SRman

I have been decorating a couple of C-Rail containers, bought as undecorated, although I have also built some of the kit versions as well in the past. These two are a 20' early-style ordinary box done as Xtra (shown a few posts ago), and a 30' bulk container being finished in Bulkhaul livery. Both are deliberately patchy in finish, and once I have settled the transfers into the grooves properly (MicroSol), they will be weathered. The Bulkhaul is only an approximation of the blue, working from photos, with a pale blue base coat and a darker blue coat thinly painted over the top. The IBC and UBC containers in the photos were C-Rail kits I built and decorated some time ago.

I have a Dapol's class 59/2 fitted with legomanbiffo sound, and again I have no quibbles with the quality of the sounds or the original layout of functions, I wanted to bring this into line with the Accurascale locomotives as much as possible for the lighting, as it is much easier on my memory. This is v2 of what I have done, but there are still a few things to reallocate, particularly with sound locations. The operation of the lights is a bit odd on this model; it took me a while to work out that AUX1(1) is actually acting like a relay to switch the selection to the opposite end of the locomotive, so as an example, F0 for headlights with marker lights and no tail lights has Front light(1) plus AUX1(1), because, for some reason, the forward direction has the reverse switch. Head and marker lights for reverse is simply Front light(1). What this means for depot parking mode with red tail lights at both ends cannot be done with the existing setup. I had tried to do this on F19, but failed, although the entry is still in the list. F16 has to move up to a higher function at some point for my standardisation, being a shunting mode with just marker lights leading and tail lights on at the other end, which works nicely. F22 for Night running lights works well too, with F20 for directional tail lights also working properly with both day and night running lights. The cab lights on F21 also work properly, when stopped only, and directionally. The available AUX outputs are shown here, with all others greyed out and unavailable. The end result so far is: F0 forwards: F0 reverse plus F20: F0 plus F22 forwards: F16 forwards: F16 reverse: F16 reverse photo taken at other end: What these photos, taken in dim lighting conditions also show is that there is quite a lot of light bleed between the lights in the clusters. The camera has picked that up and enhanced it a bit; it isn't quite as obvious to the naked eye, but is still something to be addressed if possible. Finally, the modified function list as it stands now. I will be doing a few further amendments, but this shows my thinking and the results of my tinkering. Dapol Class 59 Function Key List for legomanbiffo Sound - JL mod.docx

I'm with you on this. The A1A drive can be a great benefit on rough tracks with poor tracklaying. At risk of sending this off on another tangent, I have quite a few Heljan Co-Co models that have the A1A-A1A drive, and these will all haul greater loads than many other manufacturers' 6-wheel drive locos. The only problems I have had with those are the early releases had horrible brass wheels that tarnished while you looked at them (swapped out for better wheel sets later on), and human error in getting the floating centre axles onto the track (I have to put my glasses on to see what I am doing!). With no weight on those centre axles, all the traction forces go through the outer driving wheels with beneficial effects on the tractive efforts.

I did some similar experiments with the AS class 37s combining different speakers with different sound projects as well as the original factory sounds and speakers. At present I have sound projects from four sources in six locomotives and only two types of speaker (there was a third speaker combination with twin speakers in series, but I swapped that out). In general I found that the original factory sound seemed best with the original AS speakers, and seeing as Cavalex appear to have done their own experiments, I'm sure that their sound and speaker combination will work best in the 56. I am still awaiting delivery of my 56 120, and may tinker with a few settings, but it is most likely I'll stick with the factory sound and speaker.

I hope no one took me seriously with that. It really was intended as tongue-in-cheek. I suppose we could model all those discarded shoes beside the tracks. 😁😁

I found some logic errors and omissions in my earlier 37 423 settings so I went back to the drawing board and deleted the head and tail light combinations and started again. This lot works as intended. I am also including the amended Function List as it stands now. I need to add the light switch sound back in, once I work out which Sound Slot that is in (I know, it's in the AS list somewhere). The Uncoupling Cycle on F26 doesn't seem to work so I'll swap an unused Sound Slot into that, later. I'm happier with the way this is set out, with my more usually used functions lower down the F numbers (i.e. higher up the list). A couple of the sounds listed may be incorrect, but I will get around to sorting those properly now I have the lights right. Class 37 Sound Function List - Modified.docx

It'll be right after I put the last transfer on my nearly finished class 74! 🤣

I must admit that even though mine is a third rail layout, I still like to play with the pantographs occasionally. 🤣 Now, @McC, about those working retractable third rail shoes ... 🤪

Thanks for that tip. 😎 I will be doing that when I next do an editing session. You are right that it doesn't affect the operation at all, but by gum it does make it easier to find the correct lines. 👍

There was a German diesel model released a few years ago with a driver that popped up at the correct end when changing directions. I think it was an ESU model of a BR 218, but my memory is a little hazy on that.

That's my lot for today. I have not completely brought them into line yet. the screen shot for 37 423 shows that the engine room lights on AUX14 were still allocated to F17. I will be swapping that to F18. While some of these are still works in progress, one thing I like with being able to use the LokProgrammer or Decoder Pro software is that one can work on the files away from the layout, sussing out the logical sequences for the lighting functions and shifting the functions around without having to have the locomotive attached or stand near the layout to do it. It doesn't allow one to work out what sound slot is what sound though, so that needs the original function list to help work that out away from the layout. There will be others to come, bit feel free to post your own versions. Mine are by no means definitive or the only way to do things. 😁

And on to the Accurascale class 92. In this case, I have three with Accurascale sound and one non-sound one, so that simplified things for me. Having set one to my satisfaction, I was able to load the same file with amended address to each of the others. I did reverse the operation of F8 for AC or DC configuration, seeing as my layout is, or will be, Southern Region third rail territory. This means that pressing F8 will raise a pantograph, rather than lowering it after the original default for starting sound on F1 automatically raising a panto. Likewise, I have reversed the tail light operation as per the 37s, so F20 now turns them on when needed. Most of my trains remain in storage loops with locos attached, so tail lights are not usually needed. Also, for straight electric locos, I cannot see a use for Drive Hold, so that has been left off, but it could also be kept relegated to a function above F28 the NCE system cannot reach (although the LokProgrammer could operate it). This was 92 009, but the same settings were applied to 92 020 and 92 032. For the non-sound loco, 92 043, I had a locally purchased LokPilot v5 DCC decoder, and Accurascale's Patrick very kindly forwarded a file with the settings they use on their LokPilot decoders, which included the settings to operate the pantographs and kept the lighting functions the same as on their sound decoders. As such, I had to do the same swaps for F8 and F20.

Last one of my AS class 37s, 37 608 with ESU Hi-Fi sounds.

Last but one for the 37 variations is 37 609 with Jamie Goodman sound bought from Roads and Rails. For all of the 37/4 aand 37/6 locos I have with the top headlight, I was assured by a DRS driver in the AS 37 topic that the headlight comes on with the WiPAC headlights, as they have a rotary switch for markers, day running, night running, and off, so I have set the top lights accordingly with F0 and F22.

Next, the legomanbiffo summary for 37 026 - after the screen shots I added F18 forwards works AUX11, and F18 reverse works AUX12, which are the car-style headlights fitted to 37 026. That means I took sound slot 8 off that function. F2 also had "Brake 1" added to its Logical functions. One other thing I haven't mentioned is that I have turned down the brightness of some of the lights. On 37/0 locos I turned the cab light brightness down, and on all of the AS 37s I turned the engine room lights down. For the tail lights on F20, basically it involved swapping any references to "F20" to "not F20", and any "not F20" references to "F20" all the way down the sheet, working methodically so as not to get confused. For those who are happy with the default of tail lights being on when the lights are turned on, leave that set of changes alone.

Thanks. I did do that on the Bachmann LT class 20 to help match it to Sarah Siddons, but I did it manually with the necessary CV changes. I di use Decoder Pro for most brands other than ESU, but the LokProgrammer is really much, much quicker with the ESU decoders. In my case, the NCE Power Pro is connected to the computer through a serial port, whereas the LokProgrammer uses a faster serial to USB connection.

The Accurascale sound ones are as follows: 37/4 and 37/6 (this one was 37 423) Edit - there are some logic errors in this version of my file - I have posted a better one further down - Jeff (SRman): Note that sound slot allocations and the actual sounds in those slots can vary between different sound providers. I haven't really begun to bring those into line, except for the playable horns on F3 and F4. Next, the Accurascale 37/0, in this case, D6704, which does not have anywhere near the number of lighting functions available compared to the refurbished types): I did post the 37/0 list in the Accurascale class 37 topic as well, which seemed to cause a few problems for some people. Having started this thread specifically for this type of operation, I hope no one can object here.

After that long preamble, the first locomotives I got to grips with were the Accurascale class 37s, of which I have six. Four are refurbished types of class 37/4 and 37/6, and have the WiPAC light clusters plus top headlights, so have the full gamut of lighting possible. Now let me say at the start that what Accurascale have done is perfectly good, but my personal preferences go, as stated in the preamble, include having the tail lights off by default. I also have sound projects on them from Accurascale, Jamie Goodman (who also did the Accurascale one), and legomanbiffo. The ones I installed myself have LokSound v5 DCC decoders, whereas the Accurascale factory-fitted ones have the slightly fuller LokSound v5 version, which allows more protocols but makes no difference whatsoever to the actual programming here. Some sounds get shunted around the allocations too, to make room for the lighting and braking preferences. So, here are the settings for the legomanbiffo 37/4 and 37/6 locos (although looking at this, I haven't done the F22 remapping for night running on this one yet):

I hope to assist anyone else who thinks like me and wants diesel and electric sound projects (or even non-sound decoder settings) to match each other's function key presses. There are a few reasons for doing this, with some being purely personal preferences, but others making sense when operating locomotives in multiple (i.e. a DCC consist). Firstly, I have decided that I prefer the manual braking to be on F2 as this is always a momentary contact key on the NCE systems, and some other brands as well. That means shuffling the next few functions up one F key if the sound project designer has it on F5 (which seems to be the other default choice). Next, I want Drive Hold / Drive Lock (whatever!) t be standardised on F8. I have a couple of projects installed where it is currently on F7, or other keys. Also, F11 for the flange squeal. Lighting allocations depend on what's available on certain models, but purely to assist me to remember some of them without recourse to the function lists every time I want one of the less used ones, I have standardised on F17 being engine room lights, F20 tail lights on (some projects have F20 to turn them off, as they are on by default with F0), F21 cab lights, F22 night setting (for WiPAC style lighting), and F19 for depot lights (tail lights at both ends). There may also be shunting lights with all marker lights on, and separate high-intensity headlights - I haven't decided which function shunting lights should be on (maybe F16), but separate headlights are to be F18. I will post screen captures of the settings on the LokProgrammer for the various loco classes as I work through some of them, but I would like others who are also inspired to do the same to post their settings - they don't have to agree with mine. I worked with computers in the past (retired now) so am an inveterate tinkerer and like the challenge of doing these personalisations. I would strongly advise anyone attempting such changes to read and save the original settings first, then when tinkering, save under a different name - I add the text "- JL mod" to the end of the file name after the original naming, and if I make even more major amendments after that, I use additional "v2", "v3", and so on. That allows me to restore to a previous working version if it all goes pear-shaped. My posts at present are aimed solely at ESU using the LokProgrammer, but much of this work is also possible using JMRI Decoder Pro software, which also allows modification to other brands of decoder. I find Zimo sound decoders a little obscure though, so don't tend to make as many drastic changes to the order on those. It still becomes necessary when running locomotives with the different brands in together. A case in point is an excursion train on my London Underground lines, topped and tailed by a Heljan Metropolitan Bo-Bo electric with ESU LokSound fitted and a Bachmann LT class 20 with a Zimo sound decoder on board. they took a lot of careful speed matching, but that's another story. I intend to do separate posts for each type of loco or unit and there may be long spells where my time is spent elsewhere on other tasks.

For sound you would need a DCC sound decoder and a speaker. DCC alone on a decoder won't add sound, even if you put a speaker in. If you want to go along the sound-fitted route, the best option is to buy a ready-fitted version as that actually is cheaper than buying a non-sound (DC analogue) version and buying a sound decoder and speaker. Next best option is the non-sound version and add the aforementioned sound decoder and speaker. Least best option is buy the DCC-fitted one then later buy a sound decoder and speaker. This option leaves you with a spare non-sound decoder to fit in a different locomotive or unit. In the longer term this is the most expensive option.

I have a couple of the Minix Corsairs, and both have cracks running up the middles of the body sides. It appears to me to be a weakness of this particular moulding. However, that would make it easier to justify hacking them into convertibles and filling in the door shut lines anyway.

I agree with you regarding different sound sets for multiples of the same type of locomotive. I have done this with several of my class 33 and 73 locomotives (amongst others), and keeping it relevant to this topic, if anyone is interested, I have fitted different sound projects to some of my Accurascale 37s and also experimented with different speakers, although at present I have only two types fitted. Of my AS 37s, the current sound and speaker combinations are: D6704 Accurascale sound and Accurathrash speaker; 37 026 legomanbiffo 37/0 West Highland sound and Accurathrash speaker 37 423 Accurascale sound and ESU 'super' speaker * 37 602 legomanbiffo 37/4 West Highland sound and Accurathrash speaker 37 608 ESU Hi-Fi sound and Accurathrash speaker # 37 609 Jamie Goodman sound and ESU 'super' speaker * 37 423 had a pair of Roads and Rails 25mm square speakers in series until a few days ago. # The ESU sound in 37 608 was downloaded from the ESU website, and required a fair amount of tweaking to get all the lighting functions working correctly. It sounds good, though. I am still experimenting with speakers and will be swapping one or more Accurathrash speakers out for other options. I just recently bought a few different speakers from Roads and Rails to try out a few ideas. Even though the Accurascale sound was done in-house by Jamie Goodman, I find that the separate Jamie Goodman project I bought seems slightly different. I do like to use different sound projects from different sources anyway, but some of this for the 37s was dictated by my deciding to buy certain liveries at the last minute, when all the sound ones had sold out everywhere, and even the non-sound ones had gone from Accurascale's own shop. That gave a little extra incentive to try different sounds from various sources.

If anyone is interested, I had a good session on the LokProgrammer reconfiguring D6704 's functions (with Accurascale's own 37/0 sound factory-fitted) to get them closer to the other 37s I have for operating the lighting functions, although I decided to simplify it a bit seeing as the standard Accurascale file allows for lighting options the green 37 simply doesn't have. I also have all of them set to use F2 for braking, which means the horns get shifted up one each to F3 and F4. I have not rationalised the AUX outputs for the lighting functions yet, as some are not actually used to light anything. There is no night headlight setting on this model, and only the headcodes and tail lights for the nose ends (i.e. no actual headlights at all!). I have put tail lights as default off, using F20 to turn them on. Cab lighting is now on F21. Engine room lighting is on F17. F23 does depot lighting, which is all red tail lights on when stationary, but I'm not sure the 37s of this period had this feature. I must emphasise that I have not finalised the ancillary sound allocations yet, so some of these are a bit arbitrary at present. Turning F0 on lights the headcodes at whichever end is leading. Pressing F20 while F0 is on turns on tail lights at the other end. F21 lights only the leading end's cab light, which has had its brightness turned down to a setting of 11 (out of 31). The engine room lights have also been dimmed to 17. I always save the file loaded into the LokProgrammer first, then save again with a different name so that if it all goes pear-shaped, I can load the file settings I started with back in. I understand fully that not everyone wants to do any of this, and it is done purely to satisfy my own preferences, but I hope this might get people thinking about the possibilities for their own models. I hope you can see the logic in these settings. One thing defeated me with the simplifications though, until I looked at the original file: AUX13 had to be there for all of the lighting functions to work. I'm not sure why that is, but until I put those two lines at the end back in, none of the lights worked.

For the record, Mark 2, not 2a, but what great photos, with so much detail to be absorbed. 😊 The ends were actually roof grey, not black, although weathering would have made them appear darker.

I bought from the originally released batch, one SECR version and the Bluebell version. Both are lovely models and nice runners, but the Bluebell livery really sets the loco off - it is a very attractive, even pretty, livery. I'm looking forward to getting a matching livery on Rapido's O1 if they choose to produce it.