geoff

Andy, sorry to bother you but I think my Gold membership has failed as I am getting a video pop up on the right hand side every time I select a new topic or just drop in on the forum. Sorry to add to your work load but thank you for all the effort you have expended to get the site back up. Regards. Geoff Robinson

Thank you Ian. Regards. Geoff

I understand that but does that wireless connection permit the full read/write functions of programming such as reordering function outputs on, say a Loksound 5 decoder? Regards. Geoff

Thank you Ian. I perhaps didn't phrase my question accurately. I am familiar with JMRI using it with my Digitrax system which has a physical connection via a Locobuffer with a usb to serial adapter cable. Your reply suggests to me that the Z21 will work with JMRI wirelessly for programming. Have I understood that correctly? Regards. Geoff

Good evening folk, I have just read through this topic from start to finish looking for an answer for a friend. Is it possible to connect a pc to a Z21 to use the programming output in connection with JMRI Decoder Pro and if so what is required to achieve it. Thanks. Geoff

360120 heads to Corby with 1Y21 11:15 ST PANCRAS INTERNATIONAL - 12:24 CORBY. running on 10/08/2021 360104 and 110 work the 1H42 12:11 CORBY. - 13:22 ST PANCRAS INTERNATIONAL running on 10/08/2021 360105, 360112 & 360108 Stand side by side at Kettering with the 1Y17 and 1H36 respectively. Geoff

There has been a fair amount of line side work near Braybrooke. An access has been created off the Dingley road and some land alongside the line (perhaps a former loop) has been cleared of vegetation. There is now quite a good viewing opportunity from the "Plant Man" garden centre car park. Geoff

I haven't recently travelled north of Kettering on the main line so I cannot say how much progress there has been. Certainly at the Kettering end the hasn't been much activity bar cutting back some vegetation north of Glendon South where the Manton line branches off. I had heard that work was supposedly taking place from both ends and the main line was closed between Kettering and Leicester this last weekend and also appears to have been closed overnight on various days, if the replacement bus service to Market Harborough late at night and early morning is anything to go by. Geoff

A couple of shots of the 360 units inaction on the Corby to St Pancras Service. Geoff 360105, 360112 & 360108 Stand side by side at Kettering with the 1Y17 and 1H36 respectively. An 8 car 360 set rolls down from Storefield towards Glendon South Junction with 1H42 12:11 CORBY. - 13:22 ST PANCRAS INTERNATIONAL running on 15/06/2021

A couple of pictures from this morning showing the recently erected masts on the main line to Leicester behind the trains on the Manton line. Geoff 66787 accelerates through Kettering North Junction with 6G66 08:11 WELLINGBOROUGH UP TC GBRF - 11:08 BURTON OT W YD MAURICE H running on 25/03/2021 having started from platform 1 at Kettering and crossing over to the down slow at KNJ while 66606 waits at the signal just behind the photographer for the road to be cleared to continue through to Kettering with the late running 6M39 01:21 MORETON-ON-LUGG FHH - 10:30 RADLETT REDLAND ROADSTONE running on 25/03/2021 A new electrification mast on the main line can be seen above the first wagon. 66606 restarts the 49 minute late running 6M39 01:21 MORETON-ON-LUGG FHH - 10:30 RADLETT REDLAND ROADSTONE after being held at the signal while the 6G66 08:11 WELLINGBOROUGH UP TC GBRF - 11:08 BURTON OT W YD MAURICE H crossed over from the up slow to the down slow. The tops of new masts on the main line can be seen above the first and second wagons.

360114 leads a 12 coach set through Kettering North Junction on its way to Corby as 3Y15 1033 Luton to Corby running 6 minutes late having been held at Kettering South junction waiting for the late running 5M17 HST to clear Kettering on its way to Leicester via Corby. Here a couple of pictures from Monday of one of the return workings to Corby. The have been others today. Geoff 360119 with 360114 at the rear returns from Corby en route to Bedford with 3Y16 1128 Corby to Bedford 1208 running just 1 minute early.

The Lokprogrammer has an export facility in Tools which will allow you to export your decoder settings as a text file which you can then import into the appropriate roster file for your loco in Decoderpro. This is a real time saver as the Lokprogrammer will read your decoder much much faster than Decoderpro. Each time you programme a decoder with Lokprogrammer you can save those settings as the default using the check box mentioned previously. You will also be asked if you wish to overwrite the previous settings. Geoff

Apologies, I didn't pick up on the decoder being a micro. I have always followed the diagram in the manual when I have connected to the micro and I do not recall having to solder on top of an existing connection. Since the locos I have these units in are all quite small and very difficult to fit the whole set up in so I am afraid I cannot offer to open one up to look at the connections. I certainly have not had any issues getting them to work. Geoff

My reading of the ESU diagram shows all three wires from the power pack connecting to pads on the side of the decoder but your photo shows only two wires. Note that the blue wire on a decoder is not ground but positive +. I haven't connected one to a a full size Loksound but I have done several micros and they have all worked fine when wired as per the diagram and the appropriate CVs set. Geoff

As I posted on Sunday today did in fact see the first three 360 units make their way to Kettering Stabling Sidings this morning. 360113 in the lead with 104 and 116. Geoff 360113 working the 5Y60 09:25 CRICKLEWOOD DEPOT - 11:09 KETTERING STABLING SIDINGS running on 26/11/2020 cruises almost silently along the Ise Valley past Isham on its maiden journey to Kettering stabling sidings.

Some notes from my local internet group. Geoff You may be interested in the following :- Corby electrics proposed to be fully energised next tues 24 nov. EMR first class 360 to Kettering sidings on Thurs 26 nov Driver training to start 7 dec Kettering Kentish Town with 2 different training sets eventually. There are at least 3 360 units at Cricklewood now.

My permitted exercise during this lockdown allowed me to visit Kettering North Junction this week where I noticed evidence of work to extend the electrification towards Market Harborough. Geoff The tubes behind the machine look to be foundation tubes for OHLE masts and the machine looks to be the one to install them. 222016 working the 1B31 Nottingham to St Pancras service under the Glendon Road bridge. Right by the nose of the unit can be seen a pile footing for an OHLE mast. The train is on time. OHLE mast foundation tube on the down main between Kettering North Junction and the Glendon Road bridge.

NO NO, that is the wrong way round. RED AND BLACK TO THE TRACK, GREY AND ORANGE TO THE MOTOR. Geoff

Just need some trains to play with now. Geoff

Open Train Times maps show the sidings completed but since there are no units to stable I guess they could be considered not in use although the signalling system shows "TAMP" by signal 6078. They are labeled "Depot Siding 1- 4" Geoff

Test trains have run in May and the latest ran this week. ( 9 June 20 Leicester EMR OHL Train 47813 90035 91128 57310). The 90 and 91 were marshalled in a mixed rake of ex Virgin, East Coast and other coaches topped and tailed by the 47 and 57. None of the photographs I have seen show the pantographs raised on either of the electric locomotives so I wonder what it is that is being tested. The runs, according to RTT, cover the fast lines and the Corby line. Geoff

In that instance you need to adjust the reference voltage. See the notes from Steve Weeks, SW Digital, below. I have found that I have to increase this to a value of around 140 IIRC. Geoff CV 53 (Reference Voltage) In CV 53, you set the EMF reference voltage generated by the motor at maximum revs. This parameter may have to be adapted subject to the track voltage and the efficiency of the motor. If the locomotive reaches maximum speed when the throttle is set to about three-quarter and the top third of the throttle has no influence on the speed, then you should reduce the value of CV 53. Reduce the value by 5 – 8 and test the locomotive again. Repeat this process until the locomotive just reaches its maximum speed when the throttle is fully open. On the other hand, if the locomotive moves too slowly at full throttle then you should increase the value of CV 53 step by step until the maximum speed is reached.

Thanks guys. Geoff

Thanks 96701. I wondered if that was possibly how it was done. Geoff

Thanks to those who responded to my query about the red cables connected to the track at Glendon. Does this mean that the old track circuits used for detecting trains are no longer used if these traction return cables are effectively shorting out the rails? Geoff