NIK

Hi, You asked for a simple formula and I sent a link to a simple formula. You didn't mention 009 and 4 to 5 wagons. Regards Nik

Hi, The NMRA have info on weighting rolling stock. Their figures may be more suitable for very long freight trains and you might get away with a bit less. If the train is too heavy the loco may struggle for speed and grip. Regards Nik

Hi, One method is to get a decoder tester and set the decoder CVs on that and then use the decoder tester lights to check that the function outputs are set correctly. Regards Nik

Hi, We had a few spare minutes at the open day to try and work out how fast a train already on the layout would go at. We didn't have a proper non conductive measuring tape to measure the distance round the layout. I'd done an estimate of 57 feet as an average for the mainline using the layout boundary dimensions, but with a piece of cable I measured 61 feet going via the outside siding in the fiddle yard. With three Bachmann 4 CEPs consisted together it worked out at 99.8 mph on speed step 126 of 126. DCC track voltage was probably 14.2V, so subtract about 1.5V for the DCC decoder bridge rectifier to get the max motor voltage. DCC bus wiring is very chunky so there might not have been much voltage drop with the three EMUs. That's 3 miles an hour faster than a sample 4 CEP on my DCC test track. However that is basically a circle with 3rd radius curves, is quite dusty and is not that flat. Beggarwood has minimum 3 foot radius curves and the track was cleaned just 5 hours earlier. Still almost 100mph is impressive on handbuilt points on the scenic boards and a leading curved point at the entrance to the fiddle yard. We will have to get a proper sewing measuring tape and get an accurate number for the distance. I'm planning to fit at least one speedometer to the layout so that the speed of trains can be monitored. Ideally I'd like excess speed displayed to the operator, maybe as part of the cab display. When very young visitors are present the train speeds tend to go up. Nick Murphy (on behalf of the Basingstoke and North Hants Model Railway Society - still looking for members)

Hi, Peter, a club member who helped out on Beggarwood Lane found out that the footbridge over the mainline was perfect for propping up a smartphone in order to record video in landscape format. Hopefully he will put the video on Youtube so I can link it here. Most of the layout worked and we have good evidence that we need to replace most of the servo mounts with a better type. Regards Nik

Hi, It was said at the launch that the HM7000 range items announced were the first items in a larger range. It was also said the HM7000 Bluetooth facility was attractive to new entrants who did not yet have a DCC command station. So the provision of dongles is a secondary concern. Also the dongle only allows control of the DCC command station by a means other than that already available. DCC command stations that have a control interface can already be controlled from a smartphone via a £60 single board computer. Hornby have often gone their own way. I think their Railmaster software only works with their Elite and E-link controllers and not other manufacturers DCC command stations. I think the Bachmann Rail Controller in a similar fashion only works with the Dynamis Ultima DCC command station. Regards Nik

Hi, I think the NCE Power Cab and Pro Cab have clear English labels for most buttons and for the display. I don't know of any commercial systems with LED screens. Regards Nik

Hi, Beggarwood Lane is up and most of it is working. One of the fiddle yard sidings might be out of action and a short loop. Some more point microswitches had gone out of alignment. A three way point was got working by hitting the rails with the side of my fist. Its been quite a long winter and most of the layout has been stored against a wall of the club hut. Due to the cost of electricity at the moment the club room has been cold for a long time. A short on one of the scenic boards disappeared after I gave it a hard Paddington Bear like stare and wiggled a couple of wires. Once the track circuit and signal wiring is in all the wiring will be tied to the layout. A newly DCC'd Hornby Javelin was tried out on the layout. I was very impressed by its slow running. My Hornby Pendolino is very coggy but its got a factory wired or fitted decoder and its designed to haul more coaches at speed. Maybe if I attached all the unit coaches it would improve. Beggarwood lane is being used by our Junior group today so they will probably give it a good work out. Regards Nick Murphy (on behalf of the Basingstoke and North Hants Model Railway Society - still looking for members)

Hi, Monday is the first working day after Eid so maybe a Buffet car or a resin British Rail sandwich - with authentic curl. Regards Nick

Hi, My NCE Power Pro works fine with Traincontroller and JMRI. It has the advantage over some systems in that accessory commands sent from the cabs can be seen by the control software so the state of the layout accessories such as point positions is shown correctly and acted on correctly. I think it also has the capability to send text to the cab displays but I haven't tried that yet. Regards Nick

Hi RAF96, I understood that some HM7000 decoders had been returned to Hornby because they stopped working. Is that your understanding of the situation?. Regards Nik

Hi, Looks like the loco has had a RUD or Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly as happened to SpaceX's latest test flight. Regards Nik

Hi, Selection of the DCC system I think depends on the implementation of the steam loco 'cab'. I think a steam loco cab 'can' be done. My approach would be a JMRI script to deal with talking to the DCC system and modelling the behaviour of some of the aspects of the steam loco. I don't know how the steam effect unit you mention works. It may require the script to estimate when it will run out of 'steam'. I think at least one DCC decoder can simulate water and coal use and feed that info back to a control system via Railcom. Might need a microcontroller to interface to the physical controls but having fluid in the water level indicators might be a challenge. The microcontroller would interface to the JMRI script. So the DCC system for such an implementation would have a JMRI compatible interface and Railcom capability. Regards Nik

Hi, It might be difficult to track down the fault and they might not want to comment until they have a technical solution and know what the cost and other implications are of a modified design. Regards Nik

'You know, in all this excitement I can't remember if five of my engines failed or six. Do you feel lucky punk, well do ya?.'

Spoiler Alert Its a launch Jim, but not as we know it.

Hi, Some DCC decoders offer a shuttle facility triggered by Asymmetric DCC. This has the advantage that if you ever want in future to connect your shuttle line to the rest of the layout you can. Also it can be easier to swap from one shuttle loco to another. Some DCC shuttle modules have limited current capacity so may not be suitable for all locos. Regards Nick

After a Scottish runner is disqualified from a race for using a car part of the way she claims she then handicapped herself by eating a deep fried Mars bar.

Hi, What would the circuit breaker do and how long would it take to operate?. Regards Nik

Hi, There will probably a small circuit that connects before the rectifier and the stay alive capacitor that takes the DCC signal and converts it to a logic level signal connected to one of the decoders microcontroller input pins. Most stay-alives are sensitive to being overvolted and also normally have a medium resistance path back to the rectifier output so the stay alive will probably not be able to protect the decoder from voltage spikes. Regards Nik

Snooker Championship: 'For those watching in black and white the green protester is behind the red'

Hi, I don't know if the following is relevant to problems some folks have been having downloading sounds to the decoders. I've just been testing a DCC loco that's been sitting in a closed box for six months since the last club open day. I found to check its DCC address I had to hold the loco quite firmly down on the test track a number of times before I could read or write CVs. I guess its down to the wheel/track interface or the axle pickups not providing a good enough electrical path. Once I'd checked what address was right it gradually started to move until it was 'normal'. Might be worth putting something soft but not conductive over a loco to weigh it down on to the track (heavy cushion?) during downloading to the HM7000 sound decoder. Regards Nick

Hi, The scenic boards of Beggarwood are back and running in time for our clubs next open day in Basingstoke on Sunday the 23rd April (search for BNHMRS). The DCC points decoders accidently got reprogrammed with the wrong addresses and it took a while to sort things out again. A number of point servo mounts which failed after the hot weather in the summer have been replaced with Dingo servo mounts, some from Santa's Globetrotting Vacation from the Channel 5 competition - we couldn't get a buyer for it so its been dismantled for parts. More scenic details have been added to the layout and the drop on section with the housing estate screwed down. The club's exhibition in March did amazingly well despite the food for catering going up in price - we should have enough to pay the electric heating bill. Nick Murphy (on behalf of the Basingstoke and North Hants Model Railway Society - still looking for members)

Hi, I hoped they were just out of stock temporarily due to chipaggedon. Maybe demand will go up now that Hornby are doing more non Railcom decoders. Regards Nick

Hi, You should be able to add a Railcom transmitter module to a HM7000 fitted loco as you can to any non Railcom fitted DCC loco. However its extra cost and space. Regards Nik