irishthump

On 7/4/2022 at 12:06 PM, gph2000 said:

Got it, mostly. Marker lights running forward and reverse as expected. Cab lights as expected, same for Forward Main Beams. Only issue is Reverse Main Beam. Mapping looks OK, need to double check, but could also be a decoder issue, or heaven forbid the loco circuitry.

How many function outputs does the Lais decoder have? If memory serves, you need 6 functions to access all the lighting features.

The coupling bars work great on the Tara's. I use the bars to link wagons in pairs as I like to split rakes up sometimes and I have no problems pushing wagons around curves and through points.

Humbrol mae a varnish called Clear which does the same job. It's a very thin, self-levelling gloss varnish. It works great for restoring clear class parts on kits and models such as airplane canopies.

Really? See below.

On 11/4/2022 at 5:44 PM, connollystn said:

Can't think why anyone bought them in the first place, were Irish modellers that desperate, REALLY?

Snide remark towards both Silverfox and the modellers who were "desperate" enough to buy their products.

A statement of fact would be something like -"Silverfox who produced a models and kits of Irish stock which, while not being prototypically correct, were welcomed by many modellers in the absence of a RTR models from major manufacturers."

On 11/4/2022 at 5:44 PM, connollystn said:

Can't think why anyone bought them in the first place, were Irish modellers that desperate, REALLY?

Because there was simply nothing else available. People really do have short memories, Silverfox were'nt the most accurate models but don't forget Paddy Murphy started out selling repainted RTR and his early Lima 201 was'nt lauded for it's accuracy either.

Apologies to the mods for going a little off topic but the constant bashing is getting old...

8 hours ago, murphaph said:

In the Lokprogrammer there's an option to alter the frequency of the prime mover on a given decoder using the same sound file. I read somewhere that it's for cases like this where running in consists produces weird sounds unless you do that.

When you open the Lokprogrammer software it's on the "Decoder" sidebar under "Sound Slot Settings". You adjust the maximum and minimum speed for each sound slot using the sliders. It's best to decrease the minimum speed and increase the maximum speed by a couple of percent on one of the locos you are double-heading. You ccan also alter the pitch of horn sounds to make them sound more "Irish" if you like.

20 hours ago, murphaph said:

Interesting but I experienced what I thought was phasing when running two 121s in consist with the same sound file. The sound almost vanished completely at times. It was very odd. They probably did start at exactly the same time as they were set up as a consist however.

Yes I've experienced phasing when running consists, the most noticeable being in a Bachmann A/B F-Unit set with both units having the same Soundtraxx decoders and speaker set ups. Like you noticed it's not a constant thing but comes and goes depending on the pitch of the sound and the distance you're listening from. I've also noticed it in consists of 141/121 locos when using the same sound file. It can be more pronounced when the speakers are close together which can happen considering how they are positioned towards the end of the loco.

On 21/4/2022 at 8:48 AM, murphaph said:

I think a lot of people use 1 sound decoder when double heading just to keep the costs down. I guess 2 would be better but ESU in fairness realised that the cost would be prohibitive for many, especially US modellers where you could have 4 or 5 locos in consist. 

 

I have done this with some US locos. I turned the B Unit in a A/B set of F3's into a dummy unit by removing the motor and drive train. I also wired a second speaker into the B Unit to run of the same decoder. What many don't realize  is you can actually fit 2 prime mover sounds on one decoder. It doesnt sound as good as having 2 separate decoders but it's a cheaper alternative.

2 minutes ago, Broithe said:

If it was a CIE Interceptor, you could try it in a few different liveries...

I just decided to go with the "freight grey"!

Something a little different….

A 20+ year old Star Wars TIE Interceptor kit that has been kicking around in my attic since I bought it.

Its one of those dreadful “snap” kits but I was bored so decided to throw it together. The fit and finish was pretty bad as it just snapped together, so I didn’t bother with filling and sanding any gaps but it’s passable and I’m happy with the paint job.

I don't contribute on RMWeb, as most have you have probably noticed my own modelling is sporadic. I have so many different interests connected to modelling and painting that I tend to hop from one to another regularly. But I check in here almost daily, even though I might not post. RMWeb is a fantastic resource and I would'nt like to see it go.

I'll be honest I don't find the pop up ads all that much of a hassle. Of course I'd rather not have them but a single click gets rid of them, and as has been said it's a necessary evil on a large platform like RMWeb.

3 minutes ago, murphaph said:

Not me. I've never played around with the 141s beyond fitting a speaker and Loksound in one. I modified a 201 to allow the red marker lights to be switched off with an F button when hauling a train, maybe that's what you're thinking about

Oh I'm sorry! I saw a thread here a while ago where somebody rewired the loco, I assumed it was you....

On 11/4/2022 at 12:12 AM, Sean said:

hey gph.

 

take a look at my dcc workbench thread.

 

this post will show you exactly how to change the F0 issue for the markers and headlights being tied together on the 141/181. thats using a 121 esu decoder in jmri.

not sure about 071 i have never used one but im sure it would be a similar sort of nuance.

I don't think it's a matter of remapping with the 141/181's. The markers and headlights can be rigged to work independently but it requires some rewiring.

I believe @murphaphmay have performed the necessary surgery before....

4 hours ago, Fowler4f said:

I liked the A12 so much I purchased two. My problem is how to renumber the 2nd loco. I looked on Railtech site and didn’t find anything suitable, has anyone renumbered A12/A15 or A55 ? As you need two different size transfers for loco front and sides.

I would appreciate any advice, (1) how to remove letter/numbers and (2) where to source replacement letter/numbers.

Thanks.

Have you tried Studio Scale Models?

22 minutes ago, gph2000 said:

While the markers and main beams on the 071 are separate by default, when I went DCC I found that the markers and main beams were all together on F0. Can this be changed by tweaking the dip switches?

Unfortunately not. The switches will just turn the lights on or off.

Another member of the forum posted a step by step for how they got the lights to be mapped seperately. It requires a bit of work.

Wonderful work. That's a really nice scene.

10 hours ago, Mike 84C said:

Thanks for your thoughts guys, you and I have both been down the same road!  I used a piece of foam under the wagon to add resistance but it seems daft to make wagons free rolling and then have to give them resistance to lessen the magnetic attraction!  Substituting brass axles for steel on 40/50 wagons and coaches does not appeal.

Noel, weight do you ballast your 4 wheel wagons to please?

The NMRA specifies 1 ounce plus 1/2 ounce for every inch of length of the wagon/coach

If you prefer metric then here is a handy calculator. Just use HO when selecting the scale.

https://showmyhobby.com/index.php/henrys-nmra-rolling-stock-car-scale-weight-calculator/

26 minutes ago, BosKonay said:

With Rm down, it reinforces the value of 'local' content.

What's the deal with RMWeb being down? Did I miss something?

57 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Unless Boris Mogg-Farage and the rabid right wing press, the Daily Fail & Tory Telegraph decide to “take back control” by leaving NATO!

 

Haha! Even Farage is not that stupid. Putin has shown just how vulnerable Europe is without NATO.

3 minutes ago, Noel said:

Yip and weighting wagons close to NMRA standards greatly helps shunting operations and magnetic uncoupling use.

To be honest I did'nt find increasing the weight of the wagons made any difference regarding the magnetic axle problem, it the fact they rolled freely that caused the issue. But I fully agree increasing the weight leads to superior running in general.

On 24/3/2022 at 10:31 AM, Noel said:

Another problem with REMs is they can be so strong they pull on wagon axles causing a snatch or bounce motion.  The under track kadee magnets work well, even the between the rails kadee flat magnets can be disguise to look like part of a walkway.

 

I don't use neodymium magnets for the same reason but I've also had issues with the Kadee undertrack magnets attracting metal axles. There's a couple of things you can do to prevent this: 1) Try sourcing non-magnetic wheelsets. Pretty near impossible for OO gauge stock. 2) Causing some "drag" on the axles by attaching a brass strip to the underside of the wagon/coach to apply a tiny amount of friction to the axle. This works but doing this with every piece of rolling stock just isn't practical. But it might be an option for a small shunting layout.

My solution was to switch to the between-the-rails magnets. They work fine and the visual impact is minimal.

34 minutes ago, murphaph said:

With a bit of luck GB will rejoin the customs union if not the single market. Probably packaged as something else akin to Norway or Switzerland but in practice eliminating customs controls at least, and thereby the handling charges also. Without rejoining the single market though, parcel motel is not making a comeback unfortunately but under a new government I wouldn't rule it out in the next decade. Brexit just isn't delivering any tangible positives, certainly none that outweigh the negatives caused by leaving the SM and CU.

I think that's a possibility. The UK have really put up a united front with the rest of Europe over the Ukraine situation (yes, I know NATO obligations play a big part in this too). If/when it blows over the EU might look more favorably on the UK's situation and come to a better deal.

On 17/3/2022 at 11:05 AM, murphaph said:

Yes: https://www.precimodels.com/en/shop/product/1-dcc-uncoupling-conversion-kit

This video shows the installation...

On 16/3/2022 at 8:12 PM, Sean said:

 

if i fit the kadees do they work well on bends?  when im referring to bends i merely mean a second radius track coming off a point to straighten the siding back out. so the train has to run through an "S" shape before it can touch a wagon.. seeing how much closer they bring the wagons too is also a big plus for me.

 

Kadees are not designed to work on curves. Having said that, if the couplers are mounted on the bogies of both pieces of rolling stock they may work, but it will be hit and miss.

33 minutes ago, Ironroad said:

Yes, nostalgia is probably a big part of this, but steam made the railways possible and steam engines are the epitome of them. Diesels for all their practicality are pretenders.

Pretenders? I suppose that's why diesel supplanted steam......

18 hours ago, Ironroad said:

For those that say this I would ask, "As compared with what?",  besides no diesel has the character of a steam loco.

Sorry but I have absolutely no interest in steam locos, and could never see the attraction of them, except perhaps for those who grew up watching them.

This is a good video that clearly explains the basics of speaker enclosure design in the context of model railway applications. It's a bit dated, but still relevant.