Tony Walker

I've now fitted out two locos with the new decoders, one 8 pin in a class 56 and a 21 pin in a class 73. Both working straight away and with no problems downloading the necessary sound and function files. The one problem I do have is that the lights on the class 73 are working backwards. So I've amended CV29 and added the value of 1 to it, using both the app and my DCC system, but it's made no difference to the loco. Not sure what I'm doing wrong but it's certainly not working. Anyone had the same problem at all?

Are you sure you've got the batteries the right way around? Fitted mine the other day with no problem at all. The light started working straight away without the wand. Needed it to turn them off! Use a small flat blade screw drivers to push in and out.

I've also fitted the Accurascale snow ploughs to a Bachmann 37 now and they work fine. As you say, for the centre plough, cut off the molded mounting brackets and drill a couple of small holes and the centre plough fits a treat. I then fitted the outer ploughs using the holes just behind the buffer beam but leaned them forward slightly to ensure the defector irons on the bogies would miss them. Once both ends were fitted out and the glue was given plenty of time to go off, I ran the loco and now fouling problems. I've still to fit the pipes and hope to get that done later today. Pics to follow once done.

I use instanter chain couplings on the first coach/wagon of the rake, so have not tried fitting a coupling as well as the snow ploughs. I'm not keen on seeing a coupling one end when running light engine, it looks so much better with full detail both ends. Yesterday I fitted the Accurascale snow ploughs to 37201 St. Margaret and it works very well. See later comment below.

For me, the snow ploughs are the one area that lets this model down. If Accurascale can do it, then Bachmann should easily be able to do so. I've managed to fit the snow ploughs to all my new 37's using fine brass wire. I've cut the NEM tail off the snow plough first. Drilled two holes behind the centre plough and inserted two pieces of the wire. Then I've drilled two holes to match the position of the wire in the underside of the buffer beam. Then I insert the wire pieces into the holes in the buffer beam and hope it all sticks. Sorry to say I'm not very keen on the ploughs fitted to the bogie, as it always looks strange when the loco goes round a curve and the snow plough turns as well. Using my method, you can then fit all the buffer beam detail to complete the job. I'm going to try and fit the Accurascale snow ploughs at some point, as I have a spare set, let's see how that works out.

Reset CV63 (the volume setting) to 160 and all should be OK. I had the same problem with my first Accurascale 37.

I'm probably the only person on here who isn't happy about the delivery of their 37. Mine's been delivered and thrown over a 7 foot fence and I'm 270 miles away. I did hold the delivery and had confirmation that it would be held, but it's still been sent. Just hope it's not been damaged!

My comment was just a statement, that's all. Whether they come tomorrow or next week or next month I'm not worried as I have all three currently released. As for work, I was a planning engineer when I worked, so didn't have any rush moments, as contingence was planned in to cater for of the unknown.

Late last week A/S said they would start despatching on Monday, strange how no-one has had one yet, my comment is just a thought.

As no-one appears to have had one or received a despatch email, do you think there's a problem with them? Maybe soggy boxes due to water ingress into the container, just thinking out of the box. (Excuse the pun).

Dropped off at the Engine House at Highley on the Severn Valley Railway. Richard from Accurascale was in attendance and there was a display cabinet with locos, coaches etc. on display. Here's a could of shots of the class 37's in there. No background lighting, so excuse the quality of the photos. The next batch of locos were in there and are looking very good.

It could be the version of the LZV100 box as well. I haven't used a LH90 controller so not sure of the options on it. I have the latest LZV200 and the new LH101 controller but still couldn't get a couple of the lights to work. Using Loksound programmer I couldn't get the front cab light or the engine room lights to work when using a LokPilot MKL V5 decoder. No idea why, I tried all sorts of settings but had no joy.

Looking thru my collection of Bachmann 37's, the earliest one I have is from May 2003 and that has a 21 pin connector, head, tail and cab lights, so you may have to go back further than that.

Thanks McC, just bagged Concrete Bob. I wasn't going to buy this one, but the quality of these new 37's has impressed me so much I decided to get this one as well. Pity there was no sound option on this occasion, but I can always get a decoder once they are available.

I'm not sure if F29 should do what F2 does and visa versa. We already know that the spirax valves are missing and that the marker light function is not as per the function card, but I could be wrong. Anyway, for me it was a simple mod with the loksound programmer, makes changes to the decoder very easy. I've also added a parking function, so both red tail lights show at each end,

Has anyone had a play with F29 yet? This is a brake function, as per the Bachmann 37 which is on their F2. It stops the loco and slows it down nicely. Just need to judge where you want to stop. You can use this to stop the loco without reducing the power and then release it to start the loco again. A really nice function and it works very well (once your stopping judgement has increased).

And, although it doesn't say on the function card, F31 is the compressor (if your system allows you to use F31).

Just had an email from Simon re the volume and that seems to have worked. As for the snow plough/NEM socket, the loco is running great, so leave it at that. Thanks.

Hi McC, I'm running the layout at 13.5v and have no problems with other sound decoders. I did have a problem with a class 55 sound decoder, which I fitted myself. Because of this problem I contacted your support and had to send the loco back to you. Simon kindly fitted the sound decoder and speaker for me and since then I've had no problem with it. So I don't think it's the voltage, but not sure. Will increase the voltage, so what do you recommend? As for the NEM pocket removal/modification, I can only go on my own experience when running the loco both with tension lock couplings initial, to run the loco in, and then after fitting the snow ploughs etc to the loco. As I have said, initially the loco ran perfectly, but once I removed the NEM pocket and the snow ploughs were fitted, the loco derailed. Refitting the NEM pocket, but reducing it so it didn't catch the centre plough, solved the problem. Maybe it's my track or something else, but it runs perfect now.

When you can get the sound to work first time on F1. At least the Bachmann version sounds when you press F1 and continues to run every time! And if you remove the NEM pocket, which I initially did, then the loco derails. The NEM pocket needs to be retained in part as it helps the coupling mechanism move with the bogies on curves. If you remove it completely then the coupling mechanism fouls the bogies and the loco derails. Found this out the hard way. Ran the loco in straight out of the box with no problems at all. Removed the NEM socket because it fouls the centre plough, fitted all the pipes etc and then ran the loco again. This time it kept derailing on curves. So I refitted the NEM pocket but removed 3mm of it to clear the centre plough and no problems since.

I couldn't resist running 37423 with a rake of DRS coaches on my layout, so here's the video below. The loco is excellent, very well detailed all round and is certainly a match for the Bachmann version. The thing that steps the Accurascale version up is the snow plough fitting. The ploughs fit beautifully in place with no fouling of the bogies etc. Just needed to nibble 3mm off the NEM pocket to clear the centre plough. Great model and now looking forward to the other ones I have on order arriving. PS 37419 just arrived from Rails!

Now that Accurascale have taken over the Hatton's class 66 I'm hoping we start to see some intermodal container wagons coming thru. Although Dapol have done the IKA, it wasn't a great version, with part of the sides swinging with the bogies. If you look at most container trains, they nearly all have either IKA or EWS FKA container wagons in them. And in the case of DRS trains, some are all entirely IKA's and with EWS some are all FKA's. I'm guessing that the configuration of the wagons with regard to the bogies and the bodywork makes them difficult to model for say 2nd radius curves, but I'm sure Accurascale can get around this.

Gordon, I think it's just the speaker itself. The speaker is actually screwed to the PCB directly and is powered thru two spring wires to two pads on the PCB, so I doubt it's the connection.

No Charlie they have not. The rear cab light comes on when you switch the cab light on. I can only assume they were thinking about the guard and what he would do.

It's actually the sound quality I feel is much better. I've had to replace the speaker in the EMT unit, as it started to crackle. The quality of sound in the ATW unit I feel is much better, hence the feeling the speaker has been changed.