to go up there at night... even though he finally had the power put on up there after 30 + years of running an extension cord.


That sounds all too familiar, quite a few interesting stories similar to that, went to an Auction down the Road, place was a fairly new build, Most notable, It was a SHED WITH A HOUSE ATTACHED, big shed too, great idea, at the time he was selling a lot of gear, not sure why but perhaps the wife didn't like the idea and did a runner.

Yes there is some tremendous layouts around, the old computer power supplies where good to use for lighting and other things on the layouts.
  Quote  I was visiting once and this large parcel arrived. It was box of 200 sets of Bogies from Germany worth over $5 grand.  I asked why he spent so much on them and he simply said "because they are the best ones." He wanted to upgrade the wheels on his "worthwhile " rolling stock.  He was showing me some of his Locos and I asked what this impressive piece was. He said oh, that's only a cheap one, it's only worth about $900 but have a look at this good one. It was made of brass and very detailed.... and heavy. He said was about $5k worth.  He then proceeded to show me I don't know how many more "good" ones. I must have had the " Is he for real?" Look on my face when I looked up at my aunt and she said " Yes, I know" and went back to cooking dinner.

Definitely some really good expensive loco's about, saw a live steam model of 3801,c38-nswgr-3801-newcastle-flyer, when I was a kid we went out to see the real one when it was up in Queensland, coupled behind the Flying Scotsman, that was a day to remember.

There are a lot of ideas that have come to fruition through the use of 3d printers, the resin printers will produce a lot better detail than these filament printers.
Have also read that people have used the resin printers to moulds and parts so they can do aluminium castings of there own designed parts, I don't know the process but would certainly like do some of that for other projects at some stage.

I would like to have a CNC plasma cutter table as well, after using this laser cutter and and seeing how it works its not all that different to the way a plasma cutter would work, scale the whole thing up, use an ordinary plasma cutter head mounted and adjustable height.
The laser cutter is based on an arduino and connected to a computer to run, so I think it wouldn't be that difficult for a few people here to build a working unit.
Cheers Aaron
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zeitfest
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Posted: 01:11pm 14 Nov 2021
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I still have a "Power Controller" from at least 50 years ago... likewise bought by Dad for "my" train set at a glorious 15v, 1 amp, cotton insulation, adjustable resistance for control and a huge selenium plate rectifier. Made in Melbourne when Aust had a manufacturing sector.. Still works just as designed, even the rectifier still has a reasonable efficiency.  Absolutely bulletproof, the track short circuits and sparks were the reason I got interested in electrics instead of trains !
 
Davo99
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Posted: 11:10pm 14 Nov 2021
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Sounds like the controller from my train set. Had a Red knob on it for speed control that made a Nice scratchy sound when Turned. multiple outputs on the back, Most Fixed for running points and lights etc and a couple that varied for the speed control.
It was tough. I remember multiple occasions where something shorted  and was only discovered by the smell coming from the transformer as it was red hot. Didn't seem to phase it though.
I still have it up the back. Found it recently in a clean up and couldn't bare to chuck it out.  Too many memories. Given the age I was when it was bought and the thing looked old then, I'd say it's odds on older than I am.
 
Davo99
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Posted: 12:02am 15 Nov 2021
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  Revlac said  

Club politics where getting in the way of what should have been a good day out,


Pffft!  Isn't that always the way with every group?
I got put in as captain for a Pistol Club I was in. My attitude was do as little as possible.  The previous committee were overbearing micro managers and eventually got the ships people didn't appreciate their endless Rules and regulations and moved on to form their own ( short lived) club. I was more of the management style "If it's not a problem, don't make it one" and that seemed to work pretty well. Only decisions I made was to ask what did the members want to do and rule on the majority preference. My decree was if there is a problem and you don't tell me about it, then don't whinge cause I can't fix what I don't know is broken. After amending some of the previous tyranny, things were very smooth and happy.
My laziness seemed to be quite successful and the club grew a lot.




  Quote  so eventually built our own track around the yard around the dam and bridges over the creak, had proper turn outs sidings, the lot.



Incredible!
My doctor has a setup like that. Built for the "grandkids" but I haven't seen a single grand kid in one picture he's shown Me.   Lots with him riding round on his own on it!
He has a large shed built as the station and workshops where the  stock can be put under cover.  Rides around his couple of acres up in the mountains and is landscaping scenery around it. Certainly a labour of love. He knows my Uncle from the Train shows even though they live 600Km apart.

His Loco is petrol powered now but he's having parts made to Piece  himself together a proper steam engine.


  Quote  It was a fairly cheap hobby to have a bit of fun with, as most of it was hand build not bought.


My Doctor builds a lot and is quite skilled in many area's but the raw materials alone are clearly a considerable Investment. I'll bet he spends more on Paint for the train layout than people spend for their house!B)


  Quote  So there was the need to, If you want it, "build it"  build the stuff you want,


While I can't even begin to express my disdain for this whole Virus Farce and what it has done to the world, I am intrigued at the different effects it has had and the way people have adapted to it's effects in the positive ways they have. ( unfortunately Positive being the lesser to the not so commendable things).
For some, it has brought out a lot more independence and self sufficiency which is great.


  Quote  that's what its about its more interesting building things, get it working, spend some time to enjoy it and move on to the next project.


Couldn't agree more.

  Quote  Most notable, It was a SHED WITH A HOUSE ATTACHED,


I saw a few like that when I was looking for this place. I like a decent shed BUT...
Usually it wasn't just a matter of the shed being bigger than the house but the house being a Dilapidated Dog box that had no care or maintence for decades.  The shed however was probably air conditioned, had a TV, Lounge and bathroom and would have been better to live in than the house.
There is a happy medium and I was looking for a family home not a shed after all.


  Quote   when I was a kid we went out to see the real one when it was up in Queensland, coupled behind the Flying Scotsman, that was a day to remember.


I will make it a point to go to the Railway Museum at Thirlmere this summer.
Haven't been for many years and they have expanded it a lot. I like all things old and mechanical and when they make Noise and have smoke and/or fire, so much the better!   If they happen to weight 50 Ton, well that's just great value adding right there!

  Quote   I think it wouldn't be that difficult for a few people here to build a working unit.


Neither do I given what I have seen people Build here.  I'd just like to be smart enough to be able to run one.  
 
Revlac

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Posted: 12:12pm 16 Nov 2021
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I still have the old controllers for the HO set, must be 35 or more years old, not sure were they are exactly.
Most LGB is run up to about 24v, been running 18v from a DSE Lab power supply, and a small 3Amp pwm with trimpot and FWD & Reverse, its oh for testing but it is recommended to be capable of about 10Amps, power consumption soon adds up with a lot of gear running Sound, smoke units and lighting.
  Quote  He has a large shed built as the station and workshops where the  stock can be put under cover.  Rides around his couple of acres up in the mountains and is landscaping scenery around it. Certainly a labour of love. He knows my Uncle from the Train shows even though they live 600Km apart.

His Loco is petrol powered now but he's having parts made to Piece  himself together a proper steam engine.


There where quite a few 7 1/4" gauge locos built between friends, one was build out of a old Yamaha 100, the wheels where machined on fathers lathe, had chain drive to front and back axle, the rest of it was built out of junk he had around the house, I think he built it about a week, it looked the part and the kids at the park loved it, it run for years and was one of the most reliable loco that was running at the club, it did a few more years at our own track, the only fix it needed was the exhaust port carbon up, cleaned that up and it went like a rocket also used to add some diesel to the fuel and it sounded and smelt more authentic.
The same bloke also built a Heidi steam loco, he was battling a health issue so built it in a hurry, he got a few runs around our track with it, before he passed.
2 Other friends built some nice Locos, one had a Honda powering his, built the clutch himself and had the linings bonded onto the plate, power driven through an outboard leg, the other had a B&S Motor.
Another fella built his loco around a Ford Prefect engine, AC compressor for air horn and air operated brakes, looked the part and worked really well very good work for someone who spent little time at school and didn't read or right, his loco is now somewhere around Toowoomba.

There is one getting built at the moment by a friend, 7 1/4" gauge loco its all electric, would like to see how he has ridged it all up, he has a bunch of G gauge locos he brought over for me to install sound cards and speakers into, in doing so have learnt a lot myself, some are easier than others, just did a sound card install in a USA Trains SD40-2, everything fit in the fuel tank.

Actually have some casting's in the shed to build a steam loco, boiler parts as well, job for I time when I have nothing else to do.  


Always like the big loud stuff, just can't afford it.
Cheers Aaron
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Davo99
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The effort and investment people go to with Trains is quite Extraordinary.
Must have been a good size Model to use a car engine!

I read some years ago that the Train that takes Visitors on the scenic steam train rides in the Grand Canyon is Fired With Veg oil.
They converted the thing with a Burner and use all the waste Veg oil from the Multiple restaurants in the park instead of Coal.
All nice and environmental.

Would certainly be a lot quicker  To light the burner rather than a get a coal fire up and going but they probably have to heat the thing up slowly anyway at least initially.
Much easier to turn a valve that shovel coal every 60 seconds and the energy Value would be Higher too.

I can easy do 1200Kw with my backyard burners, I wonder what the burner in that thing puts out?  I doubt it's particularly huge, I'd guess around 600Kw or so.  
The way things are going they will probably have to appease the wowsers and Convert the thing to electric.  Won't that be an education for them?

I remember my Uncle talking about the sound cards. They were very expensive back then but I spose over the years they have got much cheaper now. Could get those little boards and download or record your own sounds onto them now.
 
Revlac

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Its like a lot of other things people do, cars, old engines and machinery, make something you can't buy, or others don't have.

I didn't know they had run it on veg oil, Just looked it up there are some of those Baldwin locos in NSW, there were quite a few oil burning locos about, I don't see a reason why they couldn't convert a few others to use it, shouldn't have problems with sparks setting fire to the grass.
They might not have the bellowing black smoke they used to do for the public with the cameras.

For these small model trains, RC cars RC excavators and RC Tanks, they can have smoke units in, the smoke fluid is horribly expensive for just a small amount, found an Australian supplier for this stuff RC smoke oil  Can see a few other uses for this stuff.
The sound cards are still expensive several hundred dollars or more and mostly for DCC system's that I don't want to venture into,  its partly the reason that got me going in to this, most of us just wanted something simple that just worked with the little pwm controller, So went with the "My Loco Sound" cards, they do the job nicely for just under $100 and easy to use.
Actually I just looked up his Loco Sound Card today and he now has a sound box to fit in a wagon behind a loco, I showed him the one I built about a month ago, never saw it on his website before.

Now I want to build my own sound card, and record my own sounds to use for a few other projects as well.
Edited 2021-11-19 10:44 by Revlac
Cheers Aaron
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Davo99
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  Revlac said  


They might not have the bellowing black smoke they used to do for the public with the cameras.



Well if that's what they want, just get them to give me a call and I'll make them something or show them how to tweak the burner they have to smoke Like a Volcano!  


  Quote  For these small model trains, RC cars RC excavators and RC Tanks, they can have smoke units in, the smoke fluid is horribly expensive for just a small amount,


I always thought is was just like a Glycerin/ water based stuff. Pretty sure you can make it cheap as chips.  Might be worth having a Look on YT for it.


  Quote  The sound cards are still expensive several hundred dollars or more a

Now I want to build my own sound card, and record my own sounds to use for a few other projects as well.


Sounds like this hobby gets milked for all it's worth.... like a lot of other special interests.  

Quick search found plenty of cheap little sound cards.....

10 sec voice recorder

30 sec recorder

2 min recorder

Most expensive is about $10 and you can put your own sounds on them.  Especially with those ones designed to go in a gift card, you could have several and record different sounds like the Loco, Level crossing bells, station announcements etc.  Just activate which one you want at the time.
 
Revlac

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The RC smoke oil used for these is usually oil based, some have tried making there own with some success, but some smoke units fail easily when the wrong stuff is used, that can be costly to replace a smoker is some of these locos.
Likely going to do my own from now on, just a wire wound resistor of the correct resistance to suit.

   
The 10sec recorder player would be ideal for some track side equipment, will get some of those.

One I have done already and happy with it, used an arduino Nano to run a DFPlayer Mini with 8gb SD card, play first track once then second track is played in a loop, I managed to get no gaps or blips in sound playback.
Dad had a diecast model of a V16 Caterpillar Genset, it would be some track side equipment outside a factory or something like that'
Found a YT video of a  V16 Caterpillar Genset being load tested, start up and run, perfect, the start up track was maybe 15 seconds, the next track was about 2 minutes as as you could hear the turbo's spin up after the first and second load bank was switched on, by the time the 3rd and 4th load bank was switched on the turbo was really screaming, was sounding good, with a long loop it sounded like it was in use and I could not tell it was a loop.  


With the loco engine sound, we like to have it as realistic as possible, real sound recordings are used, usually start run and shutdown.
This is (as fare as I am aware) converted to digital ( or polyphonic) sound, the engine run sound is where things get a bit more tricky, the engine revs need to increase as the PWM (or DCC) throttle is increased, or notch up change gears or whatever configuration that is necessary, some even have engine load as well.
I'm guessing this is done by some cleaver programming, also other sounds must be able to play simultaneously with no interruptions to other sound, not all can do this. Piece of cake on a computer.....  
The LGB - Retrofit Sound Decoder (G Scale) has a great many functions and feachers, but like most of these things I can't for the life of me, see why they would cost so much, boards don't cost much to make in bulk lots, not a lot of expensive components used, the firmware, once its done is just uploaded as is the choice of sound and they have already done all the work.  

There was an example done on an arduino nano (or one of them) but I think it was somewhat limited, some time back I saw a very interesting light and sound card build using an ESP32 https://github.com/TheDIYGuy999/Rc_Engine_Sound_ESP32  with instructions on how to edit a sound file so it could work with the card.
Now I'm guessing the engine sound is used in conjunction or converted in to some sort of LOOKUP Table (I could be Wrong) haven't studied it too closely yet.
There is quite a list of sounds  already made to run, just have to activate the correct one and corresponding parts before uploading to the ESP32.
I'm getting some PCB's made along with the remote control that it works with, as a friend will be using it for another project, I will get the opportunity to try it, sound output will be through the pam8403 amp.
I would like to try getting the engine sound from the GM 671 in the shed, But will have to muffle it down a little, its straight out the manifold and ear muffs are a necessary just to be anywhere near it.
Also had the 3 cylinder Perkins running a welder it had a nice idle sound when we used large piece of water pipe over the end of the muffler to divert the exhaust elsewhere when we was welding.
Some cameras and mobile phones tend to automatically adjust and stuff up the sound recording at times.  
The arduino's I think are somewhat limited in memory for doing too many things at once, and the Nano I have noticed the price hike lately.
There was some YT vids of it in action, I liked Union Pacific 2002 SD70M locomotive horn, should have one on the tractor.
Perhaps the Pi Pico RP2040 or something similar might be up to the task, At the moment I don't have a clue about how these work and the programming is beyond me as well, might pickup a few ideas overtime.
Cheers Aaron
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Davo99
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Posted: 07:50am 22 Nov 2021
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You sure are into this in a very high standard!

I used to do some Music Editing for my wifes dance association. In the old days it used to be a recording of the old girl they had playing the Piano ( badly)  and then they went to recorded music and used to edit that  tape to tape.  From the master abomination they used to make copies of that, usually a tape playing with another Using the inbuilt Microphone.  Hideous. And it took whomever got lumbered with the job days and days to do it.

To Impress the then Girl friend, I got a hold of one of the tapes and downloaded the songs and edited them on the computer with some free software I found.  Did it all by seconds Duration but of course the quality over what they had was Chalk and cheese.
Burned it onto CD  and she took a little CD player and ran it into a portable Boom Box I bought her which only had a tape player but it worked brilliantly.
She used it for her Club Competition at which other teachers came to Judge and they heard her Music and it was like WTF?

Next year I'm doing all the music.  Once was enough but couldn't say no and loose face with girlfriend or that would not have gone down well.... especially with her mother who was the one that put me in for it.  

I have been looking into getting myself a Synth and looking at the sounds you can download and how they can be mixed and it's beyond incredible now.  You could easy mix 30 Sounds on separate tracks to come in when and for as long as you wanted and loop it to a file and load that onto whatever just as a single track.

I pretty much did That at my last place to keep the neighbours entertained at night. Put one speaker ( a big PA Type) up the front of the house in my driveway and another at the rear of their house.
First there might be a car chase  and then a shoot out then it would quiet down and 10 20 or 30 min later there would be a Chopper circling overhead and then off in the distance the sound of a cattle drive would come closer, shake the house with the bass from the sub woofers and then amble off into the distance. Bit later the steam train would come clatter past then fade away.  

2 well separated speakers with stereo effect can be amazing especially when they are large and you have a good amp. I made the tracks Hours Long so I just played the file on the old laptop I had hooked up and then I went to bed.  Never lose a wink of sleep but they sure did.  Got a call from the council one days asking if I had cattle in my back yard.  My reply of what?  can you say that again?  was all the reply the guy needed and then told me they had a complaint about cattle in my back yard.  I said you are welcome to come inspect for cattle any time you like.

A lot of this software you can put in as many tracks as you want, time them as you want and you could even speed up the sound or slow it down to make the engine sound like it's speeding up etc. You then just merge the tracks into one as a stereo or mono files and it can be played on anything.

The sound files I downloaded off the net were damn Impressive I thought. Very clear and detailed, probably artificially digitally generated but they were GOOD!
I don't know much about sound recording from Phones. I'm pretty old fashioned and out fo date that way. I use them for things people don't seem to do with them that often now... Like make and receive actual calls.  Don't do my banking on them or pay for my groceries or only ever send texts and check face waste or the phase of the moon on the planet Zorg... just calls.

No wonder my daughter calls me cave man.

I did have a DAT recorder at one time then I sold it for good money. I used to use a High * Video recorder I had which was a professional model and had the Digitised  DAT quality sound which was good for what I was doing.  Later it all went solid state. I think you can get recorders now that are digital and can record to SD cards.

What is the 671 in?? Was that out of a cane Train? Is it the straight or the 6V71?
My uncle has an  old truck I'd like to do up and squeeze a 671 In it. I think a straight may be a bit long but I have seen them on the net with the V's.

Mate of mine is into hotted up cars and laughed when I told him I wanted to Fit a Diesel. I showed him a clip of what one sounded like and his replay was, whatever help you need, I'm there.  I could see him doing one himself.

Nothing like the sound of a Screamin Jimmy!  
 
Revlac

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Posted: 10:13am 27 Nov 2021
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So far I don't have any problems with neighbours and loud noise, I make as much noise as they do, no houses on the neighbouring properties, happy with that.

I think My father had one of those old Tape real sound recorders, was apparently good gear back then.
Yeah the sound mixer is probably the way to look at it, sounds can be added (activated) as needed.
If I look at this as the output from the arduino or something of this nature, it is just processed and turned into PWM from the desired output pins, then into a small amplifier.
Other sounds that don't need to be processed this way, Compressor, air brakes and a few others could just be played from memory of some type SD Card or something, some will be activated by a pin or reed switch and magnet on the track and some will be random.
Have to do lighting as well.

Years ago I tried a demo of fruity loops, now called FL Studio, quite good to experiment with at the time.  

The 6-71 was in a boat at some stage, so a Grey Marine Diesel, painted GREEN, just checked it today and I believe it was used in the Navy.  
The old man bought a 3-71 a long time ago and done it up nicely, has a sound all to its own, hasn't run for years, so injectors probably stuck
There were quite a few cane loco's built for CSR used in QLD for sugarcane haulage a Clyde DHI-71 and used the straight 6 cylinder, they could haul quite well, never got a close look at one, just seen the odd video of them working, from what I was told years ago, some Diesel Hydraulic, where just a large torque converter between the motor and gearbox, so as far as sound effects go it should be pretty straight forward.  
Might eventually do some Cane train models, some of the bigger locos where re scaled to suit the 2ft track.
I have driven an old Ruston Hornsby loco, 3spd gearbox, that was fun to drive.
Cheers Aaron
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Revlac

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Posted: 10:19am 27 Nov 2021
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I seem to have stuffed up the Topic title just a little... It should be G gauge not G Scale, The locos we had where all G Scale, the flat top wagons I made the mods for are not, but all are made to run on 45mm track.
There are many different scales for models to run on 45mm track, and its all numbers and it gets confusing, especially when others want 1/18th scale or 1/16th scale size, just to be different.
A friend dropped in the other day to drop off some gear, a sort of trade for some of the sound card installs I did some time back, he liked the work I have done on some new rolling stock so will be doing a few more over time.
Cheers Aaron
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Revlac

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Posted: 07:20am 08 Aug 2022
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Made some wheels, mostly because I could not find this type anywhere and its a little more like the real ones that were used on early QGR carriages.
After a few different experiments in OpenScad, eventually I worked out how to do the spokes for these wheels, and I'm quite happy with the way they turned out.
They are modelled off real wheels, not perfect but they look the part.




Printed these in PETG so there is a few little strings still attached, perhaps some printer setting need a little adjustment.



wheels.zip
Cheers Aaron
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Revlac

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Posted: 12:41pm 26 Oct 2022
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Made a Brake cylinder for under the carriages to ad a little detail.
Very handy to have real one on hand as an example.


It was fun to make this using Scad and can be added to if needed.


This is printed with a .2mm nozzle, easy to clean up the support material, I did an initial print with a .4mm nozzle and the detail is not as good but usable, however the support material was a real PITA to remove and clean up the model, worked out faster overall to use the .2mm nozzle this time.      
The photo is blown up to get a full frame, the model in the picture is only 32mm long.



Scad and STL Brake cylinder.zip
Cheers Aaron
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Revlac

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Posted: 11:12am 04 Nov 2022
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This cylinder has the Air Tank and the Triple valve included......Well some resemblance of the triple valve, I don't have much in the way of details on this setup to be able to replicate it.


Like the previous brake cylinder it printed well with the .2mm nozzle.



Scad and STL Brake cylinder with tank.zip
Cheers Aaron
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