Single channel R/C, on regulator or reverser?

S

Sea Lion

Registered
A hypothetical question for you. If you were fitting R/C to a very nice but smallish live steam loco ;) that only had room for one servo what would you put it on?

1. On the regulator for ultimate fine control of speed, and simply move the reverser by hand when you want to change direction.

2. On the reverser, and drive by manually part opening the regulator and then having control of both direction and speed via the reverser.


Enquiring minds need to know :thinking:

Happy steamings,

John
 
I might venture to suggest that the choice is a personnal one. If you drive the reg you do at least get full control of the power, which you don't if you drive the reverser. However if you need to change direction on a remote part of the track then the former is not a lot of use. :thinking:
 
I would be interested to know what engine, in this scale or 1:32, that is too small to get the servo's in ?
 
Mike Ousby's r/c conversions of the Edrig used one servo on the reverser, with speed controlled by fine tuning the reverser. I gather it works very well. I gather it's because Accucraft uses a piston reverser. You can't use this method on other types of loco with "proper" valve gear. Mike will put me right if I've got it wrong.
So it depends on how your hypothetical loco works, John.
Best wishes,
Steve
 
Some interesting points.

A hypothetical loco could have the Accucraft piston reverse and so be drivable on the reverser only as Steve points out. Although obviously there is finer speed control with a servo on the regulator.

It would not be a geared loco.

I guess as mentioned preference would revolve round if you intended to do a lot of shunting or mainly run trains on your main circuit/s. Lets say we are talking about a loco that would equally be at home for both tasks.

An interesting/good concept to offer both options, it would be about the same amount of work for either option. It doubles the requirement for stock holding if kept in stock, but not out of the question. Lets say for the sake of this argument this wasn't an option.

So for the sake of this discussion, if the entire batch were to be the same, and was equally suited for lots of shunting or lots of running on your main circuit, and you could only have one servo, where would you put it - reverser or regulator?

Happy steamings,

John
 
Having had a Caradoc with R/C on both regulator and reverser. Then had the reverser servo consistantly fail, so i had to change direction by hand - I'd say put it on the regulator.

Changing direction by hand isn't a problem and tends to be done where you are nearby to manipulate couplings. Most stock doesn't like being reversed anyway!
 
I had the servo on the reverse/forward lever on my frank S it worked great but as said if you have proper valve gear it wont work as you cannot control steam volume with it
 
I'm with Matt on this one- I want r/c to be able to stop, start and change speed in a controlled manner. Most the time when a direction change is needed, it coincides with changing a point or coupling up, which requires application of a finger anyway- so it's no hardship to prod the reverser over while you are about it.

Very much looking forward to seeing where this is going...
 
I had the very first Accucraft " Earl " delivered, it was manual control for the first 6 months I had it. I then added a servo control to the regualator only. I decided I wasn't brave enought to try and take the body off of the locomotive to fit a servo on the reverser. I find that having just speed control works just fine for me. Direction changes are not a problem.
Charles M
 
minimans said:
I had the servo on the reverse/forward lever on my frank S it worked great but as said if you have proper valve gear it wont work as you cannot control steam volume with it
Click to expand...
Same here Paul, although it was a very coarse speed control - In balance I would go for the throttle only. Its a harder selling proposition than the reversing valve though.
 
If, as you have proposed, the hypothetical loco will be operable on the reverser alone then go that way.
I have an Accucraft Lyn set up in that mode.
Open up the regulator a quarter of a turn, move the R/C lever forwards and off she goes. Nice and controlable, irrespective of load and track inclinations (1 in 40+) and only one lever to think about. Even got complimented by others at a 16mm gathering of the "prototypical" driving and speed of my Lyn with 3 full length GRS L&B coaches in tow.
 
Thanks for all the feedback chaps, it confirms me beliefs that:

1. If at all possible all locos should have twin channel R/C on both regulator and reverser.

2. A single channel option should never be justified on grounds of saving a few quid.

3. If space restrictions honestly make it impossible to have 2 servos then there is an argumnet for both options (regulator or piston reverser), with a preference for the regulator winning slightly on votes.

The hypothetical design team will go off now and put the kettle on whilst having a good think!

Happy steamings,

John
 
Hypothetically... can I have one please? Especially if it doesn't have a cab...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top