JSpencer

The overall package with the speaker is smaller than TTS. It means that older 8 pin locos with chip holders in the loco body instead of the tender can now often have the chip and speaker placed into the smokebox. Even the smallest sugar cube is quite loud and clear. Under TTS, the supplied bigger round speaker had to be located in the tender, while the chip went into the smokebox (some sources saying TTS were suitable for sugar cubes). Next 18 seems to be the main one oversize as most RTR locos using that are designed to the NMRA size spec. I have not used those yet (too few locos with them and none are Hornby so...).

TBH, given the price point, I am not surprised that the Dongle probably won't work as well on other systems. Though I get that the initial marketing seems to have been a bit over enthusiastic. The fact that it ties in well with Hornby's own systems (though not the eLite) seems normal enough to me. In the DCC world, TXS is low end entry point. Like TTS, it is reasonably good at covering a lot of subjects for a lower cost than a full fat high end sound chip. But takes up less space than TTS. Locos that I thought I would never add sound too, due to space and not really designed with sound in mind (about 80% of my locos were brought between 2003 and 2013) , can be made DCC sound. I can run them adhoc on the layout from my telephone or bring them under full DCC (only 1/3 of my collection will get DCC, the rest runs under DC). Leaving the high end full fat DCC sound for "preferred" locos where high quality is a must.

Me too and I thought I would be quickly satisfied on the industrial front. Helas no. The first small industrial tanks were not really easy to fit sound into them, but these are. And just when I thought Dapol had satisfied my thirst for a noisy small 0-4-0 industrial shunter, Rapido offer more of them... And thus we are condemned to make an industrial plank, what with all those wonderful Accurascale and Bachmann cement wagons... A cement works it will be....

Excellent. Look forwards to this.

Thanks Jenny. I have just a couple of questions if I may please. 1/ Is there a compresseur sound? (very distinctive on these EMUs coming on almost after every braking action) 2/ The sound seemed a little off (tinish) to my mind, could that be the recording? Or wires taped to the top of the speaker (not sure if this has an effect)?

In general no. But sometimes when new, the screw link coupling can block a bogie from turning by fowling the NEM pocket. It can be folded up onto the hook or loosened up by moving it a bit so that it is no longer stiff.

Kernow's MOGER arrived. Lovely wagon, shown below next to a 15 year old Dapol MOGER wagon which is longer and uses a different running number (couplings replaced with modern slim tension locks). It was the last RCH I ordered and yet the first to arrive.... I feel Bachmann's E4 looks a little big with this pair, so hopefully we'll get E1 110 to run instead 😉 Some quick snaps: EDIT : EXTRA PICTURES: After Rapido saw some other LBSCR loco with their RCH wagon today, they decided to go ahead with E1 110, so that I'll have their LBSCR loco with their wagon LOL

FWIW, Hattons original run included weathered versions.

I posted a video on the The Monday Club Jenny Kirk Facebook page. I have not posted anything to Youtube for about a decade!

Me too, I'm planning on taking a train to England to get one (used to be a member of the Chatham club too).

I've been out and about on social media, gathered quite a few likes, lets hope each one equals an order.

Info leaked out from elsewhere forcing them to reveal their hand. Little risk of them appearing this year though. 2025 at best or 2026 .

July is a long time to wait ;-)

Interesting, I don't think my 33s have ever suffered droop but then I only fit Kadees on one end and I guess pull mode holds them up under tension.

Thanks. very useful as my sharpest curves are 26in radius. Oddly I use Kadee #20 on my class 33s (except those on push pull work which use Roco style). It avoids removing pipe detail.

Thanks for the consist settings. That is indeed something I'm looking at for a full boat train. Great video.

So lets get the negatives out of the way first. Couplings! These were curse on the original CEPs. The BEP versions were somewhat more of a struggle to get in. The refurbished CEP keeps the same cursed system and they are harder then ever to get in. As seen below, the contacts of the bar forms a step which refuses to duck under into the hole of the pocket. My recommendation is to squeeze the copper (?) contacts as tight as you can, one side at a time. This makes the task of coupling feasible at last. Oh how I wish Bachmann had use the 4-TC couplings on the BEP and this CEP. It would also allow us to have the correct colour headcode boards instead of the user needing to swap end doors or only ever running the set with the powered unit first. Surely not a costly upgrade on a model that was tooled up from scratch? The interior lighting on the refurbished CEP is brighter than the original. Really showing off the excellent interior along with the DCC chip in the powered DMSO. I have to wonder if on a £500 model whether or not they could at least have found a way to hide the DCC chip? Now for the positives. The DCC sounds are sharp and clear and capture those found CEP noises from when I was younger. Running is absolutely perfect as we have come to expect from Bachmann EMUs (same rugged smooth drive as the original). Bachmann also give you several options of sounds, such as horns and rail clack noises although you will need to test these yourself by setting up the CVs (I think I would have preferred a default random option here). The only sound I thought was missing was flange squeal that was so typical of these units entering terminuses and maybe some station announcements (This is the 9-15 calling at Chatham, Rochester, Bromley South and Victoria only). The body moldings are clean and sharp as we have come to expect. The later hopper windows are a delight, the bogies excellent. The NSE livery is well applied and looked perfect fine colour wise with other NSE EMUs (VEP and HAP shown in photos below). Overall the quality is what we have come to expect from Bachmann EMUs but just maybe sorting those couplings, hiding the DCC chip, allowing blind colours to change direction and a little more thought on the DCC sound files, would lead to perfection. Still compared to 1990s when the thoughts of anyone doing an EMU seemed so distant and unlikely back then whereby you needed to build a kit, my collection has exploded since with about 20 EMUs in service and only one of them (a Southern Pride EPB) being built by myself. NSE CEP nearest, VEP behind. My two full 4 car NSE EMUs 2-HAP with 4-CEP NSE 4-CEP with Blue Grey 4-BEP

There does not appear to be separate thread for this one, although there is some discussion in the Winter 2023 announcements and 4BEP threads. Anyway with prices in some places finally going south of £500 for a 4 car sound fitted unit, I finally brought one. Now personally I have more memories of the refurbished units and than the originals so this unit is a must. Actually I would like 2 of them but lets be content with just the one. Ironically the 4-BEP cost me as much as 2 original 4-CEPs and 1 MLV. The Refurbished CEP cost as much as all four of those, but it is at least sound fitted. A blessing as on the one hand it is only about £60 or £70 more than the non sound version and also saves you the trouble of fitting sound yourself. I had fitted sound to one of my original 4-CEPs and it was a real challenge to get inside it. The clips being very tight. The EPB was much easier having 2 screens, while the MLV was 4 screws. So how does this refurbished model compare to the original? Electrically, the original did not have a dedicated speaker space, although I placed a large speaker on the roof above the slightly visible (through the windows) chip and electronic chip holder. The BEP improved on this by providing a place and solder pads for a sugar cube under the passenger seating. Now you have a choice of a pre-fitted sound version. Build wise, the refurbished CEP is the same as the BEP and the original CEP. In this post, photos showing the refurbished vs the original, and also a Hornby VEP in a couple of them. Note that the Original and Refurbished CEPs have the same under frames (different bogies): 4-CEP top, Hornby 4-VEP below Original 4-CEP vs Refurbished 4-CEP Below (various vehicles)

Very tempting... another with an internal battle. Well done Bachmann

Very nice initiative. Eqully I feel that reducing packaging helps too. Which will double the impact (I thought the Mk2b were perfect, compact yet do the job required of them). As for conspriacy theorists, just tell them that all Accurascale models are designed to run on a "flat" layout.

Stroudley Boilers were carried by 110, 123, 142, 686, 690, 693,694 by grouping end. No comments on the liveries but those seem the best possibilities. Edit: replacing laveries with liveries 😅

I hope you make it. My order is in for a sound one. I urge everyone to post on social media if it helps.

I have ye-oldee Dapol one which fortunately has a different running number. So I Just ordered this one. Hopefully they won't look too much like chalk and cheese when running in a train.

They made it blatantly clear that they do not supply shops etc... selling out of China and such things won't be protected by Dapol. So IF someone is selling Dapol and they are based in China, then it is not Dapol. And you can always check to see if they a bonafida stockist here: https://www.Dapol.co.uk/pages/store-locator-1 Furthermore, posting actual links probably puts them into direct accusation. Likewise scammers can create links faster than anyone else can report them.

Very nice layout and I will admit, I always fancied trying to do an all BR corporate blue only scene. Sadly I then get tempted by mixing in a bit of later sector liveries or mixing in a bit of BR green that was still clinging around in the 70s.....