charliepetty

Just tested, boxed & packed 150 two car units, FIRST COME FIRST SERVED!!!

Warley this weekend, see you all there. Spent the last 4 weeks individually testing 'EVERY' Class 144 to eliminate any minor issues that my crop up, trade supplies are going out within the next 3 weeks all being well. Over 50% of production now sold. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED See you at the NEC. Arran & Charlie

That's the problem, to make a good model people demand detail, the 144 has over 140 separate detailing components (Hornbys 142 has 2) That means you have 140+ to drop off!!! The lighting strip is a tight fit into the clip on the rear end, some have been glued in the factory as they were slack and would have dropped out in transit, this is a catch 22 problem, loose lighting means people return them, glued in lighting strip makes DCC Fitting more difficult! Cannot win here me thinks. Getting the body off is quite easy (After doing 100+) The rear end clips off easy, then using 2 X 2mm thick Lolipop Sticks (or similar) place them between the bodyshell and the chassis, just under the driver cab window/front door area, then 'off she comes'. The lighting bars for the front lights stick out about 1mm and these cause the bodyshell to stick, the lollipop sticks solve this issue. I have 3 X DCC Chips to fit on Monday, should take about 1 hour. Charlie

How difficult did you find the DCC fitting! Charlie

Doing three tomorrow so I will let you know! Charlie

Brilliant feature for those requiring an upgrade, bit confused why you would do all this work then put a 142 sound decoder in? PPS We have some spare springs available!!! Charlie

The size or wheels and the gear ratio effects the running speed, we decided scale speeds rather than a bodyshell full of motor & electronics. Were we right???????

Because the 144 has been running somewhat late this has put the 143 back about 9 months, no promises as yet as we are swamped with getting out the 144s. They will turn up though! Honest.. Charlie

SOUND SYSTEMS Please note the Class 142 Sounds are not the same as a 144, the REALTRACK/Legomanbiffo has it spot on: Featured are: 1/ Twin Engine Start. 2/ Playable Single Horn. 3/ Playable Single Horn. 4/ Correct Class 144 Door Sounds (Different from the 142) 5/ Air Brake 6/ Driver Operated Entrance Door. 7/ Compressor Run Up 8/ Air System Sounds 9/ Additional Wheel/Flange Squeel. 10/ Departure Whistle. 11/ Class 144 Guard to Driver Buzzer. 13/ Class 144 'Northern' Passenger Announcements. 17/ Detonator Sounds 'Action Feature'. ALL Recorded from 144s

Shipping out is planned during October. Charlie

Work on our 143 is progressing, an all new new seating unit is yet to complete as there is different seating arrangements in the Class 143.

Or get the Low Profile chamber from DC Kits to go with the 20X40 Speaker supplied on the 21Pin Version,not cutting down here, always remember to fill ALL holes (4 in speaker housing & 1 in the notch you cut to allow the wires to get out) with tacky wax or similar. This will greatly amplify your sound.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS Please ask now that Dapol Dave has left the building!

The DCC bit is fiddly due to the design of the Full Interior Layout, all 144s & 143s have 8Pin sockets and a speaker area with Pre Drilled holes but fitting is in the Non powered car as there is no room when the Motor, Gearboxes & Cardan Shafts are in the way! Honest!!! And 8Pin connector connects the units together, the interior lighting is constant on DCC and has to be rewired if you require DCC Switchable. All Running Lights (Back & Front) are switchable on DCC. Future models after October will be DCC Fitted & DCC Sound Fitted, but the Northern Blue ones are running out so they might not get fitted with sound. We are currently working on the the Class 143 Arriva Trains Wales & First Great Western. The Launch on some we are flying in is Manchester Show & BRM Peterborough in October. Charlie

Expecting the shipment from China to be hear for late September.

This has always been a stumbling block! Looks or loads of room for DCC? We went for looks. The unit has an 8Pin NMRA Socket, space is very limited and is a bastard to get to!!! A bit of dismantling of the unit as the seating/cast floor has to be taken out first, the electrics are in the trailor car as without the motor there is space!!. Suggest a mini decoder or a ESU Micro sound decoder, the sound file has been done for next years DCC Sound Versions. Any takers.

The Class 144s were not in provincial livery, only 3 carried Regional Railways, but our next model, the Class 143 was! And Tyne & Wear Yellow & White. Charlie

The Official Launch is the Hornby Live Event 'Great Electric Trainshow', Gaydon Motor Museum, Off M40, BRM Peterborough & Leeds Shows in October, limited quantites are available as these are a batch of 100 pieces being flown in during October. The production batch is due late October. Now its on to the Class 143, First Great Western & Arriva Trains Wales! Any takers. Charlie

The bar is too tall now, cannot reach the beer!

No plans to in the next 3 years, as two more units to do! Charlie PPS Final Production samples & packaging arrived today, all very pretty. Its all getting very near at last,

Hopefully 6 months, hopefully Ali Pali in March or YORK at Easter, it really depends on the Factory and its commitments. HELP REQUIRED!!!! To save me a long trip out I need close up 'CURRENT' shots of the underframe lettering/safety signs on both Arriva (Cardiff) & FGW (Bristol) Class 143s, this done we can finalise the info we have here! LET ME KNOW @ Charlie@dckits.co.uk please. THANKS

NEWS: All of the 144s will be on sale at the Warley NEC show, possibly earlier. Production samples due airfreight to us in Late July, followed by the balance via ship. Charlie

The Chinese have suggested we should have a delivery by September, possibly earlier. The Serco Abellio-Northern is almost SOLD OUT, the other Northern has 150 left and the Red/Silver Northern 120 left and the Arriva only 94 left. You have been warned! Charlie

Currently postponed due to the economic climate. Sorry. Charlie