ian_penfold@btinternet.com

Hi, thanks for the tip. For my sanity why would I need Professional version? Have looked at the list of prices and nothing is leaping out at me when looking at the difference between the levels?

Hi, I have a ECoS 50210 Command Station and around 50 points controlled by Switch Pilots which are programmed to the Command Station. All works fine. However, I find this is restrictive, having to swap views all the time and was wondering if there were a simple software based solution I could use to control the points in parallel with the Command Station. Something touch screen that would work on an iPad that could connect to the Command Station and thereby find the points and allow me to map them to a representation of the layout? Would be happy to pay for such a product if one existed. Alternatively could get a touch screen PC if this were the only solution. Any ideas?

Paul, I know others have said this but think surgery will be the only answer. I take your point about the fact it should not be necessary but took the snippers and soldering iron to my pair late last week and they have been running around on 12 coach trains, engines blaring, over the weekend.... still got to get the headcodes working but think this will be simpler as Howes are helping me out on that one as they supplier the original LocSound chips.

Hi, does it look the same as my problem above (Bulldog screaming to a stop in the video!) If it is the same problem as mine it should simply restart if the power is closed off to allow it to reset. Also. Are the lights flickering after it has stopped? On mine they will flicker (with supporting sound effect!) until the power is shut off..

Luke, really appreciate the help here but pretty sure the track is sound: Everything else runs fine. It happens consistently only with the two D600's I have. Kernow, who are being very supportive and working to help, tell me it has happened elsewhere (obviously not a lot otherwise it would have come to notice earlier). We have been playing with CV53. With this I can extend the time it take to stop but not fix the problem. Theory is that it is something to do with the motor overloading by drawing too much power (there was a comment earlier about the motor being hungry on power, not sure how relevant this is). It does not really feel like a contact thing. That produces more of a jerking but this is a screaming to a halt in a very consistent manner. Also, when I turn the power of the loco somehow resets. The engines restart without any intervention and it will reset, until it does it again. One more piece of news. Dropped a non sound Zen chip into one of them. Works a treat..... 12 carriages, no issues. I strongly suspect there is noting wrong with either the loco's or the chips, it is the combination that is the problem (in fairness I bought a sound chip optimised for the Bachmann 43!) Howes, who supplied the ESU chip are also be very helpful... we will get there in the end.

7013... what chip are you using?

7013 - yes, used Kernow's CVs and they made all the initial problems (except no headcodes) go away. Allowed me to move onto the next one! Interesting comment about grabbing too much current above and earlier on the tread there was comment about the loco being power hunger. Maybe something in this (just about to go and play and see if I can narrow it down). Chap at Howes was surprised to see the video as he had everything working well on one he had..... fun and games.

Yes, they seemed fine on DC although I cannot run then under load as only have rolling road for this setup.

Yes, had exactly the same issue and got the same very quick and helpful response from Kernow. It made a huge difference, I have a pair of these locos so easy to rule out unique fault. All mine have been replicated on both locos. I do indeed have a pair of Howes (ESA) sound chips set up for the class 43. My expectation that this would simply work in the 41 were clear misguided! Howes have been working in parallel on establishing a working setup and have offered to re-programme both chips if I sent them in which I will over the weekend. Still do not have working headcodes which I assume will work when the chips come back (Howes seemed confident). However, I now have a new problem on both locos. Neither of them can handle any sort of load. They will troll around happily light engine but put any sort of load on them and they shudder to a halt after a very short period. Really are some quite alarming sound effects and flickering of tail lights! If I turn the power off the loco resets and engines start up again. See video - Anyone seen anything like this / got any ideas?

Hi, I notice a lot of conversations on here regarding DCC chips and the Warships but not that seem to cover the problem I have (I may get to headcodes later!). I have a pair of Warships and, perhaps naively assumed I could drop a Howes 21 Pin ESU Loksound Decoder into each on the basis that is has the right number of pins and same engines etc. Notwithstanding that the headcodes do not work (as per comments above) both loco run extremely jerkily. They are fine in analog, track is clean, both do exactly the same thing. A comment earlier said: Dapol Imperium has 6 functions, with f3 and f4 being logic Lenz Silver only has 5 functions There are 2 different versions of the Bachmann 36-557. The earlier one shouldn't work but the later one should. ESU Loksound V5 do 2 versions of the 21pin one for each requirement with "58429 LokSound 5 DCC 21MTC" being the correct one ESU LokPilot has 6 functions; 4 power and 2 logic. Zimo's MX634 can be changed from on to the other with CV 8 DCC Concepts are all powered functions so wont operate f3 and f4 as logic To be honest it does not make a lot of sense to me other than "ESU Loksound V5 do 2 versions of the 21pin one for each requirement with "58429 LokSound 5 DCC 21MTC" being the correct one" Howes site does not give any indication of which one they use (I don't think) and neither does the paperwork. Anyone got any ideas or having the same problem? It felt like an obvious way to go but not so sure now! Could be an expensive mistake.... Cheers in advance Ian

I think there is one somewhere on this thread but apparently it was very short lived (and looked awful!).

Indeed but with that version the front end the roof and buffer bean is either blue (nankin blue livery) or grey (blue and grey) so if you wanted a different livery on each side this would thwart the idea. The Bachman model in Nakin Blue had a fuller yellow end covering roof and buffer beam which I know was carried by a Nankin Blue set for a while. So in theory you could do it if you have a grey roof but only with the fuller yellow end.....

if you left the full yellow end as per the Bachman model I guess you could but my understanding is that this was very short lived and almost certainly not by a blue / grey set. If you went for the smaller end then the cab roof and buffer beam would not work as would need to be either grey or nankin blue dependant on what version you were modelling. nice idea though.

oh yes, forgot that bit.... I swapped the bogies on one end of the kitchen cars also so that they were correct!

Or the bodies are relatively easily swapped. I bought a second unit (an expensive way to go but fixed the problem) and then dropped the Parlour Car bodies onto Kitchen underside. These then fit neatly between power car and Kitchen with all the underside gubbins where it should be on the new parlour car. I then removed the underside gubbins from the kitchen and there you have it. 8 car set in right formation and yes, the windows aren't quite right but still looks the business. Actually the lack of destination blind annoys me more but I'm sure that will be fixed at some stage. For an encore you then need to reverse the Kitchen cars as they are actually the other way round in the 8 cars sets. Not as easy as it sounds. Basically, take the body off and turn it around but..... you need to swap the light fitting in the roof round (two screws, pretty easy) and then cut the internal body work of the Kitchen to allow the connections that run from the floor to the roof to pass through. There are a few halves of the carriages without table lamps but other than that a proper job. Next up.... remove the Midlands, adjust the yellow ends and renumber.... simples..... if anyone wants a 4 car unit that comprises of two power cars and two Kitchen Cars on parlour undersides then do let me know

I have something very simple but still will not reach the back of the board. Currently working with P11's again and trying to ensure they are aligned correctly. I think actually the problem in the confined space is as much with the alignment as anything else (difficult to even get a pin in).

Yes, that would have been a perfect solution..... next time : )

Possibly, still very tight for drilling a hole but not impossible.

I do currently but find the performance disappointing (probably worthy of another conversion on ESU Switchpilots that seem to work much better with PL10's). Plus, would be neater if they were underneath.

Hi, I have a layout in the eaves of my loft which means that the clearance above the boards is extreemly limited towards the back of the board. Does anyone have any tips for cutting holes for point motors to drop through in such a small space. Feels like I need a very small circular saw (the board is a layer of Sundeala and then a layer of ply so really not very thick. I'm using Peco PL10 motors. Thanks....

Thanks....

Hi Has anyone got a decent picture of the destination blind on the Western power cars. Got a bit of a project going on here...... thank

Or create an 8 car set (and not worry about many of the little details) Not cheap but I now have an 8 car set. Bought a second unit, swapped the bogies round so they are correct, swapped the Kitchen Cars round so they face the right way (not as easy as it sounds), removed a lot of the under floor gubbins under the kitchen car and put the bodies of the new parlour cars on the chassis of a pair of kitchen cars adjacent to the power cars. Removed the words "Midland" from the Power cars, The windows are wrong and some of the table lamps do not work but I can live with that as really wanted an 8 car set. All that remains is to fix the yellow ends and maybe find some roller blinds for the side of the power cards..... have a full set of transfers for the coach numbers...... all looks and runs pretty fab.....

You could indeed be right! There was a reference in this conversation to someone who knew someone who had done it and I recall seeing a post a long time ago (possibly not on this forum) from someone who had sorted the wiring so maybe not the first. I'll let you know how I get on

So, having read 10 pages of comments concluded that as a Western Region modeller of the late 60's early 70's period I'd rather have an 8 car version even if it will not be accurate in every account (I've noted the really useful comparison pictures shown on the thread and read many of the comments). Reverse blue would be good but that is not going to happen so instead plan to purchase a second full yellow end version and take the parlour cars and add to my existing 6 car set (I can live with the windows being wrong). So, some questions. Is there an easy way to remove the "Midland" on the power car? What has worked for others when removing lettering from models? How easy to swap the chassis and bodies from the parlour and the kitchen car as clearly need the new parlours to be at the end to make the couplings work (and indeed get all the underside gubbins roughly in the right place!). How does the body come off from the chassis? Got as far a removing the bogies and the 4 retaining screws but it still felt pretty solidly attached! Anything else I should know! Regards