Ron Ron Ron

2 hours ago, Trainnoob said:

.....I'm personally happy with Computer control but preference wise I want a physical interface to control the trains from, ......

2 hours ago, Trainnoob said:

.......I don't need fancy bells and whistles I just want a DCC system that control trains with Sound and also a few accessories.....

.....as mentioned above I'm looking for something with a physical interface.

1 hour ago, Trainnoob said:

I don't want to pay alot money for an expensive controller that does the same stuff my old cheap DCC++ could do. However I really want something with a physical interface because it feels pointless staring at a screen to control trains.......

If you can get past the "physical interface" bit and are definitely looking for sound, then the most inexpensive DCC system is no system.

i.e. not a physical hardware based system, but a virtual one...as in something along the lines of Hornby's Bluetooth based HM7000 / HM DCC system.

(North American modellers can look towards the similar BlueRail Trains based, Soundtraxx Blunami system)

If already in possession of a smartphone and/or a tablet (e.g. iPad), then all you need to get started is a suitable power supply.

The virtual DCC system is "free".

Downsides...

Only works with Hornby's own range of Bluetooth fitted decoders, out of the metaphorical box.

Sounds available are currently only limited to prototypes that Hornby offer in model form.

Sound project rollout is slow but steadily progressing.

Non-sound versions of the Bluetooth decoders, have yet to be released, but are in the pipeline.

The expansion option, by linking with a physical DCC system, to control other (non-Bluetooth) DCC locos and accessories, is currently limited to DCC systems with XPressNet interfaces.

If you can put up with those limitations in the short term, this is the least expensive and easiest way in DCC, particularly with sound.

It would save you the risk of buying a DCC system that may end up being the wrong choice, or one you don't particularly get on with.

In addition, if you eventually decide on a physical hardware based control system, there's no money lost and everything remains compatible.

Food for thought ?

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14 hours ago, MJI said:

……How come they are banned?

13 hours ago, Lochgorm said:

Noise Dear Boy, noise. …….

13 hours ago, Jeff Smith said:

And VC10s had low by-pass turbofans......

Just not noise.

High fuel consumption.

The RR Conway on the VC10, SVC10 and a relatively small number of B707’s (-420 series) and DC8’s (-40 series), was one of the early low bypass turbofan jet engines.

The most numerous, popular and successful (by far) on multi- engine long range airliners, was the P&W JT3D (e.g. B707 B&C series, B720B, DC8 -50 & 60series)

“Pure Jets” refers to the earlier engined airliners, preceding these, without bypass fans.

These include the very earliest (late 1950’s) B707, B720 & DC8 examples, some of which were refitted with Turbofans in the early/mid 1960’s, but most continued in service with their original engine types until the 1973 fuel crisis hit and their relatively much higher fuel costs saw mass retirements in short order.

Other “pure jet” airliners that were phased out in the 1970’s  for the same reason, included the Convair 880 and the RR Avon powered Caravelle 3 and the last of the Comet 4 series.

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Colne Valley viaduct.

The span over the Grand Union Canal has all but been been completed.

(it looks like the joining centre section is being cast)

I would expect the launching girder, "Dominique", to move forward to the next pier early in the coming week.

Three quarters of the viaduct is complete, with just the one final lake to span.

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Use the NCE PB5 UK. booster.

It's designed to go with the CS02.

https://www.ncedcc.com/online-store/PB5-UK-5-Amp-Booster-with-International-Power-Supply-p86747320

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6 hours ago, hayfield said:

 

Re the low cost airfares, I believe its down to subsidies given by the local governments to promote tourism. lobby your local politicians to equally support rail travel

That has only occurred at some marginal examples, such as the deals struck by a certain Irish based airliner, with some very small regional airports in Europe.

There is no subsidy on the fares, only reduced or waved landing and handling fees for the airline.

You won’t see anything like that at the likes of Geneva, or any of the London airports.

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5 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

…,,,,So don't use St Pancras - couldn't they build an International Station at Waterloo?

😆

You might note that off HS1, the NR classic network cannot cope with UIC gauge trains.

Eurostar have not managed the current requirements at St P as well as they could have.

Also the border agencies have not provided enough staff to process passengers as quickly as most people would like.

Basically £££££’s

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15 hours ago, dasatcopthorne said:

We had a group of turnouts and a diamond needing 6 frogs controlled. We first fitted solid state juicers but 2 kept blowing.

 

We've now changed to Gaugemaster solid state and they have proved very reliable on an intensive exhibition layout.

 

Would recommend.

 

Dave.

The Gaugemaster DCC80 Frog Juicer is relay based and not fully electronic, if that’s what you mean by “solid state”.

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13 hours ago, Dungrange said:

You don't 'fit' sound to a 'chip'.  You buy either a sound decoder or a non-sound decoder. …..

While practically true, to be pedantic about it, yes you can add sound to a non sound decoder.

Although this has never really caught on.

Lenz introduced the SUSI interface on some of their decoders, to facilitate the addition of sound modules to convert a non-sound, decoder fitted loco, into a sound fitted loco.

However, Lenz never introduced any sound modules to make use of that facility and no third party manufacturers seemed interested either.

Digitrax provide a similar facility on some of their decoders and sell sound only modules to match.

I don’t believe this has ever been a popular option in their product line.

Non-specific to decoders, some low tech sound bugs have been available for fitting in any loco, but these are relatively crude and are rather obscure.

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It’s important to point out that the “functions” referred to, when talking about how many functions a decoder has, are properly  described as “Auxiliary Functions”.

As already pointed out, these are quite separate from and have nothing to do with motor control (stop, go, forward, reverse and speed control).

Similarly, sound functions have nothing to do with the “auxiliary functions”.

For the OP.

For steam locos, not many aux functions are usually needed.

Apart from firebox flicker (which some decoders can have variable control over), or smoke, the only other functions you might want to have control over, would be working lamps (DIY wiring job) and onboard DCC controlled coupling (another project).

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1 hour ago, St Enodoc said:

Isn't it bad luck to rename a TBM, like ships?

 
Are you worried that TBM will sink ?

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Re-configured and overhauled TBM “Dorothy”, that dug both bores of the Long Itchington tunnels, has already started its drive on the 2nd bore if the Bromford tunnels.

The new name given to this TBM, is “Elizabeth”.

The TBM has been fitted with a smaller cutting head and shield, for the smaller diameter tunnels being dug on the approaches to Birmingham

https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/news/the-last-hs2-tunnel-boring-machine-in-the-west-midlands-starts-digging-towards-birmingham

Unconfirmed reports are suggesting TBM “Emily” has also set off from the Victoria Rd. crossover box, at OOC.

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2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Florence may have reached her destination but Cecilia is still going strong. 102 metres last week at 15, 967.   93 metres to go.  The other three haven't reported in recently.

I’ve read a report that Florence encountered heavy clay on its final run in, over the last 100 or so metres.

Apparently one of the reasons for the slow progress, as the slurry pipes had to be flushed, to prevent blockage and the cutting head adjusted to cope with the change in material it was tunnelling through.

Cecilia will now be in those conditions, if that report is accurate.

Breakthrough is close though.

1 hour ago, chiefpenguin said:

I would say that the Multimaus (in all of its varients) is one of the best handhelds on the market.………

It’s a well liked design they’ve stuck with from the original tethered MultiMaus (Roco red & Fleischmann grey),

…..through the short lived, wireless MultiMaus Pro (Roco blue & Fleischmann blue and purple)

..…to the more recent wireless MultiMaus WLAN (black) and new, tethered MultiMaus Z21 (white - replaces the now defunct red MultiMaus).

Ergonomically it has some limitations, but makes up for that with other ergonomic strengths and ease of use.

It sits very nicely in the hand and is simple to operate.

All handsets without glass screen, touch interfaces are going to be ergonomically limited when it comes to the range of features and operational usability that’s available with DCC today.

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Does Handset 1 look quite familiar ?

59 minutes ago, chiefpenguin said:

They do indeed and it's also available re-badged from PIKO.

Correction.

Was available from PIKO.

The original PIKO SmartControl, was a rebranded ESU CabControl, with a slightly lower power output.

It’s no longer sold by PIKO, who replaced it a couple of years ago with a more budget orientated SmartControl Light, which is a completely different system, based on the Uhlenbrock Daisy.

The control knob of the ESU / PIKO handset is motorised, well weighted and can be operated by your thumb.

There are fast access buttons on the side of the handset, that can be assigned to various functions of your choosing.

Below this is the touch screen, that operates like a smartphone screen, allowing quick access to functions, switching between locos etc.

The first photo shows only the Android Home Screen, before the control app is opened.

Looking at that HS2 in 3 minutes video, showing  just a stretch of the line works, from Wendover to Kenilworth, gives an impression of how much progress should be made over the course of this year.

A lot of the civil engineering structures, bridges, viaducts, flyovers,  water course culverts are well advanced and should be completed by this time next year.

Compared with a year ago, earthworks to form the elevations and base of the track formation, are starting to make visible progress on many sections, although at first glance it appears quite random.

However, a lot of the route still looks just like confusing, muddy excavations and huge piles of spoil.

Come the spring and summer, I would expect a significant ramp up in this work.

Today I drove up the M42, past the NEC to the M6 Toll and passed through the Delta Junction.

Numerous cranes and piling machines are visible all along the route through this area.

There are long lines of piers for the Delta Junction viaducts, under construction.

That’s a very noticeable difference since I last made that journey, just over a year ago.

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22 minutes ago, WIMorrison said:

Having played with the Kinesis last year they will need to have made a huge number of changes to make into a useable system - it felt like a 1980 remote controller for a video recorder in my hand and the buttons were just as confusing. Unfortunately I was not alone in my view of the product which was not seen to be the in slightest 'ground breaking', or revolutionary.

A paltry 2 amp track output, with no advanced features like RailCom or RailCom Plus.

Limited, tiny, dated handset display. 
Too many buttons on the handset.

Really needs a PC operating with the included RailController software, to take full advantage of its feature set.

Otherwise, it’s a very good package for the price and by far the cheapest wireless (hardware based) system.

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45 minutes ago, GordonC said:

 

But the thing is, if faster services are not possible, then what exactly are we getting for the vast cost of HS2.

Half the job completed !

However, that half finished job will release a lot of capacity on the WCML, south of Handsacre and Birmingham.

It would release a lot more if Phase 2a &b were completed as originally planned.

45 minutes ago, GordonC said:

......We're told its for capacity more than speed, but its being built for 225mph services and thats increased the cost of needing tunnels everywhere to keep it out of sight of local residents ... but why engineer it for that and all the tunnels if the trains aren't actually going to get there significantly faster than the existing 125mph tilting ones do?........

The design speed of the line has no bearing whatsoever on the amount of tunnelling being carried out.

Some of the tunnelling is due to topography, as in conventional rail, but the vast majority of it is being done to placate local objections, NIMBYism and for environmental reasons.

The same amount of tunnelling would have been carried out for a max line speed of 125 mph, given the same political and local pressure would have been applied, regardless.

45 minutes ago, GordonC said:

..... 15-20 mins quicker to Manchester or Liverpool isn't going to blow many folks socks off if it takes longer to get to the more limited stations that they stop at .......

If HS2 is ultimately completed in full  (i.e. all the way to Manchester - Phase 2b), as it should be, the time saving between London and Manchester would be almost half - that's 1 hour quicker.

Limited stops is the whole point.

It isn't there to carry passengers between other places.

The vast majority of passengers on these routes, are travelling between the key points. Not to/from intermediate stops.

The predicted future growth is also expected to be in this point to point market.

45 minutes ago, GordonC said:

.......and you can guarantee tickets are going to cost extra ... for a 'premium' service that saves a handful of minutes........

Where has this assumption come from?

Current WCML intercity services are being relocated onto the new line.

HS2 isn't an alternative service, Premium or otherwise.

45 minutes ago, GordonC said:

......Alternatively, if it had been built as a 125mph or even 140mph railway, would it still have needed so many tunnels and cost so much?

While physically building for 225mph and 125mph might not cost much difference, but if 225mph means more needs to be done to approve the planning then thats greatly increasing the cost.......

It would have made almost no difference in the cost.

The tunnels are not there because of the designed line speed.

The insistence in so much tunnelling and other mitigations against the visual impact, has cost an astronomical amount of money and is a large factor in the run away cost.

It has been argued that this has been at the expense of completing the the line to Manchester and possibly to Leeds as well.

45 minutes ago, GordonC said:

......If we need capacity for freight then would a 75mph railway have been fast enough and either the new line used for expresses or leave them where they are on the WCML.

Capacity is needed for both freight and for local, regional and commuter passenger services.

Building a new line purely for freight would have had zero business case and wouldn't have achieved the objective of releasing sufficient capacity on the classic network.

You would still have had the capacity limitations of mixing slow and semi-fast trains, with 125 or 140 mph expresses.

In other words...not a very clever idea.

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A quick Wizz along the line (HS2) from Wendover to Kenilworth......

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1 minute ago, steve45 said:

Is it me, or does this configured to resemble the fairer sex!

8 minutes ago, Harlequin said:

Instead of a single handset with two knobs, what about two handsets each with a single knob?

 

That might be a cheaper solution, with more options for handsets and command centres.

 

… or a handset that makes it easier to quickly switch between locos.

Not all handsets are created equal !

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The Digitrax Evolution DCC system, which includes the DT602 handset, costs around £425 for the tethered version and around £600 for the wireless version.

Note to Iain. He’s ditching the Gaugemaster system, not planning to add to it.

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46 minutes ago, andyman7 said:

 

 

When I look I can order from Rails too. I'm sure these were out of stock a while back so I don't think the stock is ancient.

That status on Rail's web site has changed this very evening.

Previously you could place an order, but it said "On Order" alongside.

Now their system is saying 6 in stock.

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The unwanted remnants the last production run ?

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