SRman

This may not be of any help, but I couldn't be bothered with Hornby's own decoder (I don't like theirs much), so I wired a TCS M1 decoder into the 4-pin 'blanking' plug. The M1 is much smaller than Hornby's own decoder, and more robust. I did this with all three of my Pecketts, and with a Sentinel diesel as well. Even so, I got careless and did manage to trap a wire on one of the Pecketts, severing it completely! Still, it was easily fixed and the bodies all went on properly. Hornby Peckett with TCS M1 Decoder Installed - 1 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

With John's useful hints and tips in mind, I think chuffinghell's method would be entirely appropriate for ground-based covered loads. The folds and wrinkles do look convincing, albeit just not for moving wagon loads.

The emus eat you out of house and home, the cassowaries simply kick you to death. Many years ago a friend of my family's 10 year old son was trying to get a photograph of an emu that was walking along the road. As he lined the emu up, it kept on slowly advancing on 10 year old, so he kept on backing away, all the time trying to focus his camera on the bird. eventually, the boy backed over a small log and landed on his back in a ditch, at which point the emu lost interest and walked off into the bush. The rest of us showed our extreme sympathy for the boy by laughing our heads off!

I have been tweaking the CVs slightly in one of the two VEP units to get a reasonable speed match between them. The NSE unit, 3588, had its high and mid-voltage (CV5 and CV6) settings altered so that the two units run at much the same speed through all speed steps on the controllers. I have posted a second video with Network South East trains, mostly different ones from the first video I posted a few days ago.

The Cararama scales varied a bit from model to model; some are around 1:72 scale, whereas a few are actually 1:76, although not necessarily useful types for British layouts. I know one of the Chevrolets was to 1:76 scale. However, all is not lost. I used to separate Matchbox (Lesney) cars according to scale, varying from 1:71 to 1:78, placing the larger cars at the front of the layout, and the smallest scale ones towards the back. You could do much the same with the Cararama cars. This is a form of perspective modelling, which can be taken much further if desired, scaling down to N scale (or smaller) in the background. I once did a presentation to a group of modellers, demonstrating this principle. As long as the different sizes are separated a bit visually, the eye doesn't pick up those different scales. I used things like the Matchbox Ford Zephyr mk 3 (1:72) against the Husky Zephyr 3 estate (1:75), and an original Corgi MCW Metrobus I had detailed up a bit as a model rather than a toy (approx. 1:72 scale), against a much newer OOC Metrobus (1:76). In each case, because there are several scale 'steps' between the models, I separated them by around 9" to a foot, and nobody was able to detect the differences, simply because they were too far apart to allow the eye to directly compare them.

In trying to run two Hornby 4 VEP units in multiple (i.e. a DCC 'consist') I ran into difficulties with the speed matching - they clashed rather badly and didn't want to work together at all. On checking, 7830 had a Lenz Standard decoder fitted (my usual standard for these) but 3588 still had a Hornby decoder in it - I forgot I had bought this one at a greatly reduced price already DCC fitted, and had never got around to putting a decent decoder in. Anyway, now I have worked that out, 3588 has a Lenz decoder fitted and is working reasonably comfortably with 7830. My usual settings with these decoders are starting voltage (CV2) = 0, acceleration (CV3) = 25, and deceleration (CV4) = 18. Kadee couplers are used between units. At some stage I'll modify the consist settings so that the headcode. tail red headcode and interior lights are all operated by the consist address. 4 VEPs 3588 and 7830 - 1 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr 4 VEPs 3588 and 7830 - 2 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Contrary to what has been said above (although most of the advice and information is correct), you can keep the sound running on DC, with care and finesse in your control techniques. Below a certain voltage, the sound will cut out; keep the controller set on or above that voltage, and the loco will produce sound while standing still (steam hiss, diesel idle). The cut-off voltage will vary slightly from one loco to the next, meaning it is not entirely practical to put a mark on the controller where that cut-off is. A problem occurs when going from forward to reverse if you have a rotary knob centre off controller, as you have to go through the stretch of no (or insufficient) voltage output; if you have continuous type, either rotary or slider, with a toggle switch for forward or reverse then keeping the sound going on DC becomes less challenging. Having said all that, it is still more of a challenge and more limiting to use the sound on DC. Much better and more practical, as well as more rewarding, to go the DCC route. For a shunting layout, DCC will give more finesse to the control of the locomotives, with the ability to tweak the settings for each individual locomotive, as well as being able to park more than one loco anywhere you like on the layout without having to isolate sections.

At one time, Peco did replacement, much finer split wheel sets, but I haven't seen those around for a good many years now (decades, even). Otherwise, I would go with the pin point axles and brass bearings suggested above, assuming the TC coaches have the split sets, which they probably would if produced before the early 1960s. After that, it should be much easier to replace the wheels and axles with modern 'drop-in' sets of the right diameter. The washers in David's post above are a good idea, and, being plastic, the wheels themselves can actually be spun in a drill and have their flanges filed down a bit. In fact, the flanges can be reduced without being spun, because it doesn't matter if they are a little out of concentric or out of round - the coach doesn't run on the flanges. In the dim, distant past, I have used short sections of plastic wire insulation, with a slit along the length, inserted over the axle as a spacer, then glued lightly to prevent it working its way off the axle again.

One would have to assume that the internal shape of the door opening differs from the that of the outside, otherwise there's no support for the roof. Looking at the side overhangs, with the body being so much wider than the tracks, reminded me of my old (Australian) Ford Falcons. I still own the 1973 XB hardtop (2 door coupe) model, and even with wide wheels fitted, it still has some body overhang which I allow for when parking it. I previously owned a 1979 model as well (kept that for 21 years), but even though the basic platform was the same, the tracks were wider and the body slimmer, so when jumping from one to the other, I would forget and scrape the tyres on the kerb when parking it, then jumping back into the hardtop, I'd leave it too far out from the kerb. The hardtops were designed to accept racing wheels and tyres, so the base models looked absolutely ridiculous on standard width wheels and tyres (remembering those tended to be a lot narrower in the 1970s).

Prototype motor coach on that unit, with the side sheets extended over the solebars.

Revisiting the blues controversy, the previously referred to copy of Modern Locomotives Illustrated perpetuates the electric blue myth at least twice within its pages. Once in the preamble under a heading "Liveries" and once again in a caption on page 25.

I have slowly been switching over to modern image with Network South East stock predominating on Newton Broadway's high level tracks. This video is the result of around 10 - 15 minutes of videoing, followed by a lot more time editing the footage. Filming would have taken a lot less time if the Hornby Pullman coaches had behaved properly!

Yes, ABS is dormant, to say the least. Occasionally white metal or resin radiators come up on eBay too. I bought a heap of spare radiators, mostly ABS Streetscene white metal ones, for various bus types many years ago while they were still trading, and they still prove useful for the conversions and hacks I do. I used to be a member of the MBF myself, but the cost for overseas membership went up at the same time as the exchange rate dropped alarmingly, so I dropped out. Even so, when I was a member, it was not very practical to buy from their shop as they never accepted credit cards, and bank drafts, foreign currency money orders and other alternatives all cost ridiculous amounts here in Australia .... and still do. I believe there was some discussion about accepting PayPal, but I don't know what the result of that was, if any.

Thanks Paul. Yes, the fact that there were only 14 did suggest they might be mixed, but they could also have been an exclusive train of 14 wagons, or even a block of 14 wagons as part of a larger train. I think the wide range of these wagons is a master stroke of choice by Kernow, appealing to modellers outside of Cornwall and the West Country, so hopefully widening their sales.

Forgive my ignorance, but were these wagons run in block trains, or could they be mixed with other wagons in the same train, please?

I still think Lima captured the early blue reasonably well, whereas Dapol completely missed the mark with all of the BR blues in their first release 73s. I may have posted this before but if it was hosted on photobucket it will be gone anyway, but it shows the Lima blue against the Dapol one. As an aside, the Lima body is now on a Hornby chassis and runs very nicely. Dapol E6007 and Lima E6012 - 1 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

From memory of trying to fit a friend's Heljan 86, it needs fairly slimline decoder. All the "normal" decoders we tried would not let the body sit down properly. I didn't have any Lenz Standard decoders spare at that time, but I suspect that this may be the best decoder to try. Note that I have not tried it, so would be interested if anyone has done so successfully.

I'm glad you have cleared that one up. I was never convinced that E6012 was the one involved, and long suspected that caption was wrong. The electric blue myth keeps coming back - I think it may even crop up in that Modern Locomotives Illustrated issue in one of the captions. The same thing also occurs with class 86/AL6 - they were delivered in rail blue, not electric blue. Both classes 73 and 86 looked very attractive with the extra trimmings to offset the blue, in my opinion; things like red buffer beams, grey, white or off-white cab window surrounds, white or grey roofs, and so on, relieving the overall drabness of all-over BR blue. Those wrap-around yellow ends, while short-lived initially, came back later, together with the grey roofs and other trimmings (black or dark grey cab window surrounds and that sort of thing), making the railway scene more colourful again. Don't get me wrong, I did like the BR blue scheme, but over 20 years BR achieved more uniformity than I think was ever achieved previously, and that's why it became boring. All previous liveries tended to overlap previous or subsequent liveries, resulting in some variety on the rails. Coming back to the class 73s, they would have to have been one of the most varied and colourful classes of locomotive on BR, ever. Not bad for what was really a slab-sided box on wheels! I stand by what I said earlier about the early livery variations on the green ones, E6001-6, not being well covered in the photographic records. For some reason, they attracted a good many photos of E6001 when it was new, but after that interest seems to have waned until the blue era. p.s. In spite of what it may have sounded like, I like class 73s and have a good many models in service.

Interestingly enough, an RT or an RM would be much lighter than current single decker buses anyway. Unladen weights for both were in the 7 ton range, whereas I have not seen any modern full-sized single deckers at less than 9 tonnes.

From memory, only four of these tenders were attached to light pacifics. There's a pic on this post in RMweb: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/80909-Hornby-r3203-west-country-class-34013-okehampton-conversion-to-34005-barnstaple/?p=1335777

How bad is it. Sometimes the damage isn't quite as irredeemable as first impressions might suggest. I recently dropped my Bachmann E4 onto DougN's hard wooden floor; the damage was actually not too bad, with the dome popping off (it is only clip-fitted anyway), the chimney breaking off (I still have to fill a small joint gap on that), and the crew falling out, plus the handrails on one side and around the smokebox dislodging. Far less than I feared before I opened my eyes to inspect the model.

Is that the new tool box the body is sitting on? It's a teensy bit overscale! More seriously, I think that if you weather the new box a little it will blend in, especially f you apply the weathering to all of the footplate fittings. I would suggest some weathering powders for the job, that way of you don't like the result, you can simply wash the effects off again.

The Dapol working semaphore signals are now working! I have temporarily wired them to a 12V DC power supply, although for the future I really want to step the voltage down a bit. I have some momentary on push button switches to work the semaphore arm motors, while the LEDs remain lit (one of the reasons for stepping down the voltage, to dim them a bit). The Ivatt diesel electric 10001 has just had extra lamp irons fitted , made from a staple inserted into drilled holes, with extra dummy marker lights added beside them (actually just holes drilled into the front, filled with Krystal Klear). They barely show against the black paintwork. I also glued the discs on, just two per end - remember, while on the Southern Region, these were for route indication, not the type of train. Dapol Working Semaphore Signals Wired Up - 1 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr Dapol Working Semaphore Signals Wired Up - 2 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

I read somewhere that there were window breakages caused by the tablet exchanges, so they were replaced with solid doors - not plated over as such, but either new doors or completely re-sheeted doors (note the absence of beading on the windowless doors). Not being expert on Scottish region affairs, I cannot vouch for the truth of this. The reason given earlier of draught exclusion is just as feasible, seeing as the end communication doors were also sealed up for that reason.

You can't call them that nowadays: they are vocally challenged buffers!