axlej

Hi, As a kid in the early late 70's / early 80's I remember seeing 47s going through Southampton, presumably on the X-Country service up from Poole / Bournemouth. I'm planning to model that era/location so was wondering if anyone had any pointers on coaching stock. Mk 2s from memory but it was a long time ago and no idea on formation. Also, when did HSTs start running down to Bournemouth? Many thanks Alex

It will be interesting to see what Hornby do here. They seem to operate on a business model where most units are pre-sold in advance. To operate this requires a certain amount of confidence in a manufacturer (or confidence that they will remedy anything that's not up to standard). I'd pre-ordered and XC and GWR set making the wild assumption that the wheels on them would at least be up to the standard of the previous version. Hopefully they'll do something about it but it will rankle me if I have spend money buying wheels from Hornby themselves to correct a defect with their own product. How they handle this will affect my decision on whether to pre-order anything in the future. Obviously me not pre-ordering again is not going to have much financial impact on Hornby but I can't be the only person that feels that way!

Hi May seem an odd question but does anyone have any idea if the forthcoming Hornby Swallow Mk3 coaches are going to have the lower part a more prototypical grey/beige colour rather than the rather cream ones that they have produced in the past? Just wondering as want something to run with an old Margate Swallow HST which to my eye has the colour just right. Cheers Alex

Once you've checked as Nigelcliffe has suggested....... If you go to http://www.esu.eu/en/downloads/software/ and download the PC software for the Lokprogrammer. It's the computer side of things for using their interface to program their chips. Without the interface you can still choose your chip and use pull down menus on the PC to select the features you want. Choose 'create new project' and select your decoder. Use the menus to choose the functions you want. Then you can ask it what CV's have changed from default and just program them manually in the normal way. I find it's a good way of leaning what does what with the ESU chips. Cheers Alex

I emailed them this afternoon and they said they'll offering them as sets for the SD's with the Power car couplings by Sunday.

Hi Does anyone know if is there a cranked version available of the close coupling that comes with these so they can be close coupled to the power car? Cheers Alex

Thanks 54-54. I'll have a look at those.

Done quite well on this Hornby 47 with fibre optic pipe. and just roughed it up a bit on the end so it looks opaque. You can get it in lots of sizes. 2.5mm or 3mm might do the trick. Give us a shout if you want any more info.

Hi there Started work converting an old Lima Swallow HST to hopefully turn into 43185 'Great Western' with the modern twin lights. I've got the lights working pretty well but want to try and make the light unit look a bit more realistic, especially when the lights are off (see attached pics). I've painted black inside the lens and will paint the border round the outside of the lens black but was wondering if anyone has done a similar conversion and if there are any dodges to get it looking better as my brush skills are not the best. Thanks Alex

Some great additions but shame they are not doing 43185 Great Western to go with Sir Kenneth Grange. I know they didn't run together but if you've already got GWR power cars you could mix and match. Also, wonder if the Swallow Mk3's will be a better grey colour rather than the 'magnolia' of the earlier versions?

Thanks Rob, that makes sense now, I hadn't figured the picture was only part of the decoder. Cheers Alex

Hi Got a Lokpilot v4.0 (Model number 54611) that I want to fit a stay alive to. The manual has diagrams of how to wire it for various v4.0 decoders but not for this one. Can anyone point me in the right direction as I don't want to fry it! Many thanks Alex

Nigelcliffe and Vecchio, thanks for that. Looks like ESU or Zimmo could be the way forward as you can set a different dim level for each function and fairly easy to fit Stayalive. Cheers Alex

Thanks will have a look at those. Alex

Hi Been using TCS decoders as I like the advanced lighting functions for remapping and especially being able to set a different dim value for each function output as it helps getting the lights looking right. I was wondering if there were any other brands out there that offer the same flexibility? Been looking but seem to be going round in circles. Also need to be able to hook up to stay alive. Thanks Alex

Thanks Jamie, don't have a layout yet so have time to mess around on the workbench. Here are snaps for a Hornby 125. Old light feed tube cut off the back of the lens. Headlights are 2mm tower LEDs mounted directly in the nose. Marker and tail lights are tower LEDs heatshrunk on to the end of 1.5mm fibre optic tube and fed trough from behind the cab. Have others if they are of interest. Bachmann 166, Hornby Mk4 DVT, Class 47 to name a few! Alex

Not perfect as fairly new to this game but here's my effort. Managed to do without the light pipes by using 2mm tower LEDs and a 3mm round one for the headlight (all fitted directly) . They are very slightly larger than the light pipes so needed a bit of drilling out and the 3mm round one needed a bit filed of the edge of it so the tower LEDs can fit in next to it.

Hi Been looking at getting some DCC Concepts DCF-WP12 Wiper Pick Ups and wondering if anyone had any views on them? Cheers Alex

Thanks ba14eagle, great help.

Hi Back in the late 70's as a kid I remember spending time around Southampton and Basingstoke stations and seeing Class 47's, 50's and 33's hauling coaches. I presume they were Mk2 coaches but can't find a list anywhere of roughly how the rakes were formed in those days. I know things were a bit variable in those days but was wondering if anyone can give me some pointers? Thinking of stating to collect some of the Bachmann Blue/Grey Mk2's and want to run something vaguely realistic. Thanks Alex