Sir TophamHatt

Thanks. I'm not planning on doing it, was just wondering. I guess a neat way round it is to grab a Class 08, take the motor out and allow the HST to push it but it's unlikely I'll do it.

I know next to nothing about model railways really. I don't know how the motors work, I barely know one motor from another. I feel like buying a ticket and throwing buzz words around (railcard, super-saver, single return!). I think I have "fried" only one chip. I have converted about 15 locos, so not bad. Put it in an old 52 Western and I must have wired it up wrong. Luckily a member from here fixed it for me with a new chip. A really nice guy. Tried the old chip in another loco and it seemed to work okay (I'm sure I tested it!) but when I went to use that loco again, the train loco didn't respond. Found a rogue sandy coloured bit of wiring (I can't even remember the name of what they're called! Those disc shaped things. See - I know nothing!), snipped that out and now it's just waiting for another round of soldering (which I occasionally call welding!).

I have a hybrid setup. Train control is DCC. I like the idea of being able to control two different trains at different speeds. DC, without messing about with power districts and having separate controllers/wires, you simply can't do that. Points/Switches are DC. Well, I guess? I have under-the-board motors, which are wired to a separate set of bus/power wires, powered by an old Hornby controller. Simple switches are used to throw the point. Means I don't have to mess about on the controller selecting that point, to then throw it. However, if you're setting up specific routes, having the DCC controller throw a whole selection of switches could be very satisfying. My layout simply isn't that complex!

That's an easy one though. 0 = Zero (or Nought) O = A letter. So it should always be OO as model railway scales follow letters not numbers.

That's not one of those new fangled signs (referring to the A and P instead of AM and PM) like some places' menus that don't display the £ sign? I mean, if it doesn't display the £, could you, from a advertising standard demand to pay in any currency? Surely yes, as it's not clear what the currency is that they accept...

While I sort of agree, the problem is people - once agian. There's a stretch of the M1 around Nottingham that as you travel north, you round a bend, head down a huge hill and on the right is a new Co-Op building - the view is pretty nice coming down the hill. But I see people, nearly all the time I visit this area, who don't pull over. They'll sit in the 3rd lane (of 4 or 5 lanes!) and there won't be anything they're overtaking. I undertake when it's clear the person isn't going to pull over. Perhaps people think "you're just as bad as them" - I'm not, I just can't be bothered to pull all the way out, to pull all the way back in again. Said it before elsewhere but I could easily pay my own salary back within months if I had a police car and the authority to pull people doing over 80mph, or whatever-lane hoggers over and fine them. Fines, and big ones is the only way people will learn. Seems to work with Indian railways... Add a 0 on to every fine and push stuff out in the media saying they're taking action and people will start conforming.

Say I have a 08 loco, so fairly low geared, low top speed. What happens if I connect it to, say an HST, which has a much higher top speed? Will the locos limit themselves to the lower top speed or will running it ruin the 08 motor?

I found this [problem with threading the tiny screws] on a loco I had. I simply didn't tighten them as much as they were originally and seems good so far.

A little harsh no? If the seller posts with Royal Mail, either ask them to change or don't buy from them. After all, it's their choice what couier they use, not your right to demand a specific one (or not in this case).

Here's an updated photo with the wires a little more un-bundled: Wire 1a - One side of the front bulb. Wire 1b - One side of the rear bulb. Wire 2a - Other side of bulb to left pickup. Wire 2b - Left pickup to board. Wire 2c - Board to left pickup. Wire 2d - Left pickup to read bulb. Wire 3a - Right pickup to board. Wire 3b - Right pickup to board. Wire 4 - To motor left. Wire 5 - To motor right. (It actually disappears under the motor but the wiring makes sense.) When running on DC, the bulbs get brighter the more I crank up the power. If the frame isn't connected to the pickups and I don't use the blue return wire, will the lights just not work? If I replace the bulbs with LEDs, I could make sure they're isolated from the frame, then use the blue wires I guess? Wire 2a - Other side of bulb to left pickup. Wire 2b - left pickup to board. Wire 2c - board to left pickup. Wire 2d - Left pickup to read bulb

So it seems after a little fiddling, the chip came back to life. CV8=8 and it's all better again. Don't want to have to do this every time I play with it though :/ This is a Hornby R2934. Anyway... Side of loco when the chip is placed on top of the motor (without rotating the motor): Opening up: Naked 08: Motor that has flat sides: They clearly planned for sound when casting the body as the speaker fits in pretty nicely: Here's a video of the 08 how it is: https://drive.google.com/open?id=14CYQTejfRmXGIMk06FiMd6Es2NyP3J3u The sound is fairly tinny as 1) it's the default TTS speaker/sound. 2) took the video on my phone. It also sounds like the engine sound cuts in and out but it doesn't when watching live. I considered putting the chip at the very front behind the grill and leaving the speaker just behind but then the speaker unit came into contact with the motor, so though it best not to have it that way. Tried putting the chip under the motor but that wouldn't fit. Tried on top of the socket but no go there either. Down the sides I hear you cry? Then the body bulges out. The only place that it will pretty much fit is on top of the motor.

Splitting the Post Office from Royal Mail was never going to be a good idea. Same with splitting off Parcel Force. I thought surely if the Post Office are truly independent from Royal Mail, they should be offering all courier services (IE, Hermes, TNT, DHL) for larger than life parcels? I pick letters up from one Royal Mail sorting office, Parcel Force from a Post Office... all just a mess!

I've tried this. I have a super detail EWS 08 (not named) - not sure how old the model is but I bought Olivias Trains TTS 08 chip and speaker. Here's some thoughts: 1) Mine is faulty. Olivias Trains suggested it was (my fault when fitting) the chip, but Hornby suggested trying a few CV settings to see what the response was. It worked, but now it's back to the usual not working again. I think I'll be sending it back to Hornby. The loco works fine with another chip and under DC so there's something not right. 2) You might not be able to rotate the motor. Mine has a shaped gromit on the end (like a D I think), so when you rotate the motor, it won't fit back in properly. I managed to squeeze mine on the very top but it's really right. 3) I assume the speaker is the same as supplied from Hornby but it fits into a little section behind the grill at the front quite neatly. When it did work, mine was fine without cutting into the model (it doesn't have holes in the grill). Could hear all the sounds fine. So not sure if the pressure is whats messing up the decoder or what's happening. When I put it on the programming track, the Prodigy Advance can't read any CVs or the name of the chip. Can't write anything either. I can hear a tiny buzz so I know the loco is getting power... Wheels aren't dirty either so it's stumped me. There was a suggestion some DCC controllers didn't work with some chips, but Hornby said this was only on a limited amount of chips and it was many months ago so all stock should have been sold/repaired/recalled by now. Please keep the thread updated though. I'll try and post some pictures early next week of mine as I've seen quite a few different motor configurations for these locos.

Meh, I'm not fussed. I am above seller standards, only sell occasionally and usually get 4/5 stars anyway. Messages written are fine - haven't had a negative or neutral about slow postage before. Plus, the feedback system is a somewhat sham. It's one sided (IE, sellers can't leave negative feedback) and not overly useful.

I rarely, if ever send with Royal Mail. I haven't noticed a decline in my feedback.

Thanks for the replies. The Lenz Decoder is just bare wires. I need to investigate further but I think there is a wire connecting the bulb area to a pick up. So if I don't connect the blue wire on the decoder to anything, I'll still have lights - but not as bright? Or I can disconnect the connection to the pickup and use the blue wire? Sounds silly but can anyone give me an example of an LED bulb I should be looking at? Cheers

The loco I have is a Lima OBB 2043 Class. This is what the motor looks like: I've converted 10 locos in the past, but all have been from the same manufacturer so I have some basic knowledge but this one is a little more complicated as it has lights on each end. Each light operates in the direction of travel only. Not that bothered there's no red lights as the loco will usually always be pulling something. I have a Lenz decoder, either a Silver or Gold Direct. On the photo, the wires from each of the lights go from the bulb to the black box where it gets power from the pickups. The wire then travels to the PCB. I'm sure it then does the same going back, possibly missing out the pickup. The blue wire goes to the motor on one side. There's a black wire that buries underneath the motor, which after a little maths and the powers of assumption, goes to the other side of the motor. The pick up wires go to the PCB. So my question is, how do I incorporate a light on each end to the decoder?

Here's a couple of photos. Took the wheels off from that bogie and wiped a bit of grease off. Put it back, reseated the (don't know the terminology) little stick from the round gold ring to the flywheel (?). Seems to be okay for now. Bookmarking this thread though! Is there a site that can tell me the different types of motor? I understand a ringfield one when I see one, I think.

Sorry, my elocution/information giving is rubbish sometimes I'll grab some photos/video later on, but it seems one of the teeth from the cogs doesn't quite meet properly. It's almost like the train runs over a grain of rice. I thought I fixed it but then it started doing it again. Happens forward and reverse at a fixed point in the rotation. The loco is apparently "nearly new" and when looking at the flywheel there's a fair amount of grease still in there and around the cogs; looks new, not old grease.

Thanks. Was about half the price of new decoders so thought I'd take a punt on it. Not tested it as yet as I'm planning to fit it to a loco that has a fair amount of space, and it'll be my first that I have to use the function part as this train has lights!

^ and this is why price is (really) the only factor I consider between them. Unless I am specifically looking for a very small decoder. The Zimo is smaller but slightly thicker I think, where as the Lenz is bigger but thinner. (might be wrong on that though.)

Hence the squiggle for both as it can be a minus if you have to cut it off, or a plus if you have DCC Ready Loco.

I've bought a Lenz Silver Direct decoder. What's the difference between this and a Silver+? Is there something I can "ask" the decoder to check it's a Silver Direct? Thanks

I've a train that rides rough It's like something bumps the whole bogie on that side at one bit of the rotation. Is there anything I should look at, apart from the cogs? I don't think it's those as I took each wheel off and it still did it. Thanks

You've answered your own question I try and stick to either one of these as they were recommended here. Lenz Standard: + Clear comprehensive manual - No decoder protection (sheeth?) ~ Plugged Zimo MX600: + Small + Protected decoder - Manual not great ~ No plug There's probably more I could pull out, but in terms of performance, I can't notice the difference between them. Most, if not all my Lenz, I cut the plugs off to hardwire so it did seem a bit of a waste there - although I saved them in case I can convert them to blanking plugs. As they're usually both around £20 each new, I usually stick to Lenz unless the loco has no space, in which case Zimo it is. There have been a couple of locos that I've used a few others and whether it's psychologically knowing they're different, or is the actual performance, but they don't run as well. I should add, both types, I just wired them in and go. No tinkering with CVs really (yet). Both are good - go with whatever is the cheapest, or fits.