wasdavetheroad

Could be possible but that depends on the loco size. You would need a switch between the receiver/motor and a switch to isolate the receiver from the battery as well as the receiver (Rx) is drawing a small amount of power when the motor is idle. I think a 3PDT switch would work if wired properly. Are using a track controller for the DC rail power? Using the radio transmitter (Tx) to control the Rx on DC makes it more complicated as well as needing rectification. Others more expert than me will know more. You could try emailing Micron Radio control fo advice.

I must be getting old, how do you search for multiple words in content?

Excellent video. Pity i did not think of the wood filler when constructing my S&C station etc. I like the gutter down pipes as well. I wonder if an empty fine tip ball point pen would good for embossing, I was in the Range this morning and could have bought the real thing.

I have a Airfix/Dapol 3 coach lavatory set, Brake 2nd/Composite/Brake 2nd in BR Crimson and would like a 2nd as an occassional stengthener, no need for a Lavatory. Extensive modification of the Airfix coaches is beyond my old hands so what would be a reasonable RTR option ?

I contacted DCC Concepts with several images. They swiftly replied and asked me to return the item for examination and sent me a paid postal label. I posted it last Friday 2nd class tracked so it might have not arrived yet. Fingers crossed🤞 I have several old style Peco Loco Lefts and use one of them as a virtual turntable and for moving groups of 3 wagons to/from storage track on a shelf. I opted for the MPD 360mm to accommodate extra long wagons and also a rather nice Hornby Fowler 2-6-4T loco in LMS crimson Livery which I am converting to radio control. My old hands can't do fiddly stuff any more so I am going to permanently attach a short luggage van containing the fiddly bits and run it as a steam special. Plan B might be to use 3 new Peco lifts but at 450mm it is too long. Plan C is to consider re boxing 2 locomotives and trying to knock something together from their loco lifts.

My layout is Kato H0 unitrack running 00 scale models. I do not have any old big flange models but a friend gave me this LNER J83 some years ago. He found it in a charity shop for a pound, I still have the motor. Produced from 1976 to 1978. BIG flanges and no flange on centre axle. After lubrication I pushed/pulled the chassis with my trusty Lima Class 20 which will pull out the side of a house. Results - no fouling on the track straights or curves but not checked 430mm radius, but some issues on the pointwork. OK straight through but catches the point blade otherwise. I checked the back to backs, 1 mm less than tolerance!. As an alternative Peco do a Code 83 90 degree crossing for less than £22 compared with the Unitrack at £17.50. With Setrack this would work out cheaper.

Needing a large 'virtual turntable' for my large locomotives that can also be used to transfer groups of wagons to a 'virtual siding' I have just received delivery of a DCC Concepts 360mm Motive Power Depot and there is a problem which I hope is just a rogue item. My track is Kato Unitrack HO scale and I checked the 369mm straight and it is in gauge and really straight, not curved or warped. The MPD gauge varies from end to end and the plastic end pieces differ in width by 1mm, the images will show the problem. Has anyone had a similar problem?

The long version. Are you using a Deltang type transmitter with the 12 position Selecta knob? If so select the position you want the receiver to bind to but don't turn the Tx (transmitter) on. Apply power to the Rx (receiver) and the LED will flash slowly as the Rx searches for the Tx. After several seconds (15?) the LED will flash rapidly, the Rx is now in bind mode. Hold down the Tx bind button and switch it on then release both buttons. The LED's will flash as the Tx and Rx establish the bind. When the Rx LED stays on it is bound to the Selecta position you selected. You can do this as many times as you want as it just over writes a memory location in the Rx

Banking would be a more complex problem than double heading or piloting which can have both locos using the same throttle but 'putting a sock on it' requires careful monitoring of the banker to avoid pushing too hard and causing a derailment. My solution for DC would be to use a battery powered radio controlled banker not coupled and having say a Hornby medium coupler bar without hook to push on the train brake van with a hook less coupler and not a wobbly narrow tension lock. The problem with a radio controlled banker, say a 2-6-4T is finding space for the battery but apparently you can take power from the rail. I just googled it and other locos were used including a A4! and an interesting story about a 9 car DMU assisting a stalled Black 5 on a mixed freight outside Preston

According to Digital wiki??? with DCC speed matching to within 10% is good enough. I have 2 Hornby 2P 4-4-0's that were within 3% straight out of the boxes. I ran them light engine coupled around the layout with the faster loco in front and observed the tension lock coupling carefully. On 3 sections around the circuit the tension lock slackened and the slower loco was pushing!. Even at 10% difference when pulling a train with the slower loco in front the weight of the train has the faster loco as the slower loco of you see what i mean and the couplings remain under tension for the complete circuit. For DC double heading i remember reading on a US site that it helps if climbing an incline one loco can't pull the train on its own and as long as you don't get wheel spin or skidding you should be OK I don't have much need for double heading but can occasionally just couple 2 x 2P's to pull a 8 coach passenger train. Normally i will just use a Black 5 instead. Another consist i might try one day is a compound 4-4-0 piloting a 4-6-0. In this case i would have 2 or 3 different 4-6-0's speed matched with the Compound. ps- I use battery powered radio control but the principles are somewhat similar to DCC

I decided to try out inkredible cartridges as they are a Which magazine best buy, not the cheapest but a similar price to the Wilkinson ones I was using. I loaded the first 4 a few days ago and there was no error message on the Epson SX215. I print on A4 labels and ran a test print of red ashlar, the quality looks OK, as for fading my railway room only has light when I am in there, otherwise it is pitch dark.

I have an Epson Stylus 215 inkjet printer and have been successfully using Wilkinsons ink cartridges. Alas Wilkinsons is no more and it is likely that my local branch will close even if some survive. Any suggestions about alternative ink availability?

Rx 5 LED flashes indicates low voltage http://www.deltang.co.uk/rx611-selecta.htm You could email Deltang for suggestions

Most my OO scale locos are modified to allow for a speedy battery change. The tenders lift off the chassis and the Diesels, mostly Lima have bodies that lift off. You need to find out the power draw of the loco by fitting a battery of say 100mAh and timing how long it will run. If your loco needs 200mA for an hour the battery should be larger capacity. The recharging is easy, have pre charged spare batteries and just swop. It will only take a couple of minutes. 009 might have problems with finding room for the batteries

If 15mph is 22 feet per second (according to the net) at 4mm to the foot for 00 scale that is 88mm ???

I bought a number of Lima diesels some years ago when they were cheap and have a spare Class 47 body with the large buffers, problem solved. Thanks for your offer as well so I don't need to inconvenience you. Hold on to those buffers as Lima stuff is getting rarer and more expensive

What was the diameter of the buffer heads on a Class 20? I want a quick improvement to my Lima model. I have plasticard and several hole punches

Did they do something like that in the olden days of unfitted wagons, applied the wagon brakes and pulled the train down the hill?

If one loco can pull the train uphill an extreme solution could be to have a dummy loco which ideally should be no heavier than one of the coaches. I did this with a pair of Lima class 20's, made easier by spare non powered bogies being available.

That's excellent, at least 120 complete circuits to catch up the slower loco which means it is 0.83% faster so no need to speed match at all. this was discussed some time ago

Spot on, I just tried to insert a Hornby coupling into a Dapol pocket. It fits but you have to push until it clicks into place

Dapol sell a pack of 40 replacement couplers including the NEM pockets (COUPNEMOO). Over £20 per pack. I have modified my Dapol couplers to stop them drooping and the annoying hooks dropping out. I am also completely replacing some of them with Hornby ones. Plus Hornby wheels in many cases to get rid of the wobbly wheel issue.

N scale and 2' 6" wide. That should be reachable without having to move anything. Devise a cunning scenic break in front of the fiddle yard which would be OK if you are more interested in trains moving through scenery, in which case your viewing height will be low, not like from a helicopter or drone!.

I have a copy of Harold Bowtell's book 'Rails Through Lakeland' and there is a chapter on bridges. There are a number of upper and lower Bowstring girder bridges on the line including some with the track curved. They have heavy longitudinal timber baulks beneath the rails, canted in the curved versions with longitudinal heavy planks between. No evidence of ballasting. It is mentioned that the lack of ballast puts more strain on the bridges structure.

It appears that NFC technology (near field) is designed for transmission ranges of about 4 inches, however other radio protocols are available.