RFS

I've run my black DCC-fitted 20002 and monitored the current draw via my Z21 which has the ability to display booster current usage. With just 20002 running hauling 9 coaches (4 Hornby Maunsells + 5 new-style Bachmann Bulleids) and travelling at a scale 55-60 MPH, it records a current consumption of 200-250ma, which I consider perfectly normal.

Another one with daft AI-generated description - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145594386881. It's a Bachmann Standard 4MT 75029 but you would never have guessed that from the description - "It is a replica of the BR 102 and features a tender, wheel configuration of 4-6-0, and a gauge of OO. The locomotive is from the brand B&R and comes in the colour black." Plus a set of all-vertical photos!

Do you buy stuff at auction? This sounds like https://www.easyliveauction.com/. When you register to bid at the auction, you can opt to either pay internet commission on each item you buy, or you can pay a flat fee of £3. I've done this recently but only for one auction so far.

Individually there are a number available in the £35-40 price range, so £139 for 4 new ones seems about right?

If you look at this guy's profile, he has 1100 items for sale, most of which are seriously overpriced. However, in the last 3 months he's only sold 5 items at modest prices, and since joining in 2006 only 206 items. But he has 175 followers, and many of these overpriced items have large numbers of watchers. So what's his purpose? Listing all these items must be a lot of work but don't seem to be generating any revenue.

It's been on these pages before - not surprising as it was first listed in August 2022! If you look at his other items, he has many more well into 4 figures, including this R1073 Venice-Simplon one - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334621993835 . These go at auction for no more than £200-300 these days.

As in earlier posts .....

Got my usual off of 80% off, but like others only on Sunday morning too. Perhaps there's simply been an Ebay glitch....

The regional news programmes are available to everyone on BBC iplayer but only for 24 hours after broadcast. Plus if you have Sky you can tune in live to the programme, or set it to record once the time is known. BBC North West is on Sky channel 953 if your box is tuned to a different area.

Yes I would agree with you here. Didn't notice it myself until you have pointed it here. All pictures I can find of the loco in early black livery do have the silver up over the cab too. But this seems to have ceased when the loco was repainted in BR green, as all the pictures I've found of the loco in green have green cabs too. Have Bachmann made a mistake? Perhaps Graham would like to comment?

Received my replacement 20002 from Kernow a few days ago and am very pleased with it. Fitted a Lenz 21-pin decoder and tested it on all my pointwork with no issues. All code 75 with double-slips and 3-ways in the station throat and it rattles over them with no problem. But there was a derailment when I reversed it into a storage yard road. I use Tortoise point motors and discovered the fulcrum had dropped down leaving the blades swinging freely as I'd removed the spring. Could have been like that for some time as the point is usually only traversed in trailing mode. Couple of issues with the lights though not the fault of the loco. Headlights only working at one end was resolved by a full decoder reset, which was a surprise! And cab lights only working at one end as the Lenz decoder is only 5-function - hence my post earlier about why not using F1 and F2. I'm not really bothered about cab lights, but I do have a Bachmann 4-CEP with a Zimo MX638 and could swap decoders if I ever decide I want the lights at both ends after all.

Would be interested to see how you get on. Ordinary couplings, such as the Roco 40270, can be used in the 4-CEPs but you lose the electrical connection. So these conductive ones will fit and not be troubled by the connectors in the NEM pockets. All you would need to do is connect the wires internally and hence could be reversible. One issue would be the coupling lengths. I use the class 101 conductive couplings in both my 4-CEPs and Kernow 205s as they provide much better close coupling. The 4-CEP corridors touch on straight track, for example. The 2-EPB coupling is shorter than the 101 but provides the correct close coupling. The VN5017 retails for £21-25 for 3 pairs which is not bad for a full 4-CEP but they're out of stock everywhere. Viessman list them on their website so it would seem they're not discontinued. Can't find the REE couplings anywhere and they're not listed on the REE website.

There's also the Viessman VN5017 - https://www.gaugemasterretail.com/viessmann-vn5017.html

There's a coupling that looks like what you need - REE Modeles XB-934. Couple of links to it here. May be out of stock at present it would seem though. https://www.reynaulds.com/products/REE-Modeles/XB-934.aspx And a Youtube video about it too - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qFYqMBEmEU I'd be interested too as I have several Bachmann EMUs.

There's a station name plate just to the left of the station barrow that looks like it's two words. Perhaps Reading General as it then was?

The 2-HAPs have different roof fittings compared to the 2-EPBs. 2-HAP - https://railphotoprints.uk/p386613279/e3c3149ef 2-EPB - https://railphotoprints.uk/p116820179/e55db9ff4 And if you wanted to build a BR 4-EPB you would need a pair of 2-HAP motor coaches, for example.

I have a 16-road storage yard and all bar 2 the points are code 75 curved ones because they give extra space in the yard. The other two are large radius ones necessitated by the position of the bracing under the board. Don't have a problem with reliability but you must lay the points with care making sure there's no kink in the rails where the points join flexitrack. I use Tortoise point motors for their cast-iron reliability. The storage roads are 47mm apart and I cut a straight edge that was 47mm wide minus the width of the track (I think it was 18mm) so that all roads were perfectly straight and the exact distance apart. The track is laid on 5mm sheets of Plastazote closed-cell foam. Here are a couple of pictures of the yard entrances taken a few years ago whilst under construction.

Is it an MX638D or MX634D? I believe you just need to convert an MX634D into an MX634C by storing the value 3 into CV8. This should make the lights work. Maybe the same for an MX638D. I don't understand why the lights have to be on F3 and F4. What was wrong with F1 and F2 which are not used in this model? It would then have meant any 4-function decoder would work fine. Instead it means you need a 6-function decoder for the cab lights to work.

On the Southern Railway Email group website - https://sremg.org.uk/headcodes/headcodes.html

As I've mentioned earlier in this thread, I've fitted a Lenz Silver21+ decoder to both my recently-purchased models. I haven't bothered changing the CVs and the result is that F1 turns on the white front blind, F2 the red rear blind and F0 operates the cab lights which are directional so only one cab light is lit according to the loco's current direction.

See here - says there's a fix in the works.

You say it runs perfectly on DC. Does this mean you fit a blanking plug and it works? And you then replace this with a decoder and it doesn't? If so, I would check with a meter that the pair of pins at each end of the socket are not live to each other. This would cause a problem for a DCC decoder, but not under DC, as the blanking plug simply joins them together anyway.

Yes I used to use Kadees too. The reason for using a rigid coupling is that it forces the CCM to revert to its correct position exiting curves, for example. If there's any issue with the CCM, eg a bit of stiffness, it can cause a problem. Another advantage of a rigid coupling, especially for coaching stock, is that there's no slack in the coupling, so the coaches all start simultaneously when the train moves off. And Kadees are now very expensive - now north of £10 for 2 pairs of NEM couplings. A pair of Hunt magnetic couplings, which I now use, are around £1.50.

No, they won't as they're not rigid and will have the same issue as tension locks. You need a rigid coupling for stock with close-coupling mechanisms. I would suggest the Hunt magnetic couplings (which I use) as an alternative because they have couplings of various lengths so you can pick the one that gives the best effect. https://westhillwagonworks.com/13-hunt-couplings-elite-oo