Sir TophamHatt

In that case, the OP may well have given their email address to a dodgy company. The scam like this has been around for years. PayPal was the usual suspect about 10 years ago. The easiest way to see where you're going is: > Log in to the ebay website by typing in the address. If the email came from them, it should be in your messages. > Hover over the link and look at the status bar (bottom left) to see where the link is going. Remember ebay-payments.com isn't ebay.com. payHSBC.co.uk isn't HSBC.co.uk. It's nothing innovative really.

Um... it IS the norm now. Millions of people don't use cash very often at all. It's easy to be stolen (do you hide all the cash under your bed?). It's also easy to be scammed. With cards, it's better to trace and even easier to blame the bank when you make the mistake of transferring money to the wrong person these days. I can accept your view, but find it completely alien. Different generations I guess. To make things more fun for you, I am considering moving to a mobile bank - IE, no branches, no internet banking... it's all done through a mobile phone app. Wild! The DVLA and Tesco are completely different. Remember, the DVLA cannot sell your details without your permission. No company can. And now GDPR has come it, it;s even more difficult for companies to do so. If you're concerned this happens, contact your bank and ask what their policy is. Fact is, people don't care about their details and to companies, you're just one in a million.

A little offensive, no? I use cash less and less these days and see it being used less and less. That "muppet" is simply someone who doesn't see cash as essential when there are easier alternatives... like many young people these days. I guess you're just old fashioned and wanting to pay cash for everything? Never understood a family friend who draws out money just to pay in cash. I thought using a debit card was free for retailers too? However, the way many companies have got round this is to change the "credit card fee" to a "transaction fee". The Government, as usual, has decided not to close that loop hole making the original spirit of not charging a fee stupid.

I'd question how they got your email address. If it was sent through the ebay messaging system then I wouldn't think it will link to a non-ebay server. What was the link to the login page?

It was actually a punt on another users recommendation from this topic - post 21 specifically. Admittedly I haven't heard the EM2 with this sound file but having to mess about inside + the EM2 I have heard with other locos... it just made sense to get the Zimo speaker and be happy.

Certainly not Next18 ones! Originally the locos were going to accept Next18 decoders but it's subtlety changed to a 6 pin decoder in the past couple of months (my Model Rail from a few months ago says Next18 socket, but the most recent one now says 6-pin). Why state a particular type of decoder when it could have changed (and then don't particularly announce it!) I don't know but just hope Hattons will accept the Next18 back after purchasing it nearly a year ago. Maybe I missed the note it had changed, but I can't find anything relating to it. I've now decided a Zimo 6-pin decoder (about £25) will be what's in mine but won't be purchasing [the chip] until the loco ships.

I have Biffo sounds but using a Zimo double chamber speaker (can't remember the size but it fits exactly). After listening to the EM2 I drew the conclusion that it was great for engine noises but all the others were somewhat muffled and deeper than they should be. The Zimo seems to be a good compromise with this.

Might be worth giving this thread a read. It's from when I wanted to add directional lighting to a loco, not dissimilar to the Class 60 in looks. It was actually quite easy and I've completed three units now.

You'll have to let us know if you make a video with one of these.

If you wanted the Zimo/Bachmann Next18 decoder, I have one for sale. Looks like the Model Rail has been downgraded to a 6-pin decoder now!

Indeed! I certainly would. A bit disappointed there isn't much in the modern era. I know there's a fair bit, but I always see announcements for some sort of new steam engine but not as regular for something modern. I would have thought the 195/331 combo would be good as once you've CAD'd the first, the second class would be less work to adjust. I'm also a bit surprised TOCs don't get in on the act and stick their name and brand with it to share in the profits.

Are the Lais decoders copies of the DCC Concepts ones? If so, it might be a problem that's carried over as my "test" lais decoder does the same when using power from the (home made) stay alive. Only one way though. Perhaps it's a dodgy decoder as I would expect a lot more talk if it affected all their decoders :S

I've altered the speeds of my locos. While not prototypical, all steam engines, whether a Pannier or Class 4MT, all have the same set of speeds. That means when running on 28 speed (I run all mine at 28 speed steps) it's not that fast. Match it against the CLass 68 and the latter will beat it as I've set the top speed to be higher. While I was pretty happy with out of the box settings on the decoder, having the ability to slow the top speed down (which means I get better lower speeds) enables me to match the speeds to my layout, which is more important for me than having prototypical speeds. Like @34theletterbetweenB&D says though, all locos start and slow down at the same rate, which again, while not prototypical, makes it easy for me to know what a loco will or won't do.

Has the decoder socket changed? The website says "Next 18" which I thought was one of these: but the latest Model Rail (MR253) page 108 says it'll be a 6-pin socket I may have got things confused though as I'm not that great with the different types of DCC.

The problem with notices though, is they just become part of the background. After a couple of weeks of seeing it, it's no longer noticable

Has the decoder socket changed? The website says "Next 18" which I thought was one of these: but the latest Model Rail (MR253) page 108 says it'll be a 6-pin socket I may have got things confused though as I'm not that great with the different types of DCC.

Oo, never thought about bracing it. I'll see what I have around that might fit the job.

I have an old Lima 156 which has a broken chassis. It's right where the motor sits in it (so a thinner piece of plastic) - I will try and get a photo. Took it on a test run after upgrading it to LED lights and a CD drive motor, which all work and run pretty well. However I have noticed when trying to turn, the bogie doesn't really turn very well and often forces the whole lot to derail. I could take the weight out which I think will help as it's sagging the middle of the coach down, which then puts pressure on the bogie. I don't really want to buy a new chassis, although potentally open to it. I haven't tried to repair it yet but wondered if I could superglue then almost melt it back together with a soldering iron? Anything else anyone can think of that I can do?

I used the original gear cog from the old motor, heat shrink a bit of tubing over the new motor shaft and slide the gear cog on.

I wonder how much something would cost to manufacturer in the UK compared with "Chinas rising costs". If a company invested in 3D printers or the moulding machines, they could save tens of thousands over the years.

It's not that obvious. I can't think why you would. But then I can't think why anyone would care either. I have less than 20 locos/units. Less than 50 combined wagons, coaches, units and locos.

But I wonder if sticking with this generation of diesels wouldn't be a good idea. 1) Those people who already have them have probably upgraded them so much that they wouldn't want to part with hundreds of pounds for a "new" one. 2) Those diesels are seemingly universally loved by people of a certain age. If you want to get younger people interested, modern image is the way to go.

Have just watched some videos of Chadwick Railway on YouTube. He uses some plug connectors. Pretty neat, although isn't required for my layout.

While I appreciate some of the detail here, look at what the OP has asked and think about their level of skill. I've been modelling for a couple of years now and I still don't understand much about wiring, resistance levels, ohms, wattage, blah blah blah. OP: Look online at videos and ask people for specifics to what they use for wires. Don't get bogged down with the detail unless it interests you. I bought wires, LEDs and power supplies that others have and it's served me well - without knowing all the resistance details, or what wires are what size or any of that stuff. I have "bus wires", "dropper wires" and "chip wires" <-- three different sizes depending on what I need. That's my sort of level of technical skill compared with 7/0.2 thickness wire. As I say, it's great going into detail but I don't think the OP will have a clue what some people are writing.

Meanwhile over at Dapol... https://www.Dapol.co.uk/shop/preorder/N-Gauge-Preorder