Noel

ROFLMAO

Awe Please no 'Canikon' debates, lets leave that to the 'fan buoys' on DpReview It's just like iPhone v Android - They are not a religion, just consumer electronics that will collect dust on top of a wardrobe soon enough. Seriously, which ever system folks start with is the one they tend to stick with because of lenses acquired along the way. Canon and Nikon are equals on the DSLR patch.

Looking great. Is it made of paper card or plasticard, or both?

Thanks for the info. That's a really nice crisp shot for ISO 1600, and that 35mm 1.8 is a cracking good lens. The 18-105 is very versatile and not too heavy for travel. You have a fabulous library of railway scenes. Getting into a good position visa-vie early morning and late evening light must be tricky with limited access to rail side property. Love your shots.

Excellent photos. Do you mind me asking which camera/lens combination you normally use for such railway photos?

Thanks guys. Great advice.

Building layouts is a bit like gardening. It is a never ending but enjoyable, and needs a lot of maintenance.

This fantastic Dave. Where did you get the 'negative ion generator'? Was it out of an air purifier? So glad I searched this forum for 'static grass'. Having watched some Everard Junction videos, static grass seems the way to go. The timing of this is great. Where do you source your static grass material?

Thanks Dhu Varren. There may be life yet in the old 33s. Not sure if I'm tooled up to handle the wheel job. "All that is required is a drive gear for the motor" - Any suggestions for a source for the drive gear? Noel

It's many many years since I dissected, repaired and serviced locos, and I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it? All the different and sublet ways of getting bodies off, bogies out, wheels off, steam running gear off, etc. I've started servicing and evaluating my 15-50yo collection of Locos for suitability for DCC. Basically I'm giving each one a basic service so I can test run on DC and decide if they run smoothly enough to bother putting a decoder in. I have already ruled out the Hornby-Dublo and Triang locos, but some of my older Hornby steam locos from 1980s onwards might be ok, and I hope most of the early 90s Bachmann, Hornby and Dapol will run smoothly enough to warrant fitting decoders. I've already added power pickups to some of the bogies on 2-6-2 tank engines which seems to have made a huge difference running over points. Tonight after the Lima class 33 thread, I took my pair apart and serviced them. Both running a lot better, but those late 1970s Lima power bogies are very basic motors, so I don't think I'm going to convert them to DCC unless I re-motor them and add flywheels, or buy modern replacement bogies that they used in their later 90s models (bo-bo). I'd prefer bogies that don't use friction tyres so power pickup is possible on all eight wheels (i.e. four axels), rather than two wheels on opposite sides of powered and non powered bogies as was the custom in the 70s and 80s.

Great stuff. Can't wait to see this evolve.

Hi Folks Could anybody please advise me are these coaches Laminates or Bredins or another? They look very like the coaches I remember travelling on in the 60s. Thanks They have a vague resemblance to LMS Staniers

Just realised how old my pair are - CIE. Your 33s in IR livery look a lot fresher. If I can re-chassis mine to co-co and run well, I may keep them and convert the front of the cab to look more like a 001 class. Convert to two windows, remove overhead cab box, put lights on facia above centre panel between windows, remove drip rail and put a buffer beam on each end. The doors will still be in the wrong position, but for nostalgia reasons it might be nice to retain locos from my childhood if I can get it to look half like a 001 class and run well enough for DCC. A winter project?

Hi Aramand I have a pair of those also. Have been pondering what to do with them. If I converted them to DCC I feel I'd have to re-bogie them for four axel pickup, loose the rubber friction tyres, and get better low speed running. I think I'd also have to convert the cab to two windows . . . a lot of bother - is it worth it on such old 'toy' stock locos that don't run that great. Cheers Noel

Yes before I tried it I was a bit sceptical about the bother of having a laptop in the mix, but got one of my retired old laptops, wiped it clean and put JMRI on it. No AV nor bloat ware, just JMRI, so it boots/hibernates like a rocket and lives under the layout like a black box. I was surprised how well it works, especially with iPad in 4 throttle mode controlling 4 locos without switching or recalls. Saved me a packet on wireless cab gear and extra cabs. Using iPad as Central command station, 4 throttles, iPhone for wireless walk around 5 cabs for FREE

Wow - That's an amazing track plan. Looks very close to the real LJ. Huge operating potential. Looking forward to watching this one.

Yes, I'm not sure which way around! Who got the latest, etc. I purchased mine only last month, his video was posted last may, but made when I don't know. I will check the version no on DCC programmer. BTW, Thank you for the link to the amazing series of how-to videos on Everade Junction. An absolute gold mine of info for me after 15 years break from the hobby.

Thanks Skinner75. Very enjoyable video. I haven't had any of those problems with the 36-557s in my MM141/181s. Just powered up the layout to double check, but no chip noise when stopped, acceleration/deceleration is good, and they stop immediately the 'STOP' button is pressed. I have a Lenz Silver 21pin in a MM181 and the performance seems identical to the 36-557, if anything the 36-557 has slightly smoother crawl speed but that could be a difference in the two MM motors. I wonder if there were different production batches and I got lucky with my 36-557 stock. I posted this comment on his youtube: Thanks for the excellent video clip. Interesting experience you've had with your chips. I have a mix of Lenz Silver 21s and Bachman 36-557 in my Murphy Model Irish GMs (141/181 class) and have been surprised how good the 36-557s have been in my 141/181s. After watching this video, I have just double checked the locos running the 36-557 and they all stop immediately when 'stop' is pressed. No noise either when idle, and their slow running and acceleration is fine. I wonder if there are different versions or batches of the 36-557 chips produced and I've been lucky with mine (so far). The Lenz have performed well too. The MM141 and MM181 ultra slow running with the Bachmann has been impressive. I think they are rebadged SoundTrax M1s. Bachmann don't actually make decoders.

Agree about Lenz. The Bachman 36-557 is actually a rebadged SoundTrax M1. It does seem worth a few extra bob to put a reasonable decoder in older locos rather than budget decoders. They seem to have better features for driving old motors smoothly. Spent a few hours this evening dismantling the first batch of my older steam locos for a pre DCC service and DC test run. Also allows me to evaluate what space is available to fit decoders, pick ups, etc. It doesn't seem worth fitting DCC to a loco unless there are pickups on at least 3 axles, and preferably 4 axles. Some of my old BR diesels have pickups on only two axels on one bogie!

Respect Superb workmanship - Enjoy.

I've used a mix of Lenz Silver 21pin and Bachman 36-557 21pin in Murphy Models 141/181s. The low cost 36-557 performs remarkably well with MM141 crawling smoothly without any juddering.

Two queries: 1. Does TL mean lighting provided along the length or a coach rake by a power van with genie? 2. How were the 'steam heaters' fuelled (Diesel, Gas, Electric, etc)?

I'm fairly new myself to DCC, but as I understand it the number of pins is more of importance when using 'direct fitting' decoders (i.e. decoders that plug directly onto a circuit board in the loco or into a lead already fitted into the loco). If using bare wire decoders than I don't think the number of pins/wires matters too much if using basic four function decoders (i.e. loco drive plus a few lights). 21pin decoders seem to support more functions (i.e. lights, fire box flicker, simulated steam module, sound/speaker connections). There are wiser and more experienced owls on here who I'm sure can give a much better explanation. I'm about to embark on a phased programme to install decoders in about 30 of my old locos, mainly LMS, GWR, BR (exLMS/exGWR) and a few LNER steam. None of these are DCC ready (i.e. don't have DCC sockets), so I will be fitting basic drive only or four function wire decoders in most of them, but I plan to use 8pin plugs and harnesses for ease during future maintenance and in case I ever need to change the decoders. I've bought a few test samples so far and have found some are better than others for slow speed running especially with older style motors. Some of the budget decoders don't seem to run locos as slow speeds as smoothly as others. The recent Murphy Models GM locos I have collected take 21pin direct fitting decoders so no choice there as regards pins. So far I'm impressed with LokPilot 4, LokSound 4, Lenz Silver and surprisingly the Bachman 36-557 (rebadged Soundtrax). Have a few more yet to try.

Hi Dave. Yes Engine Driver JMRI Throttle seems to do the same job on android phones and tablets. Happy days wireless cabs walking around layouts. Ideally such cab apps should be able to interface directly with decent DCC control systems using WIFI (i.e. instead of needing a PC/Laptop/Mac in between), but turkeys don't vote for christmas, so I guess DCC system vendors don't want us all to use our phones instead of buying their propriertory cabs. The WiThrottle app has saved me from having to buy two additional cabs. And WiThrottle has a more direct interface to higher value functions than most cabs I've seen (i.e. no need for silly shift buttons). This is useful for sound equipped decoders with many useful functions above FN 0-9 (e.g: notching GM motors up/down). Engine Driver - Android App

Some photos would be nice. Unfortunately I couldn't make it to the show. Sounds great.