irishthump

Thanks for the kind comments, lads! The flowing curves really came about as the shpae of the layout did'nt lend itself to Settrack geometry. I basically could'nt get it to fit in the available space, so I used Flextrack instead! Have to say though. nicer to work with in general than standard pieces.

You mean the ones outside the engine shed? If I remember right I actually used rust coloured pastels ground into powder with sandpaper.

These shots give a better view of the overall layout... Where the fat controller sits...

Here are a few pics of my layout at last! Finally decided on the trackplan after a lot of tweaking. It's not perfect but it's as good as I think it will get with the space I have available... It's basically a double loop in an L shape. Here's one view, towards the main engine shed. And if you pan to the right, you have the freight sidings. A few more pics of the shed (based loosely on Connolly!) Excuse the English Class 25, but I recently treated myself to that one. It's DCC sound fitted and a great little model. A couple of "night shots!"

I feel your pain! Or do you get that other one - "Are you coming down yet?" Right when you're under the baseboards trying to solder a joint!

Turn the iron on when it heats up wipe it on a damp sponge or cloth. Tin it by melting a little solder onto the tip and letting it flow over it. Leave it on until it stops giving off smoke then wipe the tip on the sponge again. That should do it....

Welcome, Sulzer! As a fellow "attic-bound" modeller have to say it's great to see another member coping with the horrors of attic trusses! Can you post more pics to show us the full layout?

Dirt, plain and simple. The tip has to be spotlessly clean and well tinned to transmit maximum heat.

Thanks for clarifying that Anto! Yep, I had been given a bum steer for sure on that other forum. If I had asked you on here first I would have bought the Powercab. Although I have no complaints about the Prodigy.

Sorry Anto, I have been misinformed! Here's what I have been told on another forum... If you leave 2 locos running and enter the address of a 3rd one then one drops out of the recall stack as we know. If you then reenter the address of the loco that dropped out of the stack then the loco will not remember it's speed setting and will stop. That's exactly what I was told and I had more or less decided on buying the Powercab at that stage.... Talk about being given a bum-steer!

Well if the budget is set in stone then he would probably be better off with the Powercab.

What he said! The Powercab only has a recall of 2 locos. Now I'm not 100% sure, but I think that means when you run 2 locos and type in the address of a 3rd one, one of the other 2 gets dropped from the stack and stops running. Can anyone with a Powercab confirm this?

Take your time and get as much info as possible, I was glad I did! BTW, the Prodigy Advance has 3A which was another reason I went for it. As for running multiple locos - modern locos draw less power so this is'nt surprising. But you will see problems trying to run several sound equipped locos. All depends on your plans for the future, but 1.5A is a bit limiting IMHO. One thing is fo sure, get rid of the Select!

Just curious, is she up for sale, Dave?

I thought the same thing. I started with a Hornby Mixed freight set, which ran lovely so I could'nt understand the complaints. I soon found out that the Select will run fine with it's own decoders that are installed in it's locos. The problems start when you run other makes of decoder on the Select. Likewise when I started running the locos from the set with my Prodigy Advance, crap running right from the start.

You will find that ther systems don't need to have their firmware updated because it works properly! That just proves what they say about DCC systems made by train set manufacturers.

When you say Decoder I assume you mean controller? Then yes, they both have more than enough.

The Gaugemaster Prodigy Express is available for £124 from Hattons. http://www.ehattons.com/stocklist/45/8/73/0/Gaugemaster_Controls_Any_or_multiple_scales_DCC_control_equipment_and_points_decoders/prodlist.aspx Also the NCE powercab can be got for £131. http://www.bromsgrovemodels.co.uk/pd-670066615.htm?categoryId=89 I went for Gaugemaster but bought the Advance 2, and I would highly recommend it if your budget can stretch the extra few quid. I was thinking about the Powercab myself but was turned off it by the fact you can only have 2 locos in the recall stack. A problem they were going to address but not sure if they have done it yet. Anthony is a Powercab user and he speaks highly of it, so maybe he can give more info. A word of warning about using the Selecty with sound decoders! I had three 141/181 chips which malfunctioned on me and I have an idea it was something to do with the Select. Search the Web for reports of Select problems, the list is frightening... Likewise with the Dynamis, the general opinion is to steer clear of "Train Set" DCC controllers and go for a dedicated DCC manufacturer's system.

Just a word of thanks to Model Shop Belfast for their help and service. Had some problems with my 141 sound decoders (which may well have been my own fault!) but got in touch with Gareth and he arranged to replace them for me. No hassle, no quibble even though I had bought them a few months ago. They arrived today and are working great! Thanks again Gareth.

Spot on, Eamonn. I have one of those Halfords irons as well, just be sure clean and tin the tip when you are finished. I've done a heap of soldering on my layout and I'm still on the tip I got with the iron.

Thanks man. I can live with the flickering on the tails lamps, but I'm considering fitting a couple of those to my 2 Hornby locos. They're both 0-6-0 and can struggle on some of my pointwork.

I would agree. I started back into the hobby with the Hornby Mixed freight set, and the track mat is great for getting a feel for track laying in general. The Hornby points can be a bit iffy but the rest of their track is fine for general use, when I started my attic layout I used Peco points and relegated the Hornby ones to the lesser used sidings. Like Mayner said be careful with tight curves when running long locos and coaches, the 2 outer curves on the track mat are fine, but longer stock will struggle with the tightest curve.

I am looking for Kadee no 308 is that right? Bloody typical! Could'nt find them for love nor money last time I looked...

Yeah, but I'm having trouble locating them, just wondering if there was an alternative.

Lads, I have been experimenting with various methods of coupling/uncoupling on my layout. I had been using using the Brian Kirby method, for any of you unfamiliar with it here's a video showing how it works. It's easy, cheap and works very well but it involves fitting magnets under the track at every place you may need to uncouple. I boight a few Kadee no. 20's off Ebay just to give them a try and I have to admit they seem great, if a little fiddly! Just looking for some advice from anyone who uses them; which magnets do you guys use for uncoupling? I have been experimenting with square magnets from cupboard latches which is what the Kirby ones use but they're a bit unreliable for the Kadees.