Haymarket47

Hi Keith Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed reply. I don’t know much about TT, especially the continental scene, so this information is very much appreciated. Alan

Hi, do you have any recommendations for retailers of these models? Thanks

Sherlock’s alive 😱 I was simply enquiring as to the impact exhibitions and pester power has - that’s all.

A very good point and whilst I’m not in a position to say from experience what sales are like for a retailer at an exhibition I would imagine that when seeing a TT layout at an exhibition and a child says to its parent that it would like to buy something TT related to get started they’ll be pretty disappointed 🤷🏼‍♂️

Hi I’m a bit flummoxed with this. Usually I use my IPad to connect to the Z21. My issues started early doors when I had to reconnect to the router which I’ve never done since setting the Z21 years ago. Anyways I connected and then after a few seconds the settings window on the IPad said no internet connection but this was after displaying that there was a connection. I then resorted to my iPhone and was able to connect with no issues. On the iPhone The blue status bar on the app was lit and I was able to operate normally. One strange thing though was when I tried to pause the system. It did so and it went flashing blue and when I tried to unpause I got a “no internet connection”. I tried again and it worked? Firmware on the Z21 is 1.42 and app on both devices is version 1.4.5. Does anyway have any idea as to why the iPhone is connecting but not the IPad (which connects with no issues to the house Wi-Fi). Ipad Wi-Fi settings is now saying connected but the status bar in the Z21 app disagrees! Thanks Alan

So Herr Freiwald won’t sell to a state which voted for Trump. Imagine if you were a railway modeler and voted for a Democrat in that state and you can’t purchase the software - its ludicrous. We have idiots in Scotland who won’t buy supermarket products because they have the Union flag on them - very childish. I accept that it’s Freiwalds decision but it’s crazy nonetheless. Also, Trump in a speech some time ago when he was president pointed out that Germany was too reliant on Russian energy - the German delegation was seen laughing at this comment. Don’t suppose the smiles will be there now - Herr Freiwald might be having a change of mind 😂😂. I’m no fan of Trump either as he has issues with democratic outcomes too.

Something tells me he’s been doing that to a fair degree

Hi, just wondering if you had made any progress?

Think we need to add a 3rd option. Did you actually receive your model

Hi I’ve got exactly the same issue. Hornby took payment from my card on 1 Dec. Received an email to say that it entered Hermes system on 7 Dec. Tracking said on the 10th that it was on its way to the courier and as of today Hermes don’t recognise the tracking number. You couldn’t make it up. Tried phoning Hornby - line temporarily closed whatever that means. Tried emailing - might take a few days was the response. I think with this level of customer service and the increasing competition their days are numbered - please don’t shout at me it’s just my personal opinion.

Hi John P It’s a Zimo rebadged as a Bachmann. I’ve managed to get the lights working now - all I did was put the blanking plug back in ran it on DC again to check the lights were still working and then popped the decoder back on. It’s still not great going slow in one direction but better when up at speed. It does seem to run better on DC as send to DCC for some reason.

Having bought this model and decoder a year ago I finally got round to installing the Next 18 chip. The lights at one end will not display and the motion going one way is not as smooth as the other. I am using a black Z21. The loco has been run in on a DC test track and the lights work both ways and it travels both ways with no issues. I believe the decoder can only go in one way so I followed the instructions and direction that the blanking plug took. Not sure if I’m doing something wrong or if the decoder is faulty. I don’t have any other locos that require this type of decoder so I can’t even do a cross check. One thing I have noticed is that there is a black sponge like material protecting the circuit board from the decoder. In the attached pic you can see this with the blanking plug. Can anyone help with this issue? Thanks in advance Alan

So which decoder type are you recommending?

Thanks John P and Iain. That makes sense re the blades. So if I have a digikeijs 4024 servo decoder and the accompanying relay unit dr4102 does that mean I simply connect a wire from the latter to the preinstalled wire at the frog end of the n gauge peco turnout?

Hi Forgive me for being a bit daft here. Can you explain why you need frog polarity switching if you didn’t modify the point?

Sorry, that’s not what I was thinking Phil. I was merely lamenting the fact that my 2 sons didn’t get the “bug” for model railways. I hope the new range is a success.

Both of mine too I’m afraid. I hope this new system will encourage kids in but I’m not convinced. When I think back they loved the Brio trains and making different track layouts. For a while they liked the basic oval and a railroad hauling toy soldiers in wagons but the novelty wore off sadly. Now it’s PlayStation all the way

We could but let's not waste our energy on it. It was only a question after all....

No need to swear!

Why not? It might have an impact on my future purchases?

Wow, I can imagine there has been a substantial time investment in this project alone. It’s a long time since I used variables in programming but I’m sure (hope) it will flood back if needed. Thanks for the detailed reply, much appreciated.

Thanks for posting. I think the automation brings a lot to the “authenticity” of the scene, particularly with announcements (how did you incorporate these?) etc. Looking forward to the next instalment.

Fair enough, you might have to contact A and H Models then. There’s also a chap on YouTube called Hovermotion. He has an excellent European HO layout and regularly tears down models including Roco/Fleischmann. He might be able to offer some advice?

Hi, do you have any other locos to rule out issues with the system? Have you tried programming via the Z21 on its own? Sorry, don’t know much about RR & Co so can’t help you with that. You could try giving A and H models in Northhampton a ring, I’m sure they sell Fleischmann. They may have reduced hours at the moment though, check their website.

Let’s go all the way - Sly Fox