Matt

I had something that sounded similar with a Heljan loco on DCC. In end I concluded that the current draw was too much for that decoder - a different brand of decoder and all well. Decoder ex-Hj loco was fine in a different loco.

I think you may have ventured into a hotly debated area! I think best way to answer is with a “it depends” response. Many will say that some of the premium brands provide superior control /smoothness. I am sure this is true but will depend on the base model and what being used for. In my case I enjoy running scale length trains of 20-30 wagons at prototypical line speeds - no shunting around involved. All my stock is less than 20 yrs old consisting diesels with central motor as per Bachmann, Hornby etc. I don’t generally bother with capacitors as my layout is in a centrally heated room so track doesn’t get too dirty. I rarely tune my decoders beyond address and momentum. I have decoders from Lais, Bachmann, DCC concepts, Gaugemaster, ESU, Zimo and others and for how I use them I see very little difference*. All provide decent reliable performance for what I need. Where it is starting to get more complicated is with latest gen Bachmann /Accurascale / Cavalex diesels where more sophisticated lighting requires more advanced or specially programmed decoders. I’ve been adopting a “life’s too short “ approach here and sticking with the manufacturers recommended / supplied decoder for each of these. Others will have different perspectives based on how they use their models but that’s mine. Hope it helps, Matt *the only exception I’ve had is on some of my Heljan 26s which seem to draw slightly more amps than normal - in some cases I’ve had to use a “better”decoder to cope

Well deserved - great shop with large range displayed nicely and very friendly and helpful people behind the counter. Always a must-stop when in Edinburgh.

Hi Tim, have you managed to test the 40 with additional bits on curved track yet to see if works? I like the look of adding the bits but wonder if will obstruct the rotation of bogies on my 3rd rad curves. Have used the WHWW bits on some (original Bachmann) 20s to improve on the undernourished and missing bits - quite pleased with them but parts are quite brittle if get knocked. Thanks, M

And wing mirrors?

I found that the three separate piece ploughs couldn’t be used with NEM couplings even without the centre section - just not enough space for the NEM to move unless you have get shallow curves. I found the clip on alternative worked well but required some of the pipes trimming to avoid fouling in the plough as it moves with the coupling. But I’d mounted slightly different to how appears in your photos I think… my plough clips onto the NEM coupling shaft just forward of the NEM socket rather than onto NEM socket directly which is what it looks like you’ve done. This brings plough slightly forward and gives it quite a positive mounting and gets angle more right I think. Have used exactly same setup on my new Bach 37s using leftovers from my AS’s…

You are of course right - was getting my testbeds muddled!

I remember as a teenager reading an article in RM on 901 and taking upon myself to modify an old Hornby 47 to her. I was somewhat lacking in finesse with my technique for removing unneeded detail (including thick lines on sides) but managed to achieve something passable for 901. Sadly it all went wrong at the paint stage and heart was lost with the shell still languishing in a box somewhere i suspect…. Wasn’t there an intermediate stage where she was 601 and had class 56 bogies too? Not familiar enough with all the changes made to say whether one body with 2 different bogies would cover 601 and 901? As a Scottish region modeller I have no need for either but I would probably be tempted due to being a bit different. Anyway I’m sure she was loaned to Eastfield for some trials…….

001 was sans high intensity headlight whilst 625 was with - depending what OP was after. 625 also used the better class 47 tooling without exaggerated rivets. The heavy weathering might not be to everyone’s taste and the large unusually positioned nameplate makes renumbering a little more complex. Oddly they didn’t sell well with KMRC discounting them to shift - I picked up 2 cheaply and added a spare body picked up at a show for £10. Renumbering and naming is in my Round Tuit pile….

I’ve had a few Peco surface mount motors where the wire has pulled out - can be repaired with a touch of solder but pretty fiddly

Gareth I’m probably being thick but I can’t see the Warwells on your website - searched under wagons / Accurascale and Hattons but not showing. A search didn’t work either… im assuming the newly announced military models aren’t in your site yet either? my military “diversion” has become rather extensive thanks to you with models plural of most of the kits you’ve released so far!

Some good prices on TMC for 90s at mo if you’re looking for a model to respray… £137 for several variants

My solution was using Accurascale ploughs - most of my locos have a coupling on one end leaving a spare coupling end plough and non coupling end plough to use after fitting my AS 37s. It did require buying Bachmann and Accurascale 37s in a 1:1 ratio but oh well…. It does seem that pretty much every 37 I’ve bought from each stable had ploughs in real life a good part of the time!

Hmm was that a hint that AS have the 2a under development…?

From what I’ve seen RR reliveries / renumbers are top notch - it’s often difficult to see the difference vs factory finished models. I’m pretty sure that either Bachmann or Accurascale will announce more Scottish 37s in due course - both have invested heavily in moulds for 37/4 and 37/0 with headlights and, whilst some of the Bachmann releases seemed slow to shift (though to be fair we don’t know batch size), I’m sure they didn’t fail to notice 37260 shifted quick to the extent I’ve never seen a heavily discounted one…. Me, I have too many 37s already but I’ll struggle not to buy anything that emerged with a Westie or Stag or even better a Salmon on the side!

If it’s an Inverness 37 you’re after there’s always 37260 from recent releases? Or maybe you have that one and are Looking for a playmate?

If it helps at all I would take a 320 in each SPT orange, carmine and cream, and spotrail - I.e. you’ll increase your sales to me 50% if you produce a third Scottish livery:-)

The Heljan stand? I was looking around various stands at the show for these on sale and only saw a few maroon ones but no blue-grey. Maybe suggests they’ve sold well?

Also sitting in a hotel in Glasgow with same Saturday mission!! I don’t know the individuals involved but am a past Hattons customer with, at times, an almost constant procession of boxes wrapped with string. anyway the impression I get from Richard’s post is that he is the boss that I aspire to be - someone who cares about his team and has high integrity. Top bloke by the sounds of it and I hope he (and his previous team) go on to other successful ventures. Sad to see the end of Hattons but happy to see them end in a respectful way rather than going out with debts and leaving people high and dry. Sadly this is a rare thing these days…

YES! yes! YES! revolution makes me happy again. I’ll have one of each livery variant that ran in Scotland pls… SPT orange, SPT burgundy/cream, saltire… anything else? I have the OHLE on my Glasgow layout already in place and waiting. who’s gonna do the 303 and 314 and 318….?

What they need to do is convert some of those empty HOF stores into model shops- Jenners in Edinburgh would be a good start. I’m sure it would work…… There’s a reason I don’t work in retail….

They are a lovely model BUT OMG you’ve taken them to another level with your weathering. The first photo in particular I thought was a picture of the real thing - for which I am also complimenting your impressively realistic layout. Look forward to seeing in the flesh at MRS.

No worries- I’m not sure what the issue is but my mods have helped so I’m happy. I prob should have mentioned I’m using Kadees in the NEMs which might be a contributing factor - some have said the problems are less if using a more solid coupling bar. M

Not a one off - every class 60 and class 56 I own from the red box company has the same issue (total 14 locos). Others have had the same issue as detailed on threads somewhere on here. It is probably a design issue with those models and I can’t explain the physics suffice to say it does happen and can be corrected in way I described.

I used to think this too but after multiple problems with another manufacturer’s kinematic system I spent hours playing with and modifying them. The issue is if the coupling has a heavy load. As the loco enters a curve the overhang at end of body swings out outside the curve which seems to cause the coupling to extend on the outside of the curve or “the wrong way”. As progress into the curve the coupling wants to correct itself but has to pass through the centre point which means it has to shorten to do this- something it struggles to do with a heavy load on the hook. In many cases this results in derailment of leading vehicle. I’ve found that filing down the centre of the kinematic channel on said manufacturer’s system seems to help - not totally removing but rounding the centre to remove the point and make the transition from left to right easier. Hth, M