Nictor

Thanks. Sorta backs up what I found on some old pages found via google. 'Hot' and Metcalf 'Cardboard' - not a good combination methinks!

I have an old Hornby Select. On startup, the sequence is 12, 30, 03. I believe there have been several newer versions of the firmware since I purchased it. I use it mainly on my Hornby rolling road and for secondary use. I have an Elite version 4.3 on my layout. I heard that Hornby offer an upgrade service, do they still do that and how much do they charge?

Thanks, that's what I suspected.

Not hot. It's an LED I think. Been on for several hours now. Checked the documentation but that's just the standard Hall Class operating and maintenance instructions and the TTS manual is for the Class b4900 Hall. No mention of Harry Potter in either. Suspect its the original lamp DC wiring of the earlier Potter loco and they were too lazy to make the minor adjustment for DCC.

Nope. Stays on in reverse. Function 0 and function 18 nothing.

Bought the latest Harry Potter Hall loco. TTS sound. Happy with it bar one thing. The headlight is always on. Is this just mine or are they all like that. I'd have thought it would operate off the DCC chip but mine does not, its always on.

Bought A Hornby Hornby R3460TTS Late BR Fowler locomotive class 4F a few years ago. Never used it as I am still building layout. Got it out to give a test run on my Hornby rolling road and found that it had traction tyres on the centre wheels one of which was loose. First time I have come across these. Nothing in the instructions about them and I could not 'poke' it back on the wheel. Had to remove a base plate and the wheelset dropped out. Easy to fix the tyre but when I re-assembled it the loco would not run. TTS sound was fine but no motion. Did another wheel removal and refitted but still no go - literally. Returned it to Hornby Service dept, told them it was well out of warranty, thought I'd bought it new but could not remember where from. Just received it back today. Working fine and a slip of paper to say re-fitted wheels, adjusted contacts, tested ok. Free of charge. Just tried it on the RR, works fine, very happy. Thank you, Hornby.

Just received my Hornby Harry Potter TTS Hogwarts Express. Boy was it a problem getting the outer cardboard sleeve off. I didn't want to rear it but inevitably ended up with a couple of small tears. Shame. What the hell did they do - shrink wrap it on! Anybody else had this stupid problem with the outer sleeves.

...for british stuff???

Sad and they wonder why kids are no longer interested! A little loco going round a circle of track will hold interest for all of five minutes. Even the post Xmas glut of starter sets on eBay has gone! This is the IT age, we should have chipped wagons and coaches that auto uncouple or at least couplings that respond to a DCC track signal, accessories that are DCC fitted and designed for that and so on, same for signals. What do they have, stuff that dates back to the dawn of Triang, switches have not changed, mail coach still the same, turntable and so on. Lyddle end gone, live steam gone, lighting gone and so on. The 'B' manufacturer steaming forward on all fronts and now into O gauge and narrow gauge and with a damn good collectors club and interesting themed train packs..

Interesting. I have just bought one to convert but I have a question for Hornby. Why on earth have you not made a few alterations and made it DCC ready? Is it not time for a major upgrade to you accessories some of which date back to the Dublo era. I am in my sixties and this turntable had been around for a bit when I was a lad!