RFS

Or £75 for this one which has a proper "funnel" and no melted chip cover ...

One possibility is to install a second decoder (space permitting!) that is not connected to the motor. For eample, the Lenz Standard+ V2 has an option to configure it as a function-only decoder, ie to provide lighting etc. You could therefore use one of these configured this way, and with Railcom enabled on both the decoder and the DCC system should do what you want. The decoder is just connected to the track wires and nothing else. Its address will be set to the same as the main decoder in the loco.

I've recently purchased a green E6002 via the recent Rails offer. Works very well but I'm having a problem with the lights. I've fitted a Lenz 21-pin decoder, and although the lights do work correctly they only do so intermittently. If I find the loco without its lights on, I've found just lightly pressing down on the loco turns them on. Sometimes they stay on and more often not. At the same time I also purchased a blue E6012 from Hatton's and this does not have this problem. Anyone else experienced this?

Hopefully a final post on this topic. MS Edge has just been updated to level 118 and now the problem is fixed. I've reverted to 100% zoom level and all works fine now on all magazines.

Here's a description of Windows S from Microsoft. It's a security mode of operation.

I'm not aware that most laptops come with Windows 11 S. Most usually come with the Home edition of Windows 11 and you should have no problem using Anyrail on that - I do.

This picture brought a smile to me as a retired IT pro. It's of a US Federal Data Centre in 1959 where records are being stored on punched cards. It's estimated the total data stored here is about 4.3 Gb - ie equal to a small (by today's standards already!) flash drive. The pallets contain around 27,000 boxes of cards, each box having 2000 cards with 80 bytes of data each.

Should have read the ESU URL more closely .... former products it says!

What about the ESU one? Think it's designed just for this purpose. https://www.esu.eu/en/products/former-products/railcomr-transmitter-unit/

Hi Dave - leading unit on C5022 is a 4CEP class 411. Two units behind the same, or possibly the middle one is a 4BEP class 410.

Thanks for the advice but I'm going to stick with the Lenz. Getting the body off the 4TC is a right faff, and when I went to remove the Depol decoder, it just fell out as it was so loose. I pinched the Lenz Silver21 out of my Kernow Bulleid diesel and replaced it with a spare Standard+ on an 8/21 adapter which I also had spare, as the diesel has acres of space inside to do that. The Lenz has dedicated CVs for each of the Aux 3, 4 and 5 outputs so I just have to set CV 118 to any value between 0-255.

Thanks for the tip and 32 seems to be the answer, but in CV 39. I thought I tried that last night, but when I went to test today everything seems to be working. Would like to tone down the brightness but can't see where to do that - it was so simple on the Lenz (CV 118). So I've decided to relieve another loco of its 21-pin Lenz in exchange for a spare Standard+ on an 8/21 pin adapter board and put the Lenz back into the TC. The Imperium will be going on Ebay anon....

I've decided to replace my elderly Hornby/Lima class 73s with a couple of new Dapol ones. Hatton's had a special offer for a DCC-fitted one that was cheaper than the non-fitted equivalent. It comes with one of their Imperium decoders which I believe are rebadged Lais ones. Not my choice of decoder (it doesn't support Railcom for example) but no problem I thought - I've got a Lenz 21-pin Silver in my Bachmann 4TC just for the lights, so I'll swap them over. No problem with the class 73 running with the Lenz - works very well indeed. Had a right faff with the Imperium though. It had been customized for their class 73 and needed a reset which is CV8=4 (why are all manufacurers different?). Couldn't do that in the TC so had to put it in the 73 and set its address there. The 4TC uses F3 for the interior lights, and the problem I have is that they only come on in forward direction and go out in reverse. Seems F3 is somehow directional. Must be a CV change somewhere. Attached is the CV list Dapol sent me, which really doesn't explain very much. Any ideas? Thanks cvlist.pdf

Using curved turnouts gets you longer sidings. Here's a picture of mine taken a while ago whilst still under construction. I also have 4 roads in a 4 out. These are all Peco code 75 large radius curved turnouts with one exception. Some point positions have been adjusted slightly to avoid point motors clashing with the baseboard supports.

For fitting magnetic couplings which are fixed to the bogie (ie there's no close-coupling mechanism) have you considered using the Hunt pivoting couplings?

Tracked 48 is also £3.29 via the Royal Mail site. For large items I feel spending the extra 70p for next day delivery is worth it to encourage the buyers.

If you buy postage online it's not only cheaper than the going to the Post Office, you can also have the postie collect it from you for free. It's currently £3.99 for Tracked 24 up to 1 Kg, and that includes £150 compensation. The collection service is optional, or you can take the parcel to the PO for the same price having pre-paid online.

Fascinating pictures of Victoria in early BR days. This picture is actually a 3SUB and not a 2NOL which only had two coaches. These units were in the process of being augmented to 4SUB by the addition of an all-steel trailer, and you can see the unit behind has already been upgraded. Previously 8-car formations consisted of a pair of 3SUBs with a 2-car trailer set marshalled in between. After upgrade the sets were renumbered in the 43xx series. The 2NOLs were numbered in the 18xx series and were starting to be withdrawn. But their underframes were reused for new Bulleid-style 2/4EPBs and 2HAPs, the last of which not being withdrawn until 1995.

I've been getting 80% offer every 2 weeks for most of this year. I always activate the offer even if I don't have anything to sell at that point.

See attached parts listing for N15. I think you need X5899. N15.pdf

I too have a Z21 with about 80 locos on the track - 70 with Lenz decoders and 10 Zimo. Not had any problems reading or writing to any of them regardless of where they are on the track. I don't have Railcom-enabled detectors (I use Digikeijs DR4088RBs) and just use the built-in Global Railcom Detector. Reading and writing is done purely from the Z21 Maintenance tool on the PC as I don't use the wifi option. I have a Lenz LH101 throttle for manual use. Do you have any devices that don't support Railcom connected to the bus? I use NCE Switch-8 accessory decoders for my Tortoise point motors and these do not work properly if Railcom is enabled. So all my accessories are on the Z21's internal booster with Railcom disabled, and a twin booster is used for the trains with Railcom enabled. EDIT: I have spent a few pennies on self-built suppressors as per Brian Lambert's web-site. These don't seem to make any difference....

I suspect it's just been/about to be removed. See this Microsoft announcement from just a couple of weeks ago.

If the track is "really, really dirty" it's a sure bet the loco wheels are too. Both need thorough cleaning.

I have a number of Bachmann units which have the same problem - 4CEPs, 2HAP, 2EPBs, Thumpers etc. Eventually you get used to it. At least it's better than blocking out the first class compartments with a solid partition, and having the motor bogie in plain view ....