geoffers

Going back to the issue with the "non-stay-alive" on my 7800 "Torquay Manor" I have purchased and now fitted the ESU LokPilot v5 Next18 decoder from Accurascale. Thought that, maybe, the decoder designed for the Manor would enable the stay-alive to work. This replaced the Zimo MN180 Next 18 decoder. Sadly the stay-live still does not function even after fiddling with CV 113. So I have come to the end of my investigation on this issue short of sending the loco to Accurascale for a look-see and repair. As in all other ways the loco runs well, smoothl, slow crawl etc. I shan't bother doing this. One thing I did discover was that on the Zimo chip the firebox flicker works on F1 but on the LokPilot it is F8. It also works randomly on the LokPilot.

Ah! - that is interesting. Think I shall get an ESU LokPilot Next18 decoder to try out. Thanks so much for the tip.

Good to know, Mike. Thanks. My NCE PowerCab uses a DCC Concepts Alpha Power which delivers 18 volts and up to 5 amps. Stay-alive on 7812 "Erlestoke Manor" works fine. For some reason but not so on 7800 "Torquay Manor" but having fiddled with reboots and CVs it is still not functional so have given up now as everything else works on this loco fitted with a Zimo MN180 Next18 decoder.

Sympathise with you having done many night shifts over the years. Used to put earplugs in but you needed, of course, someone to wake you up. Looking forward to hearing your report that she told the headmaster to "...p**s off..." as well. Sounds the type.

Thank you for this. Am increasingly thinking this is a stay-alive issue and not decoder. The capacitor bank is Accurascale installed in the tender. Not sure of the value. Have re-sited the Zimo MN180 decoder but still no stay-alive. I have attached some photos of the installation. I am very much inclined to leave this as it is, with the loco otherwise working fine, as every removal of the tender body is resulting with fine detail dropping off or breaking and the fiddly repairs are taking it's toll on my eyesight. But thanks for advice and interest.

Thank you gents. The stay-alive is a pair of capacitors of equal capacitance wired to the PCB. I have tried a different Bachmann 36-567A decoder in 7800 with the same result - zilch. I was wondering if there are other CVs apart from CV153 which would effect a result. It may be an issue with the PCB then. In the end it probably is not important enough to me to faff around with as the loco runs smoothly on a non-sound decoder and has loco and tender pick-ups. Cheers,

I am aware of some debate about this elsewhere, and have also been in contact with Accurascale who are looking into it, but am asking on here as there are some very knowledgeable folk who know a great more than I do on the technicalities of decoders as this may be a decoder issue.. Have two of Accurascale Manors, 7800 "Torquay Manor" and 7812 "Erlestoke Manor". Both run very smoothly, both have non-sound decoders installed and F1 switches the firebox flicker on. and off. So the decoders work fine. 7812 has a Bachmann 36-567A Next18 decoder and the stay-alive works. 7800 has a Zimo MN180 Next18 decoder and the stay-alive does not work. Strangely when initially installed I am sure it did. Hence I feel this may, I stress may, be a decoder issue. Have done a CV8 reset to 8 (twice) to no avail, and have fiddled with CV153 (set to 0 initially but have tried a variation of numbers up to 50) and also to no avail. Are there any other CVs I need to look at? By the way I don't speak German. CV153, incidentally on the Bachmann decoder is also set to 0 and it works.

Thank you for this tip. Doubt whether I will change the CV value as the great majority of derailments tend to be operator initiated but it is good to know.

Would agree with that observation but it is a very small and from a viewing distance not noticeable on either, at least to me.

Did not specify as he/she was getting defensive about it. It was pointed out, by others too, that the chimneys were changed on re-draughting but it is a good point you make as to whether he/she was looking at the preserved one. No version was mentioned just a comparison with another make of Manor.

Have enjoyed this book A couple of bits of info - at the bottom of page 233 the "unidentified 8F 2-8-0 is 48760 as recorded in Bob Bunyar's book "Somerset and Dorset Swansong", plus other references and personal recollection as I was at Templecombe that day. Now onto the Bailey Gate pages - Bridge no 217 was locally known as "Cliff Arch". Bottom of page 281 - have seen this Alan Jarvis photograph before. The guard may have been Frank Staddon but the "farmer" is Bailey Gate porter Charlie Stroud, and one of the amused ladies is Charlie's wife who had maybe just returned from a shopping trip to Poole. At the bottom of page 285 we see Standard Class 4 2-6-4T 80085 which was not a Bournemouth engine at the time but looks like it must have been "borrowed" for trips on 3rd and 4th March, 1966. Could have come down from London on a parcels or some such trip and was nabbed by the Bournemouth shed for a couple of trips. Her sister, 80138, was a Bournemouth shedded loco, was often seen on the line in the last year, and was active on 5th March 1966, pulling the last train through Bailey Gate to Bournemouth in the evening at 10-10pm, quite a few minutes late. She also pulled the the 7-10am departure from Bournemouth Central to Templecombe. I and a friend was on that train which we boarded at Bailey Gate.

Too long if a derailment happens!!! I guess 3 to 5 seconds.

Stay-alive works okay on my 7800 and 7812, the first, 7800, with a Zimo MN180 decoder, the second, 7812, with a Bachmann 36-567A (rebadged Zimo). I found the locos needed to be on the track a short while to enable the capacitors to "charge up". Incidentally pressing F1 on both these locos fired up the firebox flicker. 7812 will be refitted with an Accurathrash Manor sound decoder when they are available and arrive. Can always turn the sound off if I don't like it. On another group I read a comment from a chap who felt the chimney profile was incorrect. Looks okay to me.

Enjoyed your show yesterday. Good talking to you and thanks to "the loco doctor" for repairs to 6869 " Resolven Grange".

Happens a lot off the north Norfolk coast , ie Holkham and Wells. The tide rushes in very quickly.

Have used Zimo MN180 Next18 decoder. Can get firebox glow with it (switchable). I like Zimo because of the motor control. Runs a treat with it installed. I guess there are others you can use though.

Thanks for that. It turns out that F1 pressed once turns it on and pressed again turns it off.

Rightly or wrongly I take them to my local recycling centre and put them into the small electrical bin. Maybe not for long, though, as Norfolk County Council are proposing closing a very well run and efficient operation.

Doh!!! All I need to do is press F1 on controller. Doh!!!

Have run the Manor on DC, everything fine but notice the firebox glows. However I run DCC and have installed a Zimo MN180 Next18 decoder. Again all is fine but no firebox glow. Does anyone know which CV I need to battle with in order to get a glow? Or even if this decoder will support it? Thanks.

For those who are still looking for an Accurascale Manor my local model shop, Great Eastern Models in Norwich, had a delivery this morning. When I collected Torquay Manor they had six left (Cookham, Torquay, Erlestoke, and Anthony). They do mail order.

Mine, 7812, was due to be delivered today but as I was out of the house today, and will be tomorrow, and again Monday showing a guest from Arizona around Norfolk, I have asked DHL to deliver Tuesday (no option for Saturday and Sunday offered when I will be home). Ironically their depot is only a couple of miles away but I need, it seems, a no delivery card from them in order to collect. Since I ordered and paid for it in December 2021 I suppose another six days won't matter.

Me too. Same reasons.

Started my meteorological career at Hurn, in the days of DanAir HS748s. Office was a small cold WW2 building adloined to AIS and across the way from a "Tramp Reception Centre" for the "Kings of the Road". After it closed we would get "visitors" which was quite alarming on a solo night shift. The great majority were gentle souls and we let them bed down in a spare room providing they left before the boss came in at 7am. on the other side of the airfield was BAC where they built the BAC 111s, a noisy aircraft if there ever was one. Can remember days/nights when Heathrow and Gatwick were fogging out and we would get loads of diverted flights incoming. Some interesting people visited us including, occasionally, one Douglas Bader. We youngsters were in total awe of him. In our present life we use Norwich Airport (with its controversial "airport development fee" of £10 which you have to pay before you are allowed in the departure lounge). Hop over on the KLM "City Hopper" to Amsterdam Schiphole and the world's your oyster.

Have been informed of crew arrival too. Sure there is something they can do.