renard80 Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Please help a 73-year-old help a 14-year-old! He is very computer savvy, but even he is stumped by the Railmaster (Elink) setup. We have managed to get the DCC controller showing as "active" and installed two brand new DCC locos. The locos show at the right of the screen, but they simply will not respond to commands (forward / reverse). We have collectively spent upwards of 24 solid hours, searching the net, tearing out our hair,seeking a solution. But all we find is people saying "It's easy, all you have to do is install it and it works!" Well, folks, it doesn't! PLEASE can anyone help a boy and his grandad who are bitterly disappointed that his birthday gift is causing so much disappointment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 That was me posted the above. For some reason the site logged me out then still posted my reply but anonymously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renard80 Posted June 8, 2014 Author Share Posted June 8, 2014 very many thanks for your quick and helpful reply.Everything was indeed set up as suggested in your first paragraphs. Incidentally, I don't have the Western Master - I bought the boxed Elink.Following your advice, the breakthrough was realising that the factory setting is always 003, also that the locos need programming via the programme terminals.Having entered 003 for the first loco, it now runs!However, where I am now stumped is "changing the address". Do you mean what Railmaster calls the ID? I assume the logical thing would be to call them 001, 002 etc.Unfortunately, I can't find instructions for this process in the manual.Please can you help - perhaps by simply pointing me towards the manual page number? I am extremely grateful for your time and trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 That was me posted the above. Getting logged out while you are typing long replies is getting really annoying, particularly given the complication now of logging back in!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augustus Caesar Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Hi Fishmanoz... try copying the text you're typing before it logs you out and move to another page... jump back to original page and paste text. Done! Awful way around this logging out fiasco but it works. I'm sure you're aware of this anyway but just in case....BTW... Firefox is not allowed to copy and paste so see my post, anyone, who is trying to do this with their texts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Even though you get logged out AC, it still accepts the post, although anonymously, so no copy and paste necessary. I suppose we might put our names in the post itself to solve the problem, at least for long replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renard80 Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 Fishmanoz, I am extremely grateful to you for taking me by the hand and guiding me through a previously baffling process.As is so often the case, once you have done something - and more importantly, understand what you have done, and why - matters fall into place and everything appears simple.But I got precious little help from the manual. Like so many of these things, it seems to have been compiled by aliens from the planet Tharg. When will manual authors remember that they are writing for the uninitiated, people who need simple, jargon-free guidance in words of one syllable and in a logical sequence?For example, how the heck is the average bloke supposed to know what a CV is? And what 'reading and writing CVs' means? I always understood a CV to be something you needed when applying for a job!Hornby market Elink as suitable for 8 years old. I pity any harassed parent who buys this for their 8-year-old and then tries to make sense of it!Incidentally, before buying Elink for my grandson I asked several merchants whether it would simply connect to his analogue layout without needing anything more. All replied "Yes, just plug it into his analogue track, no need to buy anything else." Which is why a very disappointed boy had to wait three days after his birthday before we could purchase a DCC track connection . . . Even then his locos wouldn't run, hence my post.OK, I sense the scoffs of the computer-literates out there, so I will end my rant with another heartfelt 'thank you' to Fishmanoz for saving my sanity. People like you who selfishly help dumb-dumbs like me are pure gold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renard80 Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 Sorry, my last sentence above should of course read "unselfishly". I wanted to edit it, but can't find an Edit button! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 A couple more things renard. First, it is easy to turn a DC power track into a DCC one - just flip open the little black cover between the tracks and remove the capacitor you find there. You can find full instructions with pictures on how to do this in RM Help window Latest News button and scroll down to find it. Second, you also need to install 2 DCC point clips to each of your DC layout points to ensure power is distributed to the entire layout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renard80 Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 Thanks for that.My grandson wants to keep his original power track for use with analogue trains. And he has already installed the points clips, but thanks anyway for the tip.(It was yet another disappointment for him to discover that it will cost around £20 to convert each set of points to DCC!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Renard 80, there is a misunderstanding here, it will not cost £20 to convert your points, its 20 PENCE, PER CLIP,AT MOST. To motor up dc or dcc points are the same price, and the motors are about £5, john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renard80 Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 Many thanks for that info, John. It was our local Hornby stockist who told us it would cost around £20 to motorise each set of DCC points!My grandson has already inserted the little clips for DCC.(Apologies for not replying sooner to your post. I have been away.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Renard 80, hi, there is a liverpool shop that sells hornby point motors for £5 each, just bought 9. Same price for DC or DCC, , john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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