NIK

Hi, Looks like 4001 looking at your photo on my monitor. Regards Nick

Hi, I think the R8234 have 4 holes according to various websites. I didn't think the Peter's Spares own wheelsets were for four axles but it wasn't clear to me as they said they were wheels not wheelsets that a pair meant a pair fo wheelsets like the photo or a pair of wheels. I didn't go for the conductive paint method as I was worried about reliability including what happens during a partial short circuit. I've seen when some of the Hornby locos/EMU power cars with thin wiring derail on DCC, the wiring smoked and in the case of a Hornby 66 the wiring burnt out. The current path is presumably through the wheels of the derailed bogie touching the opposite rail then through the pickups, wiring and pickups again to the wheels on the other rail on the other bogie. I had a Replica Railways chassis derail and a track on the chassis PCB connecting the two bogies pickups burnt out. The DCC track it derailed on passed the coin test. All these incidents were on 5 Amps current trip, I haven't seen any problems on a club layout since we fitted MERG District Cutouts set at 3 Amps. However conductive paint might not be very thick. Regards Nick

Hi Chris, Not sure this diameter wheel will suit you but: These are 14.1mm one wheel live to axle wheelsets I've just noticed Peter's Spares are now making (they say they are one pair - so do they mean a pair of wheelsets as per the photo?): https://www.petersspares.com/peters-spares-ps84-141mm-disc-coach-wheels-one-wheel-live-to-axle-x1-pair.ir Regards Nick

Hi Chris, I don't know of any 13mm OO wheelsets but I've done the following in the past: Take the wheelset with insulating bushes on both wheels. Measure the thickness of the bush between axle and front of wheel. Drill a hole in bush that thickness between axle and wheel. Force in a brass rod just a little bit bigger (0.05mm bigger) into hole. Trim flush with wheel. I found in tests a 0.5mm brass rod could take 5 amps continuous without taking the axle over 60 degrees C so it should be both safe and sufficiently conductive for coach lighting. I have some wheelsets that are insulated on one side only but I don't have the box they came in so I can't say who made them (probably Hornby). I think Bachmann 3rd Rail EMUs have axle pickups on all wheels of the trailing coaches - maybe that's needed to get reliable coach lighting?. What's the Bachmann coach out of interest?. Regards Nick

Hi, Well I didn't expect this to be the announcement. I hope its not possible to prevent other manufacturers producing a scale model of a full sized prototype. I've attached some info of the definition of IP from the GOV.UK website. Perhaps the IP idea falls at the first hurdle - can a scale model of something that existed be claimed as unique?. Manufacturer D: I've making a unique model of a Class W. Manufacturer H: I'm also making a unique model of a Class W. My D J Models Class 71 has a certain claim to uniqueness - its my only loco that won't go round 3rd radius curves. Jonathan Swift were he returned to life today might be prompted to write a "Modest Proposal Version 2" where all those who claim to be unique individual but who have an identical twin can be legally eaten by the twin thus turning that uniqueness claim from a proposition into a fact. Regards Nick

Hi, As has been hinted at by a previous poster - another project with Kernow to be announced at the end of Kernow's Guildford shop's first day?. Its probably wishful thinking on my part as I'm interested in another Southern Region unit and Kernow released the 2H and the 4-TC (with Bachmann, and Bachmann now seem to have a backlog of their own projects). Regards Nick

Hi, You don't say what NCE system you have but on the Power Pro providing the loco you want to select is in that throttle's Recall system and Recall is used then the loco should continue I think (unless the ABC system in the Decoder confounds that). Selecting a loco and then pressing the Enter key will probably stop the loco. I haven't got my Power Pro plugged in at present so I can't confirm how the command station works. Regards Nick

Hi, If you always have locos or a suitable vehicle that draws current at the front of your trains then you might be able to use current detectors such as MERG ToTis instead. I have lots of multiple units some of which don't draw current on their trailing coaches so I immediately thought of Infrared detectors (which are also a bit more accurate as regards position). Regards Nick

Hi, If the motor takes less current than the function output is rated for then you should be able to add a suitable resistor in series to drop the function output down from 12 volts to 3 volts (or lower if the fan runs too fast). Regards Nick

Hi, I inferred from the Bachmann info that damage could be caused if a decoder was plugged in that was not already setup correctly. So a DCC PCB with 21pin plug will be needed in order to programme a non special decoder before it is fitted to the Class 90. The PCB may also need a motor type load in order to produce the acknowledge pulses used by DCC during programming on the programming track output. DCC PCBs with 21 pin plug used to be around £10 but I've just bought some off E-bay for £3.50 (for fitting to kit built multiple units). One could fit a suitable value resistor to simulate a motor. Regards Nick

Hi, You asked if it was possible with DCC and it is. If cost is no issue but time and work is, its possible Train Controller software package and Infra Red position detectors wired to feedback units (and a suitable DCC command station if yours is not Train Controller compatible) will do the job. You will have to initially configure the software on screen so that it knows the fiddle yard tracks are split into short blocks between the Infrared detectors but from then on the software should deal with the 'Auto Staging'. Perhaps in any future questions you could give more specific information about your criteria and your model railway hardware to help those reading your questions. Regards Nick

Hi, I wonder if a £20 Zimo 638D will do the job (programmed before installing in loco) instead of Bachmanns special Class 90 decoder?. Or does the Class 90 have a stay alive capacitor built in that it relies on to supply enough current to the servo?. The MX634D and MX638D have a 200ma limit on the 5 V line. A 9 gramme SG90 clone servo measured 600ma when moving but I guess the Class 90 will be using a smaller servo. Also if the loco can be damaged by its servo being fed by a continuous or pulsed 12V signal instead of pulsed 5V signal then what happens if the DCC decoder is reset to the state that produces 12V on its servo output?. What happens if the servo end positions get adjusted accidently or by the user?. I guess not many modellers have a DCC decoder tester that can program 21 pin decoders so that's a reason for Bachmann to supply a special DCC decoder for the Class 90. Regards Nick

Hi, I suspect the 2-Hal may have a different motor. It has a lot of weight over the motor bogie which seems to produce smoother starting. Regards Nick

Hi, I've done a test of the speed of one of my 4 VEP power cars with a number of VEP trailer coaches. It looks as though the load from extra coaches be it from their static friction and curve drag is having a big effect on the speed of the train. Its a shame I don't have a very large circular test track in order to minimise the drag due to curves so leave the effect of the friction of the coaches alone. My gradient and curve predictor indicates the static friction of the trailing coaches contributes the majority of the drag even on 3rd radius curves. So it looks as though another motor bogie of the same characteristics or worse might struggle to achieve the real VEPs top speed of 90 MPH with the 4 VEP trailing coaches. Regards Nick

Hi, Don't you need to connect the input of the DCC Concepts Sniffer Adapter to the sniffer output of your DCC Command Station and the output of your sniffer adapter to your separate DCC Accessory bus?. Regards Nick

Hi, My tests did show that the Hornby 4 VEP power car had more static pull than the CEP but it doesn't show how much the speed might fall with that much friction from the trailing coaches - I will try and couple a whole VEP together and check its speed with my lap and point to point speedometers. I think the Bachmann CEP has a larger motor than the VEP so the VEPs speed may fall off more rapidly with load. My Black Beetle motor bogies speed drops off noticeably as I add coaches (Bachmann Mk1s). Regards Nick

Hi, I just done a crude static friction test on two 4 VEP trailer cars. The static friction was 8.8 grammes (inside bearings not oiled) and 6.6 grammes (inside bearings oiled). By contrast Bachmann CEP trailer cars were around 0.75 grammes static friction. So in the case of the un-oiled coach that could equate to ~27 grammes of drag for three trailer cars that the power car must overcome. Then there is the drag on curves and up gradients to consider. I did a quick static pull test on a Blue Grey VEP Power Car (with traction tyres on diagonally opposite sides). It pulled 69 to 100 grammes. Whether a static pull test on a traction tyred bogie is representative of tractive pull on the move I don't know. Twenty seven grammes of drag is a lot of load for non traction tyred motor bogies. The Bachmann 2H power car measured a minimum of 32 grammes of pull. The Bachmann 2-EPB was 33 grammes on my test. Regards Nick

Hi, I may have in the future once I've decided what parts I can use (I may make refurbished CEPs out of some of them). Mostly I'm after the motor bogies and the trailing bogies as I don't think anybody sells the trailing bogies ready made or as kits. Also some of the chassis as some close coupling units on my Blue Grey CEPs have been damaged seemingly beyond repair. Regards Nick

Hi, They rarely are at the moment - I've recently picked up 16 second hand 4 CEPs for parts and they are all green as they were the cheapest and the most plentiful. Regards Nick

Hi Terry, Many thanks for the info. On the subject of oil I had a Bachmann 2H power car that measured 31 grammes pull after running in on my rolling road. I then tested on my club layouts gradient/curve and it pulled far more 4CEP trailer coaches than expected. When I got it back home it measured almost twice as much pull as before. I then put it on my rolling road for 1 minute and its pull then went back down to 41 grammes. I then retested it on the club layout and it behaved as a loco with 41 grammes pull should behave according to my predicter. Back home I retested a Bachmann 4-CEP power car and it too was pulling a lot more than previously. So prompted by your mention of oil I put a bit of Peco power-Lube on the pull test track and the pulls of the two power cars dropped back to 31 grammes. Cleaning the track with a cloth and with a track rubber had little effect - the pull was reduced and the oil presumably on the wheels of the power bogie. I then got some talcum powder which is very fine and is thought to soak up oil and put a small amount on the track. The pull increased immediately and kept climbing, the CEP power car reaching 143 grammes!. That's the same as a Heljan Class 128 unit which has twice as many driving wheels and 50% more weight. So I'm guessing that oil is getting from my rolling road rollers onto the wheels of the locos under test but over time it is dispersing or being soaked up by dust on the rails of the club layout (I can't recall it ever having been hoovered). I'm not suggesting putting talc on the tracks of exhibition layouts at this stage but I may repeat your technique of putting a small amount of oil on my pull test track. Regards Nick

Hi, If the gears are ok but the wheel tyres are corroded / poorly conducting (all my early Class 33s were) you might be able to take the wheels off and fit coach disc wheels. Regards Nick

Hi, Will they produce enough in each batch to result in the price plummeting?. There is certainly a difference in price between Accurascale offering five Mk5a coaches for £225 when the RRP for a Bachmann 4 CEP (weathered) is £445. I suppose it good that Bachmann are still producing batches of Mk1 EMUs and announcing new ones unlike Hornby. Regards Nick

Hi, Lynton - a L&B layout will be also be on display and may have some trains running - its scenically complete and has some very nice buildings. It was in the process of being rewired and possibly having replacement track for the open day in September but with some hard work by a new member its been fettled and shoe horned into a space. Santa's Globetrotting Vacation is bubbling away nicely (Santa's factory contains a bubble making machine) and its Red 08 Diesel is back from its second repair and is working well. At least two of the layouts may have Wifi control - we were trying it out on Beggarwood for the first time last night. Although one members locos could only have his locos lights controlled by the NCE handsets and not via the Loco Driver app. If you want to ask about MERG modules you may need to ask for Clive or me, Nick. Regards Nick

Hi, The NCE Power Cab has a 2 amp maximum output and some UK suppliers supply a power supply noticeably less maximum current. A Pro Cab plugs into various NCE command stations and the command station defines the maximum output current. Regards Nick

Hi, Graham mentioning MERG has prompted me to say that there will be at least three layouts with MERG modules. Beggarwood Lane has JMRI running on a cigarette box sized computer - just providing the link to a number of tablet based mimic panels at present. JMRI was also used to edit the routes on Beggarwood. Regards Nick