NIK

Hi, Sounding slightly more like its using Railcom and modern Zimo decoders with speed/distance reporting. I wonder what happens when a train passes between boosters will the distance reporting fail temporarily?. Regards Nick

Hi, If its only 16 locos I'm out. If its only Zimo decoders I'm probably out twice. Regards Nick

Hi, If it only works with 16 locos its not really the ~ 10,000 addresses available with DCC so not DCC?. I will have to think about if the 16 loco limit and the use of function numbers tells me anything about how it works. My first guess is that it uses Railcom and Zimo decoders to transmit the loco speed. If he's found a way to turn the Railcom on and off quickly for individual locos thus each loco can send its speed info back to the Railmagic box without the need for lots of Railcom local detectors with speed reporting. I don't know how to get and keep the positional accuracy, perhaps the camera on the smartphone is used to identify the original position of the loco - but would that only work on set track?. Regards Nick

Hi, I think it was difficult to space out exhibitions during the last few years. The latest UK MPs briefing mentioned that at some stage restrictions on the public will be experimentally relaxed to see if their understanding of the epidemic holds true. So it may be a long time before it is sure that shows can go ahead. Those shows that invite top layouts can take three years to organise. It looks as though the UK government persuading the insurance companies to payout for events cancelled due to government advice may have come a few days late for the Basingstoke show which went ahead and if it had not would have lost all of the ~£10,000 cost. Losses have not been finalised yet. Regards Nick

Hi, Postponement of shows to later in the year could result in many clubs losing lots of money rather than raising some money if it ends up with many shows on the same weekends. Regards Nick

Hi, No I don't know anything about this type of feedback. It doesn't say how it works. If it uses RF interference from the loco will it work with all locos anywhere on a large layout in any combination?. If it uses time domain reflectrometry how does it retain compatibility with the DCC standard and how can it cope with the various ways of connecting bus wires to DCC tracks and how does it cope with flexitrack where the track diagram on the control system may not directly relate to the actual geometry?. If TDR will it work with DIY or modified DCC decoders and a number of locos on the tracks?. It says they hope to get to work with most DCC systems so does it use Railcom in some unusual way?. If it uses Wifi or Bluetooth between the Railmagic unit and the smartphone then it may not be reliable in large exhibitions. Until its known how it works I think I will regard it as magic. If it works with any DCC decoder on any layout it might be a magic bullet but I guess then the price asked will be high. Regards Nick

Hi, I've heard that due to cutting back to £1300 on catering expenditure our club may have broken even on the catering. Our club has been saving up for a new club hut. In order to keep up with building cost inflation I think it would be fair to say our club has been pursuing a medium to high risk strategy on exhibition expenditure. Its worked well for many years but this time its not so clear. Will have to wait for the post exhibition general meeting for the details. I liked the working colour light signalling on the Hornby magazine layout but I didn't have time to study any other layouts. Regards Nick

Hi, Many thanks to those who attended the first day of the show but the numbers seem much reduced on the same Saturday last year. Still every visitor through the door reduces the losses we might incur. Its just one of those things that the key year for our fundraising happens to coincide with such an unusual peacetime situation. I heard at least one trader was giving extra discounts to keep some cash flowing in. Beggarwood Lane performed surprisingly well and my 13 car boat train more or less stayed on the tracks when a club member decided to give it a max speed test round the layout and through the fiddle yard sidings. My Hornby 4 VEP with the turned down flanges on the power car ran all day. The working cinema was difficult to view as the layout was against a wall. I may print some big signs to stick on the layout surround. I picked up a load of thinners and glues from Squires for projects to do at home. On one stand was a very nicely lined DC kits Manchester Bury DC EMU with a Replica motorised chassis and the asking price was £110. I only got a chance to glance at the other layouts but they seemed very crisply modelled. If you are happy to attend tomorrow you are most welcome. You might even get some ideas for projects to do at home over the next few months. Regards Nick

Hi, Just about to go to the college to put the stock on Beggarwood Lane. I hope I might get enough time during the show to buy paints, glue, tools etc for a few months kit building in case normal life gets disrupted. I've no idea how many visitors will turn up. Our clubs idea of making the show more dedicated modeller friendly might help. This was supposed to be the key year for fund raising for our new club hut as we chase the rising costs of building to local authority standards. Our window of opportunity is about a year and a bit. I saw lots of stuff on the traders stands and the layouts looked pretty well set up. Layout crews were mucking in and helping our club to set out the halls (we've got extra space this year in the shape of a drama annexe). Regards Nick

Hi, Beggarwood had been put up at our show in Basingstoke and everything tested seems to be working. Its in the gym which one of the smaller halls at the show and tends to be missed by some visitors. The gym is between the main school hall and the sports hall. So to see Beggarwood after going into the main school hall walk straight ahead and you will find your self in the gym. It may be one of the last model railway shows in the UK for a few months. Regards Nick Murphy (on behalf of the Basingstoke and North Hants Model Railway Society - still looking for members)

Hi, I heard from my club's chairman after the government press conference yesterday that our show at Basingstoke is going ahead at the weekend (unless official advice changes from that at the PM's press briefing on Thursday 5pm). The food has been ordered and should have been collected this morning. Club members are meeting to go over to the school later this afternoon. The cables and barriers will be going in vans and cars to the school. I bumped in to an ex member this morning who is a former chef and will be helping out in the kitchen. No traders have pulled out (sometimes at least one does) and we have little problem with availability of layouts (sometimes three drop out in the last fortnight). Regards Nick

Hi, Beggarwood Lane is all boxed up and ready to go to the club's show at the weekend. All operator info is printed as are the cable plans for the show as a whole. Just about to make a backup of the software for the Raspberry Pi interface to the DCC command station. Printed side of cinema to stick onto plywood shell. DCC command station, cabs and spares to be packed up. Got to get cash in case I get a chance to get round the traders. Spare DCC decoders and Kadee couplings to pack, new stock boxes to sort. Regards Nick Murphy (on behalf of the Basingstoke and North Hants Model Railway Society - still looking for members)

Hi, The government press conference at 5pm today was four hours after the deadline for ordering bread from the cash and carry. There's enough for exhibitors and more but trying to estimate how many visitors will turn up is difficult. This show was supposed to be a crunch year for the BNHMRS for fund raising for our new club hut (the existing one is so old we are not sure when it was built but its like Trigger's broom). Maybe the traders will be even more aggressive with their discounts if medium term trading prospects are uncertain. I'm thinking of putting a washing up bowl and towels behind Beggarwood Lane (one of the club's layouts) as precautionary measure. We might put the goods yard operator back inside the layout instead of next to the public. Regards Nick

Hi, Might be the last chance to play trains in public for a few months. Regards Nick

Hi, It may be there is a medium rather than a low resistance in the wiring associated with one power district. The OO Dapol models I've measured have the second highest current draw (Heljan being the thirstiest). Regards Nick

Hi, I've heard from my club's chairman that our show at Basingstoke is going ahead at the weekend (unless official advice changes from that at the PM's press briefing at 5pm). Regards Nick

Hi, Just two days to go until Beggarwood goes to our clubs exhibition in Basingstoke. Just painted most of the cinema black as well as an extra DCC cab holder to go on the front of the layout for the goods yard operator. Its extra deep so when the cab is put in it doesn't block the view of the layout. Also set up the mill ready to turn down the flanges on Hornby 4 VEP wheels (they are too deep for Beggarwoods track). Rigged a dial test indicator to indicate when the lathe tool is exactly at the right depth. Digital Vernier caliper is at the ready to measure the flange diameter. Still got to make copy of Raspberry Pi/JMRI software for interface between NCE DCC command station and tablets and smartphones. Route number tables and track diagrams still to be printed. Regards Nick Murphy (on behalf of the Basingstoke and North Hants Model Railway Society - still looking for members)

Hi, Just four days until Beggarwood Lane appears at our Basingstoke exhibition. Due to a lurghi I'm about six days behind with my prep. I've just made a DIY collet to hold Hornby 4 VEP wheels in order to turn down the flanges: The tube is steel. The wheel set shown is a standard flanged spare part. The Hornby 4 VEP flanges are much deeper and use inside bearings. My long term plan is to fit outside bearing wheelsets to most of the bogies on the units. I will put the collet in my milling machine and turn down the flange with a lathe tool firmly clamped in a machine vice bolted to the mill's compound table. Hopefully the jubilee clip is sufficiently light that the mill wont be unbalanced too much. I might try and turn a taper onto the inside of the collet to give greater grip. Hopefully I might be able to have more than one 4 VEP running on the layout for the weekend. Regards Nick Murphy (on behalf of the Basingstoke and North Hants Model Railway Society - still looking for members)

Hi, That was due to me. I noticed that the show (I'm a member of the same club as Ian) didn't appear in the forthcoming events section so I added a thread. As it turned out the forthcoming events section wasn't working properly at the time but is now. Regards Nick

Hi, Red/Yellow: the last signal on the Lewes to Brighton line before Brighton Station (terminus) I recall ~1980. Back along the line north of Eastbourne was/is a sprung point on the junction between Hastings/Eastbourne and Eastbourne/Lewes lines (reversal at Eastbourne). Regards Nick

Hi, My last visit to Bath was in my mates narrow boat and we moored for a day or two at Sydney Gardens before having to move on (to near the locks down to the Avon, which were closed at the time due to too much water going down the river). We could do some railway photography after walking his dogs and enjoy the gardens. Saw a heron fly through a canal tunnel and later photographed it from 5 yards away. Regards Nick

Hi, Its just over a week until Beggarwood Lane goes to our club's own exhibition in Basingstoke. Impossible to make know exactly what stock will be there but there should be Spratt and Winkle coupled stock in the yard. Many EMUs including a 13 car Boat Train. Hopefully at least one 4VEP after wheel flange reduction. A number of interegional trains including block freights. At least one 2-Hampshire unit. A 4TC with Class 33/1. Other Southern Region locos such as Class 73 and 71. Possibly a 4TC/REP combo. Four or five 2-EPBs coupled together. 2-BIL and 2-HALs may make an appearance. An inspection saloon and loco might make a short train. Units that are DCC’d but can’t run for some reason could be parked in the MU sidings. We will probably try to run a very frequent service but with no service trains doing two laps or more on the trot. Doesn’t mean we won’t be asked to test run a loco for someone who wants to buy one from a stand at the show. Regards Nick Murphy (on behalf of the Basingstoke and North Hants Model Railway Society - still looking for members)

Hi, Spa baths are even worse, more conductive electrolyte. Probably why the Romans liked spas and used lead plumbing but didn't use electricity. When I visited Sydney gardens I was expecting to see overhead electrification but at least it was better for photography. Nice art museum in the gardens. I was almost inspired to build a model of Bath gas works and its compact and extensive railways after seeing a model of it at Bath Industrial Museum. Regards Nick

Hi, Bath electrification rarely a good thing especially a two bar fire dropped in at the tap end. I think they lowered the tracks through Sydney gardens and put up an ugly fence in preparation. Regards Nick