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Right given up, both locos (47484 & 526) neither work with either of the two chips, sending chips back. Both locos work fine on analogue with the blanking plates in. I’ve soft cleared both chips and reset the cv’s to factory and the issue is the same as before. Odd that 484 worked for 2 minutes then stopped when I screwed the body on!

Hi, these are 36-570B, have got movement, managed to get cv29 to 38 and found that cv 3 and 4 at the default setting of 45 and 50 meant it crept along then took ages to slow, so changed these to 5, much better - worked both directions as expected and was zooming around, have put the body back on and now loco dead again! Having spent hours on what should be plug and play, highly tempted to send the loco back to Cornwall and the chip back to Sheffield. thanks for your help with this one and all.

its a Digitrax, it changes it itself, the number changes to something different if I put in a different 4 digit code. I'll try and adjust. thanks

Hi I’ve completed, I think, a reset on both Plux22 decoders - I followed your advice and got one to respond to AD2 address (set to 0008) and the loco slowly picked up speed to full power but would not respond to any input. The other decoder would not even do that. I’ve tested the loco on DC and its run ok. At a loss now and will send the decoders back to the vendor, maybe they can test them. thanks for your help Matt

Yes sorry that was a typo, have changed it to AD4...

Hello, I've just bought two Bachmann Plux22 decoders to go into two Bachmann 47's. I'm using a Digitrax DT602. With everything else, I place on the programming track, change AD4 to the code I want and off they go. I'm having an issue with these two Plux22 in that I can't get the loco to move, I have followed the exact same process as usual - is there some other dark art to these that I'm missing, these are the first of these I've had to use. Note both decoders have been tried and neither work. Screen shot of the DT602.

Thank you - will have a look later in the week when back home!

Hi - the ones i used to see were the Hoo Junction - Betteshanger (originated Toton) and were pairs of 33’s until about 1988/89 then class 56’s after that, used to recess at Sittingbourne until about 0850, later that day returned via Ashford..I used to leg from the station at Sittingbourne on the way to school to watch them depart..

Ok thank you, I’ll research what that is and assume its an easy fix at home?

Hello, I have 56023 and what a stunning model it is, looks and sounds great. One issue I have is hauling capability. I have a rake of 29 Hornby HAA’s, the high detailed versions, and prior to the arrival of the 56, a single Heljan class 33 was utilised to haul the combo out of the storage sidings, up a curving ramp to the helix and up the helix and away. The 33 is a non sound loco. I also use Bachmann 47’s on it now and again but being a Kent modeller, 33’s were the staple traction, until replaced by 56’s…. Anyway, the Heljan 33 will haul all 29 up the Helix and if allowed will just get faster and faster, the Cavalex 56 does not even get the train up the approach ramp. I have reduced the formation by single wagons over multiple tests, it sits there screaming and wheels spinning with 19 wagons at which point I gave up. Has anyone else tried the Cavalex 56 with a challenging trains on a hilly layout? I’d have expected it to handle it no problem. I have not tried it without sound yet, would that affect power delivery? thanks Matt

Really sad news for the staff. Have used Hattons in the past many times. But...they are one of the original 'box shifters' - buy in bulk, knock em out cheap and quick..maybe had favour with the manufacturers in their ability to take and shift stock. This may have came at a cost to the myriad of smaller high street model shops. Maybe when they have wound up those that used them will find a more local model shop to order their supplies in from, might cost a little more and take a day extra to get to you but, the independents are most likely, really struggling right now.

I'll be ordering a Jaffa cep...then maybe a blue grey later, then I'll wait for the box shifters to be flogging then off at £89 like they did with the first lot back in 2011!

Quite a bit of progress lately, the CCTV system (8 camera) for spying on the hidden storage sidings has been fitted and new monitor bolted to the wall, all tested and working - this should avoid spectacular pile ups! Work on the scenic level has been to go round fitting dummy sleepers where needed, as the result of hurried track laying, looks much better without the gaps, wish I'd taken a few minutes extra with each bit. Never mind. The raised scenic layer that hides some sidings and creates the cutting has been finessed with a jigsaw and paint brush, the sides of the deep cutting have been glued in place, the scenic retaining walls have been delivered and will be glued to this at some point. Photo shows the cutting walls being held in whilst the glue dries. The three hidden sidings to the right of the cutting have had IR dot LED's fitted so units shunted in there are stopped at the right place. More soon.

thanks all, have a new 73120 on the way and will try the repair method on the dodgy one, thank for your help, Matt

Hello, I've scanned through the 90 pages but just want to check if there is a list of the latest Dapol class 73 releases with the running issues resolved i.e. second batch? I have a first batch loco that stops on every set of points, will get round to fitting a stay alive at some point, just want to add a couple to the fleet but want to avoid poor runners. I have a load of Limby class 73's but these barely pull themselves up my Helix let alone a train of coaches, so looking to upgrade the fleet. thanks in advance Matt

Agree, although I'd pay £250 each for two 4 CEP's over a few months but I'm not paying £589 for one ever, they need to sell these priced as a loco and three mk1's..

Refurbished CEP is good news, I have 5x of the original un-refurbished ones, was thinking of ebaying them when they announce refurbished 4-CEP maybe summer 2024/Autumn 2024, however at £589 for the TEP, they'll be the same, thats way too much for a casual purchase, my 5 cost me £89.00 each! Pity, looks like a good model and no doubt will look awesome in the various liveries that are now possible, blue grey, Jaffa plain, Jaffa black piping, NSE, Connex, 1592 green and SWT - are they trying to recoup development costs in year 1 for a model that will have an indefinite life span?

So after a weeks leave spent shifting, chopping and building, all the scenic level boards are in situ and ready for the next stage, which is using a marker pen and a Crompton to transfer the vision thats in my head on to the boards. Much of the decision making done though, due to the shape of the loft and the access requirements to and from the helix, I'm pretty much having to go with a large roundy roundy, but will make facility for a branch line to run above some of these boards and with the branch terminus to become the 'helix cover' - think Broad Street in London, there's about 12 foot x 3 foot available. Some initial photos, just need to get some paint to give the back scene a few coats and we're off.

Thank you all for the replies, time to ponder..might be a parcels yard / depot rather than goods then, cheers Matt

Hello all, my 1980's London based layout needs at least a small siding or freight terminal, thing is I'm struggling to find any prototypes, I'm talking real central London, not Acton, Norwood etc, nor even Chessington etc. Today we have the cement traffic to St. Pancras, question is, in the 80's was there any actual freight right into the centre area, I'm looking for a siding or freight depot to use, really for justification purposes! thanks in advance Matt

thank you all, I'll go with the 9mm and use ample framing etc, cheers Matt

Hello I've been offered a large supply of 9mm ply, about 8, 8x4 sheets for using as the boards, up until now I've used 12mm chipboard or plywood. My gut instinct is that 9mm is too thin and would need extra framing support - has anyone used 9mm with no warping etc? thanks in advance Matt

A little more progress, have had to go round the entire helix checking incline and gaps, quite a bit of fiddling but its all about 2%. Today I ran the first train from one of the storage roads round the approach ramp and up the Helix, a Heljan 33 and 8 Bachmann Mk1's - the train accelerated up the Helix as if it was not there, I could have wound it up even more but it would probably have flung itself off. I have not used any system to enhance traction. I'm really pleased as it semi-proves that my concept for the layout works, need to try other formations and 30 HAA's with a Hornby 56, that might struggle, but we'll see Work now focuses on getting trains off the Helix and heading in two separate directions. This is the point where we swap from code 100 on a non scenic area into code 75 scenery territory. The Helix kit was from DCC train automation if anyone if considering one.

And two odd months, a two week cruise, a bout of covid and Christmas..its done, final level in place. Its all wired and tested, needs re-checking / tweaks with the spanner and spirit level all the way round. I have made up the next layer too but don't think its needed as the exit from the helix onto the 'scenic' level is best suited where it is, just via a shallow ramp. Next steps are to build and fit a board to the wall behind this to take the main line loops round behind. In the future, the area above the helix will feature a terminus station based on Broad Street, and a massive TMD.

Helix started, the first level all level cross ways and at the same incline throughout, since the photo was taken have added another level above. I have basically used the notes and experiences of Charlie at Chadwick Model Railway on Youtube and its works very well.