Scottish Modeller

Hi Martino, I've been using the colour chart as per the link:- http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/colorcharts/colorcharts.asp If you have a UK colour number then you should find an equivalent colour that is available 'Over there'. Thanks

Hi all, We need a bit of help in sorting out one of Rannoch's features.... The Signalling signs and blue lights. OK - the signs themselves are pretty easy and we have loads of spares printed up - just in case. You know - the last minute track cleaning session - done in a hurry and maybe without the required amount of care! The LED's themselves are fed off a DCC decoder light output. They are far too bright though and we want to try and correct that. How? Is the relevant question! I had thought of the good old resistor bridge circuit to achieve this but this would load the DCC light output to over the 100ma it is rated for. We need the DCC bit in place to give us the Blue Flashing LED as required for the signalling. Any ideas about how to reduce the brightness (without getting to electronically involved? Let us know - we have 4 weeks left to sort it out! Thanks

Hi LMS, The new layout - Newlands Park will be out shortly...... It's the first of the Scottish Modellers group members layouts that are all designed to work with the common, flexible length, fiddleyard that we have built. More on the Newlands Park outing as soon as it's confirmed... Thanks ps - The next layout to use these fiddleyard boards will be Modelrail Scotland 2016 - The anniversary event next February. There are also some other possible new layout ideas that use the same boards.

Hi all, Rannoch Moor will be on the road in August! The layout is going to be at:- St Andrews Model Railway Exhibition Saturday 8th August 2015 - 10.00am to 17.30pm Sunday 9th August 2015 - 10.30am to 17.00pm St Andrews Town Hall Queens Gardens St Andrews KY16 9TA Details:- http://www.eastneukmrc.co.uk/2.html Hopefully there will be some new, previously unseen, stock running on the layout as well as the usual wide variety of trains! Remember it's busy in St Andrews that weekend as it's the local Lammas Fair as well! http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/whatson/index.cfm?fuseaction=whatson.display&id=625DA901-B029-DDC2-C92E6087972CFE1F Model Railways, good food, good beer - all at the same town! Must be someones definition of heaven..... Thanks

Hi DRGI, Looks very good.... Have to remember this conversion was 'bread and meat' in the days before the Bachmann Class 24 appeared! I lost count how many I did through the shop in the early 80's. Keep on with the project - waiting to see the finished, painted and detailed end result. Thanks

Hi Igor, Most of the steam stuff is listed on the DC Kits website? http://www.dckits-devideos.co.uk/shop/dcc_digital_loco_sounds/steam_locomotive_digital_sounds_includes_the_all_new_xl_v4_decoder_/index-2.php The 8F isn't listed but is available - heard it at Perth Exhibition just a week ago. Really does sound good with the big bass reflex speaker..... Thanks

Hi John, Yes - already found your photo of it! I have a few more but as I don't own the copyright I can't post them. I am trying to get permission to use - but no response yet. Thanks

Hi Koos, I've asked the question... No reply from MRC or from the trader who supplied it. Will see what happens next. Thanks

Hi there, I've checked with MRC on this... If bought direct - 30 days is in the t&c when you agree to purchase. I asked if this applied to a retailer in the UK. They advise that the 30 days applies from the date the retailer recorded the sale. Thanks

Hi guys, Thanks for all the numbers! Now just need to sort out which ones were 'Scottish' whilst still in Dutch.... Thanks

Hi all, All of a sudden - as if my comments about MRC decoders had travelled down the wires to a loco - I have an odd problem with an MRC decoder. MRC 1633 Brilliance sound - Diesel EMD Modern I can program this on every DCC system or programmer that I have available. But - as soon as it comes off the track - it forgets all the programming and reports back as DCC address 0. Any one got any ideas - or is this one to send back or bin if it's not accepted as a return. I bought it more than 30 days ago - hence my comment about not being accepted under the returns policy. Thoughts?

Hi Neil, Interested in what you said about New Haven GP9's.... Has anyone released the correct body with the water tanks? I've just checked my one and it's not got them! So - that'll be something else to get modified then! Thanks

Hi Jay, The decoder does not have plugs - they look like they are though! They should be slip over plastic things that trap the wires against the circuit board to make the required contact. Taking the decoder out will get round any possibility that there is a duff capacitor - it would be most unusual if there was. Of course - if you are up in Scotland next weekend - bring it along to the Perth Exhibition and we can have a look at it for you! Thanks

Hi Jay, OK - Yes it looks like a QSI decoder to me! With stay alive capacitors to avoid loss of sound at railbreaks. Don't think it's factory fitted as I cannot find any reference from Intermountain showing that they do this. The product sheet would have given you the specific CV settings and functions used for the decoder on this model. Most of the details are on the Intermountain website. http://www.intermountain-railway.com/ho/loco/holoco.htm This includes CV and other settings. Doing a full reset on a sound chip isn't recommended as you will loose any 'special' CV settings that were set up for the loco. I would try the loco on DC - see if it works, check what power it uses and if it's still using too much power - suspect the motor. If it doesn't take a lot of power - suspect the chip. Most DCC Sound chips turn out to be unrepairable - replacement is normal. But - there are exceptions! Thanks

Hi Jay, The secret is to avoid rushing to do everything at once! Not rushing allows you the luxury of time to check things before acting. With DCC this may save you lots of money! So - you have a loco with a DCC QSI Decoder that was a 'plug n play' after sale add on. If it is a Revolution one it should match the manuals in the link I gave. Remember that QSI 'standardised' their manuals so that one does all. The standard Intermountain board should really have been supplied with the loco when sold. I guess not all sellers do this - I certainly supply the old board with any sound fitted loco that I sell on. You don't need the board anyway to test on DC. It's back to the good old basics that applied when you gave the hobby up before. One side of the pickup wires goes to one side of the motor and the other goes to the other side. If the wires have been cut short - just use a temp length of wire to connect them. I think this should be your priority. If the motor works on DC without taking loads of power - your decoder has a fault. If the motor does not work - you have found your problem. Thanks

Hi all, In support of what Simon says.... Have you removed the board and tried the loco on 12v DC? If the loco runs on DC - you have a faulty sound board. Do you know anyone who has a Lenz 90 or 100 set? These usually have 5a power supplies and should be able to handle the power requirement of the QSI Revolution. The power consumption you have given seems high - Revolution are only supposed to take 2a in stall condition - not running condition. Link to manual:- http://media.wix.com/ugd/0f7119_1b253f400cf946eb9c036681bd56b43a.pdf Thanks

Hi Eddie, I think that means you never touched it since you bought it the first year Heljan released it! You were going to do it as a demo - if I remember correctly? Thanks

Hi all, Another query re Class 37 liveries... Is there a list of which Class 37's carried the CE Yellow/Grey livery? Thanks

Hi Simon, How is your luck running? That seems to be the only way to gauge the probability or otherwise of whatever you order and pay for turning up! I ordered and paid for several sets of the DMU pipework sets and also DMU MU receptacles - total just under £20.00. That was the week after York exhibition.... Thanks

Hi HighPeakMan, You my friend, are in exactly the same position as I am... Order and pay via the website - then wait and see what, if anything turns up. I'm still waiting and my email chasing the items has not been responded to. Thanks

Hi all. It appears to me that the difference in price for the various makes of sound decoder ties in with the ability or lack of when it comes time to program the thing! I initially just bought whatever prime mover/power unit sound from whoever did it. I've come to regret that - but I learned a lot in the process! So - Yes - Buy the best you can afford is a good start point. However, once you get more into how it all works and what they can do, then the cheaper decoders loose out - Big Time! My MRC decoders can only do a third of the later decoders from Soundtraxx, TCS, Zimo, ESU can do and it's not as high a quality sound. As this lesser result comes for slightly more than 1/2 the cost of the more expensive decoders - save the money and buy the better decoder. It all makes sense in the end.... Thanks

Hi there, There will be 'drop in' sound decoders available for the loco from several makers. I would start with Soundtraxx and check the website for the model listing. Another option would be MRC ..... Walthers took over and have now released the Life Like locos with upgrades. Thanks

Will try and see if I get a response! Thanks

Ok - Please tell us what you ordered - then I can have a guess at whether or not back orders may be forthcoming! Thanks

Hi there, Thanks for the response.... I had this same situation in Scotland! None of the clubs appeared to have a solid D&E interest and there was a visible gap/opportunity in the exhibition content. One of you needs to bite the bullet and join DEMU (again)! Then you approach the Area Group guy (or become the Area group guy - like I did) to see what the DEMU membership is like in the area and then work at convincing them to appear at the show (and any other shows that are of interest). Of course - if their is an area group for your area - then you need to make yourselves and the opportunity known to them. My point is - Until you have an advocate for movement on the D & E front - then it will remain stagnant. When you consider that the D & E era is now the largest time period for modelling - it should have a larger representation around the clubs. Thanks