David41283

At the time of the first fault, I only had two locos on the layout, which hadn’t been run for a while, so I assumed a decoder issue and reset CV8 to 8, I had to reprogram the addresses again, but this wasn’t a huge problem. second time there were 5 locos on the layout so this is a bigger headache. I am suspecting that through a wiring issue or too many locos drawing power from a powercab system the power has dropped. I will try turning off DC mode on all my locos to see if this works. thanks for all the suggestions.

I did wonder if I suffered a voltage drop for some reason, could the lower track voltage “trick” the locos into DC mode, resulting in the odd speed behaviour?

Hi all, I have encountered an odd issue with my NCE powercab. Twice in the last 48 hours all the locos on the layout have started acting strangely. All of a sudden, they seem to have just two speed steps. They are still at step 0, then full speed at step 1, steps 2 and over make no difference. the first time this happened a loco had just come to a stop against the end of the fiddle yard and carried on pushing against this as I didn’t notice. Fairly innocuous, but the only odd occurrence that preceded the issue above. As there were only a couple of locos on the layout I solved the issue by resetting the decoders in each of them. Today this happened again, just as I was messing about with consisting 2 DMUs. I cancelled the consist and all of a sudden everything, both involved in the consist and not, had developed the speed issue above. The locos concerned are a variety of brands, with different chips, yet are all affected the same way, hence my belief that the issue is the controller. Even when this speed issue is manifest, the chip has still retained the address and the sounds work as normal. i can’t see any reference to this in any forums or online anywhere, so hopefully someone can help! thanks

Some more photos

Hi everyone, Having taken Invernevis as far as I could I contemplated building an extra board to extend the layout, but decided to start again. After selling Invernevis at the start of last year, I started a new project. I had to be realistic in terms of practicalities and space. This would’ve meant building another similar layout if I stayed with N gauge, and I had an unashamed nostalgic ambition to capture the trains of my late childhood around Bristol and Westbury around 1990. I stuck with two 4’x1’ boards, but have gone to 00 gauge and DCC sound. I have posted a couple of photos of the 3d printed people on the platform in the “realistic modelling” thread to positive feedback, so it’s time for the whole layout to break cover. Avon Mills 1990 is set in the Bristol area - an amalgam of Avonmouth and Sea Mills perhaps, but it is completely fictitious. I have sacrificed some realism to include elements I remember from the period. A tiny station like this wouldn’t have had brutes or orange information screens but along with the red benches, yellow litter bins and badgerline buses they are very apt for the period.

In summer 1990, Kevin is very proud of his new shell suit. 00 scale hand painted 3d printed “youth”. Avon Mills - Bristol 1990.

A weary commuter trudges towards the steps, early evening, Bristol suburbs 1990.

Great photos, the Paddington 1988 set are right in my era and region. I can remember the influx of “foreign” traction onto the Paddington-Oxfords well. is that a grey 31 lurking in the background in C9585? I don’t recall many of them around Paddington.

Hi Robert, 2 car DMUs with all wheel pick-ups were certainly not something I even thought of when building the layout! The longest passenger train the station ever saw with me was a 153! I made sure that the isolating section was long enough to contain a 153. Sounds like you've come up with a good solution. Great idea about the new loco lift - I did intend to build a traverser, but couldn't think of a way of achieving this successfully in such a small space. The loco lift could be an ideal solution if successful. Cheers David

Hi Robert, I hope you're well. Glad to see the layout is still going strong! Have you made any changes or tweaks at all. I've just realised it is now 7 years since it was built. I've also just changed the title of the thread to something more suitable for the future. Take care David

answered my own question! If the dates on Flickr are accurate the headlight was fitted sometime between late 1992 and early 1993. It also sported mini snowploughs during this period. It remained in this condition until withdrawal in 1997, so the model is probably accurate for late 1992 to 1997.

Can anyone pin a timeframe on 33023 with a headlight in this livery. I can find post preservation photos at Barrow Hill with an ugly black headlight, but very clean livery. I have also found photos in this livery in work-stained condition before headlight fitting at Stewarts Lane. I know it was withdrawn in this livery in 1997. Did it ever run in BR service in such heavily weathered condition with a headlight, or is this model a strange mix of pre-withdrawal livery and condition with post preservation headlight? Thanks David

The link seems to be broken? I’m intrigued….

I have finally set up on youtube in order to facilitate posting some videos on here - here are some very short phone clips of the layout working at the show.

Funnily enough I was invited to another local show by a visitor on Saturday, but I couldn't accept due to scheduling issues. Watch this space however...