murray1

I have recently got a Heljan 2615 model - the weathered blue 26044. Model runs great, but is currently fitted with a Hornby R8249 decoder. No issues with running quality so far, just all lights on at both ends are lit up regardless of direction of travel. I have tried turning decoder around which meant no lights at all. Do I need to fit a better decoder with the Heljan drawing more power than other models? Or is there something else to consider. I am using a Roco Multimaus with the improved UK power supply. Have yet to try on analogue, but will over the next few days to check if directional lights working that way.Any advice or help will as always, be much appreciated.

Well what can I say - I contacted Hornby by their website, and after a couple of emails the model was sent to them. My boxed and modified / DMU power car was posted, and 1 week later came back brilliantly packed with a note inside. They replaced the decoder socket, replaced the motor and fitted a new Hornby decoder all with no charge. This model is easily 11 or 12 years old, but invaluable to me due to the detailing carried out, and I cannot praise Hornby enough for their excellent service. I wil never know what caused the shorts or fault, but thank you to Hornby and everyone who commented above.

Well what can I say - I contacted Hornby by their website, and after a couple of emails the model was sent to them. My boxed and modified / DMU power car was posted, and 1 week later came back brilliantly packed with a note inside. They replaced the decoder socket, replaced the motor and fitted a new Hornby decoder all with no charge. This model is easily 11 or 12 years old, but invaluable to me due to the detailing carried out, and I cannot praise Hornby enough for their excellent service. I wil never know what caused the shorts or fault, but thank you to Hornby and everyone who commented above.

I will look to isolate the bare wire end better. I had with the socket moved away from the chassis, and to the best of knowledge vertical to avoid cross contact, tried a decoder but short as usual. I have Contaced Hornby, but with age of model not expecting any help. Is there anywhere you can take dcc models for this type of repair. Would happily pay for fix or PCB replacement. Even tempted to buy another model to fit sound chip and use this as a non powered set. Would be a shame as motor runs sweetly on DC.

Below are pictures of the underside of the PCB socket. Is there anything obviously wrong with it. I have not altered in any way since purchase

All good advice... thanks

The model was bought over 10 year ago - just never had a decoder fitted till now. Been heavily detailed by myself so precious to me and not sure Hornby would be so generous. Guess no harm in contacting them.

Thanks for the information. I removed the Howes sound chip and fitted into a Hornby DCC class 55 chassis. Pleased to say the decoder performed perfectly sounds all good, so no damage to that one. The problem as suggested (many thanks) appears to be the socket on the Class 101. Can I ask if these can be replaced / repaired if faulty. I would prefer to have this done professionally as the risk of blowing full sound chips is too high. The basic Hornby decoder that I believe is blown totally as didn't work in the Class 55 chassis I will just bin as has been suggested wasn't probably the best buy in the first place.

Thanks for the information. I removed the Howes sound chip and fitted into a Hornby DCC class 55 chassis. Pleased to say the decoder performed perfectly sounds all good, so no damage to that one. The problem as suggested (many thanks) appears to be the socket on the Class 101. Can I ask if these can be replaced / repaired if faulty. I would prefer to have this done professionally as the risk of blowing full sound chips is too high. The basic Hornby decoder that I believe is blown totally as didn't work in the Class 55 chassis I will just bin as has been suggested wasn't probably the best buy in the first place.

tested both two DCC ready locos with blanking plug and both run well. tried the sound chip in the DMU on a short piece of track and it run and it ran also - but with no sound. So know both locos motors are good and the sound chip does power the loco.

I am going try the sound chip in another engine. Will try the DCC ready locos with their blanking plugs on a DC stretch of track to check locos are still running as expected. Will also check the pins are not touching chassis and all good connection wise. Thinking of powering up a separate straight track to check on DCC to eliminate track issues - though the 5 TTS chipped locos are all fine, which makes me think the track is not the problem. Beyond that I am starting to run out of tests I can carry out.

Wish it as that straight forward. Hornby decoder tried in 3 DCC ready chassis locos - all same. Howes sound decoder tried in class 101 only - same issues / fault as basic decoder.

I have been running my layout for several months using a Roco Multimaus. Currently have 5 Hornby TTS fitted locos all performed as expected. Diesels improved by upgrading speakers. It is essentially two circuits with a couple of sidings. It is wired up with bus wire and dropper feeds as standard practice. I recently purchased a Hornby R8249 decoder and fitted to a Hornby DCC ready class 101 and when placed on track moved off with no control from the controller. Thereafter it created a short circuit when placed on track and power applied. Tried same decoder in another DCC ready model - same response. Sent decoder back and was replaced, which was exactly the same. Last week I bought a Howes class 108 sound chip to fit in same DCC ready class 101. Straight away it performed the same as the Hornby decoder. I have replaced the original 2 pin power supply which came with controller with a 18v - 3.5a variable laptop power supply thinking this may help - still same performance. The whole time, the Hornby TTS models all run perfectly so completely confused where the fault lies and how to fix. Any advice or help will as always be much appreciated.

Thanks Phil - not really got the opportunity to only test the decoder. Just puzzled as to why the TTS are good.

Update - I have purchased a Howes Loksound class 108 sound chip. This also shorts the control system when place on track. So not just the Hornby R8249 and proves that decoder was not the issue. Replaced the supplied power supply with a variable voltage laptop power supply with 3.5 - 4amp supply. Hoping this would help. I have an electrofrog point in a yard providing two sidings. Can that make a difference. What really confuses me is that my 5 Hornby TTS engines all run and perform perfectly. Any suggestions as to how I can get the non-TTS engines running. Worried I will permanently damage the expensive full Sound chips.

Work is very much in phases. This year saw the layout switch to DCC. This took a while at the pace I work at. The aim before winter was to improve the scenic side of the layout. Plan is to build more downloadable kits over Winter and weather more rolling stock. Next year more work is to be done in station area.

Currently working on harbour area. Water is several layers of gloss varnish. Fishing boat is a Scalescenes model built to 90%. Scalescenes kits provide the cottages and harbour walls. More cottages to be built shortly to complete the scene. Will be buying from Scale Model Scenery for ladders, bollards and tyres etc for harbour walls.

Straights are about 16 feet long. Typically run 7 or 8 eight coach trains. Try to make sure full length fits into station platforms.

The grass is a combination of Javis and Woodland Scenic scatter. Painted all scenery with a burnt umber brown colour first then applied the scatter. Recently added a better mix and trees, fencing etc with the plan then to add static grass to add more texture. Platforms were formed with strip pine and topped with balsa wood. Platform walls are strips of Metcalfe stone paper.

Rolling stock is currently mainly Hornby Railroad for the DCC ready chassis and the bodies are all Lima. I enjoy detailing and weathering and most will be fitted with TTS sound chips or full sound chips. With upgraded speakers the 40 and 47s sound okay to me. Coaching stock is all Lima, older Hornby and a Mainline restaurant. Again detailed, passengers added and lightly weathered. While building the layout cannot justify cost of latest models by Bachmann, Hornby or Oxford. Maybe later, but think I would be scared to take a £50 Coach apart to paint internally and add passengers!

Moving forward to 2017 work started on the station area. Scalescene station buildings were built and adapted to represent more the style for 1980s North British style for area. Berko colour lights installed basic landscaping started. Hornby footbridge altered to drop height to realistic height. Think it was probably painted black in 1980 but couldn't resist painting Scottish blue and white. Track is painted rust colour and sleepers a chocolate brown colour at this stage. Ballasted using extra fine ballad and my so complains I am too neat and precise with straight lines.

Here is the layout as it was in November 2015. This is the scenic side of the layout and shows how it is incorporated into the rafters.

I have building my own loft layout now for several years with slow progress. I have decided to share some of the past story and bring the layouts progress to the site and hopefully obtain additional knowledge and modelling skills along the way. The layout is built within the trusses of our attic with access through a hatch in the floor providing a continuous run approx. 20 feet long x 10 feet wide. Overall the boards are 2 feet wide. The plan was always to provide a scenic stretch to provide running opportunities on one side and a simple station on the other side for operational interest. Being set in Fife there is a harbour scene and the layout is complete with fiddle yard at one end and hidden tracks at the other. There was a plan for a small stabling area to display engines, but this has since developed to a small coal yard again for operational interest. Growing up in the 70s and 80s I spent a lot of time at Dalmeny station watching the trains come and go heading to and from the Forth Rail bridge towards Fife. Little did I realize how lucky I was to see such a variety of motive power on a diverse set of trains. This layout is my attempt to recreate this in miniature.

Cheers Phil - a lot of useful information on the Multimaus. Happy with the power supply and will possibly return the decoder. Unsure if it is likely to have 2 consecutive faulty items though. No issues with retailer as they have already supplied a replacement.

Were/are you using a Multimaus. I did wonder about the high voltage. I will check but beleived my transformer was actually reduced already. Tried to change CV29 to value 2 to eliminate it possibly running on DC. Looking to replace decoder for a better one. Thank You all.