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How fast can Hornby Live Steam go?


PlanesTV

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The OO Live Steam Club gets youngsters to 'have-a-go' at its Roadshows partly to show sceptical grey haired onlookers that they can be realistically and accurately controlled

 

BUT ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS GO FASTER!!!

 

So the Club decided to launch the Model Mallard Speed Challenge - a 6 month competition with lots of prizes already donated by partners and well-wishers. Hornby are donating an original Live Steam promo shirt.

 

The campaign launches at Doncaster Railway Station on July 3 next week (all day), the 80th anniversary of Mallard's record 126mph run.

 

Do you think Hornby's Live Steam Mallard can do a scale 126mph?

 

More information here:-

https://www.oolivesteam.com/copy-of-mallard-spreed-challenge-1 

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OK you found me out howbiman...

but we haven't found a reliable way of actually measuring the speed. We have aspeed wagon but the display flickers wildly. You have to take photos. This one appears to read 108mph/media/tinymce_upload/21ff1896ff3759a53c2df431606e1c00.jpg

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I'm sure there must an electronic circuit comprising of two infrared sensors spaced 1 yard apart where the first beam broken starts the timer and the second beam stops the timer.........the recorded time would be between 1 and 2 seconds to be within the desired speed range.......just needs a techie to design the circuit........HB

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calling all techies...

It's important for the Club to get this right because it's 'official' has has some important partners.

We have until december when the finals take place.

We have found a commercial unit in the USA. Maybe we could borrow one for a trial?...

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You may be able to chat up your local plod and get the loan of a radar gun or if not...

No tech needed, only basic tools.

Stop watch and a mirror set up as an enoscope and this formula

V(MPH) = D(Feet) / 1.47*T(Seconds)

The 1.47 converts Feet/Sec into MPH

Enoscope

/media/tinymce_upload/5ea8251d5426f2a6c45608aeaab66546.PNG

Method - as the loco passes the enoscope mirror the observor starts the stopwatch and stops it as the loco passes his marked point.  The Base length is known in feet.

Rob

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@RAF96.........that formula works ok, Rob.........measured over 6 feet in a time of 3 seconds the scaled up result equates to 103mph...........for the model to achieve a scale speed of 126mph it would have to traverse the 6ft gap in 2.45 seconds, not easy to measure with a stopwatch......... 😆..........HB

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We do time our live steamers over our complete Roadshow circuit. It's a scale half mile so a circuit in 15 seconds is 120mph. "Beat 15 seconds and you've broken the world speed record for steam tarins" we tell youngsters having a go.

For some live steam locos they vant quite get to that speed (pulling an 8 coach train), most will get there but some seem to want to go much faster but we dont want derailments so that's about as far as we go.

But how much faster could they go?

It's certainly intriguing!

We're looking into speed traps on sale in USA - there are  couple - but HO?

Watch this space or contribute to it please.

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@RAF96.........that formula works ok, Rob.........measured over 6 feet in a time of 3 seconds the scaled up result equates to 103mph...........for the model to achieve a scale speed of 126mph it would have to traverse the 6ft gap in 2.45 seconds, not easy to measure with a stopwatch......... 😆..........HB

To be exact it should be 1.46-recurring but 1.47 is close enough for Government work (5280 feet in a mile / 3600 seconds in an hour).

 

It should be possible to take a sample of values over say 30-40 feet and get a narrow spread to check accuracy.

Rob

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Forgive the polite observation but this thread is very confusingly split between General Discussion (which I've now been ignoring) and Live Steam (which appears appropriate). Can these be combined or just one simply taken forward as a discussion thread?

I did suggest that on the other thread but gave up as too difficult now.

Rob

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That is right hobiman, it is a measure to get publicity but the overall aim is to find and bring back into joyful use the 14,000 or so "Ferraris" that the first owner couldn't drive because he'd never driven one before, was sent off on his own, told to go straight out onto the road with 50 litres of oil in the engine and by putting it into gear before depressing the clutch.

There is just a chance that reviving these dormant Ferraris (sorry, Hornby Live Steam models) could do what the brand should have done 15 years ago - change the model railway world forever.

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Hi all

Robs got it, Planes has also got it, and howbiman, but running a steam engine at the 126 mph in 00 gauge would be very easy thing to do but when the record was attempted all them years ago what was the train load? 

How many coaches 175 ton or 300 ton ? All behind pull at 126 mph the engine will need the correct load to make the run

Other things to think of are

Is the track at the correct incline?

To be totally correct are the boiler pressure in the model the same as the full size engine? 

And they are 2 different engines one was a 3 cylinder engine the Hornby engine is has only 2 cylinders.

Ken

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Hi Rob

scale speed is the one thing that live steam will beat flat out they all travel fast and it will be interesting to see what the maximum speed achieved might be when the test runs are carried out.

Ive got live steam engines that look like there doing about 300 mph and as you say the rail car flat out goes faster than the full size units ever did.

It is quite possible it's running at the 100mph point when flat out?

ken

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Hi Rob

I've got an Arduino kit somewhere i don't have time at the moment but later might give it ago.

are you coming over to watch the fly past sound like it will be good as it's the anniversary of the RAF and anything that will fly will be up maybe you should come over early and help out.

Ken

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I fly in on the 11th Ken, so it will have to be watched via my internet TV box while  I am packing my bags.

 

Sorry for going off topic but this only happens every now and then. 

/media/tinymce_upload/de6156d15626a8cb7a8e82ac803009d5.JPG

 

Rob

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Muzza

just seen your video what a great little film and so well shot as you say these engine do like to fly and you have the right type and number of carriages your engine like the full size loco must be in tip top condition to run that well.

Ken

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