SRman

Resistance is futile!

There's not too much to go wrong with the Heljan diesels like Kestrel - most use the same basic mechanism. Do as Jimwal has suggested first, but I would also check the pcb where the decoder socket is - there were just a few reports of the lower parts of the projecting pins touching the chassis and causing shorts. None of my Heljan diesels have ever exhibited this problem, and as long as the pcb is correctly located within the rubber grips at the sides, it should never be able to touch the chassis. Also, check where the lighting is mounted within the chassis ends. Kestrel was, I believe, the first to use LEDs, so the installation was a little different to what had gone before. As for the pickups, they are very easy to check because the bogie side frames just pull horizontally off the bogie chassis, allowing easy access.

Thanks. However, the signal is a number of years old now, even though I have only just got around to using it. I'll have to see what Gaugemaster say.

I'll just leave this here. Saunters nonchalantly off ...

Reviving this topic, I have several of the TT sensor signals, and all but one work perfectly. I have been able to set the Accessory Addresses, including separate addresses for the feathers on two of them. The one remaining one I have just installed on the layout recently, and it refuses to accept the chosen address (22). I have tried several other addresses just to make sure it isn't only the desired one that is not being accepted. At present, it defaults to red, but I can kick it to green by touching one of the side contacts with a screwdriver, but it quickly reverts to red. With all of my attempts to set the address, I have, on a couple of occasions, managed to get it to default to green, which then works as it should when the IR sensor is covered - i.e. it goes to red for a period of time then back to green. However, I want this signal to be able to be overridden to red because it is protecting a point. I haven't figured out how to reset the built-in decoder to whatever it's default is supposed to be. In fact, I haven't been able to work out what that default address is. I do have the manual, and have followed the instructions, but it has so far defeated me. Any help or suggestions would be welcome. p.s. I also tried the programming on my main lines powered by an NCE Power Pro system, and also on the programming track using a separate NCE Power Cab, but there was no difference to the end result.

The pins are fairly soft metal and easy to bend without fracturing. The figures are from Preiser (HO scale), from memory. I also have some 3D printed figures from ModelU being painted up.

I used a Bachmann 36-568A, which is in reality a Zimo product. To get it to fit comfortably, I folded the pins back over, using a rectangular needle file to make the bends on all pins even. This sets the decoder back over the socket board, and leaves enough room in the tender barrel to store the blanking plug as well. This decoder allows very smooth running from Rocket. One photo was deliberately posed off the track to show the installation a little more clearly.

It can also be left off - most of mine are remapped to F21 as it saves me having to look up cheat sheets every time I want to switch on a cab light. I leave them off most of the time. To be fair, the thinking behind it was probably to ensure the cab lights were off when the locomotive was running, rather than switching them on every time it stops - I didn't invent the settings. 🙂

Having the headlight switch off automatically when the loco stops would be the reerse of the usual setup for cab lights, where they can be set on when stopped and automatically go out when the loco starts moving - these are also able to be set directionally. For those locos of other brands, and the Cavalex class 56, this is the cab light setup I prefer. Many of the newer locos have this already, but older locomotives with ESU LokSound or LokPilot 4 and 5 decoders have the ability to have this programmed in, as long as the loco wiring has the two ends wired correctly. The older locos with cab lights on the one circuit for both ends cannot be done this way. Coming back to the Cavalex 60, there's no reason the headlights could not be set up to automatically go off when stopped, if that's so desired. It would also be easily reprogrammed to not do this if so desired. Having said all that, I would prefer the headlights to simply be on a function where I would have control of whether they are on or off.

ESU function remapping can be done also using Decoder Pro, but is even easier with a LokProgrammer. If you don't have access to the latter, it is probably a tad expensive to buy one just for one job, whereas Decoder Pro is a freebie, and can be downloaded and installed on even quite old computers/laptops. I have an old computer running Windows 10 (it isn't good enough to go to Windows 11!) in my train room whose main function is programming and reprogramming locomotives.

A minor update for Newton Broadway layout: with assistance from Mrs SRman, I have now levelled the backscene properly along the western end. I had accidentally introduced a slight slope downwards towards the left in my hurry to get it all up for the BRMA meeting. As a small distraction, I decided to de-brand the two Dapol JHA wagons I had in the earlier Yeoman livery. The first side I did was not entirely successful: I used some Fox transfers straight over the previous Yeoman banner. Unfortunately the transfers were slightly translucent. I then tried to disguise this with some graffiti transfers. The other side of the same wagon, and the two sides of the second wagon were cleared using T-cut and a little elbow grease. I have left the bottom blue "skirts" at this stage because they have all the wagon data panels. If I can replace those, I can complete the job with the T-cut method. The first pic shows the 'before'. Second pic: the first side done, with the second wagon still in original form. The remaining two photos show the wagons from their opposite sides.

Rails currently has several Dapol class 73s going at a little over half price, at £89.50 (U.K. price). I need more class 73s like I need a hole in my head (it is there somewhere!), but I succumbed to temptation and ordered two from the later released batch, so there should be none of the electrical gremlins of the earlier releases. I have LL blue 73 126 and Executive 73 136 on the way now. The actual price for me here in Australia worked out at roughly £89 each - less VAT but with postage added.

... and don't forget the 'wasp' stripe ends on the 08 mentioned in the OP, and likewise for any other small shunters.

You could have a look at Scale Link's etched frets: https://www.scalelink.co.uk/acatalog/SCALE-LINK-FRETS.html

You may have to Brush up on your humour there. 😉

Continuing the last post with more photos. On the rolling stock side of things, I decided to run a couple of items that haven't been run for a while. First up was my old Hornby Black 5, which I had weathered heavily. I wanted to de-weather it a bit, so gave it a few thin washes of coal black. I think it may need one more wash layer. These show the before and after effect so far. I also chose to send the Swedish LKAB IORE twin electrics for a trundle around the layout.

I have been modifying the Wills viaduct to suit its new location. It is almost right now, just needing a couple of stone infills on one pier and the join (or rather, gap) where the end arch goes off at an angle. I widened the departure end to give more clearance on the curve by combining bits from two of the arches, utilising the leftover arch from its original positioning - it had four arches originally but only needs three here. I placed it all back on the layout to test the clearances, but it will come back up again for finishing work. In the meantime, the layout is runnable again. After some adjustment to the lateral positioning, I had to move the signal on the lower level by a round 1 cm, but that was easy enough seeing as it was only Blu-tacked in place! 😁 The DSB/DB double deck coach is HO scale but it is one of the longest vehicles I own and has deeper underframe/'tween bogie detailing than any of the British stock. If that can clear the parapet walls then anything can.

If you take the Mk 2C coaches to come, you can add Scotrail and Inter-City Scotrail brandings. The only variation I can't see is blue/grey with InterCity branding (no hyphen). All credit to Accurascale for being thorough.

To be fair, Graham Kennedy who hosted Blankety Blanks was gay, himself.

A couple more photos of the backscenes: one a more overall view of the room, the other the end piece I added this morning. I was working single-handed this morning as my wife has gone to her quilting group, and the alignment slipped slightly. there are only four screws involved, but I needed a break, so straightening it up can wait a little longer. The apparent shadow in the back corner in the first photo is actually caused by the angle it slopes away from the camera as the right-hand scene is actually curved to clear the window sills and curtains.

Most of the sugar cube speakers are 8 ohm impedance. The LokSounds do have some tolerance, with ESU listing the acceptable impedance as being between 4 and 32 ohms. All the usual sound files are locked to a decoder so cannot be copied, but the functions are not locked and can be remapped at will. I have been doing this remapping to many of my previously fitted sound decoders to try to bring the most used functions into line with each other.

Thanks Stuart. I could certainly use a bit of the Southern fencing, and maybe a few other bits and bobs. I'll make up the list in the next few days and get back to you. The postage sounds about normal for small items to Oz. 👍

Still with the upcoming BRMA meeting on Saturday 20th in mind, I decided that I must add the backscenes along the western side of the layout. With assistance from Mrs SRman, and a little bit of swearing, I turned the train room into a shambles for a while! I did succeed in getting them into place, and am quite pleased with the effect. I did also manage to scuff a part of it as I manoeuvred the boards into place in the very narrow confines behind the layout.

No option for anywhere other than U.K. delivery?

The same occurred with the class 92: Accurascale standardised the function keys between the sound and non-sound variants, it's just that pressing those functions that would have worked sounds will do nothing on the non-sound locos. I have been remapping quite a few different sound decoders for locomotives from different manufacturers to help my memory a bit without having to consult the list sheets all the time. That's just a personal preference, but, as you said, it makes sense, especially when dealing with the same type of locomotive.