Salmotrutta

Thanks for posting - I hadn't noticed the ROD and even though I don't need one I love filthy locos! At that price just can't say no..........

I use Sculptamold which appears to be a combination of a powder like Hydrocal and papier mache. It's not cheap but is easy to use, very light weight and sticks well to wood. I usually use ot over a thin plaster bandage on top of sculpted foam; but have also successfully used it on wood directly. I'm a huge fan of it!

Thanks Paul & Martin! I have written to BEMO with the photos so hope to hear back from them. Saddo that I am I was looking forward to sitting in the dark in my basement with the work lights on and the flashing warning lights whilst the Preiser workforce got on with some night time ballasting....

AUX 5 is mapped on the downloaded sound file from ESU to one of the lights as a flashing light as is AUX 6. So it's possible that the IC missing from the circuit board would be the amplifier - I'm waiting to hear back from BEMO on that. AUX5 and Aux 6 are mapped as work lights. The sound does come via the circuit board through the socket. All the functions work correctly on the ESU decoder tester so I'm assuming that it's an issue with the circuit board. Here's a link to the ESU file:http://projects.esu.eu/projectoverviews/3?type=all&order=date&country=ch

Just a thought - have any of the locos still got the capacitors / chokes in place? These can cause lots of bizarre problems. I have a Tillig TT layout and weirdness with some of my DCC controllers was due to capacitors fitted to the track (which has integrated roadbed). Took them out - no problems!

I'm having some issues with a circuit board in a BEMO locomotive and trying to find a way of by passing the next18 socket for some of the AUX outputs. I have just written to ESU for information I'm copying it here in case it's useful to others. " I'm having an issue with installing this decoder in a BEMO Rhb Gmf 4/4 II 234 02. I have contacted BEMO for information as the circuit board seems to be missing an IC resulting in the functions for AUX 3 Aux 4 & Aux 5 not working. They are available on the decoder when tested on the ESU Lokprogrammer / decoder tester so it's definitely as circuit board problem with the loco. Are the series of solder pads by the speaker wires duplicate outputs for the decoder? I have looked in both the English (4th edition) and German (11th edition) manuals and the illustration for 54898 only gives the pin-outs for the socket itself. If these are indeed duplicate outputs and you have a diagram you can share it would be most appreciated!"

Very annoyed. Despite wiring up the lamps they don't work - I suspect because there's a missing integrated circuit. See picture. I'll have to see if there's a way to access the AUX outputs directly from the circuit board. Probably means you can't access the light function on DCC without sound either although on the web site it says : LED Arbeitsscheinwerfer und Warnlampen für Funksteuerung - nur digital schaltbar - in other words available under digital operation.

Forgot to add that you have to remove the speaker enclosure secured by two small self tapping screws. See Martinb's picture above.

As you can see work lights aren;t connected and the hall effect wiring is missing.... Meh

Trimmed an stuck with double sided tape. Broke the lugs off the speaker box as you can see. The bit sticking out was blocked with silicon to improve the bass. Works well. More to follow on the other issues with lighting and hall effect squeal... It's an iPhone 5 speaker.

I think that the speaker solder pads connect directly via the circuit board to the decoder socket; when I tested it on my ESU tester it powered up the on board speaker as well.

Thank you so much for this! I'm really grateful! I haven't opened mine yet so I don't know if there is a speaker already - I doubt it. If not I guess it will be my trusty iPhone speaker install!

I finally got one of these but they had sold out of the sound version. I now have the correct NEXT 18 ESU loksound micro V4 but have yet to install it. Does anyone have a sound fitted one who can tell me where the speaker is fitted and do the brown speaker wires go to the speaker directly or to the circuit board.

Must confuse your bin men if the recycling bin is going grey.....

Before putting in a new chip check the quality fo the wiring on the loco. My NRM Scotsman was put on display as a runner but when I got it out to play it started smoking - fried its chip. The problem was underneath the socket for the chip which had pierced a poorly routed wire. Then my Merchant Navy did the same thing.... Meh.

And my Bose "Quiet comfort" ear pads - all mankey & sticky. Eughh!

A few points: If a bricks and mortar store has a higher price than online it always worth asking. But don't forget that there is also P&P to add. If they can't match to price of a "big box" retailer on a loco they might be able to sweeten the deal with a discount on something with a better margin like wagons or track. Look after your local shop because next time you need just one yard of PECO streamline it will be there for you. The price gap between 00 and 0 scale is narrowing as the material costs of each scale are only a small part of the final cost. Production costs in China have risen dramatically and there is also a limited pool of talent there experienced in model railway manufacture. Tooling and assembly of the complex models drive much of the production cost. The decline in the relative value of the pound hasn't helped either. Model railways are now a "niche market" - and have been for some time. There really isn't sufficient profit in retail unless you sell much more than model railways or go "box shifter" and hope to get the volume to cover costs. The only way to maintain a reasonable margin as a small retailer is to produce unique models just for your store.

Too true - the foam packaging in some of my Lilliput coaches is now a sticky brown powder.

GWR Broad gauge. No RTR competition there (apart from a bit from the BGS). Lovely looking locos that would display nicely if you can't build a layout.

Spiffing film! Thanks for sharing! Tip top!

The toilet roll in the picture - did you put in an en-suite as well ?

Just a brilliant video (as ever). Beauty, Eh?

True! My layout is flat and the tractor only runs on a short length of track by the station. If it was BR you could always say it was "the wrong sort of leaves on the Line".....

PECO electro-lube on the wheels helps too. Later ones have a more dirt-resistant finish on the wheels which helps pick-up apparently.

Here we go - Ge 4/4 III. Hopefully clear enough to see what I did. In the picture of the three loks you can see the difference between the lighting of the locos; the one at the back is the original bulbs, the one on front right is LED and 1mK ohm and the one fron left is the Ge 4/4 II with LED and 750k ohm.