Robertm3110

Thanks Jeremy.  I will check those links.  Theres a a colour picture kicking around on the net of one of the singles at Banbury.  Through the cab the seats look green with a lighter pattern of spots.  The floor isnt critical as its not really visible but just wanted to get it right (O gauge kit) 

Hi, anybody know what the colour was of the floors on the Derby Lightweights, specifically the singles?  I think the seats were green with a a pattern but am open to correction or further thoughts.  Thanks….. 

I am fitting a Lais872007 stayalive in the Bachmann Baldwin 10-12-D loco.   The loco has factory fitted chip and sound.  The speaker is in the loco coal bunker with 4 wires running to a PCB there.   Two brown wires for the speaker itself and two others, one blue, one yellow to solder points marked L+ and L-   Unlike usual DCC convention the blue wire is the negative.   Can somebody confirm how the stayalive wires in to this arrangement.  I cant see any free solder points on the DCC chip.   Comments appreciated.   Thanks 

It seems like the chip was set up with the code “3”.  When I was selecting “003” which is what I would normally do for a Zimo chip it didnt recognise it.  The code has now been changed and the powercab recognizes the chip, and I can “start” the loco, but get no movement in either direction.  The supplier who hasnt been particularly helpful hasnt supplied any simple instructions…….whats the process when starting up to get movement.  Is there a brake function I need to release?  

Yet another issue!  Installed a Loksound 5L chip in a Heljan 0 gauge class 17. As those with one will know its a simple plug and play swap with the blank installed in the Model as supplied.  Have wired in a speaker to the tab on the baseplate that Heljan supply and which had the blank in it.  There are tabs for a second speaker but only one installed so far. Tried it on the layout…nothing.  03 is the preset code according to Loksound but just nothing happening. Now this is a first Loksound installation for me.  I have done 15 plus Zimo chips largely without issue, at least as far as getting movement and basic sounds.   Am i missing something??? The basic instructions as supplied by Heljan basically tell you to do exactly what I have done.   Thoughts anybody???

Paul, sorry this has taken a while but decorating intervened on modelling activity! The values in cvs105-110 all show as zero. Have started to try and map out what I want in swiss mapping and will send this through later this week. Thanks. 

Paul, thanks.  No opportunity to look at  this today and busy most of tomorrow.  I will get back to you on this as I want to understand this, and will cover your question on CVs. At the moment when F10 is engaged to turn on the cab light, then when I set the direction to forwards the head code light goes out. The same applies to the other cab when F20 is engaged. if I turn off the cab lights the head code and tail lights work as they should, and reverse when direction is changed 

Further last, for Paul, if I work out a plan for reconfiguring my lights would you give it the once over before I set to with the control cab. If nothing else it helps me get my head round it. Thanks. 

Thanks for further comments, latterly those from Paul…I found the earlier comments useful and slowly getting my head round the process here.  Will have a trial on this and as you say if all else fails then CV8=8 to remedy it. Cant answer the question on the CVs you mention as not at home but will check on return. 

Thanks for that Lenny and will look at Nigel’s blog later.  Just to add a further comment as it may be simpler to resolve than I thought…..having checked the list of function/sounds (as set up)  on the F keys on the powercab, I noticed that F10 and F20 are both linked to function outputs, F10 to 1 and 2 and F20 to 3 and 4.  So….I wired the cab lights one to Function output 1 and one to Function output 3.  This partially works in that I can now switch the cab lights on and off independently using F10 and F20, and they change with the direction if both are on. But when they are on the head code and tail lights go off!  Is this a simple CV tweak or am I back to Swiss mapping?! 

Keith, Nigel, thanks.  I’ll have another look at the manual.  I guess I was hoping for an easy shortcut but looks like there isnt one! 

Hi, I have probably been here before but DCC never ceases to confuse!  Just finishing a Bachmann 0 gauge class 24. Fitted it with Zimo696KS Chip.  Sound works fine, fitted front and rear lights and they are good. However I want to have separate control of the loco cab lights I have fitted, I.e. I don’t want them on all the time the loco is running which they would be if I connected them to the directional lights. How do I do that.  There are at least 6 “Function output” connections possible and currently free on the Zimo chip. How do I get 2 of these to be controlled by the powercab so that say pressing key 15 and 16 on the powercab (Option+5/Option+6) will control the loco cab lights.  It could be any keys on the powercab, I just want to understand the process of achieving it! Thanks. 

Nigel, thanks, I had considered cv8 reset before doing anything drastic.  I’ll try that this morning as first move 

I have a Zimo 696 chip in a Heljan 0 gauge  class 20.  Yesterday it ran through a point and probably short circuited.  Not unusual.   Normally the loco would stop, sound cuts out, and then reset F1 to bring the loco back to life. In this instance The power reset but the loco wouldnt run with sound.  The lights are still controllable, and the loco will run under power, but  no sound on any function.   Could I have blown the speaker, or what?  The chip clearly isnt dead as I still have some control available. I havent got to swapping the speaker yet as its buried under the chip ……if you have one you’ll know that there isnt masses of room in the class 20 body. 

Can I ask how easy it is to fit DCC with sound to the Heljan L&B locos.  I have fitted numerous Zimo chips and speakers in various 0 gauge locos but 009 is a current new venture.  Is it a case of just inserting the DCC chip or are these locos not set up to receive. Also the speaker….is there room, I assume there isnt one pre fitted.  On the same subject…is the new Bachmann Quarry Hunslet going to have an inbuilt speaker,I see it will have a DCC socket 

Hi, could I just piggy back on this thread…..Like others I too have seen this recent 009 stuff and am thinking about a small layout.  I have the same questions re track - I use C & L for my 0 gauge layout but they dont do 009 - so  will probably settle for Peco and bury it in ballast and muck, bonding the joints with fine wire as fishplates.  But my question is more around DCC.  Fitting chips and sound in Heljan 0 gauge I can do all day long, but what are the possibilities with 009.  I note that the Fairlie is available as DCC so it can be done, but what about other models. Are they available as DCC or can they be retro fitted.  Are they available as plug and play or do you need to hard wire them.  Presumably there are some tiny sugar cube speakers out there….with 0 gauge I go for biggest I can get in!  Any thoughts appreciated, DCC is the preferred route, it makes the wiring so much easier.