Adrock

Thinking further, if you also made two additional cuts to the lead casting that I have marked red, you would create the same amount of space as in the DCC ready version. You could then fix the lead to the chassis and mount the speaker, chip etc on top of it. The only thing you would have to do is create a new fixing point between the chassis and the front of the body, under the front coupling. Because the original version uses the little protrusion on the lead casting to retain the front of the body to the chassis.

I did wonder whether it was a typo or not! No I don’t use JMRI, haven’t needed to on any loco other than this loco potentially!

Hi Jon, I finally managed to take mine apart to replace the faulty decoder. 3 of the 4 wires had come unsoldered from the decoder! No wonder it wasn’t running. Here are pictures of what I did originally. I cut the boiler weight back half way. This gives enough room to pop the decode within, whilst mating the body to the chassis. However, the main problem I have is that I can’t put the second screw into the boiler weight, so it’s not a flush fit. I have used a zimo decoder here and have painted the cab back head, this dropped out very easily for me. There is a slight lip of the lower boiler weight showing because I can’t a) get the second screw up through the boiler at the rear end and b) given the way I have cut the weight, the fixing point is no longer there anyway and c) the decider is now there!

Yes that’s the same decoder that I have. Are you able to read and share the CV values that you used at all? Or not easily? thanks.

Hi, I think I recall reading something about this but am struggling to locate in this 95 page thread! Did someone say that they had programmed their DCC decoder with a completely new speed profile and curve, and had hugely improved the running as a result? If so, could anyone point me to the details at all please, as I’d like to replicate this! I have a ZIMO decoder fitted in mine. Thanks.

This is a much appreciated gesture and yes, it will allow me to do a direct comparison and hopefully answer this question conclusively! I will video the comparative performance too.

Hi, yes I have as I’ve just recently bought a new controller. Both chips have always been like this, i bought them ~2011/12 ish, couple of years of light use and then in storage within the locos until this year. I never considered it at the time but I’ve found this article suggesting some of them were faulty: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/60802-tcs-dp2x-uk-in-a-Bachmann-pannier-setting-up-for-shunting/page/2/

The speed table is all over the place and I’ve spent hours already trying to improve it. No other decoder I have is like this, so it’s easier to just replace.

Yes I know, I use them in all my other locos. They just don’t do a direct plug unfortunately. What’s the issue with the two that I have listed?

Hi All, I need to purchase a couple of decoders to replace my TCS direct plug in my Bachmann 00 pannier tanks. There is very little room in there so I’m insisting on another direct plug. I think my main options are either: RAILS CONNECT DECODER, 8 PIN DIRECT 4 FUNCTION NANO DECODER Or OMNI DIRECT PLUG DECODER (8 PIN) DCC29 Does anyone have any experience of either of these, and maybe in a Bachmann 57xx/8750? Are they smooth runners? many thanks in advance.

Thanks for this, looks like a great job with the tender mods and pickups. I think that you’re right, the earlier loco must have the Buhler motor and the later one the Bachmann. The former seems to run more smoothly and I would say the 1998/9 release has better quality control all round. I have cut the wires in the middle, re-routed through the larger hole and have reassembled. The body does now sit level against the tender, so I’m really pleased with that. Just about to add a Zimo chip and then am going to work on the cosmetic details - pipe work, etched plates and renumber the model etc. Picture illustrates coupled to a tender now from a Dapol mogul (ROD tender has gone!).

Certainly is an old thread, but a very useful one! yes a job for the soldering iron, but there are three places - unsolder at the pickups, unsolder at the motor, or cut the cable and then resolder. So would be interested to hear what others have done. My cable is pretty squashed from the body nipping it to be honest. thanks for the info on the red grease, I’ve removed quite a bit. The motors in the two models look a bit different, and I always thought it was a 5 pole motor in the initial release but I could be wrong! I may check my catalogue from 1999 tho...

Really useful description here Ray as ever. I am just DCC’ing both 2260 (32-301) and 2259 (32-311) and am wondering if anyone has re-routed the wires through the larger hole on 2259; and more importantly, does that then make the body sit level? Can the screw be tightened up normally whilst still getting the rear wheel set to operate correctly? I bought this engine second hand (but in excellent condition) and it had quite a lot of red grease around the cogs. Is that a factory thing does anyone know, or likely to have been added by the previous owner? 2260 is the much better runner by the way! Assume that’s a 5 pole motor whereas 2259 is 3 pole...?

HI this may now be a bit late but I have just been through exactly the same thought processes as you at roughly the same time. My requirements were an experience as “similar to analogue feel” as possible; and something that my 5 year olds could operate. initially I went for the gaugemaster Prodigy as a result of the control knob, however I didn’t like the fact that it didn’t have a “0” position and I found it wasn’t the most refined level of control. I therefore returned that and went for the NCE PowerCab system. Every review and model shop owner that I spoke to about this system couldn’t rate it highly enough. Suffice to say, I ordered and it arrived earlier this week and I can’t really fault it. So easy to use, the thumb wheel control is great. I also purchased it with the CAB006 in mind, as that seems like a great way to not only add an extra controller for one of my sons to use; but also a more simple interface with an even more “analogue like” experience should I still want that over the coming months. Hope this helps in some way!

I know only a picture of “white walls” but I’ve now got my 4 sockets installed (part of the ring main) to provide layout power; and I’ve painted the walls. So, other than the new lighting installation, the room is ready to go. I’ve taken detailed measurements today so that I can draw up a scaled track plan, then i will make a start on building the frames which will carry the baseboards themselves. My idea is to separate the two, so that a) i can change the layout in the future if I want to and b) so that I can flip up the boards whilst working on the wiring. I am also looking to design in a fairly tall backscene that is hinged, and will come down over key parts of the layout to box it in and protect it from dust and damage. My specification also calls for the supporting wood to be painted white (to blend in with the walls); and the layout and framing in a cream eggshell paint to provide a semi-sealed finish (similar to the type of paint used in hand painted kitchen cupboard doors). I am going to try and make this construction look as neat and tidy as I can!

Thanks, I hadn’t seen this, it looks interesting - I will take a closer look! The wall was plastered this weekend, so next stage is to paint and then the room will be ready as I’ll be starting detailed layout planning.

Brilliant! Have you got a thread or any pics? yes, planning to build all the boards myself, open framed for most ideally.

Hi, am planning to model late 50s / early 60s, as that is what my stock collection is based on. However, I reckon I could just run to early 70s BR blue at a stretch! I very much want to run the Cambrian coast express, so I was actually thinking this layout size is a tad small, as my version of the winter train is 7 coaches long. More “normal” service trains will be 3 or 4 coaches long. Will hopefully prove out through more detailed planning. The layout will be DCC too, with some DCC sound.

Good point, omission from my side! It is to be 4mm / OO gauge, and the space available initially is about 2.4m wide by just over 5m long.

Hi I have been planning to build a new layout ever since we moved into our current house just over five years ago. In fact, I’d insisted on buying one with a double garage with this very plan in mind! However, a combination of work and the arrival of two little boys seriously limited my time (or energy!) to start...until just recently. With the clearing of more and more baby stuff in the garage (only one pram left, and that won’t be long!), I have started to prepare the railway room in there. We use our garage quite a lot as a route in and out, and until we redesign the kitchen later in the year our main American fridge / freezer is also in there. Therefore, I decided to build a short stud wall to divide the garage up and make a dedicated and more usable space for me. I was never going to get away with the full double, but may be able to extend outside of my “half” a bit in the future. In terms of the layout, I will be building a Cambrian based layout and it is a strong requirement that I want to model one (or a number) of prototype locations. My main challenge is that I can’t decide which one just now! I also like the idea of “system” layouts, so am quite taken with the looped figure of 8 championed by the Grantham team, as not only can I get a longer run but I could probably fit two or maybe three scenic sections within. Again, what I can’t quite decide on is whether I need gradients and split levels to achieve, or whether I could do it all on the flat. Finally, being Cambrian most of it will be single track - I would like to model the section at Pont Dollgoch but would ideally like a station or junction in there too. So, all thoughts welcome in terms of location, plan etc. I have sketched a very basic concept of how I think the figure of 8 could work - it’s not a track plan as yet, more of a route schematic. I’ve also attached some pictures showing progress on the garage space. The wall is due to be plastered tomorrow.

I’ve recently just picked up a 101 and wondered if anyone knows how the wiring is set up? For example, are the pickups on the trailer wired to pass power to the motor through the electoral contacts on the drawbar? Or does the drawbar only carry the DCC decoder signals from the driving car ie to tell the trailer to switch on / off the lights? I ask as the lights flicker quite badly in the trailer whilst moving (but are fine in the power car), which would suggest the pickups are feeding power only to the trailer. Or else surely the scenario would be either: 1) no flicker because the good contact from the driving car would provide the current or 2) both trailer and driver would flicker at the same time? This impacts on both DC and DCC, so wonder whether a stay alive would help; or whether to wire the pickups directly into the trailer rather than relying on the wiping contact between the bogie and chassis? Thoughts welcome!

I’m trying to decide which one to preorder...would like to create Bradley Manor in late crest lined green in 1962 condition as operating on the Cambrian. Which would you say is the best donor loco? Thanks.

I ordered and received a set of Elite cranked (for Backmann mk 1s) and a starter pack with examples of each length. I will start by saying that I really think the concept is fantastic and they are so very nearly perfect! For the first time I have been able to close couple a Hornby Collett to the end of my Bachmann Mk1 rake. However, I have found two slight issues: 1) The cranked ones fit in well but the two legs are too long, so they don't fit snugly in the NEM pockets length-wise. There is therefore quite a bit of play that is taken up whilst the coaches are being hauled, which extends the gap between MK1 coaches. If the design for the legs could be made slightly shorter so that they don't move within the pocket, the distance would be perfect. The clearance provided by the crank is already perfect. UPDATE: Spoke to the manufacturer, a blob of hot glue should do the trick. 2) The straight ones - I've had a bit of a nightmare. As part of my testing, I put a long one in a Hornby Hawksworth and then couldn't get it back out at all. I had to snip the end of the leg off to remove it. I also cannot get them to fit in the pocket of two of my Hornby Collett coaches - to be fair, this seems to be a pocket issue, it is curved at the far end; but the legs don't seem thin enough to be able to "squeeze". Using too much force, I then managed to snap the whole pocket protrusion from the close coupling mechanism, so I currently have no way to attach any type of coupling! Can these be bought as spares from Horny, does anyone know? Again, the legs are slightly too long which means there is too much play, but again hot glue should work.

Hi how did you get on with this? I have a Hornby decoder that I hard-wired into a non-DCC ready version of this loco, but am going to replace it. Just wondering if you were able to create a similar amount of space as they achieved in their DCC-ready version?

Agreed, I found out the same way too...maybe we need a “breaking news” section on RM Web!! This project looks fantastic though, so I will be buying at least one example from both manufacturers.