125_driver

Thanks that's a useful link.

I have 47828 the latest version of the class 47 with a plux22 sound decoder. I have noticed when bringing the loco to a stand , it stops, then it has a sudden but brief surge, moving forward around about 10cm before finally stopping. What is likely causing this? Also, I find the brake just a little too slow to react. I was under the impression CV4 should be altered to make the brakes slightly "better" but this hasn't made any difference. Am I looking at the right CV?

Managed to do it, the pliers did the trick, though as you say it is pretty fiddly.

Thanks. It's a shame they have made it so difficult to do something as essential as cleaning / adjusting pickups. I shall have another attempt anyway!

Having removed the wheels in order to give the pickups a clean, I am now at a loss to refit the wheels to the bogie due to the little brass squares that need to be in exactly the right position. I cannot (and I've tried for about an hour), get the little brass squares to line up with the slot they are supposed to live in. I hope this makes sense? Does anyone know the trick of getting them back in place? It's one of the latest 47 models BTW. Thanks in advance.

Can't really help, but I have been running a power car for several years with exactly what you describe (ie only one bogie powered), and I've found it to perform equally as well, and in some ways better than other power cars in the fleet. Its not had a problem in about 4 years of running that way, and has probably done well over 20 hours running in this state.

Sorry to hijack the thread, but quick question. I'm thinking of buying some Bachmann 47s (the newer model), but I'm unfamiliar with plux22 decoder. Is it possible to fit a different decoder to a dcc ready example, say a standard 21 pin decoder? Sorry if it's a stupid question, but I've never come across a plux22, and have no desire to fit one for features such as working fan that doesn't bother me. Thanks.

Sorry to slightly hijack this thread, but not sure where else to post. I, along with several others experienced issues with the HST power car elite couplings being a little too thin and small and having a tendency to pop out on the move. Full credit to Hunt, the latest incarnation has completely solved this problem, with a larger fish tail, they fit perfectly and do not fall out at any speed, great. However, on the negative side, the new coupling, although much sturdier and fitting the Hornby power car brilliantly, are very slightly longer, and so the gap between power car and carriage is now larger, almost to the point it isn't worth using magnetic instead of the standard hook coupling. Can Hunt possibly shorten the new coupling slightly to give a smaller gap between power car and first coach?

Indeed I have found plenty of photos of exactly this, generally as a rescue as opposed to a stock move between depots. I think it is certainly feasible though for a 37 to be used on ECS with a barrier, was just after the "smoking gun" photo or account, but I'll probably just have to go with the probability ! . Thanks.

Don't forget in this period intercity owned infrastructure locos, so in the case of the Western,they owned a fair number of infrastructure 37s based at Bath Road and Canton. I was wondering if they could have been used occasionally on say a SPM to Laira stock move. 47s where definitely the choice motive power, just unsure if 37s ever did a move or not, though can't find a photo.

My question is, did / could the above formation ever occur in the period roughly 1990 to 1994? Usually if a HST mk3 set was to be moved between depots and no power cars where available , a barrier and a 47 would be used, but has a 37 ever done the job? Specifically looking at this time period as I know in modern times it has happened. Thanks in advance.

Most definitely a 10 car set (2x5 cars) . I personally spoke to the driver (my username may just give away my job), and she confirmed it was a 10 causing her to have to trek along the ballast.

21 minutes, Largely due to the need for the driver to change ends twice on a 10 car set (2 x 5 car IETs) which involved getting down onto the ballast both to reverse and then to regain the front cab. Added to the inevitable safety communications involved, 21 minutes is perfectly reasonable.

Wrong. Very much involved route knowledge. In the old days a Plymouth driver could In theory carry on via Bristol , however since that route knowledge was (bizarely) removed, there was no way the driver in question could have carried on that way. Though as you say, The drivers actions where spot on , she stopped as quickly as physically possible, just unfortunate with the sighting of that signal that you don't get long enough to stop in time.

The driver was indeed a Plymouth one, and she could not have continued to Bristol as Plymouth bizarrely no longer sign Taunton to Bristol (whilst Gloucester drivers DO.. .!) . Anyway, this is all massive press sensationalism, surprise surprise, the train ran a mere 2 carriage lengths past the junction signal, and hadn't even made it onto the junction divide!

I told her the loft is haunted. Works a treat , she won't go near it!

The trouble with glueing the coupling into the bogie is that for some reason when there is zero movement of the coupling and it becomes super rigid then I have found uncoupling occur at speed. Yes not everyone likes to run at speed, but I like to run my layout at a scale (ish) 125mph. I have found when glueing the hunt coupling in place that at speed the magnet works less well. I have also experienced exactly what you describe, a coupling that fits fine, but a few weeks later has "shrunk" and no longer fits.

Sorry to bump up this thread, but I'm having a big problem with the Hunt Elite couplings just coming out of the NEM pocket when hauling a rake of coaches on the Hornby HST. Its as if the "fishtail"?? is too small and so just slides out of the slot. It only seems to affect the HST power cars and nothing else. I tried glueing a coupling into the NEM pocket, however this had negative unintended consequences in that for some reason there was a loss of magnetism at high speed (presumably the couplings need to have a bit of movement in order to stay attached magnetically). Has anyone else suffered this problem?

Good point about the first class. Could it possibly be on a XC working , as it never seemed to matter where First class was on those I wander.....

For a bit of context, I am trying to do some detective work on this picture I found in a railway magazine, apparently from 14th November 1989. Looks ordinary enough, however if you look closely at the second coach it is a conversion from a FO to A TSO (i appreciate its hard to see in the photo here that it isn't a FO , but take my word for it there is no yellow band along the top, unlike the front coach. Now this is unusual as it is a XC train, apparently Paddington to Edinburgh, but these converted coaches in 1989 were as far as I can tell all allocated to Old Oak Common (according to the 1990 version of platform 5 book ). So would this set be a borrowed western region 62xx set working a XC train, or is it more likely Bounds Green allocated 64xx? I'm sceptical about it being Bounds Green as it appears that during 1989 most of there 64xx were intercity executive as opposed to intercity swallow lettering and many seemed to still be blue or have the yellow FC band, which makes me think this could be an Old Oak set? Which if so would be highly unusual on a XC train to Edinburgh by 1989 id have thought? Sorry for the essay!

Very little visible whatsoever , other than the front coach which is 13583 in intercity livery (and according to platform 5 book allocated to intercity old oak common.).

I've seen a photo of it at Paddington on that date, of course I am relying on the photographer recording the correct date!

An extremely long shot, but does anyone have details of what 50035 worked on April 24th 1989. It was a Paddington departure, but does anyone happen to have a record of the actual working? Thanks in advance.

The ECML had some intercity mk2s for commuter services at this time, formed i believe of 64xx stock which in 1990 got converted again . I am trying to obtain a picture or details of this 64xx stock. I know that several of the coaches were in intercity livery, but was the lettering swallow or executive style? Also had the (now standard class coaches) had their yellow first class bands removed or where they still retaining them prior to refurbishment. Finally is there any way of differentiating the ECML 64xx from the Western 62xx that got done at a similar time. I appreciate this is all rather nerdy and specific, and I've looked at flickr but without much success really. If anyone is an expert in this field and can help with any of the above id be grateful . Many thanks.

Interesting thanks for the reply. I hadn't thought the stock might originate from the south coast. Just had a look on the suggested link and all the pictures show mk1 stock. The trains I refer to were definitely Mk2 stock (the older type without air con). Would any mk2s be allocated to Fratton at this time? I wander of they could have been Laira based perhaps? Thanks again for the reply