ColinB

I have many TTS decoders in various locos, it has got to be over 30 if not more. The only locos I have had to change CV150 to 1, have always been Bachmann locos. On all the other locos it works perfectly out of the box. The most important thing before you rush off changing CVs is does the loco run reliably under DC. I have many locos I have bought second hand where they judder at low speed on DC so of course when you add DCC the issue is probably going to get worse as the electronics tries to compensate. Many times I have found the motors although they work, don't work very well on low current. Of course you would not notice that on DC. On one loco I was fixing for someone else it juddered because someone had glued an axle gear back together when it split. No matter how good you are the addition of the glue will make that gear slightly thicker so causes issues. So as everyone says on this Forum test it on DC before you do anything, that is also another reason to NEVER hard wire a decoder.

I know Simmo009 when I saw that Black 5 in the catalogue I subconsciously added up what I thought it should cost. I thought that is underpriced, so ordered one immediately. See in most businesses you wouldn't set the price until you had done your preproduction run because it is only then that you roughly know your base costs. If it was a repaint of an existing model then you can do that, but this is an existing model with a major chunk of new technology added, contributing to several packaging issues (fitting inside the existing body). I think they will probably drop it as either the cost is too high or making a reliable package cannot be achieved. We will see.

Well the way I do it is to move the DCC socket to the tender and then wire it as per the later models. For the loco end what I did was snap off the pin that connects to the drawbar, file it flat then drill with a 2mm drill and tap it with a m2.5 tap. Then you can screw in an m2.5 stepped screw to permanently attach loco to tender. I get the stepped screws from China, I has as yet, not found a UK supplier. Sometimes if you scan through the loco screw packs Hornby supplies, that are still in stock there may be one in there. Expensive way to buy a stepped screw but that may be the only way.

I think someone on RMWeb summed it up. Hornby has been around for years so there is a malaise that spreads through companies that says the customer doesn't matter that much, we sell a product that they want so they have to put up with it. Add into that budgets that are stretched and probably high turnover of staff because the pay is not good enough and there you have it. Trouble is all the other model railway firms think if Hornby can get away with it so can they. To put a product into your catalogue when you haven't done the initial design, as in the case of the black 5, is asking for trouble. Add into the mix that if the customer preorders with Hornby they get a fixed price, it opens up all horrors if the product is 2 or 3 years late.

November 2023 not a chance try November 2024 for a more realistic timing. According to 96RAF they have only just started designing it.

Thanks AndyMac I didn't know that about credit cards. The only ones I pay a deposit on are the ones from Rails and generally they are usually on the obscure special orders.

I figured when it first came out that they would have extreme difficulties with the steam generated locos, for one the wiring between loco and tender. I ordered the Black 5 and Flying Scotsman, because for what was included they were good value. Most businesses don't reveal a new product until development is done and they are ready to go for production, that way you don't lose credibility when you can't make the item. I have reduced my pre orders with Hornby because I have enough locos and there is nothing I really want. The only locos I consider pre ordering are "Rails" specials because these are different and sell out quickly.

Yes Going Spare R8264 fit really well, a pain to get them in the bogies but once in they are perfect.

@rpjallan if you do a google search on "Road and Rails" it will bring up the site. I buy the thin bass enhanced ones. These are incredibly thin and sit on top of the weight where you can find room.

That goes on all the time in most organizations. I worked for Ford, I worked on an 4x4 XR3i and Fiesta 2 stroke that never made the light of day. Then was a Fiesta "Rag Top" (sun roof that peels back like a Dyane) and probably more I never saw. It is called development, some ideas work others fail.

Well 96RAF that is probably because it is never going to happen. I suspect the person that came up with the idea left or retired years ago.

I have used Bachman decoders and yes I have noticed this effect. In fact there is a YouTube video shows exactly that. Try a Hornby or Zimo decoder and I think you will see the issue go away. I don't know if you can change CVs to fix it but I must admit I saved the Bachmann decoder for testing and replaced it with one of the other two I mentioned. Funny you would think all DCC decoders would work the same, but in my experience that is far from it.

I bin the Hornby speakers and replace them with thin bass reflex speakers off Road and Rails. I know the Hornby speakers are free but they sound dreadful. As the speaker is so thin it sits on top of the weight.

Great thanks. I wanted to know so I could fit a Britannia TTS decoder.

Does a Clan locomotive have a similar sound to a normal Britannia?

I have just taken the tender top off my Clan loco and it definitely lifts from the back with an engagement slot at the front. I was surprised it came away easily but I can't remember if I have done it before.

I have had lots of issues getting tender tops off to fit DCC. I have posted before I think during the printing/painting process the paint is soft, so when you try and get the top off the paint acts like glue. I know it is not much help, but on my new Evening Star the top came off easily, so Hornby have obviously recognised the issue. The other thing to check is the screws are fully out and then try to wobble the tender up and down and hopefully it will release itself. Oh I forgot, check there aren't any levers at the front connecting tender top to bottom.

I have one of those cheap Hornby controllers that came with my Pendolino set, to be fair I have found nothing wrong with it. I even got it to run a couple of Wrenn loco, admittedly not for long, but I use it for testing all my locos. I suppose though I only use it on a straight length of track for testing locos on DC, as my layout is DCC. The biggest issue I had was the backward forward switch. I eventually removed that interlock, although even now if you don't press it firmly to either end, it sometimes doesn't work. From the description of the fault it sounds like a component failure inside the unit as it warms up, which is a common failure mode for electronic devices.

https://uk.hornby.com/products/0-6-0-motor-and-retainer-x8809dm

If the controller is new and there are no faults with the track, which it sounds like there aren't, then it sounds like an issue with the controller. Electronic components have a habit of doing that if they are faulty. Generally the time period gets less and less until it dies completely. The other thing to check is the forward and reverse switch, I have had issues with these not switching properly.

I know DarkRedCape, Hornby used to send an EMail to say that they are available. Well they did today, one week after I got told mine was in. I thought TMC were just getting the money in before they received the locos off Hornby, but I got the mail asking me to pay one day and it was dispatched about a day later. There was no mention of them being available previous to that. I didn't expect to see it until next year. I ordered a P2 at the same time about a year and a half ago, so I wonder when that will turn up?

Just bought the latest Hornby Evening Star. I was a bit shocked when TMC mailed me to say that they wanted paying. An even bigger shock was the price, significantly more expensive that when I ordered it. It is a really nice loco but if I hadn't preordered it, I don't know whether I would have paid that much for it as an impulse purchase.

I ran mine for the statuary 30 minutes for running in, no issues. I only run 4 carriages with long sweeping bends so I wouldn't notice any real torque issues. Mind you he highlighted the Bachmann 9F for the same fault and I never noticed any real issues. I like Sam's reviews but sometimes you have to look at your own use and see if it is an issue. I am surprised Hornby used that motor rather than their normal one, but they obviously have their reasons, perhaps the low speed running is better. The front bogie derails if I go at maximum speed over my double slip, but I think that is more to do with my track. When I was fitting DCC one of the connectors on the 4 pin plug was on its way out, so I had to push it back in.

Great, thanks Going Spare.

It is over the tread.