edcayton Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 So, my new Midnight Metropolitain set arrived yesterday, and with my usual impatience it was set up on the dining table and I was playing. I am dead chuffed with it. What has really surprised me is the quality of the controller that came with it. I assumed it would be a "throwaway" thing but it is excellent, giving far better control than my old H&M Duette. Is it worth paying a lot of money for a branded controller rather than getting another of these? Also, is it advisable to turn the control fully to "off" before changing direction, or is it OK just to turn it to stop before switching? Ed Happily watching his shiny (yes, I know what I said) Pannier chasing its tail Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennyboy Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Yeah, I use two of those controllers for my N gauge layout as they are amazingly good for the price and much better than the cheap Hornby controllers I find. The thing with the old H&M controllers is that they were designed for use with older motors which are a lot less efficient than the ones that you find in modern models, so they don't work so well with them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave777 Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 The topic of 'which controller' comes up every now and then on here and the Bachmann controller usually gets a mention - good control, robust and easy to use. I've got one myself and think it's excellent. Can be had on eBay for as little as £3 if you're lucky, with anywhere from £5 to £10 being fairly typical. I've seen them being sold at exhibitions for £30 as 'bargains'... BTW, there's also a version with an AC output for accessories (capacitor discharge unit, for example). I paid just £20 a couple of years back for a brand new, boxed one, but they seem fairly rare - I searched for several weeks and found just a single example available in the UK. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr b Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 BTW, there's also a version with an AC output for accessories (capacitor discharge unit, for example). I paid just £20 a couple of years back for a brand new, boxed one, but they seem fairly rare - I searched for several weeks and found just a single example available in the UK. usualy comes in a USA set , available from barwell. mr b Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Nile Posted August 27, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 27, 2012 Also, is it advisable to turn the control fully to "off" before changing direction, or is it OK just to turn it to stop before switching? The older version of this controller doesn't have the off switch and works just fine, so your second option will be fine. The only downside of this controller is that it can overheat if worked hard.It will then shut down until it cools.The newer version is better as it has more ventilation holes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold John B Posted August 27, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 27, 2012 So, my new Midnight Metropolitain set arrived yesterday, and with my usual impatience it was set up on the dining table and I was playing. I am dead chuffed with it. What has really surprised me is the quality of the controller that came with it. I assumed it would be a "throwaway" thing but it is excellent, giving far better control than my old H&M Duette. Is it worth paying a lot of money for a branded controller rather than getting another of these? Also, is it advisable to turn the control fully to "off" before changing direction, or is it OK just to turn it to stop before switching? Ed Happily watching his shiny (yes, I know what I said) Pannier chasing its tail Funny - I had exactly the same thoughts this weekend as the arrival of the same set prompted a bout of train-playing on the dining room table. There's a certain very satisfying therapy to be had by just letting some stock circle for a while. Happy days! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted September 11, 2012 Author Share Posted September 11, 2012 Turns out that what I thought was a load of coal for the mineral wagon is a sleeper-built buffer stop. Does this mean that there should be a siding in the set? Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 Turns out that what I thought was a load of coal for the mineral wagon is a sleeper-built buffer stop. Does this mean that there should be a siding in the set? Ed It's worrying me too - I too searched for some points and none could be found - It's a bit short on straight rails as well.... On another note, I am hoping the controller will work off 110 volts using the plug transformer that comes with it. I have a Bachmann controller that I use with a small wartime n gauge layout and could do with a backup/second. However the controller that comes with the Midnight on The Met does not have an AC circuit - which is useful for running Dapol's noisy but 'great fun to play with' signals... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Nile Posted September 14, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 14, 2012 On another note, I am hoping the controller will work off 110 volts using the plug transformer that comes with it. Going by what's written on my transformers - INPUT - 230Vac 50Hz , the answer is no.At best you'll get about 8Vac output. The controller should work with any 16Vac power supply. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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