Huwsie

Something is causing upset with the motorised valve, causing it to make uncommanded movements. This can be dirty track / poor track connections causing voltage drop or other 'noise' that is interfering with the control for the motorised valve. I'd put my money on the track. If you're running live steam, then ideally every piece of track needs to have a jump lead supplying power. You can't rely on the rail joiners or the point contacts to do this for live steam, unfortunately - however once you have done this, running will vastly improve across all aspects - whether you continue to run live steam or also use your layout for DCC so your efforts will be rewarded.

OK Thanks. Obviously I'm mistaken. I'll do as you have stated once I've got the videos uploaded somewhere. Thank you again.

Hello Bexhill Donkey. Don't ever sell it!! I will recommend though that you get a 'Live-Drive' unit from the OO LS Club - not sure if they are still available off the shelf, but it's what you need. With this unit, I have the confidence, and actually do, bring LS Trains into a terminus station, where I'm able to stop, where planned +/- two inches each way. I would fill the loco and service it's needs, switch it on, operate it and enjoy it until the water starts to run low (experience has taught me when this is) and then bring it into the terminus and switch off, allowing it to cool. From there, through a complicated isolation track / switches (which I do not recommend). I could then bring in a DCC shunter / loco to take the coaches to the coach yard, or out on the next train, and by that time with a cup of tea included, the LS train was cool enough to handle / fill / turn around ready for the next trip. I'v not been on this website for some time and it looks like the ability to load video may have gone away (or someone please advise me differently). I will eventually load them onto a youtube channel because it really is outstanding to see these models running, when they are running as they were always intended.

It's a shame. A model I was so looking forward to, but now I've cancelled my order because the complaints that are being made are consistent and mostly backed up with video on other websites, and I fear that I would just get someone else's troubled return.. I can't see models that are returned faulty being taken out of circulation / dis-assembled for much needed spares, as they indeed should be.

1973 I was in comprehensive school, then in 1977 I was selected from 350 applicants for one of 10 apprenticeships being offered by British Airways. I had applied to 27 different companies for an engineering / mechanical apprenticeship, and the rest is history. Now strangely enough, in 1979 I had a Magnum Estate with that same 2.3 Engine. That went like a rocket but OMG.. by far the most unreliable car that I ever went on to own until I bought a Dodge Durango in my Dubai years, but going back I also went to a Cavalier next, it was a 2.0L and turned out to be the most reliable car that I have ever owned. It managed 173,000 without any engine work, and I sold it to a neighbour at 199,000 miles. It eventually made it to the scrap yard due to rust of course, at 245,000 miles! I remember that I had a problem with the Propshaft on the Magnum, the centre bearing rubber support perished and Vauxhall's remedy was a complete new propshaft. Long story, but I eventually managed to get a new bearing assembly from GKN, who were making the propshafts for Vauxhall, but sold the car on before I ever got to change it, and then about 5 years ago I came across that bearing, still boxed and unused. I put it on ebay and within hours some guy was at the door buying it... he's retoring a Magnum and this was a key part that he simply couldn't get! - It was probably the most pleasurable day of ever owning that Magnum, seeing this guy so happy that he'd found his 'holy grail'. I'm now currenty restoring a 1977 VW Golf that I found in a field near Stavourouni Mountain!... but if a Magnum ever came along, I'd love to own one again.

I have installed a smoke unit well inside one of the tunnels, and when it's running as each train exits the tunnel it brings with it a haze of smoke... diesel or steam train, it's a good effect because of course the rain diffuses the smoke on it's way through the tunnel and drags it out a s a haze. I've had no sucess with smoke units installed in trains, so this was a way to utilize what I had laying around.

Hello Sussex Vic, I'm in the process of acquiring a collection of O Guage for a garden railway that I have planned, so needless to say I could be interested in at least some of the collection. Now I'm not sure how this would sit with forum rules - may be deemed as advertising and not allowed, however if everyone is cool with this, if a moderator could share my contact details with you, or advise you how to get my contact details, that would be great. My apologies in advance if this is not within forum rules / guidelines.

Hi Colin, I take your very valid point, but I'm talking more timber-built out-house type 'shed' that will be properly insulated and very secure. I'm due to build one myself for another purpose in 2020. I will document and picture the build process, and if it's a success I will most likely publish it on this website with plans and costs. I wouldn't advise anyone to put their model trains in an ordinary shed type building that comes as a flat-pack from most DIY outlets. These have a ZERO security rating and are intended to merely keep your possessions partly protected from the elements. One point on security for everyone though - the less that's known about the location and value of a layout, the safer your collection will be. Thefts of model railway collections are always specifically targeted, based on 'lose-lips' knowledge... which start as innocent comments, but end up in the wrong places. Opportunist thieves will rarely want to take anything from a model railway - too hard to pack / carry / uncertain of values ..and never store original boxes with / near your layout, becasue of course without the box, it's even more difficult to transport a model train and the resale value will be significantly less....

I did this once. It was a fantastic layout, but, as others have said already, extremely hot and then extremely cold. I also found that when it was windy there was a lot of rockwool insulation dust in the air which was an irritant and made me cough... horrible stuff. Also consider your status in the current house, because if you have to, or plan to move anytime soon, this is of course not moveable - at all. Maybe consider a good quality secure shed if you have the room? by the time you board out and then insulate an attic, and install a ladder, lighting, power.... a good shed may be equal cost and just easier... I also got fed-up of banging my head in the attic!

The Western was probably my favorite Locomotive. The current Heljan and Dapol models would be an extremely hard act to follow IMHO, and why would anyone else even try? it would be difficult to get a return on that investment becasue everyone that wants / wanted one probably has one by now - the surge to own a Western from people of my generation has passed. I have one with sound, here in the foreground, weathered, and whereas TTS is good, this sound is outstanding. All the Westerns in the Depot on this day - Western Heaven 😀 /media/tinymce_upload/fb4eb8a3154bd9166ce69c1481c87512.jpg

Quite right as well. Very sensible policy. My parents and granparents all has access to fizzy sugar drinks, and none of them are alive now.. they all passed away in their 80's and 90's.

Thanks Chris. I appreciate your research and advice.

Ken - you amaze me... I think you amaze us all!

Hello All, I'm trying to set up a SPROG DCC interface using a MacBook tat has Mac OS MOJAVE. The setup for the SPROG has brough me here, and I've no idea what these mean, yet alone which one to select. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated in this, and any other aspects of the setup that you know I will come to once I pass this page. Thanks. /media/tinymce_upload/c59128676f8faee148b3ef752569760d.JPG

Does anyone have any experiences of the Rapido Trains APT-E Model? I see that Charlie at Chadwick Model Railway has one on review on youtube and he seems pleased with it, but it's an expensive model, even without sound.

Just another suggestion - The Live Steam Club display at many model railway shows, and they have a 'bring your loco along' .. They can most probably help you out and give some guidance on how to keep yopur models running nicely. Either way - please let Gowest or the LSC get you models running again... and in the unlikely (impossible!) event that both these options fail, I'll be happy to take a look at them for you.

I was just curious about the 8H22 now that the subject has been raised. In reality it could have read 'EGGS' or anything else - I would still have enjoyed that train as much back then.. 🤐 Brilliant memories.

I remember my Triang Class 37 as 8H22.. ? (still got it, still works, still looks like new despite being used daily when I was younger..

At this point I have to stand up in defence of Planes TV. He's spot on with owners that bought, set-up, crashed, packed away - I was one of them. I later revived the set onto a new dedicated layout that I built, but that had limited sucess so, yes, once again the model was in storage, right uo until I saw the OOLS club operate their models with what seemed like a modified controller... I enquired, and bought one of their controllers, and this put the models into a whole different perspective. I can now confidently run trains into a terminus station... I wouldn't have dreamed of that before.. So now, particularly when the weather gets cold (in Cyprus) so that the steam becomes more pronounced, I remove all my trains from my layout, disconnect the DCC controller, connect the Live Steam, and away we go.. in fact there's pictures on this website somewhere of my LSFS in action.. It's a fantastic system, but, as stated here, it's very unique and certainly not for everyone due to many factors, including not having adequate space for a suitable layout. The models are also very maintenance active.. meaning that they need a lot of care and 'know how', for which the OOLS Club is very supportive. I can certainly declare that I'm running these OOLS models very successfully, and very enjoyably, and if there's ever going to be a OOLS 9F.... here's your very first order. I also agree that for fewer orders / lower production there has to be a higher price, but yes, for something as unique as OOLS, I'm happy to treat myself, because I've certainly lost the appetite for £200 + DCC ready locomotives...

Hi Rob. I am completely abashed to hear you, of all people say: "but unless you can specifically check the mix of each and every batch of metal made in possibly some back street workshop that supports the main factory".....? Coming from the industry that both you and I are / were in, I would have thought that even model train factories have supplier quality standards, and that each and every batch of everything would need to be in compliance with at least a minimum standard. So my thoughts now are - was this a quality lapse that has since been addressed, or is it just 'pot-luck' wether you get a train with good, or bad metal? - I am rather hoping that the former is the case. These are after all, not low quality products. One would (reasonably??) expect the quality to extend from the user's rails, right back to the supply chain of all the materials used to produce it. In the words of every EU debate recently: Please clarify your position on this? 😆

I too have seen these couplers in action and I was so impressed that it went on my 'to do' list. So, for someone starting out on this project - I see there are several, how does one determine what length couplers are needed for what - or is it personal preference for how close you want to couple?? Any guidance on this would be appreciated. Thanks.

If I was there, it wouldn't be the first (or ideed second, third, fourth..) time i had emptied a skip to recover items that I saw value in...

I still have the three locos I started with back when I was seven years old... two of them still run!

56, but I also have a son modelling N. He's 27.