sonofjamie

Hi folks,

 

Just looking for advice on C Rail containers please.  I model 1985-1995 and just wondering which will be suitabe?

 

I have been looking at photos on the internet and in books and it looks like the OCL, P&O, and Freightliner yellow/red  20fts and 40fts would be OK.  But what about CAST Maersk and Evergreen and any others?  Plus I'd like a couple of tanks.

 

I checked the firms website but there's very little information on which eras the containers would be suitable for.

 

Any advice would be gratefully received.  Thanks.

Hi there,

I think you could pretty much use any of the containers that Arran (C Rail) produces. The only ones I wouldn't be confident about are the CMA/CGM ones (which I'm pretty sure were Ellerman and CE (Cunard Ellerman) back in those days), and EVERGREEN, which I think is a relative newcomer to the shipping scene. I was a box jockey (Driver of artic lorries carrying containers (boxes)) during the period you mention and I can remember having pretty much all of the rest on my trailer (chassis) at one time or another. Especially CAST, as the haulage company I worked for at the time also stored these containers, so our yard was always full of them.

On one of the units try changing the direction bit in CV 29. by adding 1 to the total value of CV 29

Cheers tractor, job done, works a treat!!!!

Here's some photos straight out of the box and test run - runs like a dream!!

Hi folks,

Forgive me if this has been covered already but if it has I can't find it.

Problem is my two units won't go in the same direction. I've tried seperate addresses and both with same address. I know there's a way of changing the direction of one of them using one of the CV's but the instructions with the decoders I am using are next to useless! Help please?

I think you remove the coupling bar from one of them (leaves you with a spare bar) and that lets them couple.

Hi Kaput,

Thanks. It does indeed.

I'm not sure why Dapol didn't just leave the coupling bars off as they have done with all previous wagons (megafret, FEA, etc). Anyway, sorted. Cheers.

At the risk of making myself look like a complete imbecile on here. How do you get Dapol's IDA wagons to couple together??

I took them both out of the box for the first time last night, and realised that they both had 'male' couplings attached. I was on the verge of sending them back thinking that this was obviously a mistake, but on looking at the picture of them on Hattons I notice that the pair in their picture also have 'male' couplings attached. I'm confused . . . . . .

Hi Amdaley,

Thankyou for your reply.

I have tested the decoder socket on the PCB with a meter and there are no shorts. I have also turned the PCB over to see if there are any obvious signs of stray solder marks or anything else that might suggest that the PCB tracks have been compromised but I can't find anything.

I have about 20 locos chipped and on the layout at the moment and they are all running fine.

I originally posted this in DCC Fitting Guides but maybe it belongs in here?

Hi All,

Wonder if any of you can help me here.

I have been converting my locos to DCC over the last few months with a lot of success and great satisfaction - very pleased with how well it has all been running!

However, I attempted to fit an 8 pin decoder to a recently purchased Hornby Class 92 "Brahms" (which incidentally runs very smoothly on DC). On switching on the DCC power to the service track the Dynamis displayed the "STOP" and "SHORT" symbols. I removed everything and started again, but to no avail, the "STOP" and "SHORT" symbols appear instantly.

Thinking the decoder might be faulty I tried a different one but likewise, to no avail, same thing.

I'm assuming that if there was a problem with the wiring/pick-ups it would have "shorted" on DC also, so as the loco works fine on DC I assume there is possibly something wrong with the PCB but I can't see anything obvious.

Is it possible to do away with the PCB completely and just hard-wire the decoder?

Thanks RFS and Richard for your replies.

Unfortunately, neither of these things are the problem. I have tested the DCC socket as you suggested and none of the pin sockets short with any of the other pin sockets, and the underneath of the PCB, where the socket is, is nowhere near touching anything.

I have just successfully hard-wired a decoder into a class 86 (as it didn't have any kind of socket or PCB) and I can't think of any reason why I shouldn't just by-pass the PCB on the class 92 and hard-wire a decoder into it too. There is the addition of directional lighting on the 92 but the wires are clearly marked where they connect to the PCB, so connecting them to the correct wires on the decoder shouldn't be a problem. Does anyone know exactly what the PCB does, other than connect the relevant pins on the decoder to the appropriate terminals on the PCB?

Hi All,

Wonder if any of you can help me here.

I have been converting my locos to DCC over the last few months with a lot of success and great satisfaction - very pleased with how well it has all been running!

However, I attempted to fit an 8 pin decoder to a recently purchased Hornby Class 92 "Brahms" (which incidentally runs very smoothly on DC). On switching on the DCC power to the service track the Dynamis displayed the "STOP" and "SHORT" symbols. I removed everything and started again, but to no avail, the "STOP" and "SHORT" symbols appear instantly.

Thinking the decoder might be faulty I tried a different one but likewise, to no avail, same thing.

I'm assuming that if there was a problem with the wiring/pick-ups it would have "shorted" on DC also, so as the loco works fine on DC I assume there is possibly something wrong with the PCB but I can't see anything obvious.

Is it possible to do away with the PCB completely and just hard-wire the decoder?

That 5 to 6 amps is very high!

 

The original ESU power supply is 16v DC at 2.3amps.

I have since tried my Hornby Select power supply with the correct adapter fitted on the end, and that works fine as does the 4amp Hornby power supply.

 

I really like the idea of powering the Bachmann Dynamis with a Hornby power supply!!!

 

It just seems very strange that the original ESU adapter just seems to be a common failure point,  also that it can be that susceptible to poor DC or noise on the mains power.

At least the Hornby power supplies are both working and powering it OK.

 

Cheers

 

Ian

Hi Ian,

I wish I had read this post before having a very frustrating morning!

Like you I managed to buy (on eBay) a Dynamis recently (as my very first DCC controller!) and duly got it set up. All was working great and the last few days have been spent fitting decoders and trying them out. Headed into the loft this morning with the intention of fiiting and programming a few more decoders and to my dismay I was greeted with the dreaded flashing lights syndrome. Tried disconnecting everything from the control box, resetting the handset, wiring up a different bit of track, everything I thought I could possibly do. At my wits end I decided to unplug the PSU to have a look at it to see if there was anything untoward looking. Couldn't see anything wrong so as a last resort I plugged everything in just to give it one last chance and "Hey! Ho!" the b*****y thing worked. Steady green light as if nothing had happened. A couple of decoders installed, programmed into the handset, and everything working perfectly.

After reading your post, I am now convinced that the problem is with the PSU and not the control box or handset, so I am now somewhat relieved, as this should be fairly cheap to replace.

Thanks

Steven

Call me old fashioned but at least the Hornby model has the same livery on both sides!

 

The latest version of the 67 is an excellent model overall. The 68 is a work in progress.

For many years I wouldn't have touched any Hornby model with a barge-pole, but thanks partly to Bachmann now looking for you to take out a second mortgage to buy one of their offerings, and being tempted by a few 'special' offers that have been available the last couple of years on some Hornby models from certain online retailers, I have been persuaded to buy some of their re-tooled offerings and very impressed I am too!! The difference between the old HST and the new one is night and day - was absolutely blown away when I took it out of the box and powered it up - looks and runs like a dream!

My latest 'bargain' arrived today in the post, alongside a Dapol 'special offer' from Rails:-

Arrived in the post about an hour ago. I was hoping to wait 'til after the Summer before purchasing one of these, but when the Rails e-mail came in my resolve broke!

As you can see, I couldn't resist the 'bargain' offer on the TTS sleeper 67 too!! I hope they don't do too many special offers - my wallet can't handle it!!!!

We do not support Rocrail, only JMRI, so that should be taken into consideration. Support for Rocrail will need to come from their forum.

 

 

 

Not quite true. You can use iThings with the WiThrottle App or Android devices with Engine driver, as throttles via WiFi, giving you wireless control system for free (assuming you altready own the devices).

 

Andrew Crosland

http://www.sprog-dcc.co.uk

Cheers Andrew,

I'll bear all this in mind if/when I get to the point of going on to computer control of the layout. In the meantime I've picked up a fairly cheap Dynamis from eBay to take my first tentative steps in DCC, so having a backup handset in case of any future computer system failure won't be an issue anymore.

"I just wondered how happy you were with the Bachmann Dynamis controller and whether you feel the trip to the 'dark side' has been worth it???"

 

My thoughts on the Dynamis have been given earlier.

As to the changeover to DCC, when the system is running I cannot fault it and I like especially the ability to control several locos at the same time. My main problems has been as mentioned before, has been the points and the chipping of some locos.

Cheers!

I've pretty much convinced myself that DCC is the way to go (Saw a Dynamis going fairly cheap on eBay so decide to take the plunge!! !!). I'm about to lay the track for a large Traction Maintenance Depot section of the layout and trying to work out wiring/switching for all the isolating sections was making me think "Wouldn't it be so much easier (and quicker!) if I didn't have to bother with any of this?". So a small batch of Hattons cheap decoders have duly been ordered and I will see how it all works out.

Yes, if you already have the laptop, the only thing left to purchase is the SPROG 3 unit.

 

Do note, however, this also has some disadvantages: if the laptop goes kaputt, you can't drive trains anymore. Also, you cannot connect a handset for convenient operating of the layout, everything goes via the laptop. But if that's what you want, then go for it!

 

Oh, and I didn't include the cost for decoders, but I reckon you got that figured out already

Hi Dutch,

Thanks again.

Yes, it had crossed my mind about relying entirely on computer control, which is why I was looking at the Bachmann Dynamis Ultima to give me (what I hoped would be!) the best of both worlds, but your suggested setup is certainly a lot cheaper and it's definitely still on the options list.

Yes, no matter what route I eventually take, the decoders will be a necessary additional cost.

Mmm . . . lots to ponder.

Would it?

• Raspberry Pi 3 w/ starter pack, incl. power brick & pre-installed 8GB SD card: 55
• decent LCD screen: 60-75
• decent keyboard & mouse combo: 15-20
• SPROG 3: 60-ish
• RocRail or JMRI: free from the web (Open Source projects)

You don't really need anything else, so for approx 180-200 quid your basic setup is done, including a dedicated PC-style computer. Which, btw, is made in Wales

Hi Dutch,

Thank you for your input. That looks like another possible setup to consider. Given that I already have an old spare laptop, would I be right in thinking that all I would need to buy then is the SPROG? RocRail looks very similar to the Bachmann software - and it's FREE !!

As I obtained originally an inexpensive Bachmann Dynamis DCC set, I have come across the dreaded drop off of signal, which I think has been well documented.

However with the Probox IR extender, the problem has been reduced to almost nil. I did find out however that the IR receivers(original and extender) are not interchangeable due to the connections.

The wiring has arrived so I shall be busy!

I am currently in the process of building a very large layout in my loft which is running DC at the moment. However, I am now considering whether to 'bite the bullet' and, like yourself, go over to the 'dark side'. Having over 20 locos I'm not looking forward to installing decoders and programming them all one after another.

Elsewhere on RMWeb today I noticed a post about the Bachmann Dynamis Ultima being run via computer software which (it is claimed) eliminates the need to program each decoder, and that DCC fitted locos can simply be placed on the track and once assigned a number (address) from the software and (assuming the loco profile is already in the software) all the loco's DCC functions are ready to be controlled at the click of an icon on the screen. It would involve a major investment financially but I'm hoping could save an enormous amount of time assuming it all works as advertised.

I just wondered how happy you were with the Bachmann Dynamis controller and whether you feel the trip to the 'dark side' has been worth it???

HI All

 

Barbie samples are on there way 

 

Regards Arran

This is the one I ordered. Seeing as I regularly sit on them between East Kilbride and Glasgow Central I found it very hard to resist. Thought long and hard about whether it would be worth £200, but seeing these pics makes me think it might just be worth it. Can't wait to see it in the flesh. Only problem is, it's going to give the Hornby and Lima versions I already have a good showing up.

Well done Dapol!

I hope it proves to be a successful investment, and sets the wheels in motion for a return to full 'in house' production and assembly.

Hopefully Hornby will be watching carefully, and may make a simliar move at some point soon (given how much they have been messed about by out-sourcing their work, I'm surprised that they weren't the first to make a move!!).

Says a lot for the market for contemporary locos, when a company came make a fair few mistakes, glue nameplates on with play dough and they still sell out !

I think the truth is, as with any hobby/interest, there is a broad spectrum of people involved. There are some on here for whom perfection would be just not good enough, and at the other extreme there are those on here who are only too happy to defend the indefensable. Obviously enough people felt that, on balance, the Dapol 68 was good enough to justify them spending their cash on it. It is a brand new model and I suspect/hope that Dapol will take on board the (constructive) criticisms it has undoubtedly received, and the next batches of these locomotives will be better. Unfortunately I also suspect that the price for future batches will be even higher, putting it further out of reach for the likes of me. It is this latter point that I would be inclined to take issue with manufacturers for. I can accept that the initial R&D and tooling costs mean that first run models will carry a premium in order to try to recover these costs. What I don't understand, or accept, are manufacturers (who shall remain nameless - as I don't want to upset the "defend the indefensable" brigade on here!) who are still producing models, for which the design and tooling must be more than 10 years old by now, and selling them at more than twice the price of the original models. Lame arguments about "increased costs in China" regurgitated by some on here are simply buying into the propoganda produced by said manufacturers to justify grossly inflated prices being asked of modellers compared to the REAL "increased costs in China". In the last few years the only new wagons that I have been buying are Dapol wagons, as I feel they represent (to me at least) the best balance of quality and price. Looking at the prices of the new/forthcoming releases from other manufacturers suggest that my buying preferences are not about to change any day soon.   

4 pairs arrived yesterday. Well impressed!! Great wagons at a reasonable price - gets my vote every time. !

The lamp irons at the wrong end is an irritation, but I'm prepared to put up with that considering the overall quality and price. Not a 'rivet counter' so can't really find anything else wrong with these wagons - look fantastic to me, a definite 9.5 out of 10.

Be warned though, these wagons are EXCEPTIONALLY free running - if your layout is not exactly level these wagons will roll and roll and roll and roll until they hit the buffers!!

Hattons have just hiked the price up to full retail!!!!   Absolutely gutted! Was saving up to get all 4 sets and went on today to order but now changed my mind. Seems like they have a virtual monopoly on these wagons and are exploiting that!   Not very happy.

Panic (and disappointment) over! Manged to track down stock of these at Kernow - with free postage over £150 it ended up just £3 more expensive than Hattons would have been originally. Happy bunny again    , looking forward to seeing them on the tracks.

Hattons have just hiked the price up to full retail!!!!   Absolutely gutted! Was saving up to get all 4 sets and went on today to order but now changed my mind. Seems like they have a virtual monopoly on these wagons and are exploiting that!   Not very happy.

I dont condone the actions either, but no one is forcing you to buy the loco, if you really wanted one, then it was available to pre-order at many outlets, and there are still some available at no more than RRP if you shop around  Failing that, then Dapol are producing more, their intention is to produce the whole DRS owned examples at least.

I am also willing to concede that those who do buy from these sellers/touts are inadvertently condoning the practice themselves. If nobody bought from ticket touts or eBay sellers selling at more than RRP, then they would stop doing it overnight and the problem would be put to bed once and for all.

Why do you always call eBay 'thiefbay'? If someone is willing to pay over the odds for something, that's not the fault of eBay nor the seller, so no thieving involved.

"Thieving" is probably not strictly the correct word to use, as that would imply something illegal was happening. However, I would suggest that what is going on is certainly unethical. It's a bit like ticket touts buying up wads of concert tickets knowing fine well that genuine fans who didn't get on to Ticketmaster before they did, will now have no alternative but to pay the grossly inflated prices that they are asking if they want to see their favourite artist. If you don't want to actually have the locomotive yourself you shouldn't be buying one, and thus preventing those who genuinely do want one (me for example) from buying one at the correct selling price. I might fall short of calling it "thieving", but I certainly wouldn't condone or defend those who indulge in the practice.