bluex5

I've seen your Youtube videos Phil, excellent stuff, especially the Hydraulics Quick question - does the Howes 40 project respond better to acceleration / decelaration?? One of the things I don't like on the original sound file is that the revs don't die back to idle quickly if you kill the power from about speed step 4, so you end up with a stationary loco revving it's crackers off for several seconds.

Thank Phil, excellent info! Might have to look into a reblow then.

Phil, Can you advise how the Howes reblow has improved the sound over the original files? This is my first DCC sound loco and I'm quite pleased with it but I'm interested to know how a reblow could make it better. Thanks!

Received my D211 today, have wanted to dip my toe into sound for a while and couldn't resist with Rails latest deal. Lovely model and the sounds seem fine to me. However the standard decoder settings are crap! Was coggy as hell on the first couple of speed steps. An hours fiddling with CV2 / 52 / 53 and 54 had it running pretty smoothly low down. I've had the odd anomaly with it being unable to move with the sound running,, yet cancel the sound and it moves fine??? Nevertheless the issue went away and hasn't come back. Problem is it opens the Pandora's box of wanting more sound chips!

Not sure I understand? Is this down to cost?

It's expensive but if it's any good I'll buy one. Sure the £150 English pounds going to stop people buying one on impulse but I'm confident that if it's a good model then I think UK buyers will pay that. The salad days of bargain high quality UK outline are long gone I'm afraid.

The final "X" variant of the N15 please, as it looks like Hornby are not going to do it.

Certainly looks like the bogie wheels are from the B17 bits box. There was something else glaringly wrong with the picture of the model in the display case, above and beyond the bent footplate, and I now see what it is. Can't believe the same firm gave us the Thompson 01 and L1 not so long back.

After the above post re prototypical motor failure I ran mine for about 90 minutes on the rolling road (no layout or chip to hand at moment), actually felt a bit tight to start but settled down ok, didn't get hot. I think if it's going to go pop then you'll see it happen quickly.

Received mine today, great model of an ugly yet intricate prototype. The grab handles on the end of the long bonnet are rather impressive especially. Also mention must be made of the rather nice (and concentric!) spoked wheel sets, really give the loco a unique feel.

Looks superb Mike!

I had one a few years back which I modified the valances / buffer beam on, did some cursory detailing and painted green / SYP. It looked OK if you pretended you couldn't see the poor bogies and undersized wheel sets.

I know it has a large-ish flywheel, I'm not sure on the winding spec of the motor but I can assure you that the slow speed running is absolutely fantastic.