Motor Rail 12hp locomotive
introduction and instructions


The Motor Rail 12hp is a small locomotive based on works number 26014 when it was working at Richardson's Moss Litter Co. Ltd Solway Moss Works near Gretna (bonnet with lights) and as originally built (plain bonnet). The original has been modified to add a cab and new bonnet and now lives at the Perrygrove Railway, named Workhorse.

The 16mm and 7/8ths inch scale models have a 4 wheel drive motor/gearbox completely hidden in the chassis controlled by a Loco Remote Mini B. The 16mm scale model is powered by a 3.7V 600/650mAh or 300mAh lipo rechargeable battery. Search eBay for "Syma X5C battery". 4 x 600mAh batteries and a mini charger are available from UK sellers for around £15. The 7/8ths inch scale model is powered by 4 x AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries.

The kit contains everything you need including a Loco Remote Mini B to build a fully remote controlled loco. Just add batteries and a custom driver from the Clavey Models eBay store to get up and running with your smartphone.

Black and white parts are 3D printed in PLA ST (super tough) and yellow in PLA +. This means that while it is fine to run it anywhere, do not leave it standing outside in hot sun for any length of time, especially if it is unpainted. Above around 50 degrees C (120 degrees F) PLA can start to soften and so it may deform. Remember this is the temperature of the PLA which may be higher than the air temperature in the sun. PLA ST is more resilient than standard PLA.

The kit has been designed to have some of the parts friction fit together without the need for glue. Polystyrene cement (used for Airfix kits) works well on this PLA. We suggest Revell Contacta Liquid Glue with Professional Needle Applicator. Apply a fine line using the needle applicator and then hold the pieces together until set in a few minutes. Other glues including epoxy can be used but note that cyanoacrylate (super glue) may well leave a white bloom on the surface of the PLA that is hard to remove. This may be okay if you are painting it afterwards but otherwise best avoid it. We suggest Deluxe Materials Glue 'n' Glaze for the light lens (only on the 7/8ths inch scale model).

For the friction fit parts, a very gentle rub with wet and dry paper may be needed on some edges if they are too tight. Similarly some of the holes may need slight opening with a needle file or finger drill. Please do this slowly and gently. You should not need to open the axle holes on the wheels and pulleys at all as they have been hand finished already for a tight fit. If there are any fine strings left over from printing, gently remove these with your fingers, a sharp knife and wet and dry paper.

IMPORTANT! The 16mm and 7/8ths inch scale kits are very similar and the majority of the build is the same for both. The key differences are the electronics, the bonnet with light and the weights under the seat. Most of the photos below are of the 16mm version. Where there are variations for the 7/8ths version these are written in BLUE. Before commencing the build please familiarise yourself thoroughly with this guide and follow the relevant 16mm or 7/8ths sections.

www.locoremote.co.uk

Parts - 16mm shown with notes below on 7/8ths version



3D printed parts
  • Black: chassis, 4 wheels, 4 axle boxes, motor cover, motor pulley, 2 axle pulleys on axles, seat, throttle, brake lever, bell support, grill and light surround (version with light only), 2 pinions (optional)
  • Black and yellow/white: body, 2 buffers
  • Yellow/white: bonnet(s), front bonnet rings (plain version only), seat base, floor box, rear bar, bell, bonnet cover
Common electrical and other parts
  • Loco Remote Mini B
  • Combined motor and gearbox
  • White power connector and cable for Mini B
  • 2 wire (yellow/orange) motor cable with Dupont connectors
  • 2 wire (black/white) LED cable with Dupont connectors (optional)
  • Clear LED (optional)
  • 2 O rings
  • Heat shrink tubing
  • Combined motor and gearbox
  • On/off slide switch
  • Rivet coupling pin
16mm electrical and other parts
  • White flat connector and cable for lipo battery
  • 47 ohm resistor for LED (optional)
  • 2 axles 50mm long
  • 30g tyre weights
  • 3mm nut and bolt
7/8ths electrical and other parts (not shown)
  • 3D printed Yellow/white switch and power socket holder
  • 4 x AAA battery box
  • DC charge power socket
  • 2 axles 68mm long
  • 80g tyre weights
  • 2 3mm nuts and bolts
  • 12mm clear round lens


Suggested tools and glues
  • Ruler
  • Needle files
  • Hammer
  • Drill bits (3mm very useful for bolt holes and 5mm for 7/8ths light surround) with mini finger drill
  • Sharp knife
  • Tweezers
  • Side cutters
  • Small snipe nose pliers
  • Wet and dry paper
  • Rubber bands
  • Polystyrene cement (used for Airfix kits)
  • Glue 'n' Glaze for fixing light lens (optional for the 7/8ths inch scale model)
  • Soldering iron, solder and "helping hands" (not shown) if you do not have the prewired kit

16mm Wiring
16mm ONLY - 7/8ths see below


16mm On/off switch - 1
  • Locate the on/off switch, power cables and thicker heat shrink tubing
  • Leave the 3mm bolt in place
  • Cut the red wire attached to the white Mini B power connector to 6cm and strip the end
  • Cut the black wire attached to the white Mini B power connector to 4cm and strip the end
  • Cut the wires attached to the white flat lipo connector to 5cm and strip the ends

16mm On/off switch - 2
  • Cut 3 pieces of thicker heat shrink tubing to approx 10mm
  • Slip a piece of heat shrink tubing on the red wire attached to the white Mini B power connector
  • Solder this red wire onto the middle switch tab
  • Slip a piece of heat shrink tubing on the red wire only attached to the white flat lipo connector
  • Solder this red wire onto one outer switch tab
  • Push each heat shrink tubing on both the red wires so they fully cover the soldered tabs and gently apply a soldering iron to shrink these in place
  • Slip another piece of heat shrink tubing on the black wire only attached to the white flat lipo connector
  • Solder the two black wires together
  • Push the heat shrink tubing on the black wire so it fully covers the soldered join and gently apply a soldering iron to shrink this in place
  • IMPORTANT - make absolutely sure the soldered tabs and black wire join are fully covered by the tubing and there is no possibility of any tabs or exposed wires touching and causing a short
  • Make sure the completed switch wiring is the same as the photo


16mm Motor - 1
  • Locate the motor, yellow and orange wires and thinner heat shrink tubing
  • Cut the yellow and orange wires to 7cm and strip the ends a SMALL AMOUNT

16mm Motor - 2
  • Cut 2 pieces of thinner heat shrink tubing to approx 8mm
  • Slip a piece of heat shrink tubing on both wires
  • Orient the motor as shown - locate the top which has a HALF width piece of brass support in the gearbox
  • Solder the yellow wire to the tab on the same side as the half width piece of brass (top in the photo) - the tab is very small so do this carefully and make sure the solder or wire do not touch the metal case of the motor
  • Solder the orange wire to the other tab - the tab is very small so do this carefully and make sure the solder or wire do not touch the metal case of the motor
  • Push each heat shrink tubing so they fully cover the soldered tabs and gently apply a soldering iron to shrink these in place
  • These connections can be fragile so don't bend them until you are ready to put the motor in the chassis later
  • If you accidentally attach the yellow and orange wires the wrong way round don't worry - it just means you will need to connect them to the motor output pins of the Mini B the other way round so that the loco runs forwards correctly
  • IMPORTANT - make absolutely sure the soldered tabs are fully covered by the tubing and there is no possibility of any tabs or exposed wires touching and causing a short
  • Make sure the completed motor wiring is the same as the photo


16mm LED - 1 (optional)
  • Locate the LED, black and white wires, 47 ohm resistor and thinner heat shrink tubing
  • Separate the wires completely
  • Cut the black to 7cm and strip the end
  • Cut the white wire to 6cm and strip the end

16mm LED - 2 (optional)
  • Cut the LONGER lead of the LED to 8mm
  • Bend a small loop on one end of the resistor lead and cut the wire after it
  • Slip the loop on the cut LED lead and solder carefully and quickly - applying heat too long could damage the LED - note there is no heat shrink tubing on this join
  • Cut 2 pieces of thinner heat shrink tubing to 10mm
  • Cut the other LED lead to around 10mm
  • Slip a piece of heat shrink tubing on the black wire and solder the wire to the LED lead
  • Push the heat shrink tubing on the black wire so it fully covers the soldered join and LED lead and gently apply a soldering iron to shrink this in place
  • Cut the other resistor lead to around 8mm
  • Slip a piece of heat shrink tubing on the white wire and solder the wire to the resistor lead
  • Push the heat shrink tubing on the white wire so it fully covers the soldered join and gently apply a soldering iron to shrink this in place
  • IMPORTANT - make absolutely sure the soldered connections are fully covered by the tubing and there is no possibility of any tabs or exposed wires touching and causing a short
  • Make sure the completed LED wiring is the same as the photo

16mm Connecting and checking the electronics
16mm ONLY - 7/8ths see below


16mm Connecting the Mini B and battery
  • Make sure the switch is set to off - the black handle should be pushed so that it does not go over the 2 red wires
  • Connect the 2 yellow and orange wires from the motor to the 2 pins on the edge of the board with the yellow wire plugged onto the outer pin further from the white socket so that loco goes in the correct direction - if you get this wrong you can always swap the wires round later
  • Connect the (optional) black LED wire to the pin marked GND
  • Connect the (optional) white LED wire to the pin marked 3V3
  • Connect the white power plug into the white socket on the Mini B - it is keyed and should only go one way with the red wire on the outer side
  • Connect the lipo battery - do this carefully as the pins are small so do not try to force it
IMPORTANT! Only use the recommended 3.7V 600/650mAh or 300mAh lipo battery Please download and read the setup guides from the links below before proceeding further, especially if you have not used a Loco Remote before.

16mm Electronics check
  • Check everything works by turning the switch on
  • The blue LED on the Mini B board should do a brief flash and the (optional) clear LED go on
  • Connect your smartphone to the Mini B as described in the Mini B setup guide
  • Run the controller from your screen
  • When going Forward, the motor shaft should be rotating clockwise as you look directly at it - if it is rotating anti-clockwise reverse the yellow and orange motor wires
  • You can change the name on the screen (for example to Motor Rail 12hp) and password if you wish as described in the Wi-Fi connection and controller operation guide
  • Once you are happy everything is working correctly, turn the switch off and disconnect the components
  • Always remember to switch the power off when you have finished running so the batteries do not fully drain

7/8ths Wiring
7/8ths ONLY - 16mm see above


7/8ths On/off switch, charge socket and battery holder - 1
  • Locate the printed holder on/off switch, charge socket, battery holder, power cables and thicker heat shrink tubing
  • Cut the red and black wires attached to the white Mini B power connector to 7cm and strip the ends
  • Strip the ends of the offcut of red wire

7/8ths On/off switch, charge socket and battery holder - 2
  • Slide the switch into the holder
  • Push the charge socket firmly into the holder, securing the switch


7/8ths On/off switch, charge socket and battery holder - 3
  • Solder the short offcut of red wire between the right switch tab and left charge socket tab
  • Cut 3 pieces of thicker heat shrink tubing to approx 10mm
  • Slip a piece of heat shrink tubing over BOTH battery holder and Mini B power connector black wires
  • Solder both black wires to the right charge socket tab - note the middle tab is not used
  • Slip a piece of heat shrink tubing on the red wire attached to the battery holder
  • Solder this red wire onto the middle switch tab
  • Slip a piece of heat shrink tubing on the red wire attached to the white Mini B power connector
  • Solder this red wire onto the left switch tab
  • Push each heat shrink tubing on all the wires so they fully cover the soldered tabs and gently apply a soldering iron to shrink these in place

7/8ths On/off switch, charge socket and battery holder - 4
  • IMPORTANT - make absolutely sure the soldered tabs and black wire join are fully covered by the tubing and there is no possibility of any tabs or exposed wires touching and causing a short
  • Make sure the completed switch wiring is the same as the photo


7/8ths Motor - 1
  • Locate the motor, yellow and orange wires and thinner heat shrink tubing
  • Cut the yellow and orange wires to 9cm and strip the ends a SMALL AMOUNT

7/8ths Motor - 2
  • Cut 2 pieces of thinner heat shrink tubing to approx 8mm
  • Slip a piece of heat shrink tubing on both wires
  • Orient the motor as shown - locate the top which has a HALF width piece of brass support in the gearbox
  • Solder the yellow wire to the tab on the same side as the half width piece of brass (top in the photo) - the tab is very small so do this carefully and make sure the solder or wire do not touch the metal case of the motor
  • Solder the orange wire to the other tab - the tab is very small so do this carefully and make sure the solder or wire do not touch the metal case of the motor
  • Push each heat shrink tubing so they fully cover the soldered tabs and gently apply a soldering iron to shrink these in place
  • These connections can be fragile so don't bend them until you are ready to put the motor in the chassis later
  • If you accidentally attach the yellow and orange wires the wrong way round don't worry - it just means you will need to connect them to the motor output pins of the Mini B the other way round so that the loco runs forwards correctly
  • IMPORTANT - make absolutely sure the soldered tabs are fully covered by the tubing and there is no possibility of any tabs or exposed wires touching and causing a short
  • Make sure the completed motor wiring is the same as the photo


7/8ths LED - 1 (optional)
  • Locate the LED, black and white wires and thinner heat shrink tubing
  • Strip the ends of the wires
  • Unlike the 16mm version you do not solder a 47 ohm resistor to the LED

7/8ths LED - 2 (optional)
  • Cut 2 pieces of thinner heat shrink tubing to 11mm
  • Cut the LONGER lead of the LED to 8mm
  • Slip a piece of heat shrink tubing on the white wire and solder the wire to the LED lead carefully and quickly - applying heat too long could damage the LED
  • Cut the other LED lead to 8mm
  • Slip a piece of heat shrink tubing on the black wire and solder the wire to the LED lead carefully and quickly - applying heat too long could damage the LED
  • Push the heat shrink tubing on the wires so they fully cover the soldered joins and LED leads and gently apply a soldering iron to shrink these in place
  • IMPORTANT - make absolutely sure the soldered connections are fully covered by the tubing and there is no possibility of any tabs or exposed wires touching and causing a short
  • Make sure the completed LED wiring is the same as the photo

7/8ths Connecting and checking the electronics
7/8ths ONLY - 16mm see above


7/8ths Connecting the Mini B and battery
  • Do not connect the battery yet
  • Push the on/off switch towards the charge socket so that it is off
  • Connect the white power plug into the Mini B white socket - it is keyed and should only go one way with the red wire on the outer side
  • Connect the 2 yellow and orange wires from the motor to the 2 pins on the edge of the blue board with the orange wire plugged onto the outer pin further from the white socket so that loco goes in the correct direction - if you get this wrong you can always swap the wires round later
  • Connect the (optional) black LED wire to the pin marked F LED - on the edge of the green board
  • Connect the (optional) white LED wire to the pin marked F LED + of the green board adjacent to the black wire
  • The onboard resistor at the other end green board has been set to 50 ohms - don't change it
  • The loco kit only has a front light, but if you wish to add your own clear LED at the back to go on in reverse then you can wire it up like the supplied LED and connect it to the other 2 pins on the green board
IMPORTANT! Please download and read the setup guides from the links below before proceeding further, especially if you have not used a Loco Remote before.

7/8ths Electronics check

IMPORTANT! Only use 4 x AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries. Do not use Alkaline as their voltage may be too high and definitely do NOT connect a 9V PP3 battery even though it has the same clips as this will destroy the Mini B.
  • Connect 4 AAA NiMH batteries and turn the switch on - push it away from the charge socket
  • The blue LED on the Mini B board and the (optional) clear LED should do a brief flash
  • Connect your smartphone to the Mini B as described in the Mini B setup guide
  • Run the controller from your screen
  • When going Forward, the motor shaft should be rotating clockwise as you look directly at it - if it is rotating anti-clockwise reverse the yellow and orange motor wires
  • The LED should go on if you tap Lights and the direction is Forward - note it is directional and will go off in Reverse
  • You can change the name on the screen (for example to Motor Rail 12hp) and password if you wish as described in the Wi-Fi connection and controller operation guide
  • The Mini B has already had it's 'Shutdown on low battery' preset to off since you are not using a lipo
  • Once you are happy everything is working correctly, turn the switch off and disconnect the components
  • Always remember to switch the power off when you have finished running so the batteries do not fully drain

Assembling the loco - photos show 16mm version
Notes in BLUE refer to key differences with the 7/8ths version


Wheels and axles - 1
  • Locate the wheels, axles and pinions (optional)
  • Drive pulleys have already been prealigned on the axles - note they are correctly in slightly different places on the axles

Wheels and axles - 2
  • Use a small hammer to tap the axles into the wheels and pinions (optional), then push the wheels and pinions along with your fingers being careful not to move the pulleys
  • If you do need to move the pulleys for any reason then the easiest way is to push down on them with your fingers with the end of the axle on a hard surface


Wheels and axles - 3
  • Back to back wheel spacing should be 28mm for 32mm gauge or 40.5mm for 45mm gauge (7/8ths only)
  • The pinions are not shown, but if fitted should be centred for both axles

Chassis - 1
  • Locate the chassis, 4 axle boxes, 2 axles with wheels and 2 O rings
  • Check the axles rotate freely in the axle box holes - open out with a 3mm-3.2mm finger drill if needed


Chassis - 2
  • Push the 3mm nut into the hole in the corner of the chassis (16mm only, not 7/8ths)
  • Push the 2 axle boxes on the same side of the chassis as the motor block in firmly - these are a deliberately tight fit and should not need gluing so they can be removed for maintenance later if needed
  • Put an O ring onto each axle - don't forget!
  • Put the axles into the already fitted axle boxes with the pulleys on the side away from the motor block as shown - it does not matter which axle is which
  • Fit the axles into the remaining axle boxes and push these into the chassis
  • Check the axles rotate freely

Chassis - 3
  • The completed assembly should look like this


Buffers - 1
  • Glue the buffers to the chassis - note the orientation with the larger part above the chassis floor

Buffers - 2
  • Use clamps to hold the buffers tightly while the glue dries and use the body to check vertical alignment but do NOT glue this


Motor fitting - 1
  • Push the keyed motor pulley onto the shaft
  • Push the motor into the hole in the chassis with the yellow wire on the same side as the 3mm hole (top left of photo)
  • The motor wire connections are fragile so do this once and don't insert and remove then motor multiple times

Motor fitting - 2
  • Push the motor holder right through the hole on the underside of the chassis to secure the motor


Motor fitting - 3
  • The motor should now be secure

Pulleys - 1
  • Carefully stretch the O ring on the axle with the pulley closer to the middle onto the motor pulley nearer to the motor - you may find a pair of tweezers helpful but be careful not to damage the O ring
  • Stretch the O ring over the pulley on the motor
  • Repeat the process for the other O ring and axle


Pulleys - 2
  • If you have pinions it should now look like this

Body
  • Glue the small oval cover to the side of the body as shown


Seat
  • Glue the seat on the seat holder with the seat front aligned with the edge of the holder and the thinner part of the holder on the right as shown

Plain bonnet
  • Glue the 2 bonnet rings around the holes on the front of the bonnet


Bonnet with light - 1
  • Glue the grill inside the front of the bonnet

Bonnet with light - 2 (16mm only, not 7/8ths)
  • Push the LED fully into the light surround - it's a tight fit
  • Push the wires through the hole in the front of the bonnet


Bonnet with light - 3 (16mm only, not 7/8ths)
  • With the LED on a flat surface, push the bonnet onto the LED and surround - it's a tight fit

Bonnet with light - 4 (16mm only, not 7/8ths)
  • It should look like this


7/8ths Bonnet with light - 2
  • Locate the LED, light surround and 12mm clear round lens
  • Check the LED fits in the surround - its a 5mm LED so use a 5mm drill bit in your fingers if necessary - remove the LED

7/8ths Bonnet with light - 3
  • Peel the protective film from both sides of the lens
  • Fit the lens to the light holder - you can use Glue 'n' Glaze but it is a tight fit and should not need this
  • With the light surround on a flat surface push it into the front of the bonnet - it's a tight fit


7/8ths Bonnet with light - 4
  • Push the LED into the light surround from inside the bonnet
  • It should look like this

Body and chassis - 1
  • Align the body with the chassis and push the 2 motor wires through the hole in the floor
  • Do NOT glue the body to the chassis so it can be removed in you need to access the motor


Body and chassis - 2 (16mm only, not 7/8ths)
  • Gently bend the wires on the bottom of the switch inwards
  • Screw the bolt through the switch and body

Body and chassis - 3 (16mm only, not 7/8ths)
  • Make sure the bolt goes into the nut under the chassis - it does just go in


Body and chassis - 4 (16mm only, not 7/8ths)
  • Wire up the electronics as described in "Connecting the Mini B and battery" above
  • Push the Mini B into the slot inside the body
  • Push the LED resistor flat against the inside of the bonnet behind the grill

Fitting the battery (16mm only, not 7/8ths)
  • Push the wires into the bonnet
  • Make sure the switch is set to off - the black handle should be pushed so that it does not go over the 2 red wires and is next to the bolt
  • Connect the lipo battery - do this carefully as the pins are small so do not try to force it
  • A 600/650mAh lipo should just fit diagonally in the bonnet with the black LED wire below and white above it


Operating check (16mm only, not 7/8ths)
  • Check everything works as described in "Electronics check" above

7/8ths Body and chassis - 2
  • Push the bolts through the floor and into the body


7/8ths Body and chassis - 3
  • Note the orientation of the switch and charge socket holder - the charge socket should be against the same side as the Mini B
  • Gently bend the wires on the bottom of the switch and charge socket inwards
  • Push the nuts into the holes on the top of the holder
  • Screw the bolts up through the floor into the nuts
  • Wire up the electronics as described in "Connecting the Mini B and battery" above
  • Push the Mini B into the slot inside the body

7/8ths Operating check
  • Push the on/off switch towards the charge socket so that it is off
  • Connect 4 AAA NiMH batteries and turn the switch on - push it away from the charge socket
  • Check everything works as described in "Electronics check" above


7/8ths Batteries and charger
  • The charge socket is a standard 2.1mm DC power socket with positive centre pin
  • The batteries can be charged directly using a smart charger suitable for NiMH battery packs - contact Strikalite if you do not already have one and ask for a 2.1mm DC power plug with positive centre pin
  • If you don't have and don't want a smart charger then just remove the batteries from the battery holder and charge them individually in an AAA charger

Floor box and throttle
  • Glue the floor box to the back of the body and floor - one only one side is flat and this should go against the body
  • Glue the throttle to the back of the body, noting the orientation


Weights (16mm only, not 7/8ths)
  • Push the 30g weights into the hole under the seat in 3 layers of 10g - don't remove the blue backing as it makes them harder to fit with the sticky side exposed

7/8ths Weights
  • Tightly bind the 80g of weights with sellotape as shown - don't remove the blue backing as it will make them impossible to fit with the sticky side exposed
  • Push the 80g weights into the hole under the seat


Rear cab parts
  • Locate the rear bar, bell, bell holder and brake lever

Bell - 1
  • Glue the inside of the bell onto the bell holder, pushing the small round spigot through the middle
  • Trim the end of the spigot with a knife so it is flush with the front of the bell


Bell - 2
  • Glue the bell holder inside the rear buffer with the bell facing out
  • The bell should rest on the top of the buffer and the holder be 9mm (or 12mm for 7/8ths) from the edge of the buffer


Brake lever
  • Glue the brake lever in the cab aligned with the bell support as shown
  • The lever and two edges should be on the bell support and the bottom in the hole in the cab floor - this is probably the trickiest bit so take your time!


Seat
  • Glue the seat holder above the weights in the cab

Rear bar
  • Glue the rear bar to the buffer - note the orientation so that the flat part is attached to the buffer
  • The top of the bar should be just above the bell
  • Cut the rivet coupling pin to length for the buffer hole


Lubrication
  • The axles rotate directly in the axle boxes without bearings
  • Add a very small drop of thin oil to each axle box for lubrication
  • Keep the oil off the O rings

Final comments
  • The Motor Rail 12hp is capable of pulling a few lightly loaded wagons, including up a 15 degree rack if fitted with pinions
  • Drivers Ron and Violet have been specially designed to fit and are available in both 16mm and 7/8ths inch scale from the Clavey Models eBay store
  • Power it up and enjoy
  • If you do not want to have the light powered up on the 16mm version just pull the white wire out of the Mini B
  • Always remember to switch the power off when you have finished running so the batteries do not fully drain