Ian J.

Most chipsets for these kind of things are standardized across the board and would normally have fallback functionality as default. I also think the ability to fall back to a slower system is part of the various mobile system specifications. So to have a chipset designed not to do so would probably break the agreed standards, and actually cost more. I can't see any car manufacturer choosing to do that, but I am always willing to be proven wrong.

Express Models do an 08 lighting kit, though out of stock at the moment. Apparently it uses the existing light mouldings. https://www.expressmodels.co.uk/catalogue/head-and-tail-lights/dcc-locomotive-lights-4mm-scale/dcc-lights-for-Bachmann-Hornby-class-08-shunters/dcc-Bachmann-08-shunter-detail

Not necessarily. Though 3G is due to end, 2G will be around for some time due to things like smart meters, and most 3G systems can downgrade to 2G. It runs much slower for internet connections, of course, but in theory simple communications should still work.

Surely there are after-market kits for adding lights (and/or sound) to the Bachmann 08?

Sounds like there might be a case here for including a small re-run of this version of 9002 in the next batch, alongside more of the big purple one.

Been there, done that, have several t-shirts. Duplicate code can be a real pain in the a*se.

More like mogged... 😉🙂

OK, looks like problem 'solved'. I'm lucky in that I've hardly set up any locos in the roster, so can afford to 'junk' it. In Linux (Mint), the .jmri folder in the user's home folder seems to be holding configuration information. I closed JMRI, changed the name of the folder, then restarted JMRI. It recreated the .jmri folder in my home folder, and with it whatever configuration files it needed. Now I was able to redo the little bit of JMRI installation and create a new loco from scratch by reading the Loksound 5 DCC in the Deltic. Once done, I opened a throttle and it has 31 function buttons 🙂 I spoke too soon. It looks like the throttle works to F31 in programming mode in JMRI for the Sprog, but when I switch to Sprog Command Station, the throttle only has up to F28...

New throttle, no roster, Light (F0) to F23. Select any loco in that new throttle, Light (F0) to F28.

It probably got put on 'ice'... 😉

@Matt C or @Crosland, Can you let me know what your local ThrottlesPreferences.xml file has in it? I've checked mine and it only goes up to function 28. <functionsKeys-27> <ksc-0 m="2" k="118" /> <ksc-1 m="2" k="103" /> </functionsKeys-27> <functionsKeys-28> <ksc-0 m="2" k="119" /> <ksc-1 m="2" k="104" /> </functionsKeys-28> </throttlesControls> </throttlesPreferences> </throttles-preferences> I need to know what to enter for the extra buttons... In Linux Mint, this file is located in '/home/[user]/.jmri/My_JMRI_Railroad.jmri/throttle'. I have no idea where it is in Windows.

Not that I want to, but if I ever manage to have the money for a 'new' car, of any power train, I have to consider an SUV, due to them having a higher ride height that will allow me to get in without having to put stress on my lower back vertebrae (which are in trouble as they're slowly 'crumbling').

No luck, I'm afraid. 'Labels and Media' does show 0 to 31 entries, but the throttle still only shows 0 to 28, and yes I am scrolling down, I have to to see 27 and 28. I deleted the old entry for the Deltic and created it new. Still showing the same 0 to 31 in L&M, but 0 to 28 in the throttle. My Sprog 3 is one of the originals, I take it it does support 31 functions?

The one that came up with the automatic selection on the A/S Deltic for me was the 'Loksound 5 DCC' (as against the 'Loksound 5' that came up for the Rails 18000 gas turbine). I'm not sure if there's any actual difference, or whether it's just a duplication in the decoder files. However, I expect there will be some kind of identification code that differentiates between them.

Bearing in mind that the profile for the Deltic is as per the old JMRI version, is there anything I might need to do (change a setting, etc) for JMRI 5.1.2 to 'know' that the loco has the extra funcitons?

I've done a temporary 'install'* of 5.1.2, and the throttle still shows only 0 to 28. * In Linux, it seems to be enough to rename the original install folder to something else, then unzip the targz file to the same location. The Decoder Pro help shows it's version 5.1.2, so I'm presuming it's correct.

I normally don't work with test releases, due to the obvious risk of bugs, but I'll see what I can do. It could well be a few days, or even weeks, before I get round to it though.

Found the forum and thread: https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=142&t=3805&start=675#p86882 Not sure if that looks 'wet' enough. But it does highlight another factor in not doing a rainy day layout - the stock also needs to be 'wet', and that of course would not look right if that same stock needed to be available for other layouts without rain.

😀 Reminds me of another captain, one Edward Trapp, and Lieutenant Miller, Gorbals Wullie (complete with razors in cap) and a little 'ship' called Charon. Now those would be a set of figures to make, together with the 'ship'...

It's Farcecrook, so automatically 'banned' as far as I'm concerned.

Investing in an RRampMeter, or something like it, is invaluable, especially for DCC where knowing the amps off the command station PSU can really help to keep loads balanced. https://tonystrains.com/news/rrampmeter-by-dcc-specialties/ I'm sure other types of such a meter are available.

I don't remember ever thinking the centre power car was shorter than the rest of the cars in all the times I'd seen or travelled on them. I've just tried to find a decent side on pic on internet, but couldn't find anything suitable that would be clear.

I've just done a simple rolling road test of my 55 011, which came with sound. I have an RRampMeter between the Sprog 3 and the track which the rolling road is mounted on. With sound and lights off and speed step up to 128, and with me carefully applying downward pressure on the roof to simulate load, the most I could get the meter to show 0.15 amps. Without the roof pressure it was drawing about 0.07 amps. Obviously lights draw power, as does the sound, and the most I could get with those both on and applying roof pressure was about 0.2 amps. HTH

The powered plug type doors are very different to the slams on the conventional Mk3s, for a start. There are other detail differences I'm sure, but I'm not knowledgeable enough of those to cover them. https://sremg.org.uk/emu/class442.shtml https://duckduckgo.com/?q=mark+3+coach&t=ffsb&iax=images&ia=images The links above have images that can show the differences. Edit: this thread, unfortunately lacking pictures, describes a 7mm Mark 3 to 442 conversion, and some of the 'butchery' required:

I love the idea of modelling a layout just after a rain shower/storm. However, keeping the puddles and wet ground clean and shiny for that 'just stopped raining' look would not be easy due to dust, etc. I kind of then thought of the reverse, a layout in the shade of dark clouds waiting for the rain that is inevitably coming...