10000

So your SB5 is out of warrenty?

In addition have you done anything for short circuit protection because.

Short Circuit Protection:

Check the manual.My SB3a uses 14-18 volt AC or 18-24 volt DC but higher input does not give higher track because its factory set to 13.8 volts.

But I believe the SB5 track volts is the same as the input volts with another BUT that the input volts is 12 or 13.8

Edit

the SB3a is supposed to be adjustable between 9 and 14v but I've never bothered to try and get an extra 0.2v out of it.

Cure - replace with Tortoise. 

I've had enough of Cobalt motors and in future as they fail I will replace with Tortoise.  

Like yours, several early ones clicking/banging.  All where run from their AD4 decoders.  I've also experienced this problem with a newer Digital version. 

The final straw was when I had  an old one fail completely so a new non decoder version was bought to replace it only to find it was not compatable with the AD4 decoder and I had to buy a new decoder for it.

The Great Gates Of Kiev - Emerson, Lake and Palmer

Many thanks one and all.

There's plenty there to think about.

I have Gimp coming in the post so I will see,

but there's plenty of advice above to enable me to seek something nearer what I perceive I want.

 

I mainly trim, resize, darken, lighten, cut & paste, change colours, all (to me) simple actions. 

Why do you have Gimp coming though the post ?

Just download from its source https://www.gimp.org

I would not use Gimp from anywhere else.

Hey Mr Rain - The Velvet Underground

deleted 

got there before me

Back On Your Radio - Agnetha Faltskog

 

 

Alternatively, there could be an issue with how US steam loco's in general are wired: one rail from the loco, the other picks up from the tender. The auto-reverser (for the turntable) may not work properly in this case, so perhaps rewire the turntable to have sections of track connecting to said turntable to be included in the auto-reverse section.

Thats why I suggested checking with a meter. I just didn't want to get into the  in's and outs until we are aware of how it collects from the track.

Not familiar with any of them but a suggestion before you start tearing things apart,  use a meter on each side to check for connection between the loco and tender.

San Franciscan Nights  - Eric Burdon & The Animals

If things on the computer are important to you then backup's are a must have..

I had to go and reinstall my sisters MacBook Air after the latest macOS update killed it ( Yes it does happen with macs). After install from a usb stick I then 'migrated' her apps and data back on from a Time Machine backup.

If you know anyone with DCC you could get them to check DC is turned on in the decoder and leave it in.

The default is ON but some people turn it off 

If you do get derailments through points check the back to back on the front bogies. I've had several Hornby locos with that problem.

Because I Could Not Stop For Death - Natalie Merchant 

I apologise to all that I made a major blunder in this analysis.

 

It is not exactly as if the customer had not been there at all.

 

It is much, much worse.

 

The seller owes the Taxman £1.67 VAT collected on the £10 sale.

 

So he is worse off for having sold the item at its replacement cost.

There is the possibility of something worse than that.

I knew of a shop that was doing OK but didn't pay VAT.  Then he saw how popular Games Workshop was. So he though I'll have some of that.  Yes it was popular and sold really well with the result that he exceeded  the limit for not having to pay VAT.

Count yourself lucky that they still exist. In many parts of the country the model shops went under years ago. If yours can manage without repricing then they must be exceptionally well run, or their owners must have exceptionally deep pockets to keep funding their replacement stocks.

 

Of course, they may be repricing existing stock without you realising that's what they're doing. I just hope that your model shops continue to flourish, irrespective of their pricing policies.

I've been going enough years to have seen old and new stock (like decoders, Kadees, Oxford die cast etc) on the shelves at the same time.

Loco prices are a good match for Hattons. In fact on one occasion his stock of a new loco arrived the day I was in and at the time there was no price for it on Hattons web site. So we agreed on a price. The next time I was in he reduced my purchase of that day to compensate for overcharging me on that loco. 

Edit : As a point of interest the shop I mentioned in post 9 was closed in less than a year after the new owners took over. I heard they were operating from a market stall for awhile and are now only mail order.  Real shame. Under the original owner it was not the cheapest of places but was a little gold mine with some of the things he sold.

"Scots Region" may share my cautious views, rather than being swept up in the hysteria. This model will include unusual and perhaps un-tried technical features and comes from a manufacturer who may be very good but I know little about their previous work. I'll only know if I'm "serious about wanting one" when a decent number of reports from sensible buyers and users emerge.

 

I still take the view that if I'm too late at that stage, at least I've lost nothing.

I can understand your point of view.

I ordered mine at the begining on the basis of having seen Rapido's work in a shop in B.C. Canada. Slightly off putting was the comment from one of the staff that to them Rapido 'RTR' means 'Ready To Repair'. But they admitted they sell a lot of Rapido products and that he was consdering getting one. I thought well that sounds like some of Heljan's products.

So what does the poor retailer do if the items haven't yet sold but his rent, business rates, electric, insurance, wages, pension contributions, and other costs go up. Keep the old price? If they did that they'd eventually run out of cash to buy new stock and no longer have a busines. I think you're out of touch with how a business needs to be managed financially if it is to survive. How do you react when your cost of living goes up? You expect your employer to increase your pay at some point even though you're doing the exact same job. Using your logic, your employer would never increase your pay if you did the same job year after year.

 

A retailer increasing prices is simply trying to cover their increased costs so they stay in business. It's a fine balancing act between increasing prices to cover increasing costs without losing sales to competitors, or simply becoming too expensive and people stop buying what you're selling.

Well if you and the others on here that support it are willing to use retailers that do that then good for you.

I shall count myself lucky that the model railway shop and a couple of non model railway shops that I use on a regular basis do not reprice old stock.

Clearly no understanding of how retail works

Maybe I've not owned a shop but for several years I worked in a model shop.

At the very start I was told when pricing new items and stocking the shelves 'DO NOT REPRICE OLD STOCK' for the following reasons:-

1) The customers do not like to see repriced items, they think they are being ripped off and we prefer happy customers who come back.

2) You'll never get the old price ticket off completely from some items, customers complain if they see the remains of old tags.

I could give a couple more reasons but whats the point.

Maybe the owner of the shop mangaged his finances as he is still in business. 

OK so some of the comments seem to justify this practice on the grounds that it costs the retailer more to replace the item.

Well, sorry, for me that is no excuse to up the price on old stock.  If it cost them £8(0) to buy and its old price was £10(0) but they sell at a new price of £12(0) then that is extra profit on that item.

Yes it may cost them £10(0) to replace the items but that will be covered when its sold

A number of years ago I was in a shop that changed hands after the owner retired. The new owners were actually repricing items with a high price on top of the original while I was in the shop.

When I informed them that what they where doing was illegal they just shrugged their shoulders and carried on. 

I walked out and never went back.

Dance Of The Dope Hats - Marilyn Manson

All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow

As Tears Go By - Jackie DeShannon