SRman

Hi Peter. I have tried the Hatton's 21-pin decoders, and they aren't too bad for the price. The Lenz 21-pin decoders only come as 'Silver' or 'Gold', not as budget level 'Standard' ones like the 8-pin versions, so do cost a lot more. While the Lenz decoders are very good (better than the Hatton's ones), there are some good budget decoders now available from Zimo, and I much prefer those to the Hatton's decoders. Hatton's: 6-function 1.1Amp direct plug decoder with back EMF retails at £16.50 Zimo MX638: 6-function 1.2A continuous / 2.5A peak with back EMF retails at £20 I prefer the Zimo as giving smoother control more consistently. The Hatton's ones seem to work well in some installations and not so well in others, from my own experience. I have blown up a few Hatton;s 8-pin decoders; they don't seem as robust as more expensive types, but it may also be because I use cheaper decoders for testing potentially dodgy installations!

I have two units already, one blue, one blue and grey, and can't justify another on cost grounds (although I keep eyeing off the NSE unit), but I think I would just scrape together the funds for an LT red one if it was offered (maybe I'll sell off the wife and cats ... ).

Like St Enodoc, I have heard them many times but not seen one. In a similar vein, though, I once caught sight of a green catbird, by the simple expedient of imitating it. It tried to see who/what was answering its calls. If a bird is capable of giving one filthy looks, this one succeeded when it saw me!

See that raw laser-cut wood sleeper-built lineside hut from the previous post that I put together at the exhibition recently? Well, I have been painting and weathering it, although I am still not entirely happy with the result as it stands. There needs to be more variation between individual sleepers, and perhaps a bit more dirty black in there too; the colour is far too even at present. The chimney brickwork also requires a bit more variation. Here it is, posed on the layout but definitely nowhere near its final position. That has yet to be decided. P_20190904_211757_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190904_211724_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

The 124 units initially were 6-car units, with four of those motored. Later the Trailer Buffet and one (non-driving) Motor Brake Second were removed and they were reduced to four car sets with engines and transmissions removed from the erstwhile non-driving motor brake second, leaving them with two powered cars and two non-powered. Later on, the Swindon class 123 units were transferred up north from the Western Region and mixed in with the mechanically similar 124s.

The headcode "letterbox lighting" issue applied to previous models too. I replaced the headcode illumination with Jason Edmonds' (Stickswipe on eBay) solution, which provides much better and more even lighting for the headcode boxes. I did dim it down a bit after taking this photo. Heljan Class 17 lights 1 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Rails are also offering the set minus the controller and track - from memory around the same as Kernow's price. Still out of my reckoning ... but also still tempting!

Art, Function #0 is usually the headlights or directional lights on most projects (including non-sound ones). Function #2 is the non-latching one, but with the NCE Power Cab/Pro Cab, that only applies to the 'Horn/Whistle' key, not the Number 2 key (which is latching). There were a couple of typos in your post too (I know what you meant to put, just typos, that's all ). That line should read: "Top row (functions 1 - 14). Functions 1 and 7 are ON. Bottom row (functions 15-28). Functions 17, 18, 27 and 28 are ON". Incidentally, I usually reprogram the 'Bell' key too. The U.S. default is that it works Function 1, but for British sound projects, that turns the sound on or off. I Program all of my cabs to give 'Horn' = Function 3 (which is often, but not always, alternate horn tones or whistles).

The Heljan lighting is not sophisticated. On DCC, turn on F0, and that's it! Lights will show the headcode and white marker light at the front, and a red tail light at the rear. Reverse the direction and the lights will swap ends too.

Some of my efforts from the Caulfield exhibition in Melbourne yesterday (Saturday 24th August), where I was on the BRMA stand. Of course, much of the time was spent talking to people, seeing as it is really about PR rather than modelling, but I completed the two Metcalfe Models station clocks, seen here upside down or sideways, because one is a roof-mounted clock and the other is wall-mounted, built the Ancorton sleeper-bult hut, and fitted glazing into two Smallbrook Studios LSWR brake vans. I glued the roof onto one, but the other needs a little more fettling before I do so for that one. One of my fellow BRMA members on the stand very kindly soldered a white metal bus body together for me. This particular bus kit from RTC Models for an Optare Vecta has been giving me trouble for some considerable time, and resulted in being put back into the 'too hard' basket every time I pulled the kit out again! Anyway, I now have no excuses for not completing the model in due course. P_20190825_093954_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Hi Martin. It was good to see the layouts in operation and chat with you at Caulfield on Saturday. Quite fascinating.

Press the 'Expn' button to see what functions are active. Your display with the dashes is correct, because each of those dashes represents Functions 0 to 6. Any higher functions won't show on the main screen. Note also that you have to press it a second time to get out of the active functions display, and no key presses will work while that display is active. I'm not 100% sure which of Functions 27 and 28 work the increase and decrease of volume (if indeed those are the correct functions for your sound project) - that depends on the set up of the sounds on your decoder - I may have got them the wrong way around in the examples I gave.

The easiest way to gain access to the higher functions is to reprogram the 'Option' button, first. There are ways of accessing the higher function numbers using combinations of keys, but using the Option button toggles through adding 10 or adding 20 to the number you select next. To reprogram the Option button, unplug the Power Cab, then, while pressing and holding the 'Select Loco' button, plug it back in. It will ask you to select values for a number of things, including the Cab number first. If you don't need to change any of these, just hit 'Enter' for each item, until you get to the Option key, which will have a value of 94. Change that number to 122, then hit 'Enter' again, and then 'Prog/Esc". The cab should then resume its normal boot up process. Once in normal operation, try pressing the Option button: you should see something on the screen that lists F10-F19. Choosing one of the numeric buttons will select that number function plus 10. Pressing the Option button twice will allow selection in the range F20-F28. As an example, say you wish to get function 18, you would press 'Option' then 8. That will turn function 18 on. Repeating this will toggle F18 off again. For Function 27 to turn your volume down, press 'Option' twice, then 7. Be ready to press them again to stop the volume change, so, press 'Option' twice again, then when it reaches the lower volume you like, press the 7 key. If you take the volume too far down, do the same procedures with 'Option' x 2 plus 8.

Yes, the doors tended to work their way open as the wooden coach bodies flexed while moving. Great in Summer, not so good in the depths of Winter! Martin, are we going to see you at Caulfield at all this weekend?

In the past I have bought Ayjay kits through Radley Models, which allowed me to use credit card for payment (through PayPal). He doesn't seem to be stocking the Ayjay kits any more. Not sure if Ayjay offer this method of payment, as I have never ordered directly, but he has generally been helpful. The kits themselves are fairly basic and most detail is moulded on, often rather heavily, so they benefit from some hacking and fitting finer details and separate handrails, cables and so on. They are still a good starting point and worth getting for models that are otherwise unobtainable. I bought several bargain Hornby 2 BIL units to provide the mechanisms, but there are several other options for motorising the kits. So far I have built, or am still finishing, a 'tin' 2 HAL, a Bulleid 4 SUB, and a Bulleid-style 2 HAP.

For the platform surfaces, you could also look at the thick, textured card used to surround pictures inside a frame. I once used this stuff for a concrete road surface on my old layout. I even managed to find some that was concrete coloured.

Hi Paul, I didn't want to swamp this post with the whole of your reply so forgive me for cutting it down. I agree with most of what you say, but I found that doing very quick, short dabs on F2 was also not particularly realistic for me. As such, I wanted a compromise between the extremely short dabs on F2 of the original set up, and using a series of longer presses, thus simulating some of what you describe, where the brake is applied by the driver, then eased off a bit, see-sawing between two or more braking rates. Playing with CVs 4 and 349 allow a better compromise for my way of thinking (and driving!), although it almost certainly won't suit everyone. By holding F2 for a longer period, I get the higher braking rate, then releasing it, I get the lower rate set in CV4. To be honest, I haven't quite got this right, yet, but I think I am close to achieving my goal. I will publish the final settings once I play with them a bit more. I should add, that my layout has quite a long continuous run, and the settings I choose won't be so good for a smaller layout or an end to end one. Even an emergency brake application on the real things can take quite a long distance to stop, and can also result in wheel flats if the wheels lock. In my case, if all else fails and I really need an instant stop, there are always the big red buttons on my NCE cabs.

Yes, the ME class diesels work regular regional passenger trains out of Copenhagen, nowadays with double deck push-pull sets as all the single deck cars seem to have gone. The dark blue livery does nothing for their looks, especially once it gets dirty and dull. Most of the MEs I saw in September 2018 were still in the dark blue, but I did see a couple of red ones. I agree with Grizz's comment earlier that the red and black livery looked good, but the plain red at least lifts the appearance over the rather dire dark blue livery. These photos were taken at Copenhagen H on 24th September 2018. A dark blue ME can be seen over to the right of the IC3 unit. P_20180924_125319_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr And two photos of MEs with the double deck sets. P_20180924_125228_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20180924_124819_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P.s. I find those later series MZs look extremely threatening and baleful!

The only open containers I know of in OO were the old Triang/Hornby ones. I have actually used a couple of these and the old Triang/Hornby Freightliner 20' container boxes to supplement the Bachmann offerings. The Triang/Hornby ones are not too bad if you 'hide' them in the middles of (i.e. between) the excellent Bachmann containers on the wagons.

The auto-chokes of my experience were primitive bi-metal strip devices combined with stepped 'cams' (if I can call them that) which really didn't work efficiently at all. I still own a 1973 Ford Falcon which has a manual choke conversion, giving me much better continuously variable control over the fuel mixture until the engine is warm enough to not need any assistance. These were (and the survivors still are) very primitive compared to modern vehicles, and had no electronics of any kind on board, let alone a computer. Some other past Australian cars I have owned also had the dreaded auto-chokes. One such, in my earlier days of driving, was a 1966 Chrysler Valiant, with a Torqueflite gearbox which had the ability PatB mentioned of being able to be tow-started. Apparently this box and earlier versions had front and rear pumps, while later boxes only had one of those and could not be tow-started. The catch was it had to be taken up to 30 mph before this worked! My current every-day car doesn't even have gears, with a CVT instead. With that, driving in a large city like Melbourne is effortless, with a computer controlling the fuel mix perfectly for cold or warm running, and the auto gearbox taking care of whatever ratio is needed at any given road speed and loading. Of course, it is a very boring car once out on the country roads, where cruise control can be used safely and one can travel many miles without seeing another vehicle in either direction. Like others here recorded earlier, I was taught to go down the manual gearbox as well as up, so on the rare occasions I get to drive a manual nowadays, I still dutifully go down through the gears approaching a roundabout, intersection, or a stop. High level brake lights? A boon if you are watching several cars ahead to detect anyone braking, allowing one to anticipate the need to slow before the car in front's brake lights come on.

Incorrect, Michael: David Foulkes has posted elsewhere to clarify this. Black Beetles continue in production as he was able to secure a large order of the Mashima motors before they stopped production. However, Black Beetle motor bogies now can only be ordered direct from Australia. David reckons he has enough motors to continue supply for a few years to come. See his post here: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/profile/13183-david-foulkes/.

Yes, it is really a case of deciding the trade-off: which is better or worse, the stop-start effect or the camera shake and wobble for any given bit of footage?

A lightweight set like the Southern Pride kits may get away with only one, but it will struggle for traction if there are any gradients. With heavier white metal kits like some of the Underground trains I have built, the recommendation is for one motor bogie per two cars, although I am actually running 5-car sets with two motor bogies in one power car. I switched to Black Beetle motor bogies fairly early on because I could never get the SPUDs to run smoothly.

I rest mine lightly on the accelerator pedal, always ready to brake if necessary. Cruise control is great, but one can't afford to let one's attention or alertness flag. The first car I had with cruise control was a 1994 Holden Commodore, which was already eight years old when I bought it. My OH and I went on a longish trip which included cruising along the Hume Highway towards the Victorian/New South Wales border. On the return trip, OH took over the wheel for a while, setting the speed at 100 kph, then resting her foot on the accelerator. As we approached some signposted speed cameras, I glanced over to see the speedometer reading 120 kph ... it seems she was resting her foot rather too heavily!

Microsoft's Movie Maker is good for this. It is no longer actually offered by Microsoft but can still be found for download online as part of a package called Microsoft Essentials (most components of which are anything but essential!). Microsoft say it is not compatible with Windows 10, but I have been running it on three different computers and laptops at home and at work with no problems whatsoever. Movie Maker is not a high end editor but allows trimming, clipping and joining of video segments, with transitions and captions able to be added too. There's also a stability control which works better for some types of shake and movement than for others (it can give model railway videos a bit of a stop/start effect through trying to stop the movement!). I use it for quick editing and cutting out unnecessary or tedious bits of my own videos, and have posted some of the end results on YouTube. For much higher end editing, I use Pinnacle Studio, which does cost money, but does a lot more than Movie Maker. Even so, for a freebie, I do like Microsoft's product.