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Wickham Trolley


Combe Martin
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Well, Yodel yoddled today and my dcc-fitted Wickham Trolleys arrived late this afternoon. As everybody says they are tiny!!!

 

Have had the yellow one out of the box and onto the programming track, programmed its new address and gingerly placed it on the track and sent it off for a couple of circuits of the track before being parked up for a couple of pictures:

Is the decoder stuck under the roof?

 

attachicon.gifWickamTrolley-01.jpg

 

Looking at the paperwork that came from Hattons the trolleys have been fitted with Hattons DCR 8-pin (harness) 2-function 1.1amp small and thin decoders with back EMF. The wiring is very neat and looking down on the trolley it looks like this:

 

attachicon.gifWickamTrolley-02.jpg

 

...... and before anyone asks I'm not going to take the thing apart to see how Hattons have done it for fear of not being able to get it back together again :no: .

 

Keith

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Well, Yodel yoddled today and my dcc-fitted Wickham Trolleys arrived late this afternoon. As everybody says they are tiny!!!

 

Have had the yellow one out of the box and onto the programming track, programmed its new address and gingerly placed it on the track and sent it off for a couple of circuits of the track before being parked up for a couple of pictures:

 

attachicon.gifWickamTrolley-01.jpg

 

Looking at the paperwork that came from Hattons the trolleys have been fitted with Hattons DCR 8-pin (harness) 2-function 1.1amp small and thin decoders with back EMF. The wiring is very neat and looking down on the trolley it looks like this:

 

attachicon.gifWickamTrolley-02.jpg

 

...... and before anyone asks I'm not going to take the thing apart to see how Hattons have done it for fear of not being able to get it back together again :no: .

 

Keith

 

Well we know it can be done now which is a good start. I just need to find someone who can do it for me now :)

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Don't know where my question went, but it was "is the decoder stuck under the roof?"

 

To be honest, before you asked, I hadn't bothered to look for the decoder because, at normal viewing distance, I couldn't see anything except for the wires but when I did look closer  found that the decoder is stuck under the roof.

 

I've taken a couple more pics and will try to get them on here later.

 

Keith

Edited by tetsudofan
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Guest Midland Mole

Well well well, so you can DCC the little sod! :D

 

- Alex

 

Edit: Just looked at the Hattons site and it says DCC incompatible. Also, there is no option showing to buy it fitted...very confused.

Edited by Midland Mole
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It's been useful to see other approaches but I've foolishly put myself down to do an invisible fit on one for the mag, the theory's complete - just got to do it in practice now. Just waiting for the decoder to arrive and sit down to it over Christmas.

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..do you think Hattons are testing the waters with tetsudofan and this thread?

 

 

Kev.

 

That's exactly what I was thinking. It does seem strange that my order was not cancelled when they decided they could not do the dcc-fitting. Kept on checking my pre-order list and decided to let sleeping dogs lie and see what would happen!

 

Hope all goes well with your little project Andy!

 

Keith 

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..do you think Hattons are testing the waters with tetsudofan and this thread?

 

 

Kev.

TMC have done one now too. They told me around £30 including the chip. Olivia's are selling them dcc fitted but not overkeen on the plasticard blinds! Hattons look like they've done at tidy job on tetsudofan's.

 

It's the size of the thing that puts me off attempting it myself, big, clumsy hands won't do a tidy job on this one ;)

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Well well well, so you can DCC the little sod! :D

 

- Alex

 

Edit: Just looked at the Hattons site and it says DCC incompatible. Also, there is no option showing to buy it fitted...very confused.

When first announced by Bachmann, Hattons offered a DCC fitted option as per normal.

 

When they actually began to be shipped to retailers Hattons, removed the DCC fitted option because they were not sure it could be done successfully - with several of those who had placed pre orders for the DCC fitted receiving notifications that Hattons might not be able to honour the fitting of the chip and that much would depend on a close examination of the model when it was delivered to them.

 

Subsequently it would seem that they have found a way to chip the models and so are able to honour those pre-orders for DCC fitting. It may be that the option to have a chip fitted will return to the Hattons website now they know it can be done - or alternatively it may be that Hattons take the view it's too much hassle and they will only honour pre-orders.

 

The best thing to do is give them a ring as that will establish the current state of play.

Edited by phil-b259
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It's been useful to see other approaches but I've foolishly put myself down to do an invisible fit on one for the mag, the theory's complete - just got to do it in practice now. Just waiting for the decoder to arrive and sit down to it over Christmas.

 

Give me till tomorrow night and I should have pics of how I've done mine. I've decided to complicate things by adding a socket.

 

post-508-0-83567900-1481313357.jpg
 
Bit untidy at the moment as I've decided on using some maskol as a belt & braces approach to ensuring insulation. I've kept the additional function wires for whenI I decide to wire up the head lamp.
 
P
Edited by Porcy Mane
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Wfirst announced by Bachmann Hattons offered a DCC fitted option as per normal.

 

When they actually made and being shipped to retailers Hattons removed the DCC fitted option because they were not sure it could be done successfully - with several of those who had placed pre orders for the DCC fitted receiving notifications that Hattons might not be able to honnor the fitting of the chip and that much would depend on a close examination of the model when it was delivered to them.

 

Subsequently it would seem that they have found a way to chip the models and so are able to honnor those pre-orders for DCC fitting. It may be that the option to have a chip fitted will return to the Hattons website now they know it can be done - or alternatively it may be that Hattons take the view it's too much hassle and they will only honnor pre-orders.

 

The best thing to do is give them a ring as that will establish the current state of play.

 

Honour.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

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I pre ordered the maroon version with Hattons with DCC fitting.  Once in stock they phoned me and told me they could not DCC fit and did I still want the unfitted version which I did.  I am now,  like most others,  trying to decide how to fit the decoder.  Currently thinking about modifying the load in the trailer.  

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Where there's a will, there's a way!

 

Now then, who's going to be first to fit a sound chip ....

 

It's been done here - http://www.oliviastrains.com/trains/mt/Bachmann-diesel/Bachmann-permanent-way-vehicles/Bachmann-32-991-wickham-trolley-trailer/

 

In my view it's a futile exercise as, at normal viewing distances, the sound should be at a barely discernible level. Just because it can be done doesn't mean it's a good thing, in this case, as it absolutely ruins the model in the way it's executed. I can think of an alternative approach and that would be to mither David at Train Tech to produce something small enough to sit beneath the roof - http://www.train-tech.com/index.php/sound - it wouldn't need the usual tube to amplify the sound because the real thing is not particularly noisy as I say.

 

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Maybe it's based on some Hip Hop dude working in the preservation movement, racing his Wickham Up and down a platform line keeping all the punters annoyed with his Boombox. 

"Pump up the base, the beat goes on."

 

I bet one of those JAP powered trolleys could vibrate the old ear drums. ( and I'm not talking Toyota)

Edited by Porcy Mane
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I've decided to complicate things by adding a socket.

 

 

Masochist!

 

The DCX76 has just arrived from Digitrains and fits perfectly in its intended home. No room for heatshrink around its sides though unless you want to file away any weight.

 

1.jpg

 

2.jpg

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Masochist!

 

The DCX76 has just arrived from Digitrains and fits perfectly in its intended home. No room for heatshrink around its sides though unless you want to file away any weight.

How much space is there below the central fixing metal loop? If its more than 1.7mm then the even smaller DCX76z would be a better choice, albeit seeming to be out of stock everywhere, as that is only 6.9 x 6.1mm compared to the 10.8 x 7.1mm  of the DCX76 - it is however thicker 1.7mm compared to 1.3mm and only has 2 functions rather than 4.

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...

In my view it's a futile exercise as, at normal viewing distances, the sound should be at a barely discernible level.

 

...

My experience of watching one of the Bluebell's Wickhams pass was just this, barely discernible. Other noises around and about just drowned out the Wickham's engine, in fact the noise of the machine rolling along the track was greater than the noise from the engine. The Bluebell's example has a horn that is a funny squeaky thing that can be difficult to hear when linesiding. The local blackbirds are a lot noisier!

 

Regards

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DCC-ing it I can understand, but if the Trolley is so quiet surely it's better to let the inevitable electric motor hum represent the sound?

 

Surely we've all been at shows where the 'realistic sounds' are nothing like the 'real thing', and are set far too high?

 

I'm getting me coat as l run...........

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