LMSFan72

Oh well, just an idea! Although, given the space in the A4 how about wiring a cheap thin cd motor to the TTS and having it installed in the tender doing nothing other than spinning and a regular decoder chip in the loco.... i know you're probably getting on towards £20 above a TTS but the experimenter in me feels like giving it a try!

Here is an idea. The TTS decoder will operate sounds without being attached to a motor. Therefore it might be possible to use a different decoder to drive the motor and configure the speed setting CVs of that decoder to match the sounds coming from the TTS. This would need both decoders to have the same address and both wired to the pickups but only the non-TTS wired to the motor...

Modifying a LWB tender to the increased capacity as pulled by British India Line in preservation. Originally I though the SWB was the right one (Background) but then realised it was the longer wheel base modified.....Had to cut the top off a spare tender top to use to extend the bunker top of the regular LWB tender. Joined, filled and painted so far.... Resprayed above the lining - pretty close, so will see if I can live with it. /media/tinymce_upload/464e6dc891bbc5ac4acd7b6fd1353e23.jpg

My conversion of my Class 50s.... I already had Defiance and Hercules/Neptune modelled in 2018 livery but had to have the new GBRf versions too. So, 2 more auction site locos and GBRf Defiance starting to take shape, with Hercules/Warspite to follow.. All need the buffer beam detailing completing /media/tinymce_upload/29016cc2f579546509d5e23c23362257.jpg

I may be wrong but if you are using railmaster to control your locos you may be able to produce the effect by using one of the function buttons programmed with its macro capability to do it. I haven’t used railmaster in a long while but I recall you being able to add different keystrokes when labelling the button. If so, I would the connections as above and then program the button that turns on the firebox light to then call the sound function. That way you get the effext of opening the door and then a slight delay to hearing the sound...Someone more familiar with Railmaster may be able to confirm

I have what appears to be the identical set - from the box artwork and the controller - and mine is a 5-pole tender drive. It's actually a terrific runner.

I’m not familiar with the model but I always remove as much as I can. If it doesn’t look like it comes apart easily then I mask. i can’t help with the lights unless you can point to some pictures, but, it really depends on how skilled you are and how the original lights are fitted.

I found that the network rail yellow allowed the colour through. Just a light coat of white Halfords primer will even the background out

I did a new measurement train with them once. I found I ended up prepping as though I were doing a full repaint. I removed the window surrounds, primed the body, filled any windows that needed blanking, etc. The vinyls were really just the top coat. You can not do any of that but close up will look imperfect. It may be worth a coat of gloss varnish to help adhesion

I think 10 class is asking if the older br era red ones were ever shown rather than the yellow modern era. The attached link shows the flashes by Alan Peglar’s feet! I would assume they were carried at the end or BR service. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-43755611

OK, final post on this I think. It was a simpler mod to the board as the trace from NEM652 pin 7 (picture pin 4) doesn't need ot be cut if I cut the trace on the top of the board to ST2 pin 2. 2 schematics updated. The original board but with the trace showing the path closer to route on the actual board and then the revised modified schematic. Simply 1 cut of the trace and, 3 resistors removed, 1 link with resistor added and light board terminationns on ST2 switched/removed: Original END1 /media/tinymce_upload/94b5525f3a387169c22862fad13173a1.png Modified END1 /media/tinymce_upload/43a5631ebc7cefbd60199150ae343d8d.png

That's exactly what I meant Chris! Schematic is now up

The additional ST connectors are just to show where the solder pads from removed resistors are. A new resistor, R13, possible of 1K ohm will be soldered to a pad at one end and glued in posiiton with a wire to the other (I may drill through the board to help secure the "free" leg). /media/tinymce_upload/0274b0b8c5272e7ca3bc2206ff04afa3.png

So, the simplest modification to reach my goal, is: 1. Remove R10 and R11 so that the headlight and headcode on End 2 are open circuit (I could simply detach the +ve connections at ST1 but I will re-use one of those) 2. Cut the track (blue wire) between C2 and NEM652 pin 3 (my schemantic pin5) 3. Remove R9 to create a break in the positive feed to End1 4. Solder a jumper wire between NEM652 pin3 and the End1 side pad where R9 used to be to create the positive feed to the tail light 5. Solder a jumper with between the currently unused NEM652 pin - for the aux function - and the resistor of the correct value that I will then solder back to the solder pad at the ST1 end for R11 and switch the wire from the tail lights -ve to ST2 pin 5 I will upload a schematic!

Thank you Chris, that's exactly the sort of explanation I was hoping for, and, confirms what I was thinking. It's going to be pretty difficult to interupt the transistor circuits to feed with the extra function, so, I may have to cut the board "upstream" of the resistors on the positive feeds. However, I expect that this will leave the brightness with an imbalance to the other end as I would expect the resistors around the transistor circuits will reduce the overall current, so, perhaps trial and error to increase the resistor value.

Thanks very much Chris, tht is a really helpful analysis. I just checked my others. I do seem to have 3 of these boards. It’s very lucky that I hadn’t put the decoders in them yet! The one that I did use I had already built a custom circuit for without checking the original.

Thanks all. The limitation of using a library symbol for the socket is responsible for the pin numbering. I have colour coded the output wires to reflect the NEM652 standard. The light boards are definitely wired common negative and the transistors are used to switch the positive feeds to the lights with the negative outputs from the decoder. My question is really 2 fold: 1. Am I correct in my determination that the board as drawn has a trace fault that means the lights cannot function in the as built standard model? 2. I’d like to know the interaction between the different transistors at a more technical level. It’s a very complex circuit consideing it only has the 2 light functions on it! I am veering toward just stripping the components and using the mounting pads to link just the components I need under DCC - and cutting the traces I don’t.

Other board layout: /media/tinymce_upload/c3f504646795fdbcdaebca86d180d4ec.png

I know I have missed the track connections from ST2 back to the socket. I have also now traced a second board, 1621-X009R1, and I will be uploading that image .....

Well, I was planning a little modification to the lighting circuit so that I have one end with directional lighting and one end with a switchable non-directional tail light. This would mean I could operate the lighting with a TTS decoder such that: 1. Top or tail a train with no carriage end light 2. Have the loco parked with both tail lights on 3. Be able to run light with a head and tail light showing Now, I have 4 different models and they have 3 different circuit boards! I thought I'd do this modification to the 2 I have that are the same, board 1621-X001R6. My plan is to identify the right place in the circuit to interrupt the tracks for F0f and F0r (pins 3 and 6 on J1) and wire the aux function pin 5 to the correct track for the second end tail light. Therefore, I have traced the circuit and identified the components to the best of my ability. However, I am not sure the circuit makes sense to me! I seem to recall reading about some main boards that were wired wrongly, and, I wonder if this is one of them. I might try to trace the other versions for comparison, but, I thought I'd ask the electronic experts! The main area I see an issue with is the common blue +ve connection to the decoder. Pin 4 of the socket (J1) seems to connect directly to terminal 2 of the end connections (ST1 and ST2). However, terminal 2 of the end connections connects to the common -ve of the lightboards, and that doesn't compute to me!! /media/tinymce_upload/5770eaf0351c5baf3962d61af9f96847.png I'd be very pleased if anyone can help/confirm/point the error of my ways! Many Thanks, Andy

I think OP is just after the plan. There isn‘t a track mat for it. Searching Amazon for ”Jadlam HL12“ let’s you view the images including a reasonable picture of the track plan. Although the track piece numbers aren’t really legible I am pretty sure it can be worked out from that.

Hi Ard Lochan I think you would need the small parts pack. On the 2 A4 service sheets I have this is X9333. I found an incomplete pack on eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/hornby-small-parts-pack-incomplete/223538006308?hash=item340be74924:g:rMsAAOSwxFVcKQSY I cannot be sure if it is the right one but there may well be a screw that works. Best wishes

Hi Cliff, I have/had 6 of these super detailed class 08s from the XS with the Loksound 21-pin chip through just DCC ready right through to the factory TTS fitted. All mine have been basically the same. The XS just had a different socket mount but in the same place. I have just added TTS to the Network Rail shunter and it all is very straightforward as Tst says. The speaker slots in behind the radiator and in front of the moulded screw receptacles. The decoder, if you orientate it flat (maybe a dot of blu tack to keep it that way as the body goes on) sits in top of the motor between the radiator and socket. Some sort of elecrical insulation (tape on the motor top?) is advised.

M-R, my day job is nothing to do with hobbies, model railways, toys,... but it is to do with surplus stock. Mainly new items that the last owner didn't use and that other people need now. If we substitute "need" for "want" and recognise that "want" in the consumer world is getting more and more like "need" in the commercial world (people with less home/family/down time in today's efficient business envionment value time in their hobbies/interests) we can draw parallels. I hope this doesn't come across as a lecturing because I am honestly trying to relay an apporach that seems to work - but a forum is a tough environement to do it in! There are some really good points in this thread, from what to expect in building a business to what to do about marketing. The reality is it takes time, but during that time we have to work out what we want to focus on. There are some mainstays that I have always followed that are pointed out or alluded to above, but, that I will state in one place: - Know your Customer - Know their behaviour and their channel - Know your competitor for their business The other key thing when we talk about "need" - stock is king, relaible delivery counts, but make sure it's correct. If you get those things understood and addressed any business is viable. Price becomes interesting but less important. Particular if there is not a great deal of "hard" cost in it - think hard about if you need to make a margin on what it cost you - or is customer acquisition, or cash, king... Let's consider the Customer: is it the enthusiast who had their collection from young and therefore are inherently wedded to it; is it the next generation that wants to re-live memories with the collection but may discard for something newer if it's too difficult to maintain; is it the person who has decided to get into something new with a cheap buy... it may be all of them, but, how will they find you. Channel to the market is key.,, and affordablility may be to some and not others. What are they trying to find - do they have a description or a part number or a loco only. How do you help both of you determine the real need? Are you serving a global customer base or a very local one? How do you help things get there reliably and fast? Are there existing channels out there that you can share - does it matter if they take a fee or not? Are your Customers going to have repeat needs or is it all very infrequent - do you need them to know you or can you piggy back a broader marketplace? Can you transition from the broader marketplace to a relationship business? There are many answers to all of this and the answers aren't easy, but, if you have stock and want to sell if for a decent income then working your way through thoughts like this - if only to try out an initial test/idea - are what I would do. I truly hope that helps.

D213 Class 40 Andania in 2018 mainline preservation livery! I am converting the TTS Empress of Canada... So far renumbered and renamed, lowered the grey roof, added the cant rail stripe. Working headlight added and lights fitted. Some bogie and side detail added. Just waiting on some BR green paint so I can do the headcode discs and the rest of the buffer beam detail..I have to decide what to do with the coupling housing - trim it back most likely! /media/tinymce_upload/de92a767441f3d27c348f27b29a1a64f.jpg