Noel

I really enjoy seeing pics of your wonderful layout Patrick. I just love the colouring, scenics and the period. It just reeks of 1960s to early 1970s atmosphere. Excellent photography as well.

They look really great Kieran. I made ours out of large sheets of plasticard (from art shop) and also cut to the curved shape we needed. The flexible Peco edging was a great help though and it was very quick to make. The plastic platform surface can be any colour you need, and alternatively could use any of the textured plasticards or papers. Ours are made in 3ft sections which snap fit together like a jigsaw using the lugs in the Peco edging. An advantage of plastic platforms is the cavity under the surface for wiring lights and fitting poles, lamps, platform signals, etc. I haven't had time to weather ours yet.

Thanks. Good find, that looks like the one. Any pics of it on the railway on a conflat wagon? PS: The iconic Pan AM advert brings back memories of flying in and out of what used to be the soviet block.

Very nice K. Atmospheric. The blue GNR container on the conflat begs the question does anybody remember CIE containers on conflats and road trucks in the 1960s (i.e. pre standard intermodal containers)? I vaguely remember there were silver/grey containers with a black CIE logo and the crane slings attached to the roof. Can't find any pics on the web.

+1

Depends what type of platform you want to make. I have used Peco platform edging, with the top of platform surface cut from plasticard because nearly all our platforms are curved. It is really easy to do and very quick. The platform sides have a grove for the plasticard platform to sit on and glue to. I think they have OO and N gauge variants with stone, brick or concrete face options. http://www.peco-uk.com/product.asp?strParents=3309,3310&CAT_ID=3311&P_ID=16866 http://www.peco-uk.com/product.asp?strParents=3309,3310&CAT_ID=3311&P_ID=16869

Yes its strange. For instance I can dim the cab light intensity of MM0044 and MM0055 LokSound decoders, or the volume of whistle via CV331 on the main without manually adjusting CV32. Perhaps the NCE cab does this automatically temporarily when POM (i.e. if CV>255 entered), but then why not also on prog track. Same for my Zimo chips no probs changing CVs > 255 POM without adjusting CV32, but not on prog track which requires CV32 to be set.

I've no idea how or why it works, but it does work with CVs >255 POM (on the main), but not the test track unless the registers are set. Bizarre.

Thanks, Interesting. The 5amp Procab (as opposed to the 1.5amp Powercab) does it automatically on the main (eg: LokSound, Zimo, etc), but not on the test track which requires the registers to be set!

Strangely the NCE Procab allow you to directly write to CVs above 255 POM (program on the main), but on the test/prog track it needs these two register CVs set! JMRI no problem though via the NCE controller USB or RS232 port. How bizarre DCC still is - like having to make a phone call by rotating a sprung disc over printed numbers that create pulses!

Fantastic progress. Well done Tony.

Good stuff re motor control CVs. How might 'controller' reconfigure the Gaugemaster cab or decoder function mapping for his headlights issue?

It is simply incredible

BBC 1976 - The Signalman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7cXV5iFwEM

From memory solenoid point motors usually work off 15v AC using passing contact lever switches rather than 12v DC. If you are using a Hornby 12v DC controller then its circuit protection is probably being triggered when the normal temporary short is created by the lever switch, especially if operated slowly (i.e. period of short is longer than few milliseconds). Many old DC controllers had 12v DC outputs for train track, and separate 15v AC outputs for things like solenoid point motors. I guess if you wait a min or two it will reset and work again once, or work once after ever power off. Solution is to use a different transformer with 15v AC output that has less sensitive short circuit protection, or use a CDU (Capacitor discharge unit).

Yes this longer clip shows a bit more of the aftermath including an SUV driving through the scene of the accident!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsVGlM4kIzI

In the past I soldered electrical cabling after track laying. drill board strip 10mm insulation from wire tin the end of the stripped wire with solder push through baseboard hole bend wire to shape so it pushes against side of rail in tension by itself (i.e. no hands needed) pre-heat rail with soldering iron (careful not to over do it and melt sleepers or chairs) solder wire to outside of rail optional - if needed file off any surplus solder that may protrude above rail optional - paint visible wires dirt brown

Lucky escape. Hope the loco driver was not injured. No barriers, no lights!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHTX3u8OTbI

Comprendee. However, these sort of technical and compatibility issues are what bug me about current DCC specs and usability during setup. It's hard to believe that consumers are still exposed to internal technical concepts such as CVs in 2017. Its a bit like having to programme my old 088 Motorola brick cell phone which '#' this and '#' that on the keypad, but then in the 90s Nokia invented easy plain english menus, and then came along iPhone and opened the technology to grannies it was so easy to use. DCC needs to become like a modern consumer appliance - easy, intuitive and just work out of the box without needing to know much about it. I enjoy tinkering with it, but boy it seems jurassic early 1980s electronics.

If the lights are working with the hornby controller don't bother with a decoder reset. The decoder is not the problem. Instead as IT suggests you may have to change some settings in the Prodigy controller (i.e. Function mapping or latching on F2).

This might shed forgive the pun someday me light on it? http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/showthread.php/1296-DCC-Question The MM0004 and MM0005 decoder chips need to be in the correct locos. Or this http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/65830-murphy-mm0004-its-an-esu-but-which-one/

Absolutely stunning scenes. That looks so real, I can almost imagine staying in a B&B in that village. I have fond memories competing in Fintona many moons ago.

Ok, do the decoders look like these ESU LokPilot V4.0 21 pin decoders below? These are 6 function decoders that will operate all the lights correctly on 071/201 models. I'm a bit baffled by the cab lights working on F3 and F4. They are directional and should switch on/off using only one function, not two separate functions one for each cab end. This suggests perhaps the decoders have accidentally had functions remapped. As a process of elimination I would suggest resetting one of the decoders by writing 8 to CV8. Don't forget this will put the loco address back to the default of 3, so either test as loco ID 3, or change the address back to the loco running number you previously had. I could be wrong, Irishthump knows a lot about programming ESU decoders, but as far as I can remember function latching is determined by decoder programming rather than cab settings. Assuming the decoder reset changes nothing, then perhaps a read of the Prodigy advance manual may be in order to see how functions may be mapped on the hand held cab. I once accidentally used the wrong CV when adjusting the volume of an ESU sound decoder, and caused the lights to misbehave (i.e. flashing). I had no idea which CV I had messed up so a decoder reset CV8=8 at least brought it back to retail-in-the-box defaults.

I used to solder my cables to the side of the rail after track laying, as Stephen says, tin the wire first and then bend to shape, then heat the rail a little with the iron (i.e. so you don't melt the sleeper shoes) and then rest the wire in shape against the rail so it doesn't need to be held in place by hand and apply iron and you get an immediate fix with minimal solder. The joint can be painted over afterwards, but on our layout you can hardly notice them. Might not work with N gauge as ours was 00 so a little more room to work with. The other option is to do it under fish plates and then just slide the fishplates onto the track join. Then the soldering can be done remotely from the layout (i.e. on workbench)

Looks like they are running on narrow gauge 3'6"