tetsudofan

FedEx has just been and something now running in..... Certainly something different!! Keith

Just checked my credit card account and see that I've been charged £100.01. When I went to school we were taught that £50.00 + £50.00 equalled £100.00 not £100.01 as the website thinks. Oh, stupid me, we used our heads then to add things up, we didn't rely on computers to add two figures and get it wrong. Keith

I've just pre-ordered one of each and seem to have managed it although the emailed invoice (no.86) shows that my card account is to be charged with £100.01 Nothing yet has hit my card account so can't yet see what has actually been charged to my card. The figures shown on the invoice are a bit of gobbledigook..... Provincial £50.00 E.Mids £50.00 Sub-total £83.34 PreOrder £0.00 VAT £16.07 Total £100.01 Keith

Couple of months ago a friend of mine who owns a couple of East Kent vehicles invited me to join them on a trip to Kent County Fairground at Detling. The journey up was on the Sealink livery Regent: and the journey home was on his Duple coach: Also present at the show was Stagecoach East Kent bus in special livery celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the creation of the East Kent Road Car Company: Later I'll dig out some more pics taken at Detling Keith

Amongst all this waffle about the DJ Cl.71 not having any oomph thought I would have a play with mine this evening. Started off with five original not that free-running lighted Pullmans which E5004 had no problem taking up the incline round my layout. Gradually added three Northern Belle Pullmans one-by-one making a train of eight coaches which climbed the gradient but I felt that was the safe limit without doing any damage to the loco. Normally I run trains not exceeding 5 or 6 coaches (due to platform lengths) so I'm happy that my DJ Cl.71 can manage trains of this length up the gradients on my layout. If there were no gradients then I could easily run longer trains..... but there would not be any station platforms long enough to take them. Keith

After many weeks of waiting and my local shop being told by Dapol that they were first awaiting sound decoders, then awaiting speakers finally got an email yesterday from the shop that a box has been received for me: Yippee, just waiting for the Saltaire sound version now...... wonder if that will appear by June 21 when I'm next due for my monthly spot of retail therapy . Keith

Hi there, As the CV changes referred to relate to the programming done by legomanbiffo specifically for the sound decoders sold by DCKits I'm not sure that I should post the details here without asking prior permission from legomanbiffo/Charlie Petty. Keith

The blacked out window was discussed many moons ago and, if I remember correctly, it was a toss-up between seeing the booster or having the model prepared for dcc and sound. It was a case of having one or the other...... Try fitting sound to a Hornby Cl.71...... Keith

Was speaking to my brother last night and he told me that he has had problems with a Zimo Mx 600 decoder purchased from Digitrains which did not respond once fitted. He changed to another brand he had and that decoder worked. He took the Zimo back to Digitrains who took another Zimo off the shelf, tested that and found that was also defective. The second Zimo taken off the shelf was checked and worked. Digitrains were astounded that they had two defective Zimo decoders........ Maybe the decoder you have is also defective. Keith

Pleased to say that, after a bumpy start, I've got my green Cl.71 up and running. The problem I had was that I purchased my sound decoders from Charlie Petty back in December at which time none of the production models were available for testing etc. After running-in my green Cl.71 the decoder was installed and, much to my amazement, the loco ran like a startled jack rabbit. After trying CV54 fix it was even worse. After contacting DJM and Charlie Petty the problem was solved for me by legomanbiffo who explained that the earlier decoders (like the ones I got) were set up using a pre-production model the innards of which were different to those in the production models. Within a few hours Bif had provided me with a list of CVs to change on my decoders and within minutes I had a smooth-running loco. Great service and assistance from all concerned. So, time for a couple of pictures, firstly loco and train climbing the incline: Lurking in the EMU carriage sidings was the model's distant cousin: Next picture is not for the purists, if you don't want to start jumping up and down don't look at this picture . My interests are mixed and what I like appears on my layout which is still under construction. One thing I do have is an interest in things green so thought it only right that E5004 should meet its new friends from Russia and Austria/Hungary: Pity modern propulsion systems were not available when E5004 was built. Think it would sound great if it had the musical tones of the GySEV Taurus accelerating away. I Keith

Ah, but was that pre- or post George? I got on well with him but many other customers thought otherwise!! He had quite a reputation. Prior to Hythe Kent Models closing down the model shop in the Old High Street in Folkestone and Wheeltappers in Cheriton closed down. Closest remaining decent model shop is The Hobby Shop at Faversham, 26 miles away. Keith

Since my posting above Chris Trerise at Kernow has contacted me on the phone at which time we were able to discuss in detail all the matters mentioned above. All has been resolved and will be sorted accordingly. Many thanks Chris for your help and assistance. Keith

Just received mine and upon opening the package found that I had two x -002 whereas I had ordered one each of -002 and -003 as stated on the transaction receipt. Phoned Kernow and, to be honest, I could not believe (and still don't believe) the very off-hand response I received from the (youngish-sounding) guy who answered the phone. Without any to do I was told to send the duplicate back, they would then refund the postage and send the correct model as ordered. No apology as such was made. So, Kernow have messed things up and I have to repack the item and make a special trip to town to post the item back to them. He made it clear that they would not organise its return which could easily be done through DPD. He even refused to take my name and address as he didn't see any need for it. Also pointed out to him that one of the boxes was dented but that didn't seem to worry him. I could not believe what I was hearing. I've been dealing with Kernow for a number of years and still have a number of items on back order with them but have never been treated in such a way when I have phoned them before. I hope it never happens again...... Keith

Yippee, after rummaging around for the last couple of hours finally found an ESU LokSound box containing the misplaced decoders - all three of them, two for the locos due to arrive tomorrow and one for the Hattons Golden Arrow loco. Am a happy bunny now Wonder when the Hattons loco will appear - all seems to have gone quiet on that front...... Keith

Mine arriving tomorrow as well, still not found the sound decoders purchased last December. Where have I put them.......... Keith

Agree with you completely. The television here followed my late Mum when she went into care about six years ago. Mum was missed but the television certainly wasn't!! Keith

Good news, now got a week or so to find the sound decoders purchased from Charlie Petty some time ago .... put them in one of those safe places....but where? Keith

Fiddle sticks, think I got all my depth-of-field stuff messed up, there I was trying to focus on the flowers but my camera seems to think otherwise... Oh well, must try harder next time......back to sleep-walking..... Keith

Had an interesting day on my travels to Whitstable passing through places I've never heard of. Never realised that it was so hilly over that way and sitting in the front seat on the top of a rather large double deck made it even more exciting. Found my way to The Old Dairy, the home of the East Kent MRC and their layout which, at about 20ft long took up most of the available space. The layout was somewhat similar to mine in that it has pieces of this and pieces of that. On the Underground track (which had 3rd and 4th rails added) was a 4-car train of S-Stock, on the tramway was a German articulated tram plus what looked like San Francisco cable car and on the other circuits Tornado, an A3 and various diesels were working on passenger and freight trains. There was plenty of movement on the layout all the time. Whilst I was there there was a constant influx of visitors mainly consisting of grand parents and grand children, presumably local people. After leaving the exhibition I decided to walk into Whitstable and have a wander round the harbour (which had a lot of activity compared to the harbour at Folkestone) and then into the town which, again, seemed to be much more interesting than that at Folkestone. After enjoying a softee 99 hopped on the next bus back to Canterbury again uphill and downhill.... Canterbury centre was a honeypot of activity and having about 30 minutes to wait for the next Stagecoach Gold which continues from Folkestone to Hythe (there being 4 buses an hour to Folkestone two of which are extended to Hythe) decided there was time for a latte and cheddar and mushroom croissant at Starbucks before grabbing an upstairs front seat on the bus again. The sun was shining when I got back home quite a contrast to the drizzly weather when I left home in the morning. All in all an interesting day. Time now to hit the sack. O yasumi nasai. Keith

Morning from a damp and miserable south east corner. Decided to ride the bus to Whitstable (Stagecoach Gold to Canterbury and ordinary Stagecoach to Whitstable) making use of my wrinkly pass to visit an open day put on by the Whitstable MRC. Write up in Railway Modeller mentions OO scale layout with trams and London Underground which looks interesting. Something different. Not seen that much of the North Kent coast so looking forward to the bus ride. Keith

Hornby just advised that mine will be delivered tomorrow.....but I've already got a Returns Number from Hornby Customer Service. Somehow I ordered two Clan Lines instead of the one I thought I ordered....... Hornby told me no rush to return the unwanted loco so maybe wait to see how the market goes. Keith

I'd say more like noctambulism..... At times I do wonder how I actually built such a feature...... Keith

Just received email from Hornby, Clan Line arrived at the warehouse.... and shortly be prepared for despatch..... Keith

Garden railway pictures? Oh, what have I done wrong?, I thought they were just pictures of the garden coming into full bloom ....... Keith

Evening all, been out and about in the garden again today and pleased to advise that the azaleas around the garden are starting to come into flower all over the place: and more close by: Keith