Noel

A basic list of DCC systems with very approximate street prices. Most of the European gear like Lenz, Roco, ESU and Zimo are usually better priced in Euro zone than from uk suppliers. It looks like many manufacturers will end up with black box systems controlled from smartphone/tablets (or PC ughh). But IMHO the one thing missing from a touch screen interface is the tactile feel of a throttle control without having to look at the screen. Ideally one should be able to hold and operate a cab/phone single handed and without having to look at it for throttle control. Ok we have drifted a bit of the original question, but it seems there is no comprehensive list of decoders that matches ID/VER numbers, only IDs. JMRI makes a stab at it but is hit and miss. For instance it cannot distinguish or identify a Bachmann 36-553 from a 36-554 decoder. Looks like decoder manuals is the only method of getting version numbers. Anyway its been an interesting thread.

Thanks Eoin I have JMRI. As you say its rather clunky but if you have to setup more than one or two decoder settings its easy to do compared with using the limited interface of a cab unit. It saves a lot of time setting up speed curves. The main reason I have JMRI is so I can use an old iPhone and iPad as zero cost wireless DCC cabs for walking around the layout (i.e. WiThrottle app). The app also allows clear labelling of function buttons which is great for sound equipped locos. As to DCC systems, yes the MRC/Gaugemaster is a great system. I nearly went with it when switching to DCC last year but narrowly opted for the NCE because the cab ergonomically lended itself a little better to one handed use, and was a 5amp system. Being an IT bod I wasn't really concerned about the system programming interface, more of the ergonomics of driving trains once a system was setup. The NCE cabs lcd display gives good visual feedback of speed, functions in operation, direction, etc. I was drooling over ESU's fabulous Ecos 50200 system and its fabulous user interface, but didn't like the fixed games console size of the twin cab controller and the savage cost of their hand held cabs. NCE's basic cabs (e.g. cab04, cab05, etc) are truly hideous dating from late 1970s hobby electronics), but their power/pro 'dog bone' cabs like the MRC/Guagemaster appealed to me. IMHO, the future of DCC controller interfaces is with wireless smartphone and tablet interfaces and all of the vendors need to up their game from their dated ergonomics. The technical side of DCC should be buried under plain english smart user interfaces, and words like CV, BEMF, long loco addresses, should be unknown and invisible to users. If you want to turn up the volume of a sound equipped loco there should be a volume knob or slider bar, not a CV to be set.

OK that's positive. The test track is working, the decoder is responding and the NCE controller is working. Now just need get steps 6 through 9 working for you. As suggested the easiest is to reset the decoder on the programming/test track by writing 8 to CV8 which will give the decoder the default address of 3. Then test drive the loco by selecting address 3, and if that works then back to the programming track to give the decoder the address you would like it to have. Addresses in the range 1-127 are short addresses and can be setup using steps 6+7 Addresses in the range 128-9999 are long addresses and can be setup using step 9 (and 10 not shown) After you enter an address you are give the option of activating it by pressing 1. So if you press PROG/ESC after activating a short address then it is active, but if you continue on to step 9, enter a long address and then activate it by pressing 1, you have a long address (i.e. even though you already entered a short address in an earlier step, but it is ignored if you activate the long one). As a former software designer I find all of the DCC systems have a rather awkward and jurassic user interface that is hardly friendly. The ECOS at least makes a decent stab at making all this guff a bit more user friendly, but jeapers we've been living in a smartphone era for 7 years now and the DCC manufacturers are still living in the MS-DOS era of the early 90s. Technology should be invisible and intuitive. Believe it or not NCE is supposed to be one of the less cumbersome old style system to configure. DCC needs a redesign and a new NMRA spec - it is jurassic. All of this stuff should be setup using smartphones and tablets instead of expensive dedicated and proprietary hardware.

Looks like a toy from the 70s - rather coarse detail. Is it worth even 1/10th of the asking price?

Hi Dave When you press Prog/ESC button four times to select "Use Program Track" and then press 1 do you see a message like the pic below? After a few seconds that message should change to something similar to this one but with a different number. If the display did not change then there is a problem (i.e. no manufacturer ID is displayed) Wiring to "programming/test track" from the NCE box A fried decoder on the loco A problem with your NCE controller - most unlikely if it can drive other locos If the display did change to the second image, then press ENTER button twice and follow the sequence on the other post I made to read back what the decoder address is, or to change.

Exactly as Stephen said. NCE steps below to view OR set short (1-127) or long loco address (128-9999).

Perhaps both but in reality for a 3rd party.

Hi Folks Could anybody please direct me to website which might allow me to identify decoders by their manufacturer ID "plus" their decoder version number. I know about the NMRA manufacturer list http://www.nmra.org/sites/default/files/appendix_a2c_s-9.2.2.pdf I can get both the ID and VER numbers using the programming track for locos that have unknown decoders. But I cannot find any resource that maps decoder version numbers to specific decoder products. I know basic Bachmann decoders (rebadged ESU lokpilot basic) are ID 151, but can't find which versions 088 or 089 map to 36-553 and 36-554 decoder products. Similarly the later Bachmann decoders (rebadged soundtrax) are ID 141, but not sure if version 081 is the 36-557 decoder. Likewise it would be nice to be able to identify Hornby decoder products. Many thanks Noel

I admire your positive outlook. Having just re-read the entire thread and seen the stunning effect you had achieved it is hard to comprehend how any of us would feel having to tear up such workmanship.

Nice photo of Claremorris. It is a mere shadow of its former glory. I know a certain forumite who was down there for a day last week taking photos in prep for a possible project, set in a time when the past intricate track work and all the junctions had lots of traffic. At least the ash pits are still there and the turn table is still working.

Yikes IT sorry to hear you had to do that. I know what that feels like. I hope you were able to salvage much of the amazing work you had done. I had to rip up my layout 34 years ago when moving house. It so upset me because I could salvage only the rolling stock and a few buildings as the baseboards were built into the roof structure and all the track was glued and ballasted to the boards. I vowed then if I ever built a layout again that it would be on moveable baseboard sections (i.e. semi-transportable). I wish you well on the reconstruction. What you had already made looked great.

Well we're drifting a little off topic and that's my fault, but as helicopters were mentioned and I also build model choppers, and the silly people in cars drove the SAR services off the rails it could be vaguely considered related to model aviation on a model rail forum. And yes the three SUVs I towed out of trouble in 2009 (families out to play in dads tank) did not even have tow bars, and one was switched into 2wd drive mode. I'll post more model aircraft pics when I get a chance. Ps. I was driving a 4x4 but knew what the diff lock switch did and to turn all the auto guff off in snow & ice. Quadradrive rocks.

No hadn't flown up there. Calary bog opposite the sugar loaf where the SRFC was based used to be my regular haunt. I used to commute via the featherbeds until the M50 south section was built. Spent a day snowed in up there 18 years ago in a blizzard when twits in cars blocked the road both in front of me and behind me. They hadn't chains, not even a shovel, no rope, boots, gloves nor jackets - townie folk who thought 4wd cars could drive through 2ft of drifted snow. Had to dig the cars out using 4x4 tractors later that night! Many years ago when I used to participate at public air shows and flying displays we used to operate 'toffee bombers'. We would fill the bomb bays with sweats tied to miniature parachutes and streamers, then fly over the crowd dropping the load over exited children who would excitedly run hither and thither trying to catch a falling sweet. Happy memories.

I'm comparing more with swiss, french, and italian trains. The only UK trains I have used in recent years have been the tunnel, the Heathrow express and HST125 on west country routes.

Yes the new motorway network has pretty much sealed the fate of intercity rail travel in Ireland and severely limited pax numbers as a result. I have to say Belfast to Londonderry route is one of the most scenic lines in the country on a nice bright day. The main problem is Heuston's isolation both by road and by rail. It adds an hour to the door to door travel time making the motorways even more attractive. Even by road it is faster to get to Cork via motorway from Heuston than by train, how daft is that in the 21st century. The UK mainland has had HST 125mph rail travel since 1975, 40 years later and we've only got 100mph on sections of the Cork line, and a business class service that sells disgusting food in bags off a trolley, and now they have got rid of all the trains and replaced them with plastic buses on rails that shake your bones till your teeth clatter. The seats in the 22k's are the most uncomfortable trains I have ever travelled on.

Reminds me of W J Owens in the 1970s

Looking forward to dropping into this sale. Great venue, can have a bite to eat before or after. Hopefully tomorrow will be my first opportunity to eyeball the new supertrain coaches up close and decide the woods from the trees. I was at one of these sales last year and was surprised how well priced some of the old Hornby Dublo 2 rail kit was.

I was just curious why the price was the same as all other Irish coaches.

Task 2 completed

Keen RRP prices even with the weak Euro. Almost close to Irish retailers. I see the new supertrain coaches are £39 which is less than €56. Off to watch the rugby now

I just love that layout. Your 141 sounds well. Have you got used to the coasting and braking? I just love driving that Zimo chip. Its the most authentic way of driving a train I've experienced so far. I tweaked some of the sound CVs and also some of the motor drive CVs on my 141 (i.e. Keith's chip) to get scale running speeds without loosing the notch down when target cruise speed was attained. Its just the most fun I've ever had driving a loco.

Ah, they are only trains. Not worth loosing sleep over.

Excellent shots of interesting subjects. Like the light tones too. You have a great eye for composing a scene. The aqueduct scene was worthy of a railway painting. PS: Not a boring 22k in sight

Superb

When companies hire brand and graphic design consultants they are always going to advise 'new image', 'rebranding', 'fresh image', 'new concepts' , how else are they going to earn their fees. By contrast look at Aer Lingus with only one really significant livery/brand change in over 55 years (i.e. excluding the slight reshaping of the shamrock about 15 years ago).