beejack

Thanks for the hard work put in to make a great weekend. I have just done the survey, but was dispappointed not to be able to select Graham Foulston's Lakeside as he was missing from the layout feature list!

I believe the head/ tail lights are getting the positive directly from track via the diodes. I've checked that the positive from the pad to the light sping is totally severed from the diodes and resistors on the PCB. All worked fine using either the lenz (positive wire not used) or the Bachmann 6 pin albeit on F0 I haven't done a reset yet so may try that and try again. Takes me a little while getting used to programming a new chip type. I've mainly stuck with the Lenz standard +v1 & v2 or the 21 pin silvers. Looking at the manual, I think you're right I need to check CV's 430 to 437 to see if any have changed from the default of zero. All part of the learning curve! I have packed Dmu back in it's box at the moment so will take another look at it tomorrow. In the mean time I can check in decoder Pro if any of those CV's have changed.

Hi Nigel The MX617n has 6 functions. The 2 on the pins are for the head/tail lights and the other 4 are on pads at the top of the decoder. There is also a positive common and ground pads. I have attached to the positive and F02 pads on the decoder. I have altered the CV's for the head/tail lights and altered the CV's for the function output for the interior lights so it comes on F5 The CV for the tail light on pin 6 has also been altered to operate on F2 but only illuminate when travelling forward. The Zimo is a little more complicated than the Lenz to change the head/tail light operation but JMRI makes it alot easier No layout at the moment, so not a big issue and I may in the future replace the Lenz with a Zimo if I can't reverse the switching on the Zimo.

I have just received my first Zimo chip a MX617N 6 pin chip and have successfully altered the function outputs. F0 now only controls the Forward lights F2 now only controls the Tail lights F5 controls the interior lights and have been dimmed down. The chip has now been fitted to my Derby light weight dummy coach having modified the pcb so the interior lights can be controlled from the chip. My issue is with the tail lights on the dummy controlled by the Zimo. At the moment if F2 'off' = illuminated and F2 is 'on' = off. tail lights stay off. The motor coach has a Lenz chip with the tail light on F1 but of course this is the opposite way so F1 'on' = illuminated and F1 'off' = off! Is there anyway for this to be reversed on MX617N so that the tail light only illuminates if F2 is switched 'on'? I couldn't see anything obvios in the instructions which Idownloaded from Zimo. The remapping was done through JMRI and there was nothing obvious but i might have missed something.

Having now received my Zimo MX617N pin pin chip I sat down and dismantled the dummy car again. I removed the lenz chip and inserted the zimo and soldered the interior lighting cable from the lighting spring to the chip. To my suprise the interior lighting wouldn't work. The only way I was able to get it to work was to cut the V+ track and solder a second cable from the common positive tab.

Here's a first draught of the framework for the layout. The framework is intended to fit snuggly into the area available and will be fixed to the wall whereever it touches it. The vertical supports are there for only for aiding drawing the upper level framework and will more than likely move positions.

Just noticed this thread. I have just modded my own Derby Lightweight. I put a lenz standard + v2 in the motor trailer and replaced the 6 pin in the dummy trailer with a standard + v1. The green wire for both was connected to the V- light spring and the track to the light spring in each was cut using a 1mm drill in a pin vice. Using a slightly oversized drill bit ensures the track is cleanly cut. As the lights were originally fed directly from the track connections, they already had diodes and resistors in the positive circuit so no need for any resistors on the green wire. For the dummy I just taped up the blue cable as not needed and the other 6 wires were attached to a modified 6 pin blanking plug. Now I know it all works I have ordered a zimo m617n as the lenz is a little big for the space. As for lighting functions, I left the front lights for each decoder on F0 but reversed the direction for the dummy so the white lights illuminated in the direction of travel , changed the tail lights to F1 for the front car and F2 for the rear car and the interior lights are on F4. Used JMRI Decoder Pro to program the chips but I did have to program each car seperately, Then I gave them both the same address. I didn't try to read the Lenz V1 just wrote the changes using Decoder pro.

The TTS decoder is a 3 function decoder. For cab lighting you would have to compromise with either only one cab light working or both on at the same time.

I have slightly revised the upper level plan, removing the crossover on the west curve and moving the position of the double slip to rationalise the junction slightly. The East end curve has also been altered slightly to allow larger radius curves and now all curves are at least 3rd radius on both levels apart from the loops at the toe of the 'L' on both levels. Still not sure over the access to the inclines at the back of the layout but apart from the fiddle yard, station area and MPD all the rest will be open frame so access from below should be available. storage boxes will close to the bottom of the lower level so should stop anything falling too far and if neccessary I will add something to the edges of the incline to help. As nothing much has changed I have not re-posted the lower level. In case you're wondering the siding off platform one will be for parcel coaches as there is a Royal mail Depot not far from the station. It can also be used for storing DMU's awaiting for their next service duty.

Not a comment on the plan, but more over the baseboard dimensions 1400mm is bigger than any of the common sizes of Plywood or MDf which are 1220 x 610, 1220 x 1220 or 1220 x 2440 Also can you get to all sides? Biggest issue is with being able to reach across to sort any derailments etc. not easy across that width of layout.

The layout will be on 2 levels. Half of the two inclines is on the upper level plan and the rest on the lower level plan.

I've altered the lower level removing the dead end sidings and adding a crossover

You're right not an ideal shape! The additional dead end sidings on the lower level were mainly for DNU's and similar but may need to be looked at again. I hadn't thought about adding a crosover on the lower level so I'll look to add that. The short tunnel was an idea and may not be in the final build if it ever gets under way. Control will be DCC- I have the NCE powercab and SB5 As far as access holes are concerned, there will be three, one where you have identified and one on each level at the bottom right of the board. I taken a few ideas and altered slightly the upper level. The space below the depot will allow for a few builds etc.

I did forget to mention this is OO gauge Yes 1970's to early 1980's but using rule no1 from time to time! No fixed area of the country Exactly, which is why I need a little help and yes it is a diesel depot. The two sidings were there for storage of locos or stock but not essential. Ideally I am looking for two sheds, a refueling point and some loco storage, which is where I'm struggling. The station area was actually pinched from another track plan. I was quite keen on the the bi-directional working of the passing loop and the station loop. The double slip is there to increase operational interest. Without the double slip a train in the station loop going anticlockwise would need to wait for a train going closewise to clear the cross over points before departing. With the double slip in place it allows a train to enter the Passing loop going clockwise whilst allowing a train to leave the station loop anticlockwise via the double slip.

The actual difference between the two levels is 6 inches. On the lower level only the areas with track will be have baseboard. On the right side both upper and lower loops will be accessible from the middle. the lower loop on the left will also be the same. I had thought about loosing the two sidings at the back of the station. I wanted to keep the loop at the rear of the station for freight etc.

I took the decision late last year to rebuild my layout. The original baseboards were now over 10 years old and had been altered and modified a few times so I thought why not take the opportunity to redesign the layout. That was last October! In November the layout was dismantled and all the old wood taken to the tip. The Idea was to rebuild in March/April once all the expenses of christmas and an MOT were out of the way. In hindsight what a bad decision! The Original design was for a roundy roundy layout on a 10 foot by 8 foot 6 inch baseboard with a centre well. This morphed into an L shaped design which is just under 16 foot long, 4 foot wide at one end with the foot of the "L" being 8 foot 6 inches long and 4 foot wide at it deepest end. The rest of the layout Varies in width as required. It will also be on two levels The two inclines are roughly 24 foot long and around 2% incline so hopefully most stock will have no issues. Anyway at the moment it looks a little like a train set track plan, probably not helped by the use of colour for the sections! The plan was done using Anyrail. What I looking for is any improvements that could be made to improve it. I not too keen on the Depot area and sidings on the upper level, but don't want to change the station area too much. Here are the two parts of the plan: Upper Level. lower level Any suggestions on changes that could be made would be most welcome. It is intended that the area on the upper level above the two inclines would be a raised area with a town scene or housing etc. and the blue line shows the area designated for this. Brian

Thanks Steve Looking through my emails I found it. My email provider blocks images so when I took a quick look at the email I missed it. Thanks for the link. Brian

Ok so been a while since I did any updates The Britannia class 7 locos have been added along with the Rebuilt Merchant Navy. The Vent Van 2 has also been added to the NonLoco file. Thanks should go to Marc N Fournier who updated the file but unfortunately didn't submit it for inclusion in JMRI. He also added the function labels for the britannia. Unfortunately this also meant all new locos added to the roster would also have had the same function labels. A small change rectified this and thanks to him for including the Function labels as it now means all locos have the function labels attached. The files can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UiuoSO1N3FyVZYM0sDT48oDv1qJGwMQ5/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mZQLt2Mq52xkl_TlBLay7Wa5K8_BhlSS/view?usp=sharing If you wish to replace the existing files in JMRI Go to Program files (X86)/JMRI/xml/decoders Delte both the HornbyTTS.xml and the Hornby_NonLoco.xml files and replace with the ones in the link. You will need Administrative rights for this. Start Decoder pro and in the actions drop down menu select recreate decoder index. wait till the drop down menu disappears and shut down decoder pro. Restart decoder pro and in the actions dropdown menu select update decoder definitions. you will be asked to select a new decoder profile for each TTS loco or vent van. Select the approppriate one and all the function labels will now be shown. Have fun Brian

Just received my subcribers copy through the post today but minus the DVD. The welcome column mentions that this is sadly only available to digital subscribers for the time being due to the current situation. With previous digital editions I've purchased and indeed the recent free digital sample of the March edition, the DVD is hosted on YouTube. So why couldn't you have made it available to paper subscribers via a link printed in the magazine? I know that there will still be a few who prefer or can only watch via a dvd player, but at least you would have allowed as many of your subscribers as possible to view the DVD.

Same here. Finally decided to subscribe but can't! the link on the opening post only takes you here:

Unfortunately the two decoders are virtually the same with the sound added on for the TTS decoders. The TTS decoders do at least give the option of some motor algorithm setting on CV's 150 - 154 Very limited as to what can be changed. Below is the A4 TTS decoder full CV list: This is the CV's for the R8249 decoder: Note that all the CV's between 1 and 29 are identical on both. There are no options to remap the functions dim the lighting alter the start voltage etc. A very basic decoder compared to others available.

Are you using the short or long address? 34 only works if you are using the long address For the short address use 2. If it's going the wrong direction add 1 to either value Useful site for calculating CV29: http://www.2mm.org.uk/articles/cv29 calculator.htm

I did a video 4 years ago showing the different sounds on the TTS class 47401 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-M0lBzaJfY

The Manual for v1.65 on page 24 says: Power CabTM Specifications: Power Input Requirements: 10-15V regulated DC, 3A maximum Power Connector: 5.5mm x 2.5mm center positive Track Power Output: Voltage input minus (-) .5 Volt 2 Amps peak Cabs: 2 maximum plus USB Interface and/or Mini Panel Number of simultaneous trains: 12 Number of consists: 16 advanced consists of unlimited number of locomotives each. Plus 4 old style consists up to 2 locos each. Range of locomotive addresses: 0-9999 Range of consist addresses: 112-127 Range of accessory addresses: 1-2044 Range of signal addresses: 1-2044 Computer interface: USB optional

Nailsea and District MRC have anounced their exhibition on the 28th/29th March is now cancelled http://www.nailsea-district-mrc.co.uk/events/