Newbie Spent Loads and now its broken me!

[carlnewfor2020]

im starting out at 49 years of age building my first railway with scenary as had a board with trains when i was 10.

I got my old trains and track, watched videos and next min i had bought loads of track on Ebay motors and switches spend all day and night researching Hornby DCC Train Pack, a Bachmann 121 DMU which then bought a Decoder and a Bachamnn DCC sound fitted 03 Shunter.

The DMU last 24 hours so sent the Decoder back and not heard yet if its decoder or Loco customer service not one of their strong points.

03 Shunter worked for about 2 mins before it ground to a halt, so sent that back waiting for a replacement. 

After hours of ripping up track and putting it back down, under board motor extensions jumping out and spending endless hours searching for them on the floor even now soldering the points so they will actually go over a point without stopping my track runs ok. yippee

So in 1 month my track finally happy with and running, Ive spent a 1000 pounds and have 2 brand new Bachmann locos broken (I will not be buying anything Bachmann again for sure!) 

I went to a shop id found 20 mins away as the Ballast id bought for the weekend was to fine so I went and they had a 2 person restriction in the shop so I spent 25 mins standing outside a model shop I went back in the owner said one min mate and 5 mins after im driving home shouting at my steering wheel. 

This train set building has broken me! I will be spending the weekend doing anything but trains!

I have not been so excited about anything for so long but my patience has worn out!!!

 

 

 

 

[Puffed Out]

I did exactly the same as you, and 25 years older than you, but the mistake I didn't make was buying new track for old Loco's, and rolling stock, that came later on.  I started mine not long before lockdown etc, so that was a blessing.

At my age I have a bit more patience, but I inderstand your pain and annoyance. Things 'back in the day' were generaly made better, no doubt others will disagree about that. All this techy stuff has bypassed me, and that's how it will stay as it's too damn expensive and more to go wrong, for the sake of a tiny drop of solder missing, or a lousy job doing it.

So it's rather old school for me, which I am happy with.

I wish you loads of luck @carlnewfor2020.. 😀

[Tony57]

If I was in your shoes I would walk away from the senic side untill I got all the matirials I need together via the shop or on line then make a fresh start  As the saying goes Rome was not built in a day.

 

I share your fustration about new models going wrong, I brought a new Hornby Class 121 DMU which did not work from day one. I found the two wires that ran from the front bogie to the motor were damaged and were shorting out when a spot of hot glue was applied I split the wires apart and it now runs perfectly. 

 

Over the years I have spent 16x the amount you have spent as much as I would like to go down the DCC route I am sticking to older DC kit as there is less to go wrong and is home servicable and repairable

[Yelrow]

Carl, there is another thread on ballast. I dont, waste of money. I do little scenic, either, as constantly changing layout.  Would hate to think what i have spent, but its considerably more than your figure, as have over 100 locos.. You dont mention your control system. I think you should, as that may well be part of the problem. The more information, you give us, the better quality, of advice. I run both, large DC, only layout, and similar DCC. Once you get your head round the fact, that, never the twain, shall meet,  In other words, DC, will not run on DCC, and DCC, needs its cvs checked to run on DC.. I have 2 DCC, locos, that will not run on DC, even with it, enabled, and  Bachmann, admit they have a few in same condition. How are you wiring/ changing your points, again, we need to know. Taint meant to be simple, tis a money pit, and time consuming Hobby, that takes over my winters.

[Lyd 85B]

I started railway modelling when I was twenty years older than you, and had no previous experience except a short-lived train set for my sons in the 'eighties, but the whole process of creating a layout was, for me, an evolution. I had a couple of old Bachmann locos (a Standard Class 4 and a Class 8750 pannier tank) that I wanted to keep, and I decided from the start that I wanted to go DCC - a decision that I have never regretted. I read everything I could find on the hobby, went on a soldering course, followed by a trackwork and electrics course, and a scenics course. These proved invaluable, gave me the chance to decide clearly what I wanted, design a layout using a software package, and set about building it. Along the way I acquired skills I never thought to have, along with another 35 locos from all the main manufacturers, most of them second-hand, and the only problem I had was with a brand new replacement Hornby motor, which was quickly exchanged FOC. There have been times, particularly with layout electronics, when I have lost interest for a week or two, but I keep coming back as the enjoyment far outweighs the frustration. My advice is take a deep breath, walk away from the layout for a day or two, then come back to it with renewed vigour. 

[JJ73]

Well don't get stressed about Model Railsway!!! - As said above - Take a deep breath & come back after a while - I've been doing model Railways on & off since I was about 8 yrs old when my late Dad brought me my 1st 3 railway sets!!!  😀 But in the last 10 odd years now my Model Railway has really grown with more Loco's & Rolling Stock but never have done a 'Perminant' lay out - only done a tempory lay out - i.e. put down a layout - after a few yrs - take up - give the floor a good hoover then redesign a new layout!!!  😀

[mjb1961]

Hi,,it can be disheartining especialy when you buy new but don't give up ,chase up on the repairs or replace of your locos then check everything is good with your track etc ,new track would be best ,points need an extra pin in the centre to ensure they are flat ,that normally solves the stopping on points problem ,track needs to be clean ,even more clean for dcc ,I clean my track a lot ,methylated spirits on a cloth ,usually an old t shirt ,I hardly ever clean the loco wheels ,( other members will tell you about the importance of clean wheels ) forget about scenery for the moment ,make sure your trains are running nicely first ,the basis of a good layout is a good baseboard and good reliable track laying ,,hope this helps .

[Will Hay]

I'm exactly the same age as you, spent twice your amount since starting this hobby around the turn of the new year and regularly get frustrated.

My current frustration is not being able to update my select controller, but I'm close to changing controller type anyway.

 

I often have to walk away.

Keep going.

[96RAF]

My current frustration is not being able to update my select controller, but I'm close to changing controller type anyway.

 

Someone has reported on a FB page that they have been contacted by Hornby to say they are nearing the top of the pile and they can send their loco in for repair, so it may be worth giving Hornby a call and asking where you are now in the queue.

[Yelrow]

If you are fed up with select, buy a s/hand Elite, a special cable, and run your select  as a Walkabout. Many of us do, works a treat.,

[Will Hay]

RAF96.

Thank you.

 

yelrow,

I've often thought this.

I actually have two select controllers, but honestly can't see a benefit to a walkabout.

In any case, I'm 99% sure I'm going with the brand new digitrax controller.

[Yelrow]

Will, i have 2 select walkabouts on 9x5 layout, so, i can run 4 locos at same time. Dont think you can do that with Digitrax.  When little ones, or even, big ones, visit, they can have their own controller, and loco. Benefits of walkabouts are immense. I also, have 9x5 DC layout, plus round the room, 20x15. The latter, is controlled by walkaboute, fitted to a Morley DC  controller. At 76 years old  a lot of pleasure, let alone, derailment problems, are achieved, with the walkabouts. As you have 2 selects, the budget would not be too terrible. I can put you on to a guy, who makes walkabout cables, at any length you want. Mine, are  5 metre. I have looked at other control systems, including Digitrax, but can find NO advantage, over what i have. Have had my system for 8 years, with, touch wood, no problems. There are a lot of very content Elite users on this forum, including , myself. All my controllers, were bought, secondhand, for DCC, and only the Morley, was new. Now, there is, acontroller, quality, quality, quality.

[AndyMac1707817969]

Have bought over 100 Hornby and well over 100 Bachmann locos I have had very few issues with new locos. If you have bought two and both ended up 'broken' you may be best to look for an issue closer to home on your layout, maybe a short blowing decoders.

[ColinB]

From my experience "shorts" on the track, don't blow decoders. The things I have found that blow decoders are inadvertantly connecting the rail voltage to any of the outputs of the decoder (usually happens when the DCC socket has a short, or that extra function lead touches the chassis), hot weather where the decoder cannot get rid of the generated heat (made worse if in shrink rap), motor or motor capacitor has gone short circuit and finally decoder cannot cope with the stall current of the motor. Unfortunately, I have killed a lot in those different ways but I am always fitting them to old pre DCC locos, so unless the manufacturer has messed up and you make sure the flying function lead doesn't touch anything you should be ok. Sound decoders are more of an issue especially Sugar Cube speakers. On some of these they have sprung connections which can easily short on the loco chassis, again bye, bye decoder and of course TTS decoder speakers that don't fit properly even when Hornby has made a location for them. I do have quite a lot of little issues with new locos, especially Hornby ones with the 8 pin DCC socket, I must had had about 3 so far where the socket doesn't connect properly with the DCC decoder, made worse by the dcc decoders having thinner than normal pins. I am lucky, I can replace the socket, but on one I did mail Hornby and get a new socket as I thought it was wrong that I use one of my sockets (and my cost) on a brand new loco.

As to the original subject, stick with it, I must have lifted one piece of track at least 3 times. It got to the point where I now haven't ballasted it just in case it needs changing again. Then of course when you lift ballasted track, you need to vacuum up all the old ballast as the track doesn't sit flat.

[Mac-_-]

I feel your pain Carl, especially on the two new loco's.

This hobby can suck money quicker than the tax man. As other's have said, sometimes it's best to walk away for time, let thing's settle and come back refreshed. We all make mistakes.

I dismantled my fourteenish year layout 😢, to start over and really bring it up to date (before time catches me), and include some of the things i wouldn't have got into the old layout. That was a little over two month's ago, and i can't bring my self to even look at it. The feeling is starting to come back, and i'll probably be starting into it again soon. The first thing i will do is a small loop, just to run a train a round when i feel low, while working on the main layout.

As for ballasting before i found the ballast i liked, i have a test track three feet long also used for programing loco's, to try different ballast on, so if i didn't like or made a mistake it was no big deal. 

Good luck carl.

[Yelrow]

Hope poster is still with us.     Mac,   i have thought of changing my 15 year old layout, more times than i care to think. Get round it, by adding bits, like a Helix, and complete round the room tracks. Have got as far as a new Antex soldering iron, but at 77, feel i will leave it in place./ Too much hassle.

[Mac-_-]

Yelrow, i know what you mean, had thought about dismantling it when turning it too dcc some odd year's back.

I have a obbession with coal yards, and docks, don't know why never worked in one. Having seen Summat Colliery year's ago, i have alway's wanted to create and extend that sort of colliery, and add a good size docks area, which wasn't really doable on my old lay out. In away i'm glad i did it, just taking longer to get over it has surprised me. I need my mojo back.

If there wasn't a good enough reason Yelrow too dismantle it, i would leave well enough alone.

[Will Hay]

Yelrow.

Sincere thanks for the offer, but I decided to go with the Roco Z21 system.

I also bought a Roco wireless controller but the app on my tablet and phone is so good I doubt I'll use it.

I should have done this much, much sooner.

[ellocoloco]

@ Will Hay.

 

How are you finding the Z21??

 

I am currently using a Multimause through a 10761 box that came with my Lokmaus 2 starter set many years ago!!! I intend to upgrade but can't decide on if its to a Z21 or z21. 

 

(I figure I can start to lay track within five years so still time to decide!)

[Chrissaf]

Will Hay / ellocoloco

.

Just be mindful that any reply / discussion that is too promotional of the Z21, may fall foul of the Hornby guideline / rule about aggressive active promotion and be subject to removal.

[Will Hay]

@ellocoloco,

Mine is the z21.

Stunning.

 

@chrissaf,

Noted, although I was surprised to read you yourself specifically not recommending hornby motors for points recently, and giving a clear alternative of another type.

It's often difficult to ascertain which rule applies to who, on occasion, but I'm sure they'll be five or six moderators along any minute to give a 'balanced' opinion.

[carlnewfor2020]

Not been able to log on since posting this post, found an email in spam so i can active my account.

Since that post, I have ballasted the track, got some static grass, the 03 shunter ive had a new one and i love it!

the 121 DMU decoder was faulty and had a replacement it runs better than any loco ive ever had.

I put some fencing and a level crossing and I have fallen back in love with model raiilways.

But last week I was made redundant because of the Covid carry on so I have no money to improve it booo hooo

I made some money on Ebay so bought the Railway Inn card kit for £9.45 so cant wait till that arrives and can get building. 

[carlnewfor2020]

I put a youtube video on yesterday to show my layout so far.

 

mode railway beginner pt1 static grass and 03 dcc sound 

[96RAF]

I put a youtube video on yesterday to show my layout so far.

 

mode railway beginner pt1 static grass and 03 dcc sound 

 

Well done for persevering and getting your model railway mojo back.

Unfortunately live hyperlinks is broken on the forum at present so folk will have to copy and paste the link to your video.