Sir TophamHatt

I mean, they appear to have non-sound versions in stock. Maybe I should buy one and brave swapping the speaker / decoder myself. Will see what they say over the weekend. I guess it's just the wear on the bogie that makes me think it's a return.

Thanks! Really helpful No doubt have a few more questions but will see.

I only had limited time to test to be fair. One way. Different axles at different points, usually the front bogie but the rear one did struggle round a curve and was derailed for ages before I noticed as only one axle was off. I just thought it looked a little short?

Got my replacement yesterday, although it's looking more and more like a customer return. Just had a message to say it had been picked and arrived the next day. No email to say what they had done but I know it's not my original loco back. There is a slight wobble - about the same as my first one. But no motor jerk, so great there! Half an hour each way on the rolling road, all axle boxes still in place - the joy is building. Give it a whirl on the layout. Derailed in a place the first one didn't. Then again on a straight. Lost one axle box, so I thiught I'd try it with a wagon. Still derailed in a few spots, although none of it in the single place the first one did. Come to refit the axle box and it seems the axle shaft is quite short. I can't imagine this wearing has occurred through my hour or so of use at lowish speed? I don't know if I've received a customer return or what. I guess they had no more non-sound 001's to swap the speaker and decoder over to (or it was to much effort). While I am greedy enough to want the best, this loco just isn't worth it. So all in all, it'll be going back and I think for a full refund. Just means I have 10 HTA hoppers with no loco to pull them now.

Search eBay for "SQ11 Camera" - they're all pretty much the same. Instructions aren't great - they're a literal translation so some bits don't make sense but not a bad camera. Plus, if you like it, can always buy something more expensive down the line. I think I paid about £6 for mine. If you're in no rush, aliexpress may also be a good shout.

Sorry to drag this up again However... 1) So the ECoS isn't wireless? My house is running powerlines anyway, so I can get a other adaptor but don't really want to if I don't have to. 2) If I'm running JMRI on a PC in another room, does that mean I can directly communicate with the ECoS? Would this be to upload photos of locos and such? 3) Does the "change of tone" toggle not really work well for UK diesels? 4) How do you make a layout plan in the ECoS? Does it matter if you're using a whole mix of set track and flexitrack? Thanks

Morning all! A busy week of travelling around the network for me. Since Tuesday, I've travelled more on trains than in any other time in my life. Pretty good though. Seen lots of nice new places. Feet hurt though! Another warm day too. Have noticed the garden has been getting out of hand so trying to fix that at the weekend. And test out the replacement Class 66 Hattons sent. I have a feeling it's a customer return but the wobble isn't that bad and it doesn't appear to have the greasy problem when starting from cold. Cheerio.

After having a think, I decided to go for it. Put some lead in the rear bunker (as the rear wheels encourage the front to derail). Then I modelled a bit of cardboard in place of the plastic coal. Looks shinier than it is. I've figured it would be easier to remove if, and this is a huge if, I want to fit sound in the future.

A lot of Railway people seem to get highly offended by the subject. I understand it was awful but people concentrate on the events around the driver rather than the robbery as a whole. Perhaps it's not "paying homage" but rather allowing people to remember. Like Warner Bros not taking the racist stuff out of cartoons. They put a message at the beginning but by editing it out, they're pretending like it never happened. By continuing to keep it in, it's a reminder of how stupid people were back then. I guess like the people in 100 years time will say about us.

Hot on the heels of other magnetic couplings, another version has come out that's omni-directional. https://www.glrailways.co.uk/ I wonder... 1) If in a few years this will become a standard coupling. 2) Kadee will see dipped sales (at least in the UK). I certainly am no longer looking at Kadee couplings for stock anymore.

So I'm thinking of doing this anyway but I'm not totally sure. DJM 58xx. I want to fit real coal but when taking out the existing plastic mould, I've discovered there's space for a speaker. While some of my locos do have sound, I can't imagine I would ever fit this model out. I have a City Class loco that would be fitted first, then a 4MT tank. But I'm very much a "never say never" person. But then I have fitted other stock with other things that mean I can't reverse it. Question is, do I go ahead and fit real coal? If I used the existing plastic coal as a base, the bunker would be too high so I'd rather not do that. I don't have any plasticard to use as a base and that would only go back to the idea of using the existing coal as a base meaning the bunker would be quite full. Any advice?

To be fair on Hattons, I seem to remember a video where even GBRF said they swapped the orange on 3 different locos.

No time for trains today (although I did graphite some of the rails). It's a other warm one. Combined with a RD means I could finish off the seating area. Still much to do but a sleepy baby means tools down. Phew!

When I put my flexitrack in place, I just put a 4th radius curve on top and made sure it was the same. When making the inside track, I used a couple of coaches to make sure they didn't bash together - the results look okay. Would a tracksetta have been useful in this example? Which ones would be good to get as a bit of a "starter set"?

Hot on the heels of my coal, I decided to paint up a decking piece and use some of my foam insert... err... inserts to make a thing to hold stock while I work on it. Woo! Go me!

And good on you! I may be swayed by one of these, even though I'm not an electric guy. Although please stop using a price of .99 - nobody is fooled by that marketing trick from the early 90s anymore

Morning chaps and chapesses. Yes, after 3 and a bit years, perhaps my first proper bit of Railway modelling! Didnt realise the coal was removable until it fell out. I have a coal fire so smashing some to pieces is easy - and fun! Not too bad for a first attempt.

Started watching The Vicar of Dibley again. Forgot how funny this series is. It's certainly of it's time though. I wonder if stuff from the 90s hasn't aged well because we have moved on a lot? Lost still looks like it could be set today and that was mid 2000s (so admittedly a bit newer).

I've managed two... I wouldn't even know how to use one. The only faults I've had is where I accidently swapped the positive and the negative. After turning on my PA2 and discovering it, a quick look at the soldering I've just finished and problem solved. It's funny as I see them mentioned all over the forum, yet I don't think I've ever needed to use one. @Bochi - don't worry. I can imagine it's hard to start with. What's the latest update? Did the loco you re-fitted work properly on DCC?

Buy a 100ml syringe from ebay. They're good for squirting glue/water mix.

A very close call. Ballasted a point but as I squirted the Copydex mix on it, went all over the moving bar (draw bar?). A bit of very careful kitchen roll work and 3 days later, the point still works - woo! Looking forward to next week. The garden centre is open, the weather should be a lot warmer and it's the last week of "doling out the tickets" as the local community person said on the radio once I was going to wash the footbridge today because I'm nice. But it's being taken away this year to be sandblasted and repaired. I think it's just the top span that's being taken away. However, if I can somehow change the tap to accept a hosepipe connector, then I'll bring my pressure washer in and do it anyway.

I'm surprised Hornby didn't add passengers. Although I suppose some may want empty stock coaches.

One thing at a time At one point, model trains didn't have many more features than than wheels! It's more of a case of beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don't care much for cab lights or many of the sounds (like coupling mechanism, other shunting sounds). Yet there are many who do.

Morning all! A good day yesterday, despite the much cooler weather. Here she is! The wife doing a much better job than me, while baby sleeps in the sling and I tidy up the whole room. She's a beaut!

Realism? You could apply that to any feature. What's the point in lights? What value to they add to the model? Extra tooling and assembly costs, passed on to the consumer, for no added value. What's the point in spring loaded buffers? What value to they add to the model? Extra tooling and assembly costs, passed on to the consumer, for no added value. What's the point in etched nameplates? What value to they add to the model? Extra tooling and assembly costs, passed on to the consumer, for no added value.