Noel

Looks wonderful. Dart and DMUs are not really my sort of thing, but wow looking at that amazing model it is getting very very tempting indeed. Congrats on a superb production and engineering.

Understand, but bare in mind the MM 141, 181, 071, 201s, Cravens and mk2ds, will most probably be available as re-runs for the long term future because the design, prototyping and tooling costs have already been absorbed. The UK market mainly sells models that purchasers have never travelled on, nor never seen in the flesh (ie BR big four steam era), likewise the iconic GMs should remain in proportionate demand here for the next 40 years or so (ie small production runs every six years or so). It is uncertain what the demand might be for current rolling stock. Part of the enduring culture of railway modelling has been nostalgia and 'the past'. Much the same as airfix aviation kits. WW2 models seem more popular than Cold War era or current era aircraft models. A(001) and 121 class models likely to be in greater demand than say 22k because of folks draw to the past. UK steam era gets a constant nostalgia refresh from movies and TV mini series which is a benefit Irish railway nostalgia lacks.

Ah a Severn class is my favourite RNLI AWB. Nice work. We have that kit, but haven't started it yet. Either my son or myself were supposed to build it, but instead I built a Saturn V to mark the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong's "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" moon landing. Many years ago after we pulled a crew off their burning yacht off the west coast, the Fenit RNLI AWB, and rescue 115 CG Heli from Shannon were tasked to the scene. Thankfully and luckily we had already got crew off without injuries and onboard our vessel. Scary memories, don't like fire at sea! Anyway 'Mayday Relay' works!

Hi DC, no prob, understand. Apologies for being a bit tender, I guess I was just a little hyper sensitive today. Take care Noel

Apologies, given that it seems almost inevitable that the driver of the truck was killed, is it in good taste to have such on the forum? I'm absolutely sure nothing such was intended, it's just unfortunate given the tragedy for loved ones concerned. I know the clip could be years old or recent, but watching somebody die is not something any of us intend to see. And please, I'm not having a go at the OP, just wondering with the benefit of considered hindsight. Or perhaps I'm just being oversensitive having been at a pals funeral today.

From my perspective I feel we owe PM an enourmous debt of gratitude. When I started decades ago there was absolutely ZERO Irish 'scale' RTR model locos or rolling stock. The odd repaint of BR coaches and rubbish repaints of poor running BR locos (eg Hymek and C33) that didn't remotely look like anything running on Irish rails. Thanks to MM we now have an absolute feast of the very highest quality RTR Irish locos and coaching stock to choose from in all liveries. This is well supplemented by some reasonable quality specialist items from other small scale producers. It seems to me we may have unrealistic expectations. We could do well to be a little more content with what we already have on offer. After all it's an absolute feast compared to 25/40 years ago. Personally if a proper high quality A class or 121 ever happens I will be as delighted as anybody, but not holding my breath. Due to economies of scale I doubt crowd funding could ever work in our minuscule specialist market. Unfortunately it seems a worthy dream.

Thanks, quiet was an objective. Everything is a compromise. My last layout (40 years ago) was ballasted directly onto baseboard and it rumbled like a banshee. I vowed never again would I lay track directly onto a baseboard. When I was laying the track on this layout I used foam underlay with the intention that in the future I might either a) border it and fill the centre with ballast material, or b) replace it with some sort of sound proof underlay that could take glued ballast later. The advantage of using foam underlay initially was that I could make tweaks to track layout easily and get trains running while I started the scenery. That was 20 years ago before the big 16 year pause from the hobby! The foam underlay has proven stable, UV proof, and did not deteriorate over those 20 years. I'm going to leave it for now and concentrate on the landscape scenery, and do some experiments with options a) and b) above in the mean time. Short term to do list Finish DCC wiring conversion - add extra drops to dead sections such as sidings and passing loops. Convert some more of my BR Steam locos to DCC with stay-alive for the 0-6-0s Paint sealant on visible sections of baseboard Replace three broken points (children's football landed on layout 10 years ago) Landscape shaping - foam insulation blocks cut with hot wire covered in plaster cloth (i.e. instead of yesteryear chicken wire + paper mach method) Landscape covering with scatter + may try some static grass Elevated track beside terminus - brick arch panels Clip on backscene sections using combination of my own photos and some Peco back scene papers (election poster board material) Replace existing plastic modular platforms in terminus with custom built platforms Finish 3 road scratch built loco shed in terminus Start a scratch built roof for the terminus instead of existing curved peco sample roof Install point motors - use lever switches instead of DCC (i.e. for ease of use, tactile feel, and visual feedback) Long term list Replace existing form underlay ballast with sound insulated ballast Signalling Start building lower layout (i.e. level 0 on inside). Single line branch loop using code 75 rail connected to mid level 1 at existing Ashford junction trough station Don't know why I am typing this level of detail which will most likely be boring for others, but it may act as both a memo to myself, and also prompt me to keep going. Apologies for verbal waste. DCC Sound is awesome, but there are some slow trains that sound better without it, just the sound of many wheels slowly rumbling on rails as slow freight traffic passes.

Respect. Wow - they are absolutely stunning.

Thanks BTB. Glad you like the video. I've been collecting BR outline stock for over 45 years, but delighted to have got some proper Irish trains running instead of the GWR, LMS and LNER stuff I've collected over the years. Paddy Murphy's stunning GM locos and coaches was the trigger that got me back into this wonderful hobby this year. Cheers guys - I'm hoping to progress the scenery over the next 4 months. There is a danger I might spend too much time 'playing' with it instead of working on it. Some wiring to be tidied up, and few more DCC power drops, a bit of wiring on the upper level so I can switch it to DC to run-in locos, and also run old stock that I won't convert to DCC. I have a lot to learn still about all the new techniques and materials that have emerged in the past 20 years. Some of the scenic work, modelling, painting and weathering work by forumites that I have seen on this site is simply inspiring. I am also in awe at what DCC has enabled in terms of layout operation, and DCC sound has me hooked like a baby on hot milk. PS: Yes I have a weakness for long trains, just very very fortunate to have the space for them.

Ireland stunning series whitewash - Nuff said.

How do you fix it Seamus? Do you spray over with matt varnish?

Phenominal. What donors did you elect to use for the Bredins? Ps: what type of fine masking tape do you use?

A busy day testing DCC + sound on Kingsbridge. Its before the scenery work starts, but you get the general idea of train movements on the two mainline through stations. Turn the volume up Forgive video quality, I was trying to hold a phone and operate a cab with the other hand Next time I'll use tripod and camera. I'm loving this move from DC to DCC - 20 years and things have moved on for the better. Now to start the scenery . . .

Thanks IT. Btw, one of the little funnies i discovered with the newer Zimo decoders was difficulty writing to CVs above CV255 on the program/test track with NCE. The workaround was to program CVs above 255 on the main (i.e. POM). They can be read on the test track for verification, but only written to on the main. It's a know incompatibility document in their manual with some DCC controllers. But it had me stumped for a few hours when I was trying to alter volume CVs and duration of sounds like brake screech, etc. Yes totally understand about the LokSound. I will be getting one myself as well on your recommendation, with the EMD 567 prime mover. I digress, but after this weeks tests, DCC a standard - not really. 2014 and folks have to know about binary bits and different BEMF settings. It's like the old days of the motorola 'brick' cell phones, # this, # that, instead of human menus. I love operating DCC but the human interface to setting it up is pathetic - utterly jurassic.

OK so I have now had plenty of time trying out the new version of the 141/181 Zimo sound decoder. I also have LokSound in 071. Both are excellent but quite different in some respects. I couldn't really say one is better or worse then the other, just different. The difference is in the area of driving method and driving style, which will be personal to different operators. Some folk will prefer the directness of driving the LokSound, while others will prefer the Zimo 'Real Drive' experience. This Zimo is quite different from the MSB variants which were an earlier incarnation of the sound program. Having been used to and very happy with the LokSound style of driving, initially I was all at sea with the Zimo, and initially didn't like the long acceleration and deceleration characteristics requiring braking. It took time and I had to make a mental break from the direct driving style of the LokSound (i.e. lower interita lag from throttle changes). The Zimo needs to be driven more like the real thing and stopping distances require planning ahead, just like driving real locos. Its a far cry from the instant non-inertia control experience of DC rotary knobs. Driving the Zimo decoder felt alien for a while, but I persisted and have adjusted my driving style. I am very pleased the way it turned out despite my initial frustration as I adjusted to 'real drive' techniques. It may not be everybody's cup of tea, but the realism of the engine sound matching power rather than mere track speed, the automatic notching, coasting and braking has won me over. I just love the way the brakes work with a coasting train approaching a station. There are a few nice little touches with the sound, for example the loco notches up slightly when brakes are applied if coasting, and notch down again to idle when the brake pressure is reduced after a stop. The horn sound recording is fantastic with push to activate short horn and long horn. The flange squeal sound is the biz on final approach to station or departing over point work and around bends at low speeds. F5 activates light engine mode for shunting and free loco running (i.e. less RPM sound needed and inertia values lower). Typical Departure Sound Sequence F10 Coach Doors Slamming F9 Guards whistle F6 Break release - Air release F2 Short horn – safety warning Notching - Loco starts moving after notching up F8 Flange squeal F3 Long horn on the main Engine Notching up and down automatically and loco accelerates to target cruising speed I prefer the brake sounds on the LokSound recording as they sound a little exaggerated and hence sound better on a model layout. The Zimo brake noise are probably a more accurate sound but lack a bit of 'punch'. Overall though the Zimo engine sounds and notching have impressed, especially the realistic method of driving. You pile the power on and nothing happens for a moment, but slowly she moves off, engine notching up and trashing while heavy train very slowly accelerates. As target speed is gradually attained the loco notches down to cruising power. It took some adjustment, but now I just love it.

Just posting this for fun. I've been pondering required CV settings to tune my locos for correct scale top speeds on the layout for past few evenings. I knocked this up in excel. I have a 3m measured distance on the layout, but this could be altered for any distance, or a complete lap of a layout to get more accurate timings, but it does give a good approximate speed in MPH. If I get time some evening I might knock it up into an iPhone app. The net result was MM 141/181s were too fast on DC (i.e. 90mph) but pretty spot on at scale top speeds of 70-75mph on DCC with CV5 set to max of 255 on a variety of decoders (e.g. Lenz, LokSound, Bachmann, Zimo).

Hi IT. Thanks yes somebody on here told me about the CV54 procedure a few weeks back and it worked a treat. I was just wondering what type of motors are used in MM? Are the cordless or not, etc? Cheers Noel

Hi Folks Does anybody know from a DCC point of view what motor types are used in MM locos (141/181 and 071s)? Most decoders have CVs to allow the motor type to be specified. Thanks Noel

Eeek! Nay'r shall the grubby wheels of this plastic bus with the back breaking seats touch our model rails - a sanctuary for real trains (in jest)

Thanks. I would have hoped DCC standards were designed to take into account the voltage drop in the decoders bridge rectifier ensuring a max of 12v DC was available on output to the motor. But obviously not. Ps. What are we both doing up at this hour! good night

Hi IT. Well that may be correct for your DCC system and your decoders. I discovered that DCC track voltages are not quite standardised across vendors. This evening I ran extensive tests and observed 4 different MM 141/181 locos that all ran at significantly higher top speeds on DC (ie no decoder with 21pin loco supplied backing plate). These DC top speeds were 90mph which was 20% higher then the same locos running DCC, which yielded scale top speeds of 70mph unladen at CV5=255 (i.e. closer to prototype max of 75mph). I then adjusted my NCE track voltage using their recommended procedure from internal 14.1vdc to 15.5vdc on the motherboard (ie using their recommended VREG test point on pcb). Btw, this is NOT the same as the output track voltage but has a corresponding effect on it. After this adjustment, the Zimo decider 141 was achieving a scale top speed of 75mph with CV5 reduced to 210. BUT here's the odd thing, my Lenz decoders on 141/181 remained at the same scale top speeds of 64mph with CV5 still up at 255. In other words the Lenz decoders appear to be delivering the same DC voltage to the motors even though the DCC track voltage was increased, wheras the Zimo was delivering higher DC voltage to the motor! The two questions are why do decoders run locos 20% slower on DCC than the same loco on 12v DC? And why do some decoders output higher DC when DCC track voltage is slightly increased, and others do not (eg Lenz)? Good night

Hi John. I ordered direct from MrSoundguy (i.e: Keith Pearson), mrsoundguyuk@gmail.com . Placed order via email and paid via paypal. Noel

Yes and the older loose coupled unbraked wagons and vans I prefer would have run closer to 30-40 mph. 181 hauled passenger trains would have operated on good mainline sections at speeds of 60-70mph. PS: I don't do freight without a break van at the end! It's a bit like a blunt pencil - pointless without the need for a guards van!

Now that is class. Superb modelling and full of atmosphere. They way you have done the foliage and greenery is simply stunning.

I noticed my MM141/181 locos had significantly greater top speed when run on DC rather than DCC. The DCC max speed was closer to scale, but I'd prefer to be able to achieve this with CV5. I suspected my DCC track voltage was a little low, so I read my NCE manual which suggested increasing the VREG voltage on the controller mother board from 14.1v to 15.5v (via adjustable pot) which would cause a corresponding increase in track voltage. I have no way of correctly measuring track voltage as I only have a basic ammeter. I had timed my MM locos before changing the controller voltage, and afterwards some of them had higher top speeds, but not the Lenz nor LokSound decoder powered models. I'm guess their circuits must produce specific DC voltages rather than just rectify, irrespective of track voltage (i.e. constant DC out irrespective of AC in). This DCC malarky has a lot to teach me yet.