NIK

Hi, I think Railcom wasn't originally part of the NMRA DCC standard. According to DCCWiki Railcom appears not to have been an open license in 2011 (when Lenz terminated Zimo's license for Railcom). Regards Nick

Hi, RailMagic say they will be offering a DCC Decoder with the tracker built in so that might address the space issue inside locos. Perhaps if RailMagic is successful RailMagic's tracker technology might be licensed to other DCC Decoder manufacturers. Railcom technology is used by a number of DCC Decoder manufacturers so that might be a precedent. Regards Nick

Hi, I've looked at the RailMagic tracker module and it looks as though it might have a three axis magnetic sensor on board*. This might allow it to cope with multilevel layouts and helices. Would have to make sure there was no 3D symmetry between one turn/level and another by careful placement of the magnets. * there is a very small black square on the tracker module that matches the dimensions of a three axis magnetic sensor I found. The cost of that sensor is a fraction of the published price of the tracker so could be the device. Regards Nick

Hi, RailMagic uses trackers in the locos that sense the magnetic field. So the sensing is independent of the track control. However the trackers have to get the information to the RailMagic control units and its that bit that has problems when trains that are crossing between districts supplied by different boosters. It looks from the info on the RailMagic website that the RailMagic software won't integrate with existing automation software. Presumably this is because it has to know so much about the layout including possibly real time data from the DCC output of the DCC command station and possibly comms with the DCC command station. So the computer comms port of the DCC command station will be connected to the RailMagic control unit. As far as I know no existing automation software uses continuous positioning data so they are probably not set up for the improvement in position control that RailMagic promises. Regards Nick

Hi, Railmagic say they will develop a unit which switches the isolated section between the two boosters. Regards Nick

Hi, Perhaps they mean ANE Models decoder rather than AE Models?. Regards Nick

Hi, RailMagic themselves have said that for the time being multiple boosters cannot be used. When a switching unit is made available by RailMagic then multiple boosters can be used providing a switchable track between the boosters is provided that is longer than than the longest train that will pass between boosters. That seems to be a product requirement. Regards Nick

Hi, In support of Crosland's post I suppose it depends what Ulrik means by short but locos bridging two boosters happens every time a loco (or any vehicle with through wired pickups) crosses between two sections with separate boosters. If RailMagic needs a switchable section longer than the longest train in order for a train to go between boosters than that looks like a downside to RailMagic. What happens to an existing layout if one booster is for the up line and associated tracks and another booster for the down line/tracks linked to that and there are crossovers?. There might be a technical fix where boosters are yet to be purchased by buying one high current booster and splitting the output between a number of district cutouts. Regards Nick

Hi, The model I've received is of a Phase 1 4 BEP 7010. Phase 1 4 BEPs had the bogies on the buffet swapped to Commonwealth starting in 1960 with 7010 and the others mid 1961. Source: Blood and Custard website. Regards Nick

Hi, On my model the other non motor bogies are not Commonwealth. The buffet has Commonwealth bogies - which I hadn't noticed. Regards Nick

Hi, Mine arrived today. A Blue Grey one. Couldn't see anything amiss apart from a wheel set come loose on the buffet. Whether that was due to the standard of packaging provided by Kernow or happened earlier its hard to say. I like the gap under the buffet area ventilators. Dummy buckeyes are now separate items for optional glueing onto all buffer beams. The instructions are the newer multicolour ones with no disassembled diagram of the power car with motor bogie part numbers. Instructions are provided for fitting a 11 x 15mm speaker in the power car. Square PCB contacts are provided on the power car PCB under the seating unit. It look like the speaker contacts have to press fit against the PCB once the seat unit is screwed back down. I've now got the power car on my Gaugemaster rolling road for 30mins half speed forward and then 30 half backwards. I will test the Zimo DCC decoder on my decoder tester before fitting it to the power car. My club (Basingstoke) has an open day on Saturday the 4th of September so if Beggarwood Lane is running and I think the covid situation is safe enough a 13 car MLV/CEP/BEP/CEP boat train may be running. Regards Nick

Hi, Amongst many features I like that they have managed to replicate the windscreen coating. They say all parts are new - new motor?. I think their dual speaker symbol on the packaging may be confusing when customers come to look at new Bachmann DMUs. Good to see their Hong Kong employees get a mention. I admire their one million pound investment and holding off announcing it until it was nearly ready for sale. Sounds like a lot of model types if there are DC, DCC fitted and Sound variants of each of the many prototype variants. Regards Nick

Hi, If they were on top of the layout they would be visible on scenic sections which would put off some modellers. Also some magnets are not rust proof and might not take nicely to PVA glue or water based paints. On the RailMagic website it says the system uses a constellation type arrangement of magnets. The Trainiac control unit is said to be able to recognise the pattern. If the magnets were arranged regularly it might not be possible to recognise where the locos are. I'm interested to see how comms are done to and from the tracker modules in the locos. Are they using a different method from: a) Railcom b) Digitrax transponding and if so what is it?. Regards Nick

Hi, Attributed to Sir Thomas Beecham: Asked if he had ever conducted any Stockhausen, he said, "No, but I once trod in some." Regards Nick

Hi, More info on the RailMagic website recently. It uses permanent magnets stuck to the underside of the baseboards and the trackers report the magnetic field (presumably strength and direction). The trackers also estimates how far the train has moved (using Back EMF) and reports that. The RailMagic control unit (Trainiac) works out where each tracker is (using pattern recognition and a once off training run). It claims the RailMagic control unit (Trainiac) uses bidirectional comms with the trackers. I'm not sure how it talks to the trackers and still keep to the DCC standard. Not sure how the system will cope with DCC Concepts ferromagnetic strips and strong loco magnets (or point motors or magnetic uncouplers or turntables or traversers). Not sure if the trackers will work if the loco has a ferromagnetic steel chassis. It looks like existing DCC decoders may be not good enough to work with RailMagic so they are designing their own decoder. So not only would you need to but their trackers control unit and software you may need to fit their decoders. Regards Nick

Hi, Her name isn't Agrippina by any chance?. Regards Nick (fan of I Clavdivs).

Hi, Denmark are going to send on Sandi Toksvig as she will ask tough questions of the England defence. Regards Nick

Hi, As has been mentioned above Southern Pride ran out of standard Mk1 coach roofs and has withdrawn all kits that use that roof. The Southern Pride Class 205 kit remained for sale long after Kernow produced their two car Class 205. Regards Nick

Hi, The heating effect is due to the lower inductance of the coreless motor, increasing the frequency of the PWM results in the current through the motor being lowered. Not all DCC decoders have the option for a higher frequency and putting a flywheel on the motor has little effect on coreless motor heating. Regards Nick

Hi, The NCE Power Cab has a peak power rating of 2 amps. It has been know for suppliers to provide a power supply with slightly lower maximum current. Yes, the higher the amp rating the more locos can be run at the same time. The few N gauge locos I've tested drew around a fifth of an amp at maximum speed. Regards Nick

Hi, Went on a long walk to a Harvey's pub in Turner's Hill in Sussex a week last Saturday. I asked my sister who was paying to get me the strongest bitter of Harveys they had. Lovely pint and my first at a pub for long while. The other pub in Turners Hill has just reopened so that's encouraging. Regards Nick

Hi, A few years ago when Hornby was making big losses they analysed their sales and saw that about half their range was making most of their revenue. They then reduced their range and seem to have more or less stuck to that ever since (they did have a splurge for the 100th anniversary of the Hornby brand but some of that involved minimal cad work and the stock quantities were limited). Regards Nick

Hi, Thank goodness the monkey wasn't found at Hartlepool or it would have been hanging from a gibbet before you could say highly strung. Regards Nick

Hi, Whenever I see 'Heavy Plant Crossing' I look out for triffids. When I see 'Toad Crossing' I put on Kermit's voice and say 'Permit The Frog'. Regards Nick

Hi, One non-feathered dinosaur to another non-feathered dinosaur: 'I don't fancy those feathered flying dinosaurs chances if the sky catches fire'. Regards Nick