Still adding stock

Yes I am still adding engines and also continuing very slowly to ballast the new section of the layout. The latest acquisition is a Triang DMU converted to 3 rail operation. It didn’t cost very much which is a good thing as it is really a non runner. The motor works fine but with the coarse scale wheels and the insulation on one set there are only two wheels which can earth the current. As a result it goes off at speed then loses electrical contact and stops. I have tried adding weights to improve the position but that has made no difference. What it really wants is some metal wheeled bogies to replace the plastic ones on the second coach and wired to the motor bogie. However the bogies are riveted on and they would be difficult to remove. Must be another way but I haven’t thought of it yet.

Anyone out there got any advice? Why a DMU I hear you ask. The diesel that killed branchline steam I hear you say. Well the first reason is that I cannot afford the HD EMU which would have been number one on the list and the second is that the DMU was a significant addition to British Railways in the fifties. Yes they did replace branchline steam but they were also responsible for keeping these branch lines open for much longer than they would have been had they remained with steam. By this time the autotrains and the local small tanks were well past their sell by date and the coaching stock was mostly decrepid so they represented the best chance possible to keep these small branchlines open.

Now if only I could get it to run.

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