geoffwba

The lifting section would see frequent use, in fact every time I need to exit my bedroom, where the layout is located.  I do have some spare plywood material which could be used to replace the existing MDF.  One concern is that plywood could warp over time and create problems with track alignment.   Do you have any photos of the hinge arrangements ?  I attach a top view photo of the area which needs to be removed and replaced with a lifting section.  The board width across the tracks is two feet . The area to be cut is therefore two feet (on the left by the signal box) and approx two feet six inches (to the right of the level crossing and next to the garage on the right).

I wish to incorporate a lightweight lifting section for my layout.  The area will be approx one square yard but it is in a corner and needs to be a trapezium shape.  It would replace an existing section which is constructed of MDF board and quite heavy.  I need someone who could design a suitable section for me to fit myself.  My carpentry skills are not too good but I think I could manage to remove the existing scenery and board and reroute the underboard wiring as necessary.   I have looked at various Youtube videos but none really explain what is required very well.   I have tried contacting at least one business that does bespoke baseboard design but have received no reply.  Any recommendations anyone ?

6 hours ago, Kaput said:

You want a Zimo MX637P22 for £20 to DCC fit the DCC ready versions.

Thanks , that decoder looks a good bet to me.

3 minutes ago, No Decorum said:

No. The Plus connections are different. Non sound Plux decoders are available.

Thank you- it looks like the loco is only available either as DCC ready or DCC sound fitted but not DCC fitted.  I will shop around for a suitable decoder- any recommendations ? 

I am planning to buy the 35-351 model D8015 to go with my existing NRM version D8000.  I am a little confused about the decoder specs- I have not heard of Plux22 before.   Would a 21 pin decoder fit, as I daresay these will be cheaper than buying the Bachmann sound-fitted option ?   I am not too bothered about sound as D8000 is already sound fitted and I plan to run them as a pair.

I also went on the S&C trip with 40109 - the date was 18 September 1976.  Here are my photos of the 40 at the Garsdale stop. I wonder if anyone recognises themself ?

If the revised bracket signals are available in 2018, that makes it 4 or 5 years since they were first announced!  Not exactly quick progress.

Perhaps you could show us how you did it?

 

That addresses, for others, both of the issues you note.

It's a little difficult to explain- but here goes:

At each end of the bogie frame cover there are two small plastic tabs in the rectangular cut-out. These need to be pressed inwards and slightly downwards very firmly using a suitable flat bladed screwdriver.  Make sure the loco is held securely. You will fund that the tabs will move inwards, but try not to use too much force as you risk damage. At the same time lift the whole bogie frame upwards and it should release . Do each end of the bogie frame one at a time

Reassembly is just a matter of positioning the bogie frame and pushing it until it clips into place.     

A little trial and error worked for me. The main thing is to ensure the loco is held securely in some sort of cradle whilst you are performing this operation.

Thanks- I've figured it out now (my loco is 00 gauge by the way). I thought it was just the plastic bogie frame rectangular cover that comes off but it is actually the whole bogie frame that is removed and I managed to do it without too much difficulty in the end. It's a pity that the instructions on Dapol's sheet and elsewhere in this forum aren't a bit clearer.

I am trying to remove the bogie frame on my Dapol Class 2 so I can inspect and lubricate the gears. According to Dapol it should just unclip but I can't budge it and am scared of using too much force in case I break something. Does anyone have any tips?

Good to hear that the bracket signals are not far away. To be fair, when I spoke to the Dapol guy at Warley, he said that they wanted to make sure that they worked faultlessly before being introduced.

I received a voucher code from Hornby a year or two back (Class 31 problem) and eventually used it towards the new Duchess.Before I used it I checked its validity with Hornby and they told me there is no time limit. If the voucher code does not work on the website just give customer service a ring and they will validate it for you.

At the Warley show in November, I was told by the Dapol guy that the bracket signals would be out in early 2015. It's now nearly May so does anyone know what's happening?

Thanks for the replies folks. I have removed the bogies from the body but still cannot remove the bogie frame- it's just too tight, so I've restricted myself to cleaning the axles with a bit of isopropyl alcohol. No problem in refitting the bogies and the loco appears to run OK. I have had recent problems with the loco "stuttering" but it may just be the track. If it persists I shall return it to Bachmann and let them sort it out.

How does one remove the bogie frame on this loco. In Andy Y's pictures posted 27 Feb 2014, it says they are just unclipped but I can't fathom out how they are unclipped.

I returned my Class 31 in early 2014 and received a £100 voucher from Hornby.  When returning it I explained that I did not have the original receipt as the loco was purchased a number of years ago, but they were still happy to assist me.

I would endorse the comments about phoning Hornby rather than Email. It might take several minutes while you wait in a queue but you'll be lucky to get an Email reponse within 10 days.   Once you've got them on the phone they are pretty helpful.

Just out of interest, my Class 31 No. D5512 (R2420) was returned to Hornby early this year and in March I received a letter explaining they were unable to repair due to the Mazak body problem and lack of parts , However to be fair they offered me £100 off a product purchased on their website even though  I actually dropped the loco on the floor prior to using it on my DCC layout and damaged the body and internal wiring.   I do hope either Hornby or Bachmann will eventually come up with another early BR era Class 31.

Just to whet your appetites, here is the real 68004 Rapid, at the DRS Crewe Gresty Bridge open day on July 19th.  I think they are quite photogenic in the DRS blue livery, but as one DRS guy told me "they won't stay that clean for long!"

I am not so keen on the silver Chiltern livery though.

The rear lights on D211 look a bit on the bright side to me.  Does anyone know which CV/CVs I need to alter on the Loksound 4.0 to alter the brightness?  I have looked at the manual which talks about index CVs and such like but I must confess to not understanding the part relating to lighting!

After a bit of experimentation I am currently using the following CV settings with D211 Mauretania:      CV2  11   CV3  97   CV4   135   CV5  200   CV6   64    CV29   34    CV54   48   and CV55  10.  This combination seems to be working very well with the right engine notes.

Regarding previous posts on the CV settings for D211, I have tried different CV values and have not yet found a combination which is completely to my liking. Sometimes the loco will unexpectedly notch up and takes ages to notch itself down again. It would be useful if folks could post their settings on here, particularly those using the NCE Power Cab.   Although Bachmann provide a link to the ESU Loksound 4.0 manual (which incidentally is the old 2011 version), Bachmann themselves do not publish anything on their website.  You need to go directly to ESU's website for the latest manual.   The ESU manual is a long read and in parts difficult to understand as I am sure other people may have found.  One thing I did notice when I first ran the loco is that CV63 (master sound) was set far too high and so I set that to a more bearable level.

Mine arrived from Hattons on Saturday (ordered in December and I paid the pre-order price).  So far I am impressed and can find no major faults.  It does occasionally stutter at slow speed and not only on points but I think this is down to my track needing a really good clean . It certainly doesn't bother me and I shall not be taking it apart to modify the pickups.   I also own a Bachmann Class 85, which I gather has a similar pickup arrangement, and have never had any problems with it- indeed it is one of the smoothest running locos in my fleet.

Now in stock at Hattons. Looking forward to receiving my pre-ordered machine!

I am happy with Bachmann's response- at least they are telling us what is going on and why the problem arose.  I would rather they sort it out before release rather than attempting a home fix, which could in the end prove expensive especially if the warranty is voided.  So well done Bachmann- I'm happy to wait a bit longer.  I am sure lessons will have been learnt from this.