SRman

The petrol pumps for the garage scene: as I said to DougN, I have put a fair bit of effort in just for something that will only be seen from a distance. I looked at a lot of images on Google of these old-style pumps, and ended up doing an amalgam of styles for the painting. No two seem the same.

After Googling the relevant prototypes, I decided that neither 37 026 nor 37 602 should have their snow ploughs fitted. I need them both to have their couplings fitted at both ends (whereas I left one end off on 37 423) but the buffer beams looked too bare without anything added, so I fitted all of the pipes then snipped off only the red air hose and the lower part of the vacuum pipe on 026 to clear the couplings. I also put a small spot of glue on the coupling hook to secure the screw link out of the way. The results are only partly visible in these photos. I have also added drivers in both, plus a secondman in 026.

Beautiful! My 602 arrived just this morning, and is currently sitting on the programming track having a legomanbiffo 37/4 project blown onto the locally bought blank decoder, after I tested it briefly on DC. I fitted an Accurathrash speaker as well. 609 is only a day or two away, and has an Accurathrash speaker and Jamie Goodman sound project awaiting its arrival. After all that, I'll be able to post a photo or two of the same pairing! 😎

I decided to do a new cab ride/train ride video around the upper level this morning.

Likewise, I have been using V5 DCC (58429) and the full fat V5 interchangeably - the DCC only version is less expensive. That makes the dip switch reversal all the more puzzling, but it doesn't matter too much because it is all working as it should now. Like you, I save set ups that work for future use, using variations on the file names so I can refer back to the original if needed.

Well, it looks like I have solved my own problem with that dip switch swap over. I have now been able to program the correct light outputs for the various lights in the Accurascale model. I have, for the time being, put the Scottish headlights on F0 with the main marker lights, but it will now be easy to reallocate them to a separate function if I so wish. The cab lights are now working directionally on F21, and the engine room lights come on with F17 (as per the other models), with a few tweaks to the function mapping. I tried to get the sensor to work with the flange squeal without success, but I really don't care too much about that. The ESU sounds are really quite good, so I have saved the modified file for future use in another 37/0 or 37/3. I did note a little distortion at the default volume (which was set at the full level of 192 in CV63), but in my saved file I have set it at 125 so I don't have to keep resetting it every time I reload the file after further tweaks. Overall, I would call it a success, now.

On a whim, I decided to reverse the dip switch positions (2, 4, 5, & 6 are now selected), so it is now set for the non-ESU decoders, and the head and tail lights now work. I haven't got the centre headlight working yet, but this is promising progress!

I recently had a LokSound failure from the faulty batch. It was installed in an Accurascale class 37/0 (37 026), and I had legomanbiffo's class 37/0 West Highland sound file on it. Bif had set it up to work correctly with the Accurascale locomotive, of course, but when the decoder failed, I returned it under warraty to Buckambool Model Trains where it had been bought from only a few weeks ago. Bif is going to send me a new file locked to the replacement decoder's serial number under his warranty conditions. So far, so good. While awaiting the return of decoder, I bought a couple more LokSounds, and have installed the class 37 sounds from ESU's own library of sounds. The sounds are pretty good, but not one single light is working on 37 026 with this project. I have had a look at the function mapping with the LokProgrammer software, and even tried reallocating different auxiliaries to the lighting functions, all to no avail. The locomotive dip switches are set for ESU (1 and 3 are on). While I have only intended the ESU files to be temporary, it has frustrated me a bit that I can't see why the lights are non-operative. Has anyone else tried the ESU files in an Accurascale class 37s, and if so, were you able to fix the problems? Note: the photo shows 37 026 while it still had the original working LokSound installed, so the lights are working in this one.

5 amps should be sufficient. it is a 5 amp system anyway, so more than that would not be used by the NCE system. As for the Power Cab, that power supply is only 1.3 amps, as well as being at a lower voltage. I am puzzled as to why the higher powered system doesn't work the stay-alives, but it is not an issue for my normal operations at all.

On the subject of voltages, I have found that the stay-alives don't work on my layout using the NCE Power Pro system which has a 15V (laptop adapter) feed into the main box, but they do work perfectly when using a Power Cab on the separate programming track, and that uses a 13.5V NCE power supply. Both are stabilised supplies. That applies to two class 37s (so far!) and four class 92s. Similarly, the stay-alive didn't function on DougN's layout with a Digitrax system, but I don't know what his supply voltage is. That was with a solitary class 92. Fortunately, my main layout's power continuity is good, so I have never really needed to use stay-alives with one specific exception (an underground driving motor that only had pickups at one end).

Likewise, except a trip from Melbourne is just a tad further still away! 😉

I have placed the scene back on the layout for the moment, as I have to wait for a delivery to do the hedges that I want. The level crossing (right-hand) end is not sitting down properly but once it is complete, I can pin and/or glue it all down properly. I have pre-drilled a couple of holes to allow for wiring of lights in the garage and forecourt later, and for the bus, which is a de-branded Birmingham/West Midlands model from Rapido - it'll be a compromise if I leave that on for pre-1980s running sessions, but I may just buy one of the earlier half cab buses with lights that Rapido did and swap them over. Again, it will be de-branded or even fully repainted, representing private operators buying used buses after the major operator has finished with them. Anyway, this is what it looks like in place, incomplete as it is.

Just a little more progress on the garage scene: a couple of birds planted on a fence and a roof (I should do a few more), VW Karmann-Ghia satin varnished to take off the extremely high gloss finish Oxford Diecast provide, then fixed to the ramp with wire so it won't fall off when I move the whole thing, and old-style petrol pumps from P & D Marsh in the process of being painted, but posed for effect. I still want to do hedges along the road sides but barbed wire fence along the top of the railway cutting at the back. The derelict Oxford Renault 4 needs to be sunk into the grass a bit (nail scissors to act as lawn mower!!), and eventually I'd like to modify it to have lost a wheel leaving a rusty brake drum showing. There are a few lumps, bumps and gaps to fix up, but overall I am very happy with the way the scene is shaping up.

Yes, Nigel is usually very helpful as well. An excellent resource I have used quite a few times. Being in Australia, I tend to build up a larger single order to spread the postage costs a bit, rather than ordering a few transfers at a time. The transfer quality is also excellent.

How's this for a somewhat odd combination? Soon after the EFE LSWR set of coaches arrived, Heljan's 10800 arrived, so I needed to test run it after a running in session on the rolling road. Rather than remove the coaches from the track, I simply hitched them onto 10800. I have to say that in spite if the combination having a 40 year disparity in liveries and types, it actually looks "right". I have tried several decoders from Zimo, ESU, Lenz and TCS, and none of them will operate the top light at the short hood end (on any function key, not just the suggested F5), so I suspect there is a fault with my model - either a dead connection or faulty LED. Still, I'm not too worried about it as I will be fitting discs and the extra lamp irons for SR use. The layout was not powered up for this photo, so no lights anyway. Ignore the petrol tanker on the grass - that is awaiting the return of the bit of scenery it should be sitting on in that bare area on the left.

At the moment, I have the slightly incongruous sight of the LSWR set being hauled by the newly arrived 10800 diesel. Oddly enough, it doesn't actually look out of place to me, even though the loco and coaches are separated by around four decades.

Yes, I reversed the way F8 works using a LokProgrammer and its software. In the Function Mapping section, read down the list until you find the entry for F8 then use the drop-down list to change that to "Off" rather than "On". I used values of around 43 to 45 on my 92's pantographs in CVs 360 and 368 - one of the 92s had pantos that sat at slightly different heights with the same settings, hence the slight variation in values.

Actually, all it needs for future production runs is to lengthen the wires, even just by a few millimetres.

Maybe they're over here in Oz - we're in Spring, heading towards our Summer! 🙃😅

I found the same with the wires being a bit tight, although I was only using black-tack. The wires still have to be routed in such a way that they don't raise the speaker too far, otherwise the magnetic roof panel won't quite sit properly.

Perfect: I have both 602 and 609 due from retailers soon, I have the flask wagons, and I model mostly Southern Region! 😎 Engaging smug mode.

Wot? They're smuggling jelly babies???? 😉 p.s. I really want to get a 15XX, but at present I have too many other pre-orders all hitting at once.

I can't help with 1st or 2nd Doctors, but a friend 3D printed a 4th Doctor for me, together with a pair of Daleks and a K9. I'm not sure where he got the files for the printing from, but a search along those lines might produce some results.

The images are extremely useful: thanks for those. You understood correctly that I connected the resistor directly to the output pins from the decoder. 👍

If the decoder is connected to track power, and there is a resistance directly across its motor (i.e. brush) output terminals, then how is it not connected?