cravensdmufan

Very. very nice. The silver buffer shanks on the vans look great - a small touch making all the difference. Please could you tell me - it looks like you paint the Bachmann wheels. Airbrush or paintbrush? And what paint please? CDF.

I have fitted a couple of TTS decoders into full fat locos. Using an NCE Powercab, I found that both CV's 3 and 4 need adjusting. but slow running can still be slightly jerky. Have been able to use Program Track without problems. The trick is to play about with the algorithm settings, which very helpfully these decoders allow you to adjust. See the Hornby instruction sheet for details. Both my 31's responded better on algorithm 1, the default setting (CV150=0). One loco I ended up with CV151=50 and CV152=20; on the other loco both CV151 and CV152 ended up on 30. It really is worth spending time adjusting these algorithm CV's. I can honestly say that motor control is now equal to, if not better than, my £118 ESU Loksound v4's. Sounds on the 31 are good. I used the supplied speaker/enclosure face downwards having removed fan mechanism. I have also just fitted a different (bass reflex) speaker to a third 31 which makes the sound slightly different. I thinks it's nice to have slight tone difference within the same class of loco. With the really good selection of playable sounds and at under £40 each they offer fantastic value. I'm really looking forward to Classes 37, 47 and 60. And I hope the Class 20 is made available as a separate item. (Edited for spelling). CDF

On my 00 layout: I have found that Bachmann 158s have the most overhang (more than Mk3's or Mk4's). Dapol "silver bullets" have wide steps Both these items fouled my already installed platforms that I had carefully tested with long coaches.

Short video of my 31 110 with TTS. More comprehensive one to follow. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V2BLS00phBE

Received my Class 31 TTS decoder last week, and decided to fit it into Hornby Dutch liveried 31 110 (not the Railroad version). Hornby are to be congratulated for providing a very comprehensive user manual (other providers please take note). Everything is explained clearly. I use an NCE Powercab. I fitted the decoder and tested it without adjustment, and it was good. But after adjusting the acceleration and decceleration CVs to suit the loco it is actually brilliant. Motor control is smooth - no stuttering, and sounds (with the supplied speaker placed facing down with the fan mechanism removed) are very good indeed. Fitting an upgraded speaker as suggested in Hornby Magazine would be even better. I will do this with my next one. The only two things I thought not quite as good as sound decoders costing 3 times as much are as follows: 1. Unable to change start voltage on function 2. I noticed the loco starts to move off just very slighly before the engine thrashes. Wasn't it the other way round on the real thing? But with practice I could cure that. Hit accelerate and immediately press stop. This will trigger brake release sound and rev the engine while the loco is stationery. Then quickly press F8 for thrash amd immediately increase the speed and then hit F8 again to reduce thrash when required. Sounds tricky but very easy with a bit of practice. 2. You have to trigger brake squeal manually. Not much of an issue as you can just press F4 immediately before coming to a standstill. I'm really pleased with the decoder - when you consider the price, it is a terriffic opportunity to fit sounds to the fleet especially with other diesel classes becoming available soon. I have two top price decoders in 31's already, and can honestly say I think this Hornby one sounds the best of the three! And it is very responsive with no lag when you notch up and down. It's certainly kept me entertained all weekend! I'm trying to do a video to upload (never done one before) in the next few days. Well done Hornby! CDF

Useful information, thanks. Would be interested to know how it performs in your detailed 31.

Really sorry to read of your experiences, but thanks so much for warning us all. I think any paint stripping is fraught with danger TBH I used Deluxe Materials Strip Magic on a Heljan 58 just to take the running number off, as per the company's official Youtube instruction video ("removes paint from plastic in minutes"). As soon as I applied it, it not only took off the number but all the base colour paint with it - immediately, not "minutes" or even seconds!. No time to neutralise as per their video! Was left with a big black patch of original plastic, so I wasn't at all happy. Not nearly as bad as your experience, though. But being water based, I thought it'd be safe. Lessons learnt.

A great idea to model Shap. But the problem with dual era layouts are the sleepers. Wooden up until electrification?. Good 60's photo of Shap summit, including signal box (which will also need to be removable) http://cumbrianrailways.zenfolio.com/img/s1/v21/p662738863-3.jpg and also a cracking Duchess shot https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8116/8657759424_bb7b8931ed_z.jpg (Edited to include photo links)

I'm still using this track cleaning wagon I purchased at Warley last year http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/117226-seen-at-warley/page-5 (Post #101) Works really well. No liquid needed, although an initial deep clean with Isopropyl Alcohol would be beneficial. The wagon then keeps rails very clean. I believe the exact same wagon is available from Ten Commandments. http://tencommandmentsmodels.co.uk/product/track-cleaning-wagon/ Whatever you do, don't use an electronic track cleaner on a DCC layout. (Edited to include Ten Commandments link.)

Very nice sounds. Please let us know when this will be available for purchase, and where from please.

Blue ones still showing on their website, more than 10 in stock available to order.. Bad form to be offering them with no discount when they now know they are all faulty.

Ah yes, thanks Darius. I never realised about those stripes, so well done for modelling them! Great attention to detail. Great stuff.

I really like those - fair play to you. I remember travelling on them regularly in the late 1970's - when I was dating a girl from Bognor Regis! Those units, despite their branding, got all over the South Central Division. Just a small query - I don't remember the yellow stripe on all the carriages in the unit. I think it was just on first class as per normal.

I do not model steam so I can't comment on accuracy. But I love the look of this model - I think if I were a GWR enthusiast I would be absolutely delighted, especially at the price!

Great, thanks Paul. Shouldn't really be necessary for you to have all that trouble considering you've spent a good few bob on your railcars. I hope Dapol sort it out for you.

Paul, thanks for highlighting these problems. I'm still considering buying the blue/grey one despite the issues, but should be very interested to know how you will deal with the curved corners. Would you be kind enough to post some more photos when you have done your modification please? CDF

Picked up my copy from local newsagents this morning. The painted backscenes on Barmouth Junction are absolutely superb - quite the best I've ever seen I think! And just look at the weathering on the station building and platform. Stunning. Well photographed Andy.

Yes, I had the same problem The flat cable they supply is prone to kinking and will eventually fail usually next to the plug which connects to the supply socket. Mine lasted less than a year so I replaced it with a coiled one from eBay. DCC Concepts also sell a replacement https://www.dccconcepts.com/product/2m6ft-curly-cord-rj12-with-6-wire-connections/

Thanks very much for that information Tractor. CDF

Still awaiting to see the Blue/Grey version "in the flesh" before I decide whether to buy, but looking at photos it doesn't look that brilliant TBH. https://www.Dapol.co.uk/4D-015-001-OO-Gauge-Class-122-Bubble-car-55002-Blue-Grey%20livery The panels of white lined rail grey look much too rounded at the corners which would irritate me and be almost impossible to put right. And the double arrow looks overscale. Mybe the image on Dapol's site is a pre-production model? Edit - Just seen a review in the latest Railway Modeller with an excellent side view of the blue/grey version. Grey panel corners look very curved and it definitely spoils what otherwise looks a good model. I know it will still be a while to wait but I'd like to see what Bachmann do with their 121 - not sure if they will still make one now though?

Tractor, many thanks for your advice. But how do you increase the resistor values please? Forgive me if this is a silly question, but electrics are certainly not my forte! Many thanks. CDF

I agree about the ones with the harness being more useful. A mate of mine and myself have purchased about 50 of these Hattons decoders between us - mostly 8 pin with harness and some 21 pin direct too. Not one has failed. They provide very smooth operation and very few locos have needed CV's adjusting. We like the ones with harness as you can chop the plug off then its really easy to hard wire older locos. Only problem - despite Hattons providing a list, I still cant work out which CV to dim the lights! Help please anyone? At less then £10 each if you buy the 10 pack, we are well pleased with Hattons decoders.. (No connection with the company etc).

Indeed it is a bizarre choice. They will look massive when painted in orange! If these large recepticles are moulded on, mine will have to come off and smaller boxes fabricated and repositioned lower down.

Sorry to come back to the cables again. On the real loco the original MU cable was a lot chunkier than the TDM cables. See lower photo on #546. It would be a shame if the front end of the exec liveried one is spoilt by overscale lower connectors especially if they are moulded on. The actual cables not so much of an issue if they are separate wire as they could be removed and replaced with thinner wire. Sorry to be pernickety, but best to point these things out at this stage.

Yes, nice images from August Hornby Magazine which i picked up this morning. One thing I noticed though is the positioning of the lower connections of the TDM cables. IIRC this was indeed the position of them when first fitted by BR but they were then moved to the bottom of the cab front soon afterwards (by the time INTERCITY swallow livery was introduced?) due to reliability issues? Also the lower connecting boxes look quite overscale.. Here are a couple of scans from my photos unfortunately undated but probably 1993 ish. AC electric enthusiasts will no doubt be able to provide more information on the TDM issue but I seem to recall that a lot of Mk3 DVT's were loco hauled in their early days as a result of TDM failures. Hornby, please could you re release your excellent Mk3 DVT in INTERCITY livery - preferably with provision for a front coupling?