SRman

The old Matchbox catalogues actually listed the scale of each vehicle in the 1 - 75 range. As someone mentioned earlier, there were Tomica and Husky models in suitable scales for that range too. Examples of other brands: I had a Tomica Rolls Royce which had 1:78 moulded as part of the details underneath, and the Husky Ford Zephyr 6 Estate was shown to be 1:75 scale. I used to separate the different scales from about 1:71 up to 1:78, and make sure that no two vehicles from a scale more than one digit difference were adjacent to each other. So, a 1:71 car could be next to a 1: 72 vehicle, bit not a 1:73, but the 1:72 vehicle could be next to a 1:73, and so on, grading them from the foreground for the larger scales to the background with the smaller scales ... an early form of perspective modelling on my part! I demonstrated in a talk about road vehicles for layouts that two vehicles separated by around 9 inches or more (in the old measure) could hardly be perceived to be of different scales, using a Corgi MCW Metrobus which was approximately 1:72 scale (not 1:68 as was often put about) and a later, better 1:76 OOC Metrobus. Again the 1:72 model should ideally be presented slightly more to the foreground to really seal the illusion. The Corgi (not OOC) model was not too bad for its time, and was improved considerably by replacing the "speed wheels" that were the fashion of the time they came onto the market.

Continuing my theme of going through some of the older locomotives and adding some of the detailing bits, I tackled one of my Bachmann class 37s. this one is 37 698, Coedbach, and it now has most of the buffer beam pipes added, although I had to snip a section out of the ETH cable to clear the coupling swings at each end.

When did you introduce your CarKit4 range, Bernard? Regardless of the answer, when they did appear, they filled quite a few gaps that even now have not all been filled by RTR (Vauxhall Victor FD, Hillman Hunter and derivatives for starters).

Inspired by a query on another forum, I dug out my older class 37 from ViTrains, which is still not a bad model. The yellow ends on the large logo livery were a bit anaemic, and I hadn't fitted any of the buffer beam details except the side ploughs, so I found all the extra bits filed away properly in the storage boxes and set to. All of the centre hoses on the buffer beam had to be trimmed to clear the coupling swing at each end, and one of the ETH cables is still missing, but it all looks a bit better than nothing at all there. One of the ploughs has gone missing (it shouldn't be that hard to find!), but that happened on the real locomotives from time to time as well. 😁 I have overpainted the yellow, a little roughly, with Tamiya BR warning panel yellow (late), which is a little better looking than the original yellow. I have also done a very small amount of weathering with browns and gunmetal colours, but there is a little more I could still do to really bring out the under-parts details without overdoing things. Long ago, I fitted a Hornby TTS class 37 sound decoder, which works quite well with the ViTrains mechanism. I present 37 428, David Lloyd George in slightly tarted up form.

Repeating the post in my own layout thread, my latest video is on YouTube showing off an Accurascale class 37 with Jamie Goodman sound. I have used an Accurathrash large speaker and removed the sugar cube speaker from this locomotive, then tweaked the bass and treble levels from the decoder (using an ESU LokProgrammer).

My latest video on YouTube showing off an Accurascale class 37 with Jamie Goodman sound. I have used an Accurathrash large speaker and removed the sugar cube speaker from this locomotive, then tweaked the bass and treble levels from the decoder (using an ESU LokProgrammer).

Hi Steve, I'm back again! I have now updated the firmware on all five of the ESU decoders and played with the bass and treble settings. What I have ended up with is as follows: 37 026 CV196 = 19 CV197 = 17 (legomanbiffo sound) 37 423 CV196 = 19 CV197 = 24 (Accurascale Accurathrash sound) 37 602 CV196 = 27 CV197 = 8 (legomanbiffo sound) 37 608 CV196 = 27 CV197 = 8 (ESU HiFi sound) 37 609 CV196 = 15 CV197 = 17 (Jamie Goodman sound) All of these have Accurathrash speakers fitted, but 37 026 and 37 609 have had the sugar cube speaker removed. Overall volume (CV63) is set at between 90 and 110 depending on the sound file - these volumes suit me and my layout but may not suit others, it's very much down to personal tastes. I also did the suggested changes from a much earlier post for CV32 = 1 + CV259 = 255. I hope these settings might give others a few ideas, but as you can see, there isn't much consistency in the settings I thought sounded good to me.

I just had a look on the Cavalex website, and noted that the latest pics of the 56 are from the ones on Llanbourne, Peter. A nice compliment indeed.

Wot? Don't tell me Peter has a few kangaroos loose in his top paddock! 😉😜

At present, the Power Cab is reading them all as 16, although I did play around on the LokProgrammer changing them - I may not have written the values permanently onto the decoders, so I'll fire it up again later to make the changes more permanent.

That Cavalex 56 does look nice. I already have a couple of the Hornby ones, which are by no means a bad model, but that Cavalex one takes the fine detail up a further couple of notches. The layout looks great, as always, Pete.

I did a bit of reprogramming of the Jamie Goodman sound in 37 609 yesterday afternoon. I also took out the sugar cube speaker, updated the firmware and adjusted the bass/treble balance (a nice new feature, that!). I have mainly reallocated (remapped) various functions for the lighting and brake (now on F2) to bring it into line with the other Accurascale 37s. While I had the LokProgrammer connected, I also updated the firmware on 37 423, with the Accurathrash sound file, and tweaked the bass/treble balance on that as well.

I don't know what you mean about not being able to mix short and long numbered locomotives. The Power Cab can deal with both at the same time with no problems. Additionally, you can use "short" long addresses from 0000 to 0127 - the leading zero is important in this case and the Power Cab will show an asterisk in front of the number to indicate it is a long address. These will work in parallel with the true short addresses 1 to 127. The only address you cannot use is 0 (short address for running analogue locos). As others have said to Ben, there should be no problems switching straight over to the Power Cab. All the previously addressed locomotives or units should run straight away with no alterations needed, once the new system is connected. Ben will also find the Power Cab is much more powerful for programming items fully, including being able to read back CV values on the programming track.

I have had five weeks away from the layout, so nothing has been done in that time. Mrs SRman and I drove to Brisbane and back, covering a bit over 4600 km in that time (approximately 3600 km of that is just going to and from Brissie), visiting friends and family there and in Echuca (closer to home as it is only around 230 km away). On the day we left two packages arrived, each containing an Accurascale class 37. I now have five of the things! Is it possible to have too many of them? 😁 Anyway, besides the previously shown DRS 37 423 and RailFreight Distribution 37 026, I now have DRS 37 602, DRS 37 609, and ROG/EuroPhoenix 37 608 on my books. All are lovely runners, although the latter two could only be tested very briefly on analogue DC before we drove off all those weeks ago. I have been able to fit them with ESU LokSound decoders and Accurathrash speakers, although I did experiment with a double iPhone speaker from Roads and Rails in 37 608, but decided it sounded too harsh. 37 609 has Jamie Goodman sound, and 37 608 has the ESU sound library Hi-Fi class 37 sound. 37 602 has legomanbiffo sound and an Accurathrash speaker fitted. I spent some time fitting the extra details to them, with 37423 and 37 026 having snow ploughs fitted, and only some of the pipework fitted to 37 423 at the front (with static three-piece ploughs and no coupling fitted). Otherwise, I used the one-piece ploughs and couplings. 37 602/608/609 all have the full pipework fitted, and only the red (air??) pipe towards the centre snipped to clear the tension lock coupling swing. The screw couplings were also lightly glued to stay clear of the coupling swing.

I think I have it tweaked to a satisfactory (but not yet perfect!) degree. I do intend working on it a little more, but it is now at a stage where I can run the locomotive quite happily with enough working features and sounds to keep me happy. I am attaching the tweaked CV settings list here (unfortunately, RMweb can't handle the .esux format, but if anyone wants it, please PM me and I'll try to send it to you): if using my .esux file, you'll need to put the original ESU file with sounds onto the decoder first, then overwrite the decoder data with my file. After that, you can make further modifications to suit your own preferences. Happy tweaking, guys. 🙃 S0407-LS5H0M4-Diesel-BR-Class37-V1-JLmod-37608-CV List.docx Edit: screenshots of the function list from the LokProgrammer. I haven't dealt with the night running headlight settings yet. Marker lights, daytime headlights and top light, engine room lights and directional cab lights all work as does braking on F2. I tried a double iPhone speaker from Roads and Rails, but settled on the Accurathrash speaker sounding softer but less harsh on the thrash, and with more of the deep "throb" of an EE Co engine.

Wow ... I had forgotten I started this topic! I have posted quite a few sound videos in my own layout topic, so at some stage I should post the links here as well for a wider audience. In the meantime, please everyone feel free to post more of your own sound videos. They can be useful in assisting others to decide on the best sound project for their own models (that was the original intention of this thread). Jeff/SRman

A quick update on that last post: I loaded the modified file I had then tweaked it further to get the top lights to come on with the headlights (currently on F18). This will need further modification in sessions to come, to bring it further into line with the other 37s.

The Lima livery is largely correct. The model itself, like all of their class 73s, is a good starting point, but benefits from some extra detailing, and especially from fitting larger buffers. If you really want to go the whole hog, the underframe details are basic and would be better replaced completely, but I have never bothered with any of mine as we tend to see the roof and body (and bogie details) on models far more than the underframes in the middle. I also fitted Shawplan etched plates to mine, and it now rides on a Hornby chassis.

Echoing the thanks, Steve: I have been playing around with settings as well, and saving the modified files once I achieve what I want for particular functions or actions, then re-saving as I tweak further. It means I can go back to a previous set of features if I lose direction or get it wrong. Some of what I have been doing is just reallocating function keys to bring the various sound projects into line with each other. Other things have been individual tweaks for particular sound projects and locomotives. I'll be having a very good look at what you have done and seeing if I can incorporate some of your changes into my own modified files.

As mentioned earlier, two further class 37/6 models arrived on my doorstep on the day my wife and I left for Brisbane. Five weeks later, with over 4600 km clocked up on the car's odometer. we're back. After unloading and unpacking, I was able to sit down and fit both locos with LokSound decoders. DRS 37 609 now has Jamie Goodman sound and an Accurathrash speaker fitted, while ROG/EuroPhoenix 37 608 has ESU HiFi sound fitted, but as yet no speaker. there are lighting and function anomalies with the ESU sound file, and last time I tried this sound file in an Accurascale class 37, I found the lights worked more correctly if I switched the dip switches to the non-ESU settings. I will be trying out a different speaker combination in 37 608, but that will require a bit of soldering, and I had no intention of doing that today. I have grabbed a couple of photos of the new pair, though, with 37 609 posed with 37 602 on a short nuclear waste train, and 37 608 posed on the programming track.

While people are now receiving their early versions, I am still waiting to have a good look at the two 37s that arrived on the day my wife and I left for a five week road trip to Brisbane and back. One was the ROG Europhoenix 37 608, the other was the DRS fade liveried 37 609. I had time to open the boxes and test them very briefly on DC, then that was it until I get back to Melbourne next Sunday, 12th November. I am looking forward to fitting them with DCC sound decoders and actually running them!🙃

Is it on DC or DCC and whose decoder are you using if it's the latter? I had that problem when I tested an ESU LokSound decoder that I had loaded the ESU Hi-Fi sound file onto, with none of the lights working at all. I reversed the dip switch positions from the recommended ESU positions (to the non-ESU settings) and presto, it worked.

This is the result of the garage and scenic bit so far, But I have still work to do on the hedges and fences - the short section of hedge in the photos is not satisfactory at all to me.

Sorry I missed your question, Stewart, it represents (or was supposed to represent) a cross-London goods to the Southern Region via the West London Line ... however, one of the discs is in the wrong place, it should be in the centre rather than over a buffer. Apologies for answering three and a half years late.

@McC: Please don't release any more class 37s that I want. I'll be up to five of them shortly. I don't think my bank balance will stand too many more! 😉😁