Warren Branch

[Alister_G]

Chris, you really want to avoid using 3 as an address for a loco, as that is the default address new locos come with.

 

Al.

[chuffinghell]

2 minutes ago, Alister_G said:

Chris, you really want to avoid using 3 as an address for a loco, as that is the default address new locos come with.

 

Al.

I never thought of that! I’ll change The Dean goods to 11

 

Thanks Al

[chuffinghell]

10 minutes ago, Alister_G said:

Chris, you really want to avoid using 3 as an address for a loco, as that is the default address new locos come with.

 

Al.

I'm still finding my way around the Dynamis Ultima, it seems quite good so far but I do sometimes wonder if I should have stuck with DC because I’m not clever enough for DCC to be honest, plus none of my locos have sound because I wouldn’t know how to fit it and set it up so maybe DCC is over kill on Warren 

[Graham T]

I also have an Oxford Dean Goods, and like yours it's a horrible runner, even though it was bought new and has spent lots of time running in on the rolling road.  I read somewhere recently that somebody cured theirs by switching to a different decoder chip (sorry but I can't remember where).  I have a spare chip from when I swapped one of mine out for a sound fit, so am planning to give it a go when I have some spare time - and have worked up the nerve!  I'll let you know how it goes.

[chuffinghell]

18 minutes ago, Graham T said:

I also have an Oxford Dean Goods, and like yours it's a horrible runner, even though it was bought new and has spent lots of time running in on the rolling road.  I read somewhere recently that somebody cured theirs by switching to a different decoder chip (sorry but I can't remember where).  I have a spare chip from when I swapped one of mine out for a sound fit, so am planning to give it a go when I have some spare time - and have worked up the nerve!  I'll let you know how it goes.

Its a real shame because the loco itself is a lovely looking beast

[lezz01]

Can you put up a video of the DG running Chris? Maybe we can see what the problem is with it. 

It might be something easy to put right.

Regards Lez. 

[Martin S-C]

51 minutes ago, Graham T said:

I also have an Oxford Dean Goods, and like yours it's a horrible runner, even though it was bought new and has spent lots of time running in on the rolling road.  I read somewhere recently that somebody cured theirs by switching to a different decoder chip (sorry but I can't remember where).  I have a spare chip from when I swapped one of mine out for a sound fit, so am planning to give it a go when I have some spare time - and have worked up the nerve!  I'll let you know how it goes.

This is a useless and annoying comment sadly but my Oxford DG runs beautifully. Sorry about that. It has factory sound so will have a different decoder to the non-sound ones which may be relevant but its on my list to take up to the nice gentlemen in Lincoln and get a new sound decoder fitted. There are some well-known and rather horrible errors with the model which is down to shoddy research into the prototype but it is still a very nice toy train.

[chuffinghell]

3 minutes ago, lezz01 said:

Can you put up a video of the DG running Chris? Maybe we can see what the problem is with it. 

It might be something easy to put right.

Regards Lez. 

All my locos have sat motionless in the display case of over two years so I need to carry out the standard maintenance first, ie lube and a wheel clean

 

If it doesn’t run any better afterwards I’ll post a video.

 

 @Martin S-C mentioned the Gaugemaster/Trix wheel cleaner do I’ve ordered one to try

 

 

[chuffinghell]

8 minutes ago, Martin S-C said:

This is a useless and annoying comment sadly but my Oxford DG runs beautifully. Sorry about that. It has factory sound so will have a different decoder to the non-sound ones which may be relevant but its on my list to take up to the nice gentlemen in Lincoln and get a new sound decoder fitted. There are some well-known and rather horrible errors with the model which is down to shoddy research into the prototype but it is still a very nice toy train.

 

Warren contains many prototypical errors anyway so it’s not an issue 

[Harlequin]

I have three Dean Goods, for various stupid reasons, and not one of them is a good runner. I think one of them used to be Ok but then suddenly one day it wasn’t any more. I hope to eventually work up the enthusiasm to cobble together one good one from them.

[lezz01]

Most bad running can be put down to a loco being badly assembled, wheels out of true, bad pick ups, dirt, badly meshed worm and worm wheel, bad quartering or a binding issue. Dodgy chips aside, getting it running well on DC first is a must. Then if it runs badly once it's chipped you can look at the chip but if the problem is mechanical then fitting a better/more expensive chip is just putting lipstick on a pig. Better electronics isn't going to cure bad engineering or mechanical failure, yes in some cases it can help, but it's only really masking a problem, it's not going to sort out a fundamental mechanical issue, that needs a spanner/screwdriver not a different waveform. 

Regards Lez. 

[lezz01]

Oh yes I forgot to say, if a loco is waddling then it's got a wheel out of true. It really is that simple!

Regards Lez.

[MrWolf]

Exactly. That statement reminds me of the people who spend a lot of time and money tuning cars by re-chipping, re-mapping etc and get either disappointing results or something mechanical decides to grenade itself. A model loco is exactly like any other machine, it needs to be as good as the manufacturer intended, before you can set about improving it. 

[Graham T]

Well I just hope that Oxford intended my Dean Goods to be better than it is - because, as I said - it runs terribly.  It shouldn't need me to conduct mechanical checks and lubrication and so on, it should run well straight out of the box.

[MrWolf]

I'm sure that was the intention. I was very tempted by one that I saw running smoothly round and round in a model shop, but I didn't have the cash spare at the time. I remember being wowed by the first RTR Dean Goods when I was very young and Mainline brought theirs out. I saved up for one but it ran noisily and stalled on those nasty old Hornby points with the cast monkey metal blades. It was much better through Peco points, but the running was jerky. You would expect, that nearly forty years later and a LOT more money even in relative terms, the results would be better.

[NHY 581]

9 hours ago, chuffinghell said:

I never thought of that! I’ll change The Dean goods to 11

 

Thanks Al

 

9 hours ago, chuffinghell said:

I'm still finding my way around the Dynamis Ultima, it seems quite good so far but I do sometimes wonder if I should have stuck with DC because I’m not clever enough for DCC to be honest, plus none of my locos have sound because I wouldn’t know how to fit it and set it up so maybe DCC is over kill on Warren 

 

 

Morning Chris, 

 

As you and other regulars to Sheep World will know, I have just started dabbling with DCC. If I can obtain even the basic grasp that I have so far, then you should have no problem at all. I really am a techy thicky........others would say that I'm simply thick...........but electrics and layout control are truly a dark art to me. 

 

First simple sheep tip. Not sure if your Dynamis allows the use of four figure addresses ( I think it does)  but the NCE powercab will and being Green diseasels, I use the actual loco number as an address. As you're a GWR modeller, you could do the same. That made it easier for me. D3509 is 3509. You look at the loco, that's your address. 

 

Secondly, I have already decided to standardise on DCC Concepts Zen chips. I find them simple to install on DCC ready locos (all my diseasels are) and they come with an attached plug for a stay alive if needed. Additionally and I do not know if this is unique to them (probably isn't) but going to CV25 allows you to access pre-settings. For example, 1 is that of a shunter and that suits my two 08's nicely, giving excellent slow speed running. There are obviously others depending on the use the loco will be put to. Not everyone's cup of tea but it provides a good starting point. They also come with sheep proof instructions. 

 

But, as others have said, the best starting point is of course a loco that runs well on DC to start with. No chip will sort out a poor running loco and certainly won't overcome a mechanical issue. 

 

Rob. 

 

 

Oops. Apologies- just realised I have duplicated Harlequins earlier recommendation regarding using the loco numbers..........I did say I was thick. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2021 by NHY 581

[Nick C]

I tried DCC with the previous layout, and found I just didn't get on with it - and I am a techy! Then the controller failed, so I pulled all the decoders out and went back to plain old fashioned analogue.

 

Still got the chips sat in a box if anyone wants some (secondhand, hardly used, but untested)...

[chuffinghell]

12 hours ago, lezz01 said:

Oh yes I forgot to say, if a loco is waddling then it's got a wheel out of true. It really is that simple!

Regards Lez.

I imagine there’s no simple way of trueing up the wheels and the only option is a new set (if available)

[lezz01]

Well Chris that depends on why it's out of true. It may be as simple as the tire not being on properly which you can fix with a little tweak to not sitting square on the axel which might be a lot harder. Worst case new wheels.

Regards Lez.

[chuffinghell]

6 hours ago, lezz01 said:

Well Chris that depends on why it's out of true. It may be as simple as the tire not being on properly which you can fix with a little tweak to not sitting square on the axel which might be a lot harder. Worst case new wheels.

Regards Lez.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2021 by chuffinghell

[MrWolf]

Slight waddle. Are they all fitted with a Thomas the tank engine sound chip? 

[chuffinghell]

12 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Slight waddle. Are they all fitted with a Thomas the tank engine sound chip? 

I’ve since changed it 

[Rowsley17D]

If they were mine I'd think they were fine. It's because of the side play with the wheel backs so they can negotiate trainset curves. Your locos wont being going that fast anyway on your current layout.

[MrWolf]

I wouldnt worry about it either, the real thing tends to waddle a bit and tank engines are less stable at speed anyway.

 

 

Edited December 7, 2021 by MrWolf
Grelling and Spammar

[MrWolf]

25 minutes ago, chuffinghell said:

I’ve since changed it 

 

They sound less wobbly now at least.