Lb101

To late to edit. The last light in the ‘circuit‘ needs a resistor for that led too. And I emphasise you are using a suitable transformer as explained by Chrissaf.

Ps as an amendment to this Ive probably made a glaring mistake, I’m sure peoples will correct me as appropriate! Chrissaf is spot on as usual. I also work in microelectronics (digital and analogue) and it should be relatively straight forward. Can I suggest you draw a simple circuit diagram before you start? It’s a straight forward circuit but always worth doing. Check your power supply as Chissaf says which will help you work out how many led lights you can get. The amp rating is not a limiting factor for burnout, far from it , a higher rating one will give you more oomph for extra lights and other peripherals. It’s the voltage and correct resistor which are important assuming enough current. Remember LEDs are diodes (clues in the name), so need to be wired the right way around on DC. You can tell by looking at them (look that one up as I’m not great at explaining). wiring in paralell is the way forward. Like Christmas tree lights nowadays if one goes it wont effect the rest. Btw it doesn’t matter which side of the led the resistor sits as long as it’s in the parallel part of the circuit from the bus line (but does have a bearing on making sure you are getting the actual LED the correct way around (in DC). it can be difficult to explain with words. I’d lay out a ‘bus’ wire which are the wires from your power supply (extended if necessary with the correct wires) under your layout (these are the two polarities, positive and negative). Next run your street lights from one wire to the other across the circuit. Like side roads joint a main roasteach side Big mistake Ive seen happen, make sure the last light is connected across the two bus wires, effectively acting as the closing connection of the circuit. If you Wire it all up in parallel and you simu connect the ‘ends’ of the bus/power line wires together, then you’ll get a short circuit no matter how many leds are connected (current will always follow this line of shortest load I.e non in this scenario, apart from the small bus wire resistance which won’t make a jot, at best your lights won’t work!). Conclusion: Importantly use resistors. its easy to by steet lights with the correct rating online. And easy to look up the colours of said resistors needed for each led as a double check.

I’ve done some research and watched some YouTube videos, and had a go after some not so good attempts (I find the scaling, slopes and colours most difficult). I must say this topic and the above advice has been the most useful information I’ve ever read in order to get started!!! 😀

As it was mentioned and as someone who suffers with clinical OCD, it can be a debilitating condition. I speculate many in this hobby might have it to varying degrees, it gets the endorphins running as we create a world we can control. The stickers did create a bit of anxiety for me but in the end I scaped them best I could then lived with the imperfection. A good exposure therapy (I also ran a black marker pen over what was left). Embrace imperfections and you will run your locos on the rails of happiness!!! (Might use that as my signature tag on here, been trying to think of one)

Brill Rick, I’ve often thought about mounting a camera somehow to get a drivers view around my layout, youve taken it a step further, a great project. Quickly file a patent I’m sure they’d sell, I’d buy one (If I had any money)!

https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic.php?t=53375 Graham Fariah coaches but I guess same approach applies to the these light Hornby ones (possibly minus the problem he mentions with the printed graining on the GF ones which I don’t think applies to the Hornby versions).

Hi NorthernGirl, welcome to the forum. Hornby did a class 153 Supersprinter though they are converted single railcars (I think). Bachmann do or did a two car DMU Class 158. Both im sure can be found unused or used online and both very purple in the Northern livery!

As you said The, Doc they are a fiver a pop second hand. I might try removing the bogies and immersing one of mine it a pot of tea overnight and see what happens.

Good luck my friend sorting this. I have an ho scale Rocco type EL16 (Norwegian State Railway). Rocco is an Austrian company I believe but im sure the shop you mention sell stuff from other non German companies. it’s my favourite model loco with loads of detail and it does look a smaller next to OO scale locos but nothing to write home about in my opinion unless you are looking for exactness (im more into the sceneary modelling). The fact is, HO scale models are more inline with the track scale and gauge (including UK track!) than OO. I havnt The time to explain why (sorry, I’m assuming you don’t know the history of it all , but if you are interested and it is quite interesting, look it up on Wikipedia). Look out for the coupling, Rocco for example have a different system to Hornby, check the coupling can be easily switched on whatever you buy to match yours, I’m sure the shop can advise and do it for you. Good luck with it for you and your son (I’d say buy what looks good to you, I like the early diesels, electrics and liverys from Norway and have a family connection which explains my choice above).

You could always paint them ’all’ with the same humbrol of your choice. The finish will then look the same throughout, I imagine it impossible to get exactly the same colour on the non grey ones as the other already grey ones, but also the same finish.

This is all fascinating stuff to a simple question, I love it when these (what I think are simple questions) take on a life of there own. I was expecting a one line answer! (simply because that’s all I thought it would be) but this is great insight. I don’t know what to say though when someone asks what are those little blue and red tank engines 🤔). Brill answers though thanks for your time everyone!

Good on yer Fat_Controller, I started the hobby 5 years ago mainly for my little lad Too and he is hooked on modelling and real trains. Welcome also the the complexities of these discussions 😉. Keep it simple and build from there, there’s nothing like the feeling when the hobby and all that goes with it takes hold!

I saw that programme too. Maybe they’ll turn up in a warehouse somewhere one day, we can but dream.

Here’s one I’ve suggested before. Hornby moving into N scale As well as OO. People live in smaller houses these days, OO takes up space, you can fit an N scale layout on a dinner tray, I run one alongside my OO layout up in the loft on an internal door sawn in half! they already own Arnold which is European N scale). My other half would let me run a wee n scale layout in the main house and I’m sure many many parents would buy a Christmas N scale set and especially if it was a Hornby set given people not in the hobby generally associate ’toy train sets’ with Hornby and that nostalgia element that goes with it. A great way to get youngsters and their parents into the hobby playing and making together. Just my opinion, I realise there are other established N scale producers in the UK and how this is a risk and how business models work etc but perhaps a toe dipped in the water (e.g basic small Christmas set) can lead to bigger things (pun intended). Perhaps one for further down the line for Hornby (pun not intended but it turned out to be one!).

Ah yes the post edit works thanks for that too! Thanks for that explanation Chissaf I understand, and it will be a faff for me anyhow.ive just this minute tried a different strategy and found a mostly incomplete one like mine starting for a fiver on eBay, open to offers. From the pics it has all 4 brass parts so i‘ll give that a go. They tend to catch on the track rails when in use so will be good to have extra ones. Thanks, I’ve got some ideas as backups. It was a job for tomorrow’s rare chance to play trains, without this help I’d have gone in the loft and stared at it for an hour, procrastinated, and moved onto something else! Thanks all.

Wow, I’ll memorise that for when someone asks! Fascinating, the more you learn the more there is to learn! I thought they looked a bit like the Peckett 0-4-0s I’ve seen at Ludborough heritage railway (Lincs), Beamish open air museum (County Durham) and at Stephenson’s in Tyneside.

Do I hard wire from the TT rail in question to the outward rails (underneath for each one). Sorry for posting in bursts I’ll stop doing that.

...actually if I hard wire the outgoing track(s) won’t I still need power from the TT track to move the loco across from the latter to the former) this part I thought provided a required connection between the two?

..I meant 10,000th, doh, I think I’ll just have a lie down until my neuro networks begin working before I look into this.

Yes Chrissaf was a typo I def searched for correct number, and yes I’m running DC. Thanks everyone lots of ideas I’m not thinking outside the box enough, I have a spare powerclip but I think I’ll try the hard wiring Ray suggests, never occurred to me. Hey I only just realised I posted the 1000th general discussion thread, that‘s Cheered me up too!

Great thanks everyone. The Wikipedia page Fazy posted mentions Smokey Joe and how these little pugs have been the mainstay of starter sets since the 80’s, some in fictitious liveries as mentioned by sarahagain.

...search online I mean, not physically in the loft for the missing one.

sorry yes, it’s the latest Hornby turntable. I realise now it‘s part 3.962, will remember to look at service sheets available online in the future, tail between legs on that one 😳. Copper parts which connect the track on the turntable to the different outlet tracks. One of mine is missing. Still though I don’t seem to be able to find them anywhere when I search.

Does anyone know where I can get hold of the connecting metal part which connects the Hornby turntable live part to the track. I’ve tried solder but it doesn’t have the flex when the turntable moves (sticks and the bangs back into place) and my locos derail over it. I don’t know what the part is called so don’t know what to search for online, my turntable is redundant until I can find the little metal part.

Does anyone know what the Hornby starter West coast Highlander and Highland Rambler set 0-4-0 locos are based upon? When I search I seem to get prices and pack contents without a name for the actual loco. I realise, I think and may be wrong, that they are by and large fictitious but they fit the bill in looking like ‘proper’ little steam engines. I have one of each, they look identical apart from livery, and look like a saddle tank loco. I heard from one person that are loosely based upon ‘Pugs’ and looking at pictures of these they certainly bare a more than a passing resemblance. I ask because friends of my kids keep asking as do their parents and I wish I had an answer which isn’t slightly vague! Are the the same as the Thomas engine (sorry I’ve never seen one of the little fellas up close).