SRman

Of course! They had to have a way of getting it back on the juice when it ran off the third rail, so a small clockwork mechanism was installed. The only drawback was the key was so heavy, it took three men to lift and insert it.

I managed to get some "Me" time, with both cats now tuckered out and sleeping. Here are the results of some rearranging and tinkering with track alignments with the new turntable very roughly in position (but obviously not sunk into the baseboards yet). The track is mostly only placed in position and not anchored in any way, just to gauge the effect so far. Looking from the front, and going towards the back, there is a small spur for stores and coal, a single track to the turntable, a single storage and refuelling line, a double track engine shed, then another single storage line (which could be for DMU/EMU or for locomotives), then a double track EMU/DEMU shed (as before). P_20180817_190551_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20180817_190605_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20180817_190619_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr This is all untested at present, but looks reasonable to me so far. Any comments or suggestions welcomed.

I have only just followed the Ian Allan reference: I have a copy if that book on my shelves. The photo does show very clearly the green cover, something I had never noticed before, in spite of perusing that book on many occasions.

My faithful Fleischmann turntable has died. It exhibits a complete short-circuit when connected up, and I can't figure out what exactly is wrong or where it is. As this is a good 25 or more years old, I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new turntable. I have settled on the Heljan 89121 model, which is DCC-ready as a bonus. It arrived this morning from Hatton's, and is unpacked and sitting loose on the layout now. Since the overall diameter is smaller than that of the Fleischmann model it is replacing, I can have another go at arranging the engine shed roads with the turntable at the front, instead of behind the engine shed buildings. Preliminary experiments suggest it might just work. Unfortunately, I have had to curtail my efforts for the immediate present due to a persistent cat - Sykes kept on sliding the door open and coming in to see what was doing. I'm lucky Hattie didn't see that he had opened the door; I really don't want one cat, let alone two of them, racing around under and over the layout! I will return to this a little later today, once I can be sure Sykes is either settled or outside. The joys of being a cat slave! IMG_20171101_182504 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Thanks for the compliment, John. I used a flat file with a plain, smooth edge, which meant I could file away the roof surface while leaving that central lump for the horns untouched and undamaged. I worked from photos to get as close as I could to the right profile. It's not perfect, but it is close to accurate. Incidentally, I used the Heljan headcode numbers and letters mounted inside the Dapol headcode boxes too. It can't be seen clearly in the photos, but with the lights on, it works. I think that is more convincing than using the external stick-on headcodes supplied by Dapol.

One other possibility, although it might be more expensive, would be to supply alternative battery boxes as clip on options.

It's mostly the way the sound project us set up. As you yourself said, the others you tried had the sound turned off. There are some tweaks you can apply, but you'll need access to a DCC system that can program the decoder to do them. One is to reduce the inertia and momentum settings (CVs 3 and 4). It may be possible to alter the starting voltage, but it depends on what it's already se on as to how much leeway you have. To some degree, you will find most decoder fitted locomotives (whether or not they have sound) will require a higher setting on the analogue controller before they move off. If they have lights, you should be able to observe that those will remain on a more constant brightness as the decoder controls their output. If you have access to that DCC system, you could also turn the sound off (CV13 set to 0) to see how differently the locomotive behaves without the built-in delays of the sound project. To turn the sound back on, set CV13 to a value of 1. Bachmann sound locos used to come from the factory with the sound off on DC, but most now come with it on.

What? No books on Robin Hood?

Assuming we're talking 4mm scale here, you could consider the Heljan model when you go for a replacement. The Dapol one is more detailed and has a better cab roof profile, but is delicate. I have both Dapol and Heljan models and the Dapol one runs with a slight whine from the motor and gears (not bad, but I expect modern mechs to be quieter), whereas the Heljan one is absolutely silent (with the after-fitted sound turned off) - all one hears is the clicking over the rail joints. The cab roof shape can be fixed with a file and some paint on the Heljan model, there is plenty of 'meat' in the plastic to allow this without breaking through. One other potential cause of clicks or noises and vibration can be a cardan shaft out of true. In short, both are good models, with Dapol winning on detail and finesse, but losing on quietness, robustness and hauling power. Dapol/Kernow model in weathered blue, Heljan in maroon. Kernow and Heljan Westerns 2 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr Kernow and Heljan Westerns 1 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

It is certainly possible if Hatton's are fitting their own sound decoders that they use someone other than legomanbiffo, as they do offer after-market decoder and sound-fitting services. However, all factory-fit ones are legomanbiffo.

If it is any consolation, Keith, just about every Heljan loco I have ever bought needed the pickups adjusted, with Bo-Bo diesels generally having only four or five out of the eight actually touching the wheel backs. At least the Heljan ones are easier to adjust because most of them have the bogie side frames on spigots, allowing them to be simply pulled off. I think that with such a small staff, it would be too time consuming for Kernow to check and adjust every single model. It is easier for them to let the models out and for the relatively few customers who cannot adjust the pickups, to let those customers return the models for fixing. It would be a type of risk management strategy to minimise costs - staff time costs money too.

It's just due to the blurring - the numbers are the same on both sides, although it wouldn't really matter because one can only ever see one side at a time (at least, when the coach isn't in its component parts!) There were usually dedicated sets of coaches for the inter-regional trains. For each route, there would be at least two sets, one originating from each of the regions. For this Bournemouth-Newcastle train, there would be a Southern set and an Eastern (or even North Eastern) set. In earlier times, the sets would be supplied by the Southern Railway and the LNER. There were other such trains one of which ran from the LMS/LMR from Birkenhead/Liverpool, where there were SR/BR(S) and LMS/LMR type sets. A good excuse to run LNER teak, or LMS/BR maroon stock on a Southern layout. The majority of use for these trains would have been in Summer seasons. While the coaches would work through the entire service, the locomotives would be changed at a suitable location; Oxford was one such location where such things occurred.

Bluebottle: 'Ere, Eccles. Are you sure you aren't colour blind? Eccles: Um, yup. Bluebottle: Oh well. Goodbye den, Eccles. (Exits room, door closes). Eccles: Goodbye, Redbottle.

There are some great detail shots in your first post, Jamie. These will help me to finally finish off my 120 unit, built many years ago from the same Craftsman kit as yours. I re-chassised mine a few years ago with a newer Hornby class 121 bought cheaply for that purpose. I have only ever completed the seat unit for the DMBC, with the other two retaining the standard Lima 117 interiors as I never got around to changing them. My only experience with class 120s was late in their lives on the Ayr line, riding from Glasgow to Troon, where we met friends for a couple of days stopover. My wife and I rode in the downgraded first class section at the front of the DMBS, with black and grey seats (still first class though!), but no curtains by then. The inside of the cab roof dome had heaps of masking tape in all the corners, and a message scrawled in black marker saying "Very cold and draughty cab". p.s. The ride was in 1986.

When I was pre-painting my Ian Kirk kit, I worked from the only photos I had access to, in Mike King's book. This is the result: IMAG0772 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr I cannot vouch for the accuracy for the particular coach number I chose, but it does match at least one coach!

I haven't tried dismantling the Belle couplings, but the very similar 4 VEP ones aren't difficult - I had to resolder a couple of wires that came adrift. I can't remember for sure now, but I think that I only had to undo the screw holding the coupling and it all came apart easily ti get at the PCB.

The Select is a low-cost starter set, with very limited functionality. It will not access all 28 functions of a sound decoder.

I agree with you: they use stock images. However I am also aware that communications between manufacturers and the factories as to exactly what is needed don't always go smoothly. It is the use of those stock images that also makes things more difficult when trying to work out what will match and what won't. I partially answered a query on another forum about whether the new coach pack will match an earlier 1934 pair of driving motors. The person's main concern was with the roof colour, but I also pointed out that the markings for the third class cars would differ. The change in couplings will make it more difficult, but not entirely impossible to match up with older release driving cars.

This could be interesting, as the driving cars are still shown in the catalogue illustration as having the multi-pin and socket connections.

That's a bit unfortunate. I haven't really explored the TTS decoders I own at all as both are used singly (i.e. they are never required to be in consists or multiples). One is a class 37, installed in a ViTrains example (I sold the Hornby donor off), and the other is a steam one from a Merchant Navy that I thought didn't suit the MN at all, sound-wise, so swapped it into a Standard class 4. All other sound decoders I own are either ESU LokSounds or Zimo MX series.

Agreeing with all that has gone before, and I hope I am not confusing you further, but there are also more wiring conventions for the other wires or outputs from a decoder, for things like lights or other accessories. Blue is the common return for all of the physical functions. White is usually used for forward lighting, yellow for reverse. However, most commercially available models use white for the forwards (No 1 end) direction headlights AND for the tail lights at the other end, with yellow doing the headlights at the No 2 end and tail lights at the No 1 end, meaning that the tail lights cannot be switched off independently using a function button. Other coloured wires include green, purple, pink or brown for further outputs (e.g. smoke units, firebox glows, etc.), depending on how many functions are available on the chosen decoder. These are not hard and fast rules as any wire except the blue (ignoring the brush wires of orange and grey) can be used for any desired extra. I wired a Hornby Hogwarts Castle for forward lamps using the white wire, and a flickering firebox glow with the yellow wire using a 2-function decoder.

DougN has had similar problems with his Zimo sound-fitted Q6, He can probably provide more details when he drops in here.

Thanks for checking, and sorry about that. We'll have to try another way of getting some jen-ewe-wine Australiana into your lives.

I watched a Russel Coight episode last night and had some genuine laughs out of it. It is available on Channel 10's 'tenplay' site. However, I'm not sure if anyone outside of Australia can access this (could someone try it and advise me, please?). https://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/russell-coights-all-aussie-adventures

Speed matching really is a matter of trial and error. Changing the settings on CVs 5 (Max voltage/speed) and 6 (mid-voltage/speed) in increments before refining further with smaller step changes until the two locos are running, accelerating (CV3) and decelerating (CV4) at very similar rates. I'm not sure if the TTS decoders support speed tables, but those would allow even more finesse in matching the speeds at different speed steps, but will be even more tedious to set up. In the long term, the effort involved is worth it, though. I recently had to match two Hornby 4 VEP units, and even with both having Lenz Standard decoders fitted, I had to alter CVs 5 and 6 on one of them to get them to run in a consist reliably.