DCB

I find it astonishing that brakes on coaching stock are not standard for DCC layouts. You can just about couple up a 1950s 3 rail Hornby Dublo Duchess to a rake of 3 rail metal wheel coaches without moving them but it seems completely impossible with 2020 era models, the whole train moves before the coupling couples! The number of operators is relevant, it should be possible for several operators to work a medium size "Buckingham" or even "Marylebone" Terminus with DCC pilot driver, main line driver(s) signalman. Then again with decent signalling even a BLT can come alive with little action, a few block bells clanging, the signals coming off, train arriving, signals going back. loco setting stock back so it can use the loop, running round setting back onto the stock and then fast forward 2 hours. Signals off, train starts train entering section. Train disappears into hidden sidings. and wait for someone else to look interested. And then the daily goods OK the 20 times daily goods at an exhibition sorting wagons to be left from out going. It would look a lot better than "Flashburton / Moronampstead" with a Manor on 2 coaches, a Dean goods in primer on shed and a Terrier tank as station pilot,

Some companies seem remarkably stupid in failing to realise a model in their livery can be a valuable free advertisement for them. Unless it is a model of a Tesla with a smoke unit or similar. However watching the Horizon Scandal rather shows stupidity is not the preserve of the less intelligent, but is manifest in some of the most intelligent and indeed highly qualified individuals in society.

Bere Alston to Tavistock would be interesting, especially the Tavistock end high on the hill above the town. BR connection available at Bere Alston.

I wouldn't weaken the springs, sliding the holder back in its clip on some points can fine tune the tension but too weak and fine flanges will find the gap between blade and stock rail and split the points. The Peco motors are a bit marginal throwing Peco points. at the best of times, 12 volts DC which is effectively, 16 volts AC rectified is not enough,in my experience. My first thought would be more volts, my Duette delivers around 21 volts DC off load on a nominal 12 volt output some other 12 volt controllers deliver anything between 12 and 24 volts off load and a capacitor will charge towards this off load figure. Are the SPDT switches all left off. unless one s being thrown? because any left on will drain the capacitor. It might be worth ensuring the blades are free to move? You shouldn't feel the motor when changing a point manually, if you can its's out of alignment or gummed up. I don't like under track direct point mounted point motors as they get crud in. I prefer the bell crank system or wire in tube from a horizontal motor.

Maybe that is a possible revenue stream for Hornby, spares for older models , which seem to last for 50-70 years even if their recent efforts don't. The Nellie/Polly/Connie locos seemed to start with a black loco with solid non see through wheels a steel strip chassis with Mazak spacers rivetted in, unique I believe for Hornby and an X04 motor, 2 start worm small worm wheel (same as transcon ) Later they received separate steel tyres and much later shiny plated tyres. Some plated tyre ones have a huge dome and some have a Can motor similar to contemporary Scalextric cars, not as good as an X04 similar but not the same as 101 smokey Joe etc.. The Romfrord 30/40/60:1 gear sets fit the chassis and X04 as does the Triang TT single start worm for slower sub 100MPH top speed. Its a pretty little thing but could not be built as a full size loco as the firebox would hit the crank axle and the connecting rods would foul the leading axle . It needs outside cylinders and ideally outside valve gear unless the drive was from the front axle a la Dolgoch I am planning stretched 2-4-0T versions which would have leading axle drive from inside cylinders for my 5 X 2 00 gauge layout. and maybe a non stretched outside cyl 0-6-0T version.

Maybe vape oil might work, if the cars full of vape fumes are anything to go by Has anyone ever heard a shoveling sound from an actual steam loco actually in steam let alone actually running? The sound of shovelling precedes the glow of the door opening when working hard when the glow is more a brilliant flash. This weekend recording locos on the NYMR P3 ( J27?) Std4 Tank and Black 5 shows the background hiss of boiling water is the dominant sound of a steam locomotive, the hiss of escaping injector steam, steam leaks sizzling safety valves. To be fair they don't sound anything like any DCC sound, but that's because the sound is synchronised with loco speed, where the pulses should be synchronised with wheel speed and the volume by the operator, depending on whether accelerating, pulling hard, coasting or just powering along gently.

It's the interface issue. But the real thing which irritates me is the unrealistic operation DCC enthusiasts think is good. Full size Trains can't creep for extended periods unless Slow speed fitted for MGR operations , but they can stop to the nearest 6" or less so coaches never move when couping up. I am working on sound, So many sound locos chuff like they are pulling 400 tons when running light. Real ones usually give 4 or 8 chuffs then coast. But its the interface. I want a speed control knob Hand held one handed. ideally wireless. Everything else can be on the console, Whistle button would be nice

Please give one example of a suitable controller or pair of controllers , where two operators can operate Railway traction similar to two cars being operated on the same lane of a Scalextric Digital track.

My first train was Hornby Dublo 3 rail and I had two Duchesses and an 0-6-2 tank The tank would just haul all my 17 (?) wagons around my not exactly level layout at a crawl but stopped dead if it slipped, very realistic. The opposite to most RTR where a burst of wheel slip gets a stalled train underway again. What I want from DCC is a capability for me to drive the train engine and my son drive the banker independently, rather than to consist them. I am pretty sure we could do it with Scalextric DCC Hand throttles but I'm not aware of any Model railway DCC equipment giving that sort of immediacy of response.

Someone could get a lot of free publicity for naming a loco inappropriately. Or a gasp at an exhibition when it or even 7930 "That's Hall" appears. They say you can't rewrite history but we modellers can. 70014 painted name Iron Duck anyone? My layout has posters for Harry Markle and Anton Deck appearing at the local theatre

There is something about a loco drive steamer easing away with just a hint of a slip , or judging how much wellie you can give it without excess slipping which the clunky Railway DCC does not fit well with. Its not a DCC issue, Scalextric DCC hand throttles are great, but no one seems to make a decent real time speed control for railways. I keep planning something I call "Protoslip" for a Bullied where the drive is shared between a heavy tender and a light loco powered from the sae motor with a differential so it the drivers slip the tender loses power. The gulf berween whats possible with DCC and what the trade churns out is well sad. The Tender drive shown has traction tyres. I banned them because they make the tracks so filthy

My layout has hardboard projecting above the baseboard surface to stop stock falling off so leaning on it is painful. Leaning on an exhibition layout is sheer bad manners, why it might damage the static grass or fencing which should like the railway boundary!

The signalling problem comes from the illogical track layout. I would expect the milk dock point to be operated from the signal box, locked in the straight position when either starter or home signals are off. But I would not expect the station to have a milk dock. Milk was typically dealt with at passenger platforms, loaded and especially unloaded., off peak in London. It was a fairly quick operation, rolling churns around on their edges prior to going to tankers. The dock would never have a "Train" enter, just a few wagons propelled in. "Dock" platforms are often higher than the 3ft passenger platform maximum to make loading vans easier.;

Why? He and Fuller, potentially saved millions of lives by inventing Blitzkreig in place of WW1 style trench warfare.

I think operationally a std 4 point BLT would be more interesting. The sidings are very short, very awkward, and there is nowhere to put anything out of the way, sort of like a chess match unless you want to model BR steam circa 1965/7 with 3 wagons and a van. @Harlequin's solution is a lot more user friendly and visually better, though I would have deleted his short spur behind the goods shed as being little use. In practice the tracks are so close to the edge that there is no real room for even low relief scenery, trans might actually hit the wall. It's too cramped. At present I am constantly moving the goods shed on my terminus "Ugleigh" not on software but physically moving it around the baseboard as what looks good on paper dose not translate to looking "Right" on the baseboard.