Paul Holmes

So pleased to find you here Chris. I posted on NGRM snd was signposted here, I don’t often visit. I for one will be swamping you for gearboxes ASAP , so hope the new source is going to work out. I also hope that you have lots of those lovely newish coreless motors, I shall be wanting half a dozen motors and gearboxes., with six projects stalled!! With the website still on hold, I can see that I will be one of many keeping watch on your progress. I hope as all goes well and you can ship out to our most unpronounceable Welsh address before long. Can I get onto your backlog list somehow? paul

Thanks both. The 5V positive is already in use to drive a servo for the reversing gear! I can’t overload that. The fans are these ones http://www.sunon.com/pro2_page.php?pkid=10 and will not tolerate >3.5V. All a bit experimental especially for one like me who doesn’t really understand electronics! They are switched with a pair of these fellows https://www.mouser.co.uk/datasheet/2/307/en-g6k-348800.pdf This is to switch between one fan blowing smoke up the chimney whist the other sucks smoke out and pushes it down to become draincock steam. There are no plug in components in the loco, it’s a kitbuilt Slaters 7mm Narrow Gauge Leek and Manifold engine. I can identify the ground and positive pads and attach wires to them. Accessing the rail supply and adding another bridge rectifier is a possibility but there is little space inside the boiler to put anything else in now. Cheers Paul

OK, so I have started to work on the locos for Hulme End again after giving up four years ago. One is put together but not working correctly, the other is built but the chassis is off to instal lots of DCC gubbins. Has anyone installed a voltage regulator to a Zimo decoder? I need a constant 3.3v output for smoke fans. So far it looks as though I should connect the constant ‘ground’ out to the middle leg and the blue ‘positive’ to the input leg of the regulator, getting 3.3V out from the output leg. I will then use a FO wire to supply the switched negative return. However wiring diagrams suggest wiring in a 330nF capacitor across the input side and a 100nF across the output side to stabilise any stray AC current. Is this the way forward or will I blow the MX645 decoder? Do I actually need the capacitors at all? Experts all start arguing........ NOW

I said I was being daft at the start. I think I got bogged down in the 198 business and turning the power off and on etc. I also misunderstood the line that says ‘use your DCC instructions for changing a point’ and thought it meant changing the assigned number for a point not just making the point blades move! Also when nothing happened physically during set up I assumed nothing had happened. Whatever, the first one works quite well so we might have a loco trundling through the crossover later. Eternally grateful. Paul

Change of plan, Mick, as the rain has stopped so I have just been out to the barn and tried your method and SUCCESS. So much more straightforward than the daft instructions. Point No 8 now responds to point 8 and the others all work on 1. Cheers again. Paul

Thanks Mick Too late and wet to go out to my man cave right now. I shall try this in the morning. So much clearer than the ‘easy to follow ‘ instructions! Cheers. Paul

This question has been asked before, but no answer has really helped my problem. I am probably being dim! It’s a brand new layout with all new wiring so I have fitted and wired the first four Cobalt IP point motors into the DCC bus. I thought I could address each one after another but am stuck. The DCC concepts instructions are supposed to be straightforward but nothing seems to happen when I follow them... Do I need to disconnect them one by one? Or can I address each one individually? Please could someone tell me how to do it and not using DecoderPro as I can’t make that work either... Paul

Lime wood now ordered from Cornwall Model Boats as they worked out half the price! The sleepers should be a scale 8” in 7mm scale which is actually 4.66mm - handy! I have gone for the 5mm as the nearest size.

Hi Martin. That looks absolutely ideal thank you. I did not know this existed, an excellent source. My track is being built onto photocopied templates from Bob Gratton’s excellent book on the Leek and Manifold. When I started this project I thought this would be easier than using Templot and now truly regret that decision. Too late now as we’re almost finished...

Hi Martin. That looks absolutely ideal thank you. I did not know this existed, an excellent source. My track is being built onto photocopied templates from Bob Gratton’s excellent book on the Leek and Manifold. When I started this project I thought this would be easier than using Templot and now truly regret that decision. Too late now as we’re almost finished... Back to your excellent Templot for the next project which will eventually be TanyBwlch in 014. Cheers Paul

It looks like C&L in the new incarnation have stopped selling the timber tracks range but on looking at the new Timber Tracks website they have stopped doing the track I have been using. I need a pack of 4mm scale 12” by 1.6mm sleeper strip. They came with ten strips on a laser cut panel at 17” long with five in a pack. Nowhere to be found online now... If anyone has a pack I could buy I would be grateful. The 0.8mm thickness is no good as this is being used for a 7mm NG model and I have a pack anyway! Any help welcome Paul

I thought the above attachments would provide a link to festipedia not display the photos!!! These are all from the excellent festipedia website and apologies if any copyright issues arise from my copying them here. Paul

But they are on all the old FR locos and point down. Also there on Lyd, new build. Someone must know what they are. See festipedia link.

I have just been in touch with Roy C Link about this and learn that Stuart Baker has not written only an article but also drawings which are due to be published in the next Narrow Gauge and Industrial Review, so the safest thing now is to wait for that in January.

This has been so helpful, thanks. I am a member of the FR Heritage Group so have started to get the relevant back issue. The pictures are useful - I am also a member there. I shall follow up your other leads too.