Howbi

There has been discussion recently concerning a batch of faulty points where the enclosed wires are not insulated from each other.........HB

You would be well advised to get advice from a Builder concerning the size of the ceiling joists you would be walking on as they are not designed to carry any load. Also means of escape in case of emergency........HB

If you Google 'Class 156 sound decoder' you'll find several suppliers but at the higher price point.

@Brewman.........you are correct, the manual refers to Railcom® being enabled in order to read CVs although not all decoders are Railcom® equipped. I have never given it a thought before and never had to turn the Railcom® com feature on or off on any decoder..........HB Edit to correct previous incorrect comment.....

@Brewman......Decoders do not have to be Railcom® enabled in order to adjust CVs. That is just an additional protocol developed by Lenz which Hornby may utilise in the future such as in Loco Detection.......HB

Nice one Barry, looks like the perfect solution sunglasses........HB

Hi Stephen.......yes the decoder was pre-fitted with the sleeve so, presumably, Zimo have tested it regarding heat dissipation. The decoder is MX600R, £20.........HB

This is the 'H' class with a Zimo decoder installed; the Hornby R8249 decoder should fit in exactly the same way.......HB

@GS........it is R3848, there is no service sheet. The Hattons video shows clearly how the 6 pin decoder with harness fits easily.........HB

Hattons have an installation video showing how to fit the Hornby R7150 6 pin decoder. p.s. just for clarity, this Terrier is R3848

LU........Underneath the Frog there are two metal strips that continue the track supply to the rails beyond the frog and as they are moulded within the plastic it's not fixable unfortunately.........HB

@Jimbo.........thanks for the feedback.......HB

Jimbo......your poor running may a pick-up problem. Obviously the two driving axles have pick-ups but the two small wheels on the rear axle under the cab also have pick-ups and the cleanliness of the backs of the flanges is easily overlooked. So perhaps a rub with some IPA on a cotton bud would be worthwhile..........HB

Great progress, Rob. Excellent design full of interest. sunglasses HB

If you don't have the maintenance sheet you can find the one for your model in this list......... http://www.lendonsmodelshop.co.uk/?button=button2&servicesheets=none ........HB

@AD..........the reason you can't see all the pick-ups is because the outer axle's tabs are touching the tops of the flanges and can't be seen from underneath, but they will be there on your loco.........HB

@Brian........It is important with new locos to run them in, ideally on a rolling road, about 30 minutes in each direction to free up the mechanisms which improves the slow speed running especially over the points. The real benefit of the Peco point compared to Hornby is the length of the plastic frog - it is a tad shorter. However, it is rarely mentioned that on the 3 axle chassis crossing a point there are at least 5 wheels touching the railhead, 3 on one side and 2 on the frog side so really, as all the wheels have pickups, there should be no stalling but in reality there is. In my experience I found a great improvement by pinning the center of the point as advised by Chrissaf.

This image is from a 1952 catalogue, closest I can find.........HB

Well I have to say I look into this site 2 or 3 times every day and have, so far, never encountered this error message.........PC running Firefox on Win 10......HB

This is the Flying Scotsman from the R1167 set with a basic decoder fitted. The TTS decoder is slightly larger which is not a problem as it will easily fit in the smokebox space but precise measurement will be required to get a 'sugar cube' speaker to fit.

This is the go-to site for finding a model shop in your area. http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/counties/modelShops

The loft in JJ's cottage is in effect the fourth floor where the Building Regs and Means of Escape become much stricter. An independent fireproof staircase would have to be constructed outside the existing which would be cost prohibitive. So best forget the loft, JJ, and stick to your bedroom conversion to Train Room. sunglasses

You could make a start by looking under the Support & Advice header at the top of this page.

Yes you can convert this loco to DCC but will need you to solder the decoder wires in place. The Hornby 4 pin decoder is ideal for this .........HB

Check this connector from Kobiconn, data states it is 6.3mm x 3.0 mm. Possibly available from Mouser........ https://www.mouser.co.uk/ProductDetail/Kobiconn/173-6330TIP-EX?qs=94qWIstW55XwIZNdsL4H%2FA%3D%3D .........HB