AllScales

Guys you are missing my point, so let me give you an example of what I mean...

My tuner died, so it was down to A large discount chain for a new one.

What I got was an Tuner/Internet Media player, as reception's a bit iffy (dirty great big hill) I thought it was a winner

I connected it via Wifi to my home network, so I can now listen to the radio via my internet connection

In the box was a note to say there was an iPhone/Andriod App for it.

Downloaded it and fired it up, there's a single item: Add device

Press the button, and up comes the Tuner/Media player

What could be simpler? There was never any talk of what router to use or any mention of an IP address...

ROCO can implement this anytime... Why didn't they?

I've used the D-Link router with my home LAN and found no problems. You need to connect to the WAN port on the D-Link router, so it's a "slave" to your home-LAN. As for supplying the Z21 w/o a router, that's simply not gonna work. People expect a digital system to be "plug and play" (especially from that price range) but as it stands, a novice cannot start with a Z21 OOTB* right now: if you don't have a (reasonably recent) smart phone or tablet, you're out If customers had to buy a router too, the "failure rate" of the Z21 would be a significant order of magnitude greater, as most modellers are not IT specialists The Z21 has a fixed IP address, not in the usual range of consumer-range routers. This means the IT-impaired modeller must alter the configuration of their router manually, which may impose other problems on their home network You don't want that, as manufacturer

 

*out of the box

Yes, I perfectly agree that most Z21 customers are not It specialists, which is why ZCN is something that Roco should adopt. As it stands, if this router breaks, you need to find another that works the same way. With ZCN, you could buy any router you like and connect the Z21 to a LAN port and join the network using an iPad/iPhone or Android phone/fondleslab and the two would simply discover each other. This is a standard protocol, that is easy to use. It is how my printer advertises itself (it's actually the access point that does it for it as it's USB only) on my home network.

I think this is something that will come, it's actually even more non-techy friendly!

Select the layout in settings if not already active,

Go to Track Control Centre,

Put your finger on the symbol you want to remove for a second or so until it highlights in a red box.

Select delete from the toolbar at the bottom

Doh! I keep forgetting about press and hold!

Hi All,

Interesting theROCO Booster is simply a command station with different connectors. I have two of those from buying two DCC start sets.

So I may now see if I can covert one to a booster! I'm not in need of one with only 15 HOe locos in my roster (3 with sound), but it would be nice, just in case... My big layout is prewired to be in two sections any way I might make it usable both with and without a booster. I'm forever in danger of acquiring more locos!

Is the cable a straight through cable? And how do I get the box open? I suspect there are screws under the rubber feet?

My experiences with the Z21 so far have been good, except for the router which I have already ranted about... I see no reason that they couldn't have implemented Zero Configuration Networking. Then they could have sold without a router and just said "requires Wifi router", Most people I know are already fully wireless at home, here there's an access point in the train room as the printer is there so that would have been ideal.... However I just use the router now, no point in fighting it, but it's not connected to the internet...

No how do I delete a point from the track plan? This is on the iPad...

N Scale Electrostar 377, 4 Car

Add to that class 375 and 379, they're all over the South East now, and probably coming to a county near you soon...

I'd buy multiples (in SouthEastern livery)

I have found some details in a book called "Colonel Stephens - Insights into the man and his empire". I appears there were two proposals: The first was to travel from Orpington to Green Street Green and then up to Cudham Church and on to Biggin Hill and Tatsfield, This was around 1898. The second would have gone Orpington, Green Street Green, Downe and Keston, Biggin Hill and Cudham, Tatsfield, Chelsham and on to Sanderstead. This one was around 1925 and was to have been built as an electric light railway operated by the S.E. & C.R..

Colonel Stephens was involved in both proposals. I can see the route in my minds eye for both proposals, the earlier proposal would have been very challenging as there is a fairly steep gradient from Green Street Green on up to Cudham Church!

I think I'd model the second proposal, but pretend it was earlier, and narrow gauge steam instead of electric...

Woking (or National Archives) here I come!

Many thanks!

It's amazing what you can find online these days!

The Surrey History Centre has a copy of the Light Railway Order from 1902!

Anyone know what is in those documents? If it's all just legalese then it's probably not worth the trip, but otherwise it might pay to nip over to Woking to get a copy.

I just had a quick google of the original railway proposal, and it would have been Orpington > Green Street Green > Cudham > Biggin Hill Tatsfield.

So my idea of Orpington > Crofton > Farnborough > Downe i s completely incorrect, but then I've never let the facts get in the way of any railway modeling before, so I don't see why I should start now! :-)

Friso, have you come across NGRM (http://ngrm-online.com) ? It's a great narrow gauge specific forum which will have many more 0-16.5 modellers that you can question about various things. Lots of the questions you are asking have already been covered on there in one form or another.

 

I like the sound of this project, look forward to reading more.

And then another post has probably answered my question! I'll have a look tomorrow as I need to do some domestic labour now (before I get killed :-( ).

Don't expect fast results on this project, it's in a slow gestation phase.... Having said that, I have just ripped all the track from a badly conceived project to give me a spare 4ftx1ft train table......

Thanks,

Friso

Hi Martin,

I really like those Chivers kits and the web-site has been duly bookmarked. It was great to see how things happen behind the scenes at show as well. It has given me a new angle on how to show a layout.

The Backwoods Miniatures models don't look like what I'm looking for, although the vertical boiler steamer is tempting (perhaps a little logging branch?).

We're aiming for the early twentieth century (but post WW I), so just before the development of the commuter belt, so possibly a Ford truck can appear, but the other engines should look like the heyday of steam. I've had a long chat with my collaborator and he is of the same opinion...

You were going to drop me a link to a dedicated narrow gauge site? Is it this one: Narrow Gauge Co Uk?

Thanks,

Friso

Hi Mike, Martin,

Thanks for the info. The Port Wynnstay models certainly look very good.

Over the last few days I had thought that the goods would have to consist of a bunch of 6 Peco Open wogen and 6 Box Peco Vans, and a set of 3 Peco Passenger would be the passenger train.

A Tram loco would be running the passenger services and a Hunslet for the goods.

I might order one of each of the Peco Wagon kits, to see how well we get on with building them before committing large amounts money to this project.

Martin: I did pop in today to the show, but you were busy sorting out a traffic jam round the back of the layout! I will pop past again tomorrow for a chat and to get one of my loco's repaired (one of the cats knocked it over and the brake compressor broke off). I love the layout by the way. Very nice!

Thanks,

Friso

Hi All,

Over a few pints of ale, a friend and I started to talk about building a layout for the completely non-existent Orpington & Downe Tramway.

So far we've got:

1. Small size and modular: 3 boards, Orpington (main depot), Farnborough (passing loop and works train storage) and Downe (very simple terminus).
2. Avoid scratch build as much possible

So we looked at the Peco and Branchlines kits, as that is really the only option at first sight. Not having built rolling stock before (nor O-16.5) we have a couple of questions:

1. What is the minimum radius one of the Peco/Branchlines loco's can do?
2. How long are these loco's?
3. What about the Branchlines Clogher Valley coaches? What length/minimum radius do they have?
4. Who other than Peco sells ready made O-16.5 points (with smaller radius)
5. Any other suppliers of O-16.5 gear that isn't listed on the 7mmnga web-site?
6. The Peco body kits require soldering, I guess a normal soldering iron won't do???

For the most part this is intended to be a fun layout (I'll never commit to creating an exhibition layout).

Thanks for any advice,

Friso