St. Simon

Hi, Great announcement, I will always remember a trip to the Churnet Valley many years ago and sitting in the pub garden at Consall and listening to one of these things depart with that American hooter whistle echoing throughout the valley......fantastic......! One red one with sound please :) Simon

Hi, Sorry to go off topic, whilst Axle Counters don't detect rail breaks, there is certainly no guarantee that Track Circuits will, they weren't designed to carry out thay function and they are not relied upon to detect rail breaks. Track Circuits failures resulting from a broken rail is very uncommon, it requires a clean break of a couple of mm in dry conditions to cause a failure. I follow the daily national logs and the detection of a rail break by a track circuit failure is very very uncommon. Track Circuits may detect rail breaks in theory, but not necessarily in practice. Simon

Hi, I don't think it is simple as using the closest type face, I wouldn't be surprised if the graphics designers will just trace over the existing logo files to create what they need. However, I don't consider it an issue that would cause me (or really anyone) not to buy the model, and if it did, we have to remember, this whole process is full of humans, and occasionally get stuff wrong, I think this is in the case of 'easily missed and not catastrophic if it is' sort of error. Okay it is on a comparatively expensive model, but these things could happen on the most expensive models in the world, it is just the way of things! Cut Revolution some slack, it is a lovely model. Simon

Hi, From my experience, the decoder will remember the speed step it was on when you changed to the other loco and will continue with that speed step when you return, but soon as you touch the throttle, even by a single speed step, the decoder gets the command to go to the newly selected speed step. I think this is a limitation with any controller which has a throttle like the Zephyr i.e. has a start and end point and marked graduations. If you have a throttle with continually turn-able knobs, like the Digitrax handheld (this can be used with the Zephyr, although it is expensive!) or Gaugemaster Prodigy, then you don't have the same issue. It's a thing I found with my Zephyr, but I converted to using phones via a Raspberry Pi, which over came the problem, but that might not be your solution. Simon

Hi, I know I've said to a lot of people I wouldn't buy a Caroline as it would be a modern image layout cliche........but having seen the photos I've ordered the Rainbow Railways one! Oh well, it'll look great on Bryn Y Benin Mawr behind my NR 97! Simon

Hi Nick, Again, not really sure! In real life, I think it is probably used to shunt stuff between all three platforms, probably during times when Fareham is used as a blocking point for a possession (although I'm not sure if this is how Fareham is used). I.e., a train can come into Platform 1 from Portsmouth, terminate and then shunt into Platform 3 for going back to Portsmouth. On Collingwood, as I've left out out the crossover that would allow you to go from the Up Portsmouth to the Down Portsmouth in the Down Direction (to save cost and space), if I think would only use it to shunt a failed train from Portsmouth into the Bay and then back into Platform 1. I haven't actually used it though! Simon

Hi Mike, You are reading it correctly, but no trap points aren't back in fashion for passenger lines. In real life, that junction has a trap point (not sure why, but I assume it is something to do with the turnback shunt in the middle of the junction) as per the model. I had previously ignored the trap point in the signalling data has it wasn't needed, but I'm including it now to allow me to have a swinging non-called overlap at CD822 for operational ease! I don't think in real life we'd include a trap point in these controls, I've used it purely as way of explaining the principle of the controls. Simon

'One Train at a Time' (OTAT) Controls OTAT, or ‘One Train At a Time’ controls is something newly introduced into UK signalling principles and is a form of degraded working and are associated with Flank Protection. Flank Protection is where facing points are used to divert run-away or SPAD trains away from a head on / side on collision with a legitimately routed train. There are two places I need Flank Protection on Collingwood. One is to protect trains signalled from CD811 across Collingwood Junction from trains passing CD810 or CD812, which requires 594 Points ‘Normal’: The other place is at Funtley Junction, protecting a train signalled from CD821 from a SPAD of CD822, using 596 points ‘Normal’: It is in the latter case where OTAT controls are required. OTAT was introduced in March 2022 and is part of ‘Level 2’ or ‘Enhanced’ Flank Protection. This is an extract of one of a series of posts about the signalling of Collingwood on my blog here, you can see a video of OTAT working as well. Simon

Hi, It depends, you can have 110v AC or 120v DC versions, depending on what supply you have in the area. Simon

How can it be a 'dead cert' if you only think it?...... Simon

Hi, It'll be a brand new set of tools I would have thought. That's capitalism, you pays your money, you take your chance. Simon

Hi, The 'original' 4-CEPs models were already wired for a single decoder with conductive couplings, albeit with only a couple (if that) lighting functions. Whether the refurbished 4-CEPs will have an upgrade to the lighting functions I don't know, but the blurb doesn't mention it. Simon

Hi, Even if the tooling was adaptable, I would think it would be far easier to simply produce a new tool. The business case for doing such a thing on the other hand would have to right and I don’t think any of us have the expertise on that! Simon

Hi, I just read the initial basic report in the daily log, and it smacks of insider information, albeit likely indirectly, they knew what they were doing and where they were doing it! I’ve always thought about doing a thought experiment with our graduates and apprentices about how you might pull something like this off with a modern signalling systems (as purely an education in the system rather than creating light figured Fred’s!) Simon

I'm 100% sure it ventured along through Fareham often, or at least that's my version of the layout history book! 😁

Hi, I believe the current date for Ealing Broadway to Stockley is November, but this could change. Simon

Hi, Actually from a saleability (a word I just made up I think) point of view, I thought the 3-CEP was a good call, a way of just testing the market a little with a slightly shorter train with a lower (relatively) price tag might persuade a few more people than a 4-car unit at an extra £100. I know a lot of people had shortened their original 4-CEP units to 3-CEPs due to space on the layout. And of course, keep people wanting more.... For me personally, it was a very expensive announcement, I've ordered the SWT 3-CEP & SWT Class 158 for Collingwood and I'm considering the TfW Class 158 for Bryn y Benin Mawr Simon

Hi Tim, I don't know the origins of the EFE J94, other than it's a new tooling for EFE, but I don't believe DJM ever actually owned any of it's designs or toolings? Simon

Hi, As has been explained before, EFE Rail is simply a brand within the Bachmann group that allows models developed by 3rd party suppliers, in this case KMRC, to be brought to a wider selection of retail outlets that would otherwise not be able to stock them. It is also a way of increasing Bachmann's ouput without the need to use the main Kader Factory, which any models in the Bachmann Branchline brand are obligated to use. Simon

Hi, I’m not sure if we’ve covered this, but what about train cliches? I’m thinking of NR Test Trains on modern layouts is probably one of the current train cliches? (I’m only think this in that I’m choosing trains for an exhibition and realised my test train is probably a cliche!) Of course, is the ‘just doing a running in turn’ a cliche on some layouts? Simon

Hi, I’ve been thinking about getting a small Lever Frame and Mechanical Locking for my new layout. However as Modratec have stopped providing them and, whilst I’m a trained machinist, I haven’t the equipment, I was wandering about 3D printing a frame. The question is, how practical would it be? Would resin have the mechanical strength? Simon

Hi Stu, I did think that once it got going it didn’t sound like my Legoman one, but then it had been a while since hearing it and I haven’t heard a 73 in real life! Simon

Hi, I can confirm that the WiFi was good, the phone was next to the model the entire time with no notification or any interruptions, plus I had already installed it one another decoder only half an hour before. I also tried it on two separate decoders and had the same issue. Simon

Hi, I fitted two Dapol Class 73s with the decoders this noon and have came across two issues / questions: 1 - Is there anything special that needs to be done beyond enabling the ‘DCC’ mode in the app to allow a DCC system to control the loco? I was using a Prodigy and couldn’t get the loco to respond from it (either under the default address or new address), even after ‘recycling the power’ and turning the phone off. The decoder responded perfectly on Bluetooth with the Prodigy providing power. Not a massive issue really though. 2 - The app kept reporting the second decoder was missing its sound data even after two or three attempts to install the Class 73 sounds. I tried to install a class 56 sound just to see what happens and that worked fine and responded perfectly. I haven’t gone back to try the 73 sounds nor try on DCC as I ran out of time. Is this a known issue and how is it resolved? Despite these and once I had replaced the speakers, I was really impressed by the decoders, app and sounds. I think the ease of changing stuff like the acceleration and braking using sliders on the go is far better than any other method today, in my view. However, it would be nice to have some sort of feedback to say the changes in CV / address etc have occurred and possibly something on the decoder to say it is broadcasting on Bluetooth as it was a little odd the first time as you had no idea whether it was until scanning on the app. Simon P.S. Apologies if the issues encountered have been answered before, but 71 pages to search through is a lot!