Richy59

This is something I was looking at certainly for mixed trains, I’ve seen open wagons with various loads and having tarps fitted over the top to keep them some what waterproof.

Thanks a lot for the information everybody. I hadn’t really thought of older 7 plank private wagons still being used but I guess it makes sense to use what they could until new items of rolling stock arrived. My layout has a main through station, as if it were in a mainline, so I would have goods trains passing through. Due to space constraints the goods yard for the main line station is on the ‘other side’ of the station in an area that can’t be seen so any local goods would pass through the main line as well. I do have a smaller branch terminus that will have its own small goods sidings to receive a local mixed goods service. In a similar vain, would bauxite goods vans be more common place, going by rate availability it seems to be more ‘fitted’ bauxite vans available than the grey ‘unfitted’? I’ll forget about the departmental workings, something I can look into in the future. Thanks for the running classes :) It is very helpful.

Hello, I am working on my Early BR layout and was just looking for some information. I'm aiming for a mid 50s time period, before the switch to the Late BR Crest. I started buying some 'fitted' BR bauxite stock to put together a block train of 16T mineral wagons. I'm a little confused with the info I can find if 'fitted' and 'unfitted' worked together ofter at that time period? Would a block coal train - for example - of 16T wagons have BR bauxite 'fitted' wagons near the front of the train, and grey 'unfitted' wagons towards the rear of the train alongside the Brake Van? Would the Brake Van be BR bauxite as some of the train is 'fitted' and would a BR grey Brake Van only be used on a fully 'unfitted' train? To save me making another thread, anyone have any information on what a Departmental/Permanet Way train would look like in the BR era? I'm really not sure what I am looking for, if there was such a thing? Thanks.

78022 arrived the other day, absolutely lovely. Not a single thing wrong with it physically either. Yet to run it as not had a chance to get up to layout but its a quality looking model :)

Hornby's website is showing 60007 is already down to 'Last Few' so must be selling fast. Edit: Maybe not...

Received an email today saying Sir Nigel Gresely was in stock and ready for dispatch, but I need to update payment details since my card has changed since pre-ordering. Checked their website and showing in stock as well: https://uk.Hornby.com/products/Hornby-dublo-br-class-a4-4-6-2-60007-sir-nigel-gresley-great-gathering-10th-anniversary-era-10-r30266? I'm actually thinking of not going for it, as I'm really not sure if I want it anymore (definitely don't need it anyway) and I also have Union of South Africa on pre-order which is a model I have been after for a long time.

That's lucky then, when I saw your post about this voucher it made me think I would just pick the club 2MT up, and I have some rewards points which would have made it even better. I only just signed up to the club at end of last month, maybe I'm too new for a sweetner voucher 😅 I know the electrical flashes wouldn't be far off the era, but am thinking how easy they would be to 'rub' off or if its not worth it as may damage the paint too easily.

I haven't received this email, is it a club email or just being signed up to their newsletter? I am really tempted by the club model, I run mostly Early BR and a BR Green loco for the branchline trains would be great. I know it is a preserved livery hence the electric flashes, and whilst they are period accurate flashes I really wish they weren't included.

I'm not sure if anyone can help me or not with the issues I am having with the 8 pin versions of the decoders. I purchased 3 decoders with power banks, two from one shop and one from another. I bought a 21 pin version and two 8 pins. I installed the 21 pin version to a relatively newly tooled Bchmann Class 24/1 and it works perfectly, set up via the app with sound and then transferred over to my DCC system and controlled from there. I cannot get either of the 8 pin versions to work. I have tried them in a variety of locomotives, including Hornby's currently tooled A4, the Oxford Rail N7 and an older Bachmann Class 108. They all eventually seem to get picked up via the Bluetooth and I am able to set up and upload sounds etc, and it app says they are connected, but I get no movement and no sounds fucntion when asked to do so. I can't get them to work with the seperate DCC system either, and keeping a connection via Bluetooth seems to only work one at a time. I am yet to contact Hornby direct which I will do tomorrow, but I find it so hard to believe that two different 8 pin decoders from two different shops are behaving in the same fashion. The 21 pin worked flawlessly and it s a great system for the price, but it is frustrating the 8 pin versions don't work for me.

Received the new Hornby ScotRail class 153 today after about a 2 year wait. Overall quite disappointed, the printing of the livery is of poor quality and with very little sharpness in the details. I know it’s not exactly comparable to the Bachmann I have taken pictures of it with, but it’s not a Railroad model and not priced as such. They talked about delaying it before due to the complex nature of the print they had to apply - and the overall livery seems well designed - but it’s been poorly applied with very blurred edges to everything and can barely make out the Abellio logos etc. Probably a return if I’m honest, which isn’t something I’ve done before.

Thanks, read into it and makes sense. Think a 1A 125V micro switch will be enough for this application?

Thanks, I knew it wouldn't be as simple as fitting them in line with the wiring I already have 😅 More switches 😅 Having a quick look at microswitches, would they need to be something that makes physical contact with the throwbar? So mounted either side of the point and then the throwbar would make contact with the switch depending on which way the point is thrown? Thanks

Hello, I am making up a DC control panel for my hidden section, and I managed to get it working as intended as per the diagram attached. So far it's just as is, but will adding to it as I go. This was just initially to get my head around it all. The points on the diagram are joined, I just couldn't connect them on MS paint 😅 I'm using an RK Education Toggle Switch Unit out of ease, and attached is their CDU which is connected to the power supply. I have wired it up as per diagram and it works, but I am looking to add LED indication for the routes. Both points throw correctly when I use a toggle switch, allowing trains to cross over tracks. Using Peco PL-11 above board motors. Can anybody advise me with this diagram how I wire up the LEDs? The tails of the LEDs are the pink lines. I have resistors to fit as well, but I can't get my head around how to do it especially with this RK toggle switch unit. The diagrams I have seen online show connecting the LEDs back to the common return, would that be my green wire on this set up? If anybody can help, thanks a lot!

Anyone who’s watched it think they can spot the ‘editorial’ reason for the delay? I can’t seem to see any unannounced locos or products from the 2023 range.

I haven't seen anything particularly interesting this year, although they got me at the Union of South Africa A4. I've been after one of these for so many years that the thing is now out of service! I'd maybe even consider Sir Nigel Gresley if they decided to release a modern refurbed Wartime version alongside the Great Gathering edition.

So did I, if it is a Hornby exclusive then I guess I'll get it from there. Really hope all my other pre-orders remain. Can't see Hattons doing a Rails...

I can't see it on Hattons, can't get the Hornby site to load either to check

Forgive my ignorance, what are the Loram coaches? From what I've seen Loram seem to do various bits of kit for railworks, would these coaches be like staff coaches or something?

I think it's a bit cheeky from Hornby going after Hattons Genesis coaches this year, but I'll still be ordering a set of the NBR ones to go with my NBR J36. The only thing holding me back from the Hattons coaches was lack of Scottish variants until Batch 3 with CR, so happy to put an order in for these. I don't think they look as detailed or as well thought out as the Hattons version, but they seem to be pushing them out quickly.

I asked Hattons online chat about this, and they confirm that the ESU LokPilot V5 is the only way to achieve full lighting functions on a DCC Ready model. I’ve managed to find one online and ordered that and the ONE 66 so hopefully get a chance to try fit it later this week

That’s why I was looking for the ideal decoder to fit into it as I can only get it as dcc ready. I want to take full advantage of the lighting like the sound version I got earlier in the year. I don’t want to stick the wrong decoder in and not get to use all the possible features. I will have a look for an esu lokpilot What does the MKL mean, as you highlighted I should get one of those?

Thanks, appreciate the advice. I’m sure I can give it a go. I think I previously read that the lighting is designed with a specific decoder in mind when using dcc control. What’s the best decoder to get rather than Hattons own brand ‘recommended’ one? Want to make sure I get the correct decoder to take full advantage of the lighting. Thanks

I bought their Large Logo 66 when first released, but got it in the sound variant. With the festive price drop I’m planning on buying their ONE version, however they only have it in DCC ready form. A few others have the DCC fitted. Has anybody here had Hattons do the DCC fitting for them on a 66? I’ve read how fickle and delicate the loco is when taking the body off, so I’d like to avoid it if possible, but then again Hattons may make a hash of it when doing it themselves as well after purchase.

Sorry to drag up an old thread but can someone explain how I am supposed to wire up the supplies microswitch for frog polarity changing? It’s my first ever attempt at point motor installing, and I’ve been able to do the basic wiring for basic functioning, but can’t work out the instructions for the microswitch Cheers

I purchased a Royal on Monday - BR Maroon - and when tested in the shop it was working fine forward and back. Got it onto the track yesterday and whilst it does work at slow speeds and high speeds, at medium speed the motor sound alike a bag of bolts. It’s running so roughly, and it just sounds terrible. However in reverse at the same speeds it is completely normal, nice quiet smooth runner. Very strange. Back into forward direction at the same speed at before and still very noisy. I’ve stopped running it as don’t want to risk damaging it, and contacted the shop I purchased it from for advice, but yet to hear back.