Running speed problem

[wuuggy]

I have found that if I run locos from the Railmaster screen they run extremely slow, but are OK when operated directly from the Elite.

I have even tried to untick the run at scale speed setting, but even if you slide the speed control to Max they still

 

run far too slowly.

I have worked out timing on my layout and a loco set to run at 90mph is only running at a scale speed of 30mph

Could it be the USB cable needs upgrading or is anyone else experiencing this problem

Thanks

Peter

[Gregd99]

if there was a usb cable problem (I have had one) then the operation of the layout becomes very unreliable.

 

from what you are saying the behaviour is repeatable.... but not what you would expect.

 

I found the following web-site which includes

 

a scale speed calculator (I didn't check the maths and assume it is OK). http://home.cogeco.ca/~trains/rroperat.htm

 

This shows that @ 90mph and OO scale a loco would cover 36" in 1.6 seconds. Unless you have a big layout that is very fast. At 30mph

 

the loco would cover the same distance in around 5 seconds. Do these numbers correspond with what you are observing?

 

My layout is 9'x4' and the fastest that I run locos is about 60mph. At faster speeds - even if they are theoretically correct - the

 

feel too fast on this sized layout. These speeds typically correspond to around a 50% throttle setting.

[Bigric2]

Peter - am interested to see if you resolved this problem as I am currently having the same one !! I am currently changing my shed-based n gauge layout fron ZTC 511 control to Railmaster control , and I have had an identical problem to you with some (but

 

not all) of my locos . I use a mix of decoders - most of the Digitrax ones have been more or less OK , but some of the others not so . Annoyingly , the slowest one has been a brand new Blue Pullman which I have just had sound chipped.....it crawls alomg at

 

about 30 mph on full speed !!! Thanks , Ric

[LMSTim]

I too have the new Blue Pullman (although without sound - just the standard model) and it runs very well from RailMaster.

 

Adding Hornby's own locos is a breeze because you just select your particular model from the list and all the speed profiles

 

(scale running) are already there for you as well as the know maximum speed. They have also pre-programmed the lowest shunting speed you can get away with, based on the motor, wheels etc. going over Hornby's own track system.

 

There is a 'default' speed

 

profile when using any other non-listed loco and it seems to work pretty well at scale speed - much better than non-scale running.

 

If you switch off scale speed operation you should certainly get exactly the same top speeds when controlling the loco

 

from RailMaster as you would from the Elite directly as there is no scale speed translation going on. If you do not then something else very fundamental is wrong. I would ensure the following:-

 

1. The Elite is set to Standard mode

2. It is running

 

firmware 1.3 or later

3. You use a shielded USB cable as short as you can get away with

3. Your Com port is below 5 (force it if necessary in control panel)

 

If you DO use scale speeds then NEVER choose a Hornby loco from the list if you have another

 

manufacturer's loco of the same type. You'll have noticed that there are about 20 Hornby "Flying Scotsman" locos alone. This is because over the years Hornby have made many, all with different motor/gearing characteristics and so they are all profiled differently

 

to maintain the same scale speeds.

 

When I put the Blue Pullman in, for example, I created a brand new loco (didn't choose one from the list) and set the cruising speed (normal main line speed) to 90mph and shunting speed to 20mph. It works very nicely.

 

Another

 

minor but important note is, if you do use scale speed (which you really should) set the scale correctly in settings. If you have a OO layout but have selected N within settings then all locos will run at half their normal speed (OO being 1:76 scale and N

 

1:148).

 

I think the scale speed operation is a good idea and should be used. It limits the maximum speed of locos to a more realistic speed (for example out of the box the Hornby 08 shunter does a scale speed of about 65MPH, whereas in real life it

 

can't go beyond 15!) and it also uses far less power, thus allowing the Elite to control many more locos at the same time.

 

I hope that all helps.

 

[Bigric2]

LMSTim said:

I too have the new Blue Pullman (although without sound - just the standard model) and it runs very well from RailMaster.

Adding Hornby's own locos is a breeze because you just select your particular model from the list

and all the speed profiles (scale running) are already there for you as well as the know maximum speed. They have also pre-programmed the lowest shunting speed you can get away with, based on the motor, wheels etc. going over Hornby's own track system.

There

is a 'default' speed profile when using any other non-listed loco and it seems to work pretty well at scale speed - much better than non-scale running.

If you switch off scale speed operation you should certainly get exactly the same top speeds when

controlling the loco from RailMaster as you would from the Elite directly as there is no scale speed translation going on. If you do not then something else very fundamental is wrong. I would ensure the following:-

1. The Elite is set to Standard mode
2.

It is running firmware 1.3 or later
3. You use a shielded USB cable as short as you can get away with
3. Your Com port is below 5 (force it if necessary in control panel)

If you DO use scale speeds then NEVER choose a Hornby loco from the list

if you have another manufacturer's loco of the same type. You'll have noticed that there are about 20 Hornby "Flying Scotsman" locos alone. This is because over the years Hornby have made many, all with different motor/gearing characteristics and so they are

all profiled differently to maintain the same scale speeds.

When I put the Blue Pullman in, for example, I created a brand new loco (didn't choose one from the list) and set the cruising speed (normal main line speed) to 90mph and shunting speed to

20mph. It works very nicely.

Another minor but important note is, if you do use scale speed (which you really should) set the scale correctly in settings. If you have a OO layout but have selected N within settings then all locos will run at half their

normal speed (OO being 1:76 scale and N 1:148).

I think the scale speed operation is a good idea and should be used. It limits the maximum speed of locos to a more realistic speed (for example out of the box the Hornby 08 shunter does a scale speed

of about 65MPH, whereas in real life it can't go beyond 15!) and it also uses far less power, thus allowing the Elite to control many more locos at the same time.

I hope that all helps.

[Bigric2]

Tim - great , thanks VERY MUCH for the detailed reply ! One or two things : first , the answers to your 4 questions are all YES . Second , I must admit I have been using in-built Hornby loco info as a basis for my n gauge loco profiles which may well explain

 

why I've had some problems !! The point you make about a mismatch of running characteristics , & starting each one from scratch hadn't occurred to me at all ! Also , thanks for the point about scale speeds . Anyway , as soon as I get chance it's back in the

 

shed & I'll try again . I have some low-grade domestic stuff to sort out first - will let you know how I get on over the next 2 or 3 days .

While I'm "on the phone" , could I be a pain & ask for your advice about summat else ?? Route setting - with the

 

ZTC you just pressed a certain sequence of buttons including the point numbers , & when called up on that particular route number the points all changed one after another . Now I'm assuming that's what happens with Railmaster BUT after studying the bumph at

 

length I just don't understand what you have to do !! All the points are motorised , all linked to accessory decoders , all can be changed via the track plan on R/M , that all works fine . It's just the actual route setting process I can't fathom out . Any

 

advice would be gratefully received !! Thanks again , Ric

[Lloyd-1216600]

I found the following web-site which includes

a scale speed calculator (I didn't check the maths and assume it is OK). http://home.cogeco.ca/~trains/rroperat.htm

That link seems to be broken now, instead try https://bigbluetrains.com/archive/index.php?thread-416.html