RFS

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

It's quite complicated (try understanding the instructions for configuring your decoder!) and I simply gave up on the matter. I've used Lenz Silver21+ decoders in both of mine with default settings. With these, F0 works the cab lights and are directional, so one cab is lit at a time according to direction of travel. F1 and F2 work the head and tail lights independently. In truth I don't really use the cab lights anyway. Would have been nice if the lights had been set up like on my 4TC where there are red and white LEDs on each end, so the headcodes show white/red at each end accoring to direction of travel. F1 and F2 can be used to turn off the headcode at ends 1 and 2, so the end facing the 4TC never has its headcode lit for example, and F3 works the interior lights.

Sold a loco on Ebay last month on the Friday and used RM Tracked 24 with collection. Postie collected on Saturday morning and the buyer had his loco on the Sunday afternoon. Bit miffed the buyer never left any feedback though ...

I bought a new class 73 in blue from Hattons a couple of months ago as it was on special offer. No problem with it - it's the new version not the earlier one with problems. If Hatton's have passed on stock to anyone it will therefore be new versions.

No problem - I too have the LH101 throttle although it's connected now to my Z21 which has replaced my LZV200. A short press on the large wheel should do the same thing, ie send an emergency stop to the loco. I've never had a problem with doing this to stop a loco and I have mix of Lenz and Zimo decoders, although none of the new generation of Zimo ones such as the MS480.

The 80% off fees offer is back today!

Is the handeset that you have actually the LH100 like this And you're pressing the <> key with the loco concerned selected? The Lenz manual says The '<>' key also has another function: Pressing the ‘<>’ key while the locomotive is moving will generate an emergency stop for the specific locomotive address on the display. So I assume you are pressing this and the loco does not stop? In which case I'm not sure what is happening. Sounds like the MS480 might not be responding to an emergency stop command. I don't have this handeset any more but I don't recall it ever failing to stop a loco. What happens if you hit the red "st" button for a system-wide energency stop? Is yours configured just to stop all engines, or to cut track power?

You're not obliged to accept a repair in this situation having just received them new but faulty. You can demand a full refund and purchase elsewhere.

The convention with DCC is that all track is permanently live. As you mention, this means stationary stock with sound and/or lights continue to function.

Agreed but I only have one screw. On the RH side there appears to be one tab but no screw for the other hole. The PCB won't sit down on that tab either and is stuck at an angle - see below.

Looking at your video where you have the body off, it seems you also have at least one PCB screw sheared off like with mine - bottom right. Can't see if the top left is there or not.

Received my 20002 from Kernow today. Unfortunately after removing the body to fit a DCC decoder, I found the PCB very loose because 3 of the 4 screws attaching it to the chassis are sheared off. I've emailed Kernow about this with the attached picture. I don't know whether a set of replacement screws can be fitted, or it needs to go back. Disappointing to say the least!

One possibility is this Ebay item - a broken Nelson chassis but with the motor. It's Gostude hence the price ....

It will have got this information from your Microsoft account. I find this very useful indeed. I have a main PC, a Railway Room PC and a laptop and on all of them I use Edge as my browser. I logon to Edge automatically and all of the MS Edge details (favourites, passwords, Edge settings etc.) are synchronized across all 3 as they all use the same MS account.

I too picked up the TMC bargain, with the 4-BEP to replace one of my existing 4-CEPs. Very pleased with it until it started intermittently derailing. For better close-coupling I use the class 101 conductive couplings as they're shorter and result in corridors touching on straight track. So I thought at first it was that, but it was always the the same bogie on the CK that was the problem. Removing the bogie to check it out revealed a problem with the pickups as per picture. Once straightened out, all OK!