james_harper

I have to thank all of those who have so extensively and, to me, quite overwhelmingly responded to my quandry. I was ready to remove a R8249 from another loco and try fitting in into the Class 50. First, I again checked that all was fitted securely, it was, but noted again that, when meddling, there was a bit of a flicker on the red tail lights. Carrying on regardless, I removed the plug, rotated it 180 and found that the problem remained, no change. When re-inserting the plug, I wondered if even though it was secure, I forced it more than I was happy with (What's to lose?) and more than I have done on other occassions, there remained something amiss. For whatever reason, my amateur take on it was that inserting as normal and/or also forcing it down too much was causing the plug to be twisted/unstable within the socket. So, I thought, very carefully, remove the plug from the socket and re-insert the pins but only by about two-thirds of the way down. I wasn't happy, didn't think it was the thing to do, but it has worked. The lights are finally working as they should but for how long? I'd still like to go TTS with this model but I suspect that caution should trump valour and I'll move on and see what other diesels I can adapt. I'm lucky to have quite a few more DCC Ready models to adapt and enjoy but I'll try and keep it simple. I hope that I haven't taken too much of other peoples' time on this and that its not being entirely seen as a spurious waste of time. I'm delighted that the Class 50 is running as it should and I've certainly learned a few things from this. Thanks again everyone.

Thanks LMSFan72. Apologies for my delayed response, due to a family Sunday. I never thought to set f0, always been fitting to steam locos without lights, never been an issue, so only now relevant for me. For the record, the board number is 1621-X009R1. I checked for connections, all seem OK except the forward moving red tail lights flickered if the cables are touched even gently, so I've re-taped things in position. I think it's a dodgy cable connection on the R8249. Setting f0 On - Forward, 2 white headlights & 2 red tail lights; Reverse, 4 white headlights & 4 red tail lights. Setting f0 Off - Forward, 2 white headlights & 2 red tail lights; Reverse, same lights as Forward but loco going in wrong direction to lights. I think this is where we started from. Unless there's a miraculous quick fix, which I doubt, I'm considering swapping the R8249 for a, Christmas present to me, R8123 TTS and use the R8249 in another steam loco with no lights. Presumably there might still be an issue with the Class 50's lighting if the problem is on the existing PCB but we're now at the limit of my skillset as it is. I also need to be very careful with the R8249 if I put it in another loco and see how that goes. Any further comments, observations, guidance and directions are very welcome. Thanks again.

I have a very nice R2428 BR Co-Co Diesel Electric Class 50 Locomotive "Illustrious". Prior to fitting the R8249, when the loco was on track and asked to move via any controller, two white headlights and two red marker lights were always lit, at both the front and rear ends at the same time. So, a total of eights lights were lit. I thought, well that's just how it is, maybe going digital will sort that out. As with other locos, going digital seems to make the motor run just that wee bit smoother, this Class 50 is now running very nicely, maybe fooling myself. I fitted a R8249 Decoder. I'm using a Select controller, the two forward white headlights and two red rear lights are always on and that's fine. However; even if I'm reversing the loco, the same lights are illuminated, ignoring the fact that the loco is in reverse. As all of the eight lights did work, shouldn't they now operate in accordance with the direction of travel when reversing? I've fitted a few R8249 decoders before but they were to model steam trains with no lights, so this was never an issue. I was hoping to add more R8249 decoders to several Hornby, Bachmann and Dapol DCC Ready diesal locos but this has me a bit flummoxed. Would somebody point me in the right direction here please, maybe I'm simplifying matters or not understanding something. Either of these and/or other factors may very well be the case. Thanks.

Rob, I've got a 15 30 03 start-up. I vaguly remember getting this version installed a while back. Presumably without Version 1.6 I'm missing out on the CV's and overload protection (Yes, the latter would be very useful). Although I tend to use my Digitrax DCS51 controller if I'm trying to alter CV's. It's rarely that I look to change CV's as I've found it to be a reliable source of regret if I try to meddle too much. Perhaps tomorrow I'll try and write a new decoder address to the TTS we've been discussing in this post as my Select failed to do that earlier today. I'll sleep on it but will probably get the Select checked over and updated. I'd like to but can't justify upgrading to an Elite when I've got a load of DCC conversions, restarting a new layout board and planning another home move to get on with. Thanks again, hope you have a great weekend. Jim

Rob, I've downloaded your excellent TTS document with descriptions and illustrations; sure I'll be visiting it many times from now on. Colin, My Duchesss now sounds like a Black 5. Getting the speaker to fit underneath the weight was proving to be too difficult, most likely that I'd dislodge some cabling, which was always the nightmare waiting to happen. I sat the decoder over the socket with some tape under the decoder, lots of tape around the edges of the decoder and speaker to secure them both to the plastic mountings, leaving the top of the decoder uncovered for breathing. The loco and tender now move and, to a novice like me, sounds grand, much like my pre-fitted TTS models. No doubt I've taken some long winded and unadviseable short-cuts but lets see. I had wished for but didn't realise that you could buy new tender bottoms, that sounds like a way to go in future. Like much in life, it's all in the planning. I've ordered an 8-pin chip, Hornby version, to get the Black 5 digital. Can buy them cheaper but not certain to work with a Select. Much like bread that may not work with raspberry jam, buy different bread. If all goes well this weekend then I'll call it a win. That said, after a cooling-off period, I'm looking forward to some much better planned TTS conversions. Now to also consider connecting an analogue and a separate DCC controller to my track at the same time, another quandry.... Thanks again, Jim

To RAF96 & Colin. Thanks agan for your unput. I opended the loco last night, a bit tight for my clumsy hands, terrified of what damage I could do, I think it's the vacuum pipes that are exposed to me wrecking. I think that I'll add a basic decoder and look around my models for a suitable tender to put the TTS chip and speaker in. Probably a horror to some but I opened up an old R3015 Princess Royal Class last night to get it digital and who knows. It's supposed to be sound ready but I think it still needs some thinking to get the speaker fitted. Thanks again.

I want to say how grateful I am for all of the excellent responses. On the plus side, ColinB's advice was spot on, I had the one screw to remove, a bit of a wobble and the body slid off. Sadly, there are no provisions for anything to be seen. Just a couple of cables coming from a metal plate at the coupling post down to the middle wheels. The MS that RAF96 posted shows what I wanted to have seen i.e. an internal set-up for TTS installation. Seems that the model I have only suits a possible replacement of the PCB in the loco to allow the "DCC Ready" model to go digital. Maybe with help, at a later date, I'll be able to master the workings of a soldering iron without burning myself too often to be able to hard wire extensions to the speaker cables and allow locating the speaker inside the tender. It's been a very good learning curve. Next time, I'll be opening the loco and tender and see what's inside first. I've been very lucky to pick-up a good few models, at very good prices, from a friend who's father passed away a couple of years back and left loads of models for me to appreciate and enjoy. I'll now focus on the more simple DCC conversions and run my factory fitted TTS models alongside. I now have so many models and I think that some will stay analogue, just as my friend's dad preferred, but running off a Hornby DC controller. Thanks again for all your comments and guidance. Jim

I'm trying to add an R8114 TTS Decoder Black 5 Class to the R2686A loco but find it impossible to remove the body of the Tender. The few screws on the underside only seem to serve to take the wheels off the chassis and I think the chassis removal but offer no help in getting he body off. Bending, squeezing and prising at the edges of the body only seem to cause damage so don't want to continue. A call to Hornby Hornby Customer Care didn't give any help. I had wanted to make the loco DCC, TTS would have been an added bonus. Is the R2686A just not compatible with adding the R8114? I had wanted to convert a few models to DCC but my novice enthusiasm has taken a big dent with what seems Mission Impossible. Help and guidance please.