jonklein611

The LRC was intended to be -say - a 10 coach train with a power car at each end, and a lot of running was done like that. However, and I am not sure when that happened, lack of demand led to smaller trains pulled by just one locomotive.

Learn all about it here:

http://rapidotrains.com/bombardier-lrc-history-and-modelling-tips/

That sounds like someone using Health and Safety as an excuse.  If there was some sort of risk with the moulds, then the risk could have been evaluated and suitable precautions identified. 

You'd be surprised how much this happens in China.  Working with our customer, they'd make a big stink about us moving forward with something because of "safety concerns".  After two weeks, turns out, they just weren't ready on their side and needed more time.  They won't come out and give you the bad news (we don't have your molds anymore) directly, they'll save face and create another "reason".

On another note, I finally returned home from working in China.  Got to unpack and test my APT-E.  What an awesome model, nearly blew my eardrums off, but awesome!  The connectors were pretty easy to figure out, and everything went together without a hitch.  Thanks for producing such an amazing model.  This will surely confuse my local railroad club (USA).

I wish I could hear the tilt systems start up on mine, but our club DCC handset only goes up to F12. 

What brand of DCC?  If it's Digitrax, there are tricks to get to the higher functions.

I was saddened to see in the latest US Rapido newsletter that Mike McGratten has succumbed to cancer.

 

Jason, thank you for sharing, at least part of your eulogy for your employee, friend and confidant.

 

The newsletter is available here.

 

N scale fans (everyone really) can participate in a tribute to Mike here and benefit his young son's future education.  A fun blog by Mike about a boxcar visiting other layouts and the transitions inflicted on it can be found in The Adventures of Littl' Puddy. The creativity and skill of the modellers who hosted "Littl' Puddy" is quite engaging.

Also, not sure if you guys saw in the background of this shot:

So for those of you, like me, that ordered through Rapido, check your email.  Rapido sent out info on how to make your selection on liveries.

As American's appear to have embraced DCC much more than us British, I have to ask myself what they did with all their old models? Surely just like many of us, they will have had large fleets of DC locos. Were they all consigned to the scrap yard to be replaced with newer, better, DCC ready/fitted locos or have their owners just bitten the bullet and paid for the decoders.

 

If you've got a large DC layout, all wired up and running then there isn't much point in switching to DCC. However, if starting again for what ever reason, making the change becomes a possibility. Starting from scratch with a new layout there's no way you'll have enough track working at anyone time for several weeks/months/years to provide enough space to run the dozens of locos many of us have. In this case you fit decoders to the most useful and/or your favourite locos first and gradually work through your fleet as and when track space and funds allow.

 

 

 

Happy modelling.

 

Steven B.

Most of us slowly converted older locos.  I had a small fleet, and it was easy to convert a few at a time.  Buy a pack of 6 decoders, install, wait for budget to recover, wash, rinse, repeat.  A few DCC manufactures made "conversion" kits for various locos (board replacements, or special wiring harnesses).  Anything made since around 2000ish has at least an 8 pin plug in it, so it became even easier.

.... But if the manufacturers want me (as opposed to all the dexterous and skilled modellers of RMWeb) to switch to DCC, they are going about it in a pretty dumb way: years and years ago, Pat Hammond on MREmag was asking why chips didn't fit into models in the same way that SD cards fitted into digital cameras?: a little flap on the bottom, maybe hidden in the undersides of a fuel tank or somewhere equally as inconspicuous; a quick press to fit, and your model is now DCC.....

So this is done by a few companies, Rapido included.  My kato N scale trains have a flap at the bottom, and I can slap a decoder in about 3 seconds.

I'm a bit confused by this - during the Kickstarter period the only place you could order was Kickstarter. Following the end of the Kickstarter period, Rapido took pre-orders for outside Europe and we (Revolution Trains) took orders for inside Europe.  I would check if you have a confirmation email and drop an email to Rapido to check that they have your order in their system.

 

Cheers, Mike

Sorry, I meant kickstarter pricing.

Order was placed with Rapido on Dec 26 2014.

I think having several in a team who can quickly respond to the customers without having to bounce it via the boss is more important

It's always going to be a Catch 22, they want more models but they don't want the company to change. Think on 10 years when Jason directs from his super yacht constantly cruising between China & Canada

You mean his Turbo Train, tearing up the CN rails...

What about those of us from the other side of the pond? I ordered mine via Rapido way during the kickstarter phase.  I have an account, but no orders show up.

Tell her you just bought a Dyson and you are cleaning the house...

The new Dyson APT-E, never loses suction...

Do train manufacturers still have experimental and prototype trains?

Yes,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JetTrain

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauge_Change_Train

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_1000_Shinkansen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_951_Shinkansen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WIN350

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STAR21

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/300X

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fastech_360#Class_E954_Fastech_360S

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fastech_360#Class_E955_Fastech_360Z

None of which have been made into models (I think).  I'm willing to bet the APT-E was the first to be produced in scale.

Following on from the above I have had a problem in resetting the decoder address and subsequent loss of red lights on unit PC-2.  With the whole train on the programming track using a Hornby Elite I first attempted to read the existing address but it was unreadable.  This is my normal procedure when buying a new loco or checking a decoder prior to installation.  I then reprogrammed the APT-E to 153 and put it back on the main line with a Lenz 100 system.  It responded to the new number but unfortunately the red lights on PC-2 did not work.  I returned it to the programming track but this time with only PC-1 and an intermediate bogie on the track and did a factory reset.  I returned it to the main line, it responded to decoder address no.3 and the red lights on PC-2 worked correctly.  I then returned it to the programming track with only PC-1 and the first intermediate bogie on the track and reset the address to 153.  On returning it to the mainline it worked perfectly on address 153 with red lights on PC-2.

This is not the first time I have problems programming multiple units with the Elite however I do not know what difference it makes to programming by having the whole train on the track or by having just PC-1 and one bogie.  It may just be an Elite problem but it may help others similarly affected.

Too much power consumption for the programming unit.  We've run into this issue with Broadway Limited locomotive (and other sound locomotives).  You might need an additional power booster for your programming track.  Check with your DCC maker.

 So would there be anything to stop a steam loco fitted with an ESU decoder running on DC with realistic steam sounds as accelerates? I don't know.

Nope, I do this when I run one of my trains around the Christmas tree.  Run a DCC loco on a DC loop with no issues (and you get basic sounds).  The only issue is power consumption, the DC throttle is at around 4-6V before the loco comes alive.  This reduces the fineness you have on speed control (4Vish to max).

However, after this last season, I bought a small DCC system (Digitrax Zephyr) and now get all the magical slow speed and sound features.

Got a message from UPSmychoice that mine is being delivered today. 

Admittedly the nose is not quite perfectly aligned and flush - the only slight minor (really minor) flaw on an otherwise perfect model. It is clipped in about 0.4mm too high. Size and shape being fine. It can be easily aligned with a little work but I am not going too.

 

I consider the lights far better than the old Hornby APT-P though.

I'm confused as to how the nose could be wrong, when it was 3D scanned from the full scale train...