ColinB

I don't know if this is any help. I too have been having issues with one TTS decoder (I have lots of others). This was factory fitted to a Princess Coronation. Firstly it would run round my layout, then lose sound, carry on on running round the layout without sound. It also occasionally used to stop intermittently. I sorted out all the track, which stopped the stopping but still the sound kept stopping sometimes after one circuit, sometimes after about two or 3, decoder worked perfectly with no sound. Anyway I tried everything (stay alive on the decoder, filter on the motor) you name it I tried it. Funny thing was, move the decoder to another loco perfectly ok, same as you, tried it in the Tester worked perfectly. I even moved several of my other TTS decoders into this loco and they too lost sound. In the end I come to the conclusion there was some weird interaction between the motor and any TTS decoder, I didn't want to mess with the motor, so I took the easy option, bought an expensive Zimo one. This works perfectly, so there is something weird going on with the TTS decoder. I have a pretty good idea what the issue is, but sadly I cannot fix it. So if you have any other DCC ready locos try it in those and see if it works ok.

Seeing as this is the Hornby site I have to be careful, but why Hornby? There are other makes that are all wheel drive. Hornby makes very good steam locos.We know what is on the drawing board for next year, basically what didn't get delivered this year, so I doubt an all wheel drive class 47 is high on the list. Especially since the latest diesel Hornby released was the class 66 and that is definitely not all wheel drive. Reading it again I can see you need space which most all wheel drive locos don't have, surely if you use a ton of batteries, the weight should give it traction.

I did mine over a year ago. At the time I think most of the links gave an error. Anyway sounds like it is sorted.

This has happened before v1.44 instead of v1.45, there must be something wrong which what is loaded on the website. I know when I did the upgrade I spent a while searching the Hornby website for the right files. I did mention it to Hornby at the time, but got no reply. Obviously, they didn't do anything about it.

Sorry we have to differ, as my previous post says I can fully understand why Hornby don't fit them, but they are not a fad they are quite usefull especially using the examples I used earlier. Quite a lot of modern decoders already have them fitted and generally these decoders are about the same price as a Hornby one. The YouChoos one to the uninformed looks a bit expensive, but when you analyse what is on the board you can understand why it costs so much. As to their effect, I read a ton of articles on them, I read some guy saying they are a waste of time so I did my own tests. They definitely improve running which if you analyse what they do is quite obvious. Hornby don't fit them because it is probably a redesign of their decoder and they think leave it to the deocder designers and pick up the technology at a later date, as I say Hornby's primary aim is to design locos. Also the issue of not reading CV values because the capacitor does not have enough time to charge up during a programming cycle, is an issue. It is a useful tool and nobody should be putting people off from using it, but as I say know its limitations. The TTS decoders would definitely work better with them.

Unusually, I do like the way the Elite does functions but Rog has a very valid point. The biggest issue though with doing anything that involves entering numbers, is that there is no enter key, it uses the press button on the controller. Unlike the Fleishmann software they don't turn off the ability of the controller to increment or decrement the number so quite often pressing the press button increments the value.

I must admit I have started screwing them down, but Peco ones seem to be prone to warping. I don't know if it is the plastic they use. I must admit I was just using it as an example. I think on most of my locos that have "stay alive" it came with the decoder. On some I used the YouChoos special circuit. I did try the locos with and without it, because people said it was a waste of time and I did find it made a noticeable difference. On a LaisDCC decoder it did make a noticeable difference on a LMS 4-4-0 compound. I must admit if it wasn't the issue of reading CV values, I would fit it to everything, if definitely doesn't make things worse.

You must have older Elite software, mine is 1.45 and it does functions up to F25 and above.

Function F0. Press the function button once, on first function screen press 0, that is F0.

Stay alive is useful if you have short wheelbase 0-6-0 locos and I must admit I have fitted it to old Ringfield based locos where the pickups aren't that good. Also with some decoders that are not very tolerant to a missing DCC signal they are very useful. TTS decoders suffer a lot from this resetting whenever they get a bad signal, so yes "stay alive" would be very useful on these. Now the downside. It makes it very difficult to read CV values with a lot of "stay alive" circuits fitted, the only one I have found that has no effect is the Zimo sound modules. If you have electrofrog points, clean and perfectly level track then probably there is no need for "stay alive". Usually after a while the track warps a bit and a lot of 4-4-0 locos pivot on their wheels on points and the tender pickups are on a bend so they don't work that well, it is very useful. I have some locos with it, some without. Some decoders, without "stay alive" seem to be the more tolerant to bad DCC signals than others. To add "stay alive" to TTS decoders you do need expert soldering skills and a really good iron. If you have neither you will either bridge a track between signals or worst case lift the PCB track. As for Hornby I don't want to dwell on this too long, because people get upset, they will never be in the same league as primary decoder manufacturers, because it is not their primary business, so probably investing in "stay alive" is not worth the effort. They can make more by putting that effort into something they know and are good at, making locos.

R2722 - City of Leicester R8117 R3111- City of Edinburgh R8117 R3101 -Dutchess of Hamilton R8117 R2685- Bude R8116 or R8115 depending whether it is rebuilt or not.

Most decoders work with modern Hornby controllers, so why limit yourself to Hornby? Hornby make decent steam locos, rolling stock and scale buildings, oh and the odd really good diesel loco. I will say no more as this is the Hornby forum.

With my Elite you can put 11 in and it works, alternatively you can turn the controller knob to get 11. I don't think I have ever had to input 011 for 11. The other thing to watch for is that the number doesn't change as you press the controller to enter the value. I did have issue with the Elite not writing values to a DC concepts decoder, where it failed more times than it passed but TTS decoders are usually ok. Normally to check whether the decoder is working is to put it on a piece of programming track and see if you can read the Manufacture's Id. Nobody has asked this, but you are using the programming terminals to do all of this. I have had a TTS lose sound but still run the loco, but never the other way.

The HST wheels are about 12.5 mm, so have you tried them? It sounds like you need tyres for a new model Hornby, not the old ringfield motor type. I know the issues you are having it took about 3 lots to get the right ones for my Morning Star loco. Have you looked up the service sheet for the current production class 47?

There are also different sorts of tender shells as well, depending on whether it is Railroad or Super Detailed. Some of the Railroad tenders are Ringfield ones without the motor, but even then I found the means of attachment was different.

If you buy flexitrack it is either 1 metre or 1 yard long (used to be a yard, but I think it is now metric). You just cut it to length, most economic way to do it. Use a steel rule for straight sections and you can buy formers for curves or you can just bend it yourself. If you use Peco streamline track I have found the distance between dual tracks is the width of an old engineering steel rule, a lot easier that the plastic tool.

I think we will leave it at that.

This may seem a silly question but why do they put it in the catalogue? They seem to do it with a lot of things. Is it to drum up interest to see if it worth selling? If they get enough advance orders they look to develop it. I doubt infra red would work very well anyway, going by the way a TV controller works. BlueTooth would be better and it was around in 2009, most car radios had it by then

I have no issue with the PL10, they work perfectly ok, occasinally one coil gets lazy so it only pulls one way, but other than that they work really well. When placed below the point they are really efficient. It is when you add the switch to it, for a start you lose a lot of the free movement as the Peco switch makes it more fixed and then it causes issues to the limits of the throw. Quite often the switch stops the blade from making a good contact. As I said I have had tons of issues with the switches. Even when I started using my own microswitches, which were much better, I still had issues, just different ones.

I doubt it, something like that I sure they would still be selling, unless it so expensive that it didn't sell. Around 2009 wireless was really new, I think Bluetooth was more popular then.

I am surprised that they are only forty years old, to me it looks like 1960's technology. They have in the last few years introduced a double micro switch which is supposedly much better. I must admit the one I bought disintegrated and it is so big it can only be fitted from underneath the baseboard. Trouble is, I have found you need twice as much power from the PL10 to basically move the point with the switch attached. I have played around a lot with switches, I even got a guy to 3 D print a bracket to take a microswitch. My latest idea is to use the blades of the point to activate a relay, which seems tons better. If anyone is interested, I will explain how it works, unless of course someone already came up with the idea.

From reading the text, I have a horrible feeling that the module was not insulated. I must admit where ever possible I try to just insulate the bottom of the decoder, the top has the components that are going to get warm if something goes wrong, I suspect this is the reason for failures on hot days.. You have to be so careful nothing touches the tender chassis. I assume the decoder must have a cooling issue otherwise it would come in a heatshrink jacket as do Zimo and Loksound decoders. Not a criticism of Hornby just an observation.

@jimmyjames Yes, I actually commented about your missing posts and your photos, so I am not going mad. As to the tunnel being removable, on my layout I have an elevated section with a town, so underneath there is a tunnel. I build it many years ago, to clean it I tried all the fancy things you buy from Woodland Scenics, in the end I used an ink rubber on a long stick. So yes, I would agree with your advice.

I am not going to dwell on this, I know you are mates but his overal tone is and this is not the first time. Why did he have to say anything. I know you both don't like me, but that is your issue not mine, just leave at that. People quite often say things that are contradictory to what I said, on this occasion if anything I was adding to the text. It is no issue diving into the Windows manager, if the PC has not even reconised the device and believe me it does it quite often especially with Samsung phones. It is something I have learn in last two years just trying to load photos from my phone or camera onto my PC. I will leave it at that. Rob or Chrissaf will probably sort out his issue, which is what this thread is about, not bickering at me.

I took your advice. I too, am building a twin train tunnel. I remembered I had a bit of guttering I had used on my pond to carry pipes and wires under the pond. So I fished out the off cut I have had lying in the garage for ages, you are right it fits. I need to jack mine up a bit as the guttering is too shallow, but I think it will work. I can cover it in plaster or what ever to blend in with the scenery. Another advantage is I can probably make it removable if I need to clean the track. What ever happened to Jimmy's original response? I remember seeing all the tunnels etc.